Topical Bible: The Jews: Often Displeased God by Their Sins

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The narrative of the Jewish people throughout the Bible is marked by a recurring theme of disobedience and rebellion against God, despite His continuous acts of deliverance and provision. This pattern of sin and its consequences is a central theme in the Old Testament, illustrating the tension between God's holiness and human fallibility.

Rebellion in the Wilderness

One of the earliest and most significant instances of the Jews displeasing God is found during their exodus from Egypt. Despite witnessing miraculous signs and wonders, the Israelites frequently complained and rebelled against God and Moses. In Numbers 14:11 , the Lord expresses His frustration: "And the LORD said to Moses, 'How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?'"

Idolatry and Apostasy

Idolatry is a recurring sin among the Israelites, often leading to severe consequences. In Exodus 32, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law, the people constructed a golden calf and worshiped it, provoking God's wrath. Exodus 32:9-10 states, "The LORD also said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. Now leave Me alone so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.'"

The Period of the Judges

The Book of Judges highlights a cyclical pattern of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. Judges 2:11-12 describes this cycle: "And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them, and they provoked the LORD to anger."

The Monarchy and Prophetic Warnings

During the period of the monarchy, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah frequently turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and injustice. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea were sent to call the people back to righteousness. Isaiah 1:4 laments, "Oh, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him."

Exile and Return

The ultimate consequence of persistent sin was the exile of both Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC, and the southern kingdom was taken into Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. Yet, even in exile, God promised restoration. Jeremiah 29:10-11 offers hope: "For this is what the LORD says: 'When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.'"

Post-Exilic Challenges

After returning from exile, the Jews faced new challenges in maintaining their covenant relationship with God. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah document efforts to rebuild the temple and restore proper worship, yet issues of intermarriage and neglect of the Law persisted. Nehemiah 9:26 reflects on this continued disobedience: "But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to turn back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies."

Throughout their history, the Jewish people often displeased God by their sins, yet His covenant faithfulness remained steadfast, offering redemption and hope for those who would return to Him.

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Numbers 25:3
And Israel joined himself to Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
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Deuteronomy 32:16
They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
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1 Kings 16:2
For as much as I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel; and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;
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Isaiah 1:4
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward.
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Isaiah 5:24,25
Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
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Library

How Moses was Displeased at This, and Foretold that God was Angry ...
The Antiquities of the Jews. ... How Moses Was Displeased At This, And Foretold That
God Was ... his persuasions of the multitude; and as they had often been disobedient ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 how moses was.htm

The Restoration of the Jews.
... again be restored to the peaceable possession of the Jews, and such ... same denunciations
and warnings by which the king had often been displeased before, he ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

Salvation
... And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there ... This text is often held to
be a prophecy of the ... very plainly, from WHAT God was going to save these Jews. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxi salvation.htm

Opposition to Messiah Unreasonable
... doing good (Acts 10:38) , and often put Himself in ... grounds of that dislike which
the Jews manifested to ... And therefore they are much displeased with the Gospel ...
/.../newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxiii opposition to messiah.htm

Blessing the Children
... Among the Jews it was customary for children to be brought to ... But it was the disciples
with whom He was displeased. ... It was by little attentions, often repeated ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 56 blessing the children.htm

John Chapter iii. 21-Jun
... to himself that he was a teacher of the Jews. ... has given thee displeasure, would not
have displeased thee, if ... every day, and they must be often said, because ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xii john chapter iii.htm

On Corrupting the Word of God
... the word of God, seem to have been Jews, who owning ... By this means it may often seem
to have one sense ... case, then is he, if not convinced, displeased, or angry ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 136 on corrupting the.htm

The Formation and Order of the Primitive Church.
... unsocial, melancholy demon; they were equally displeased with the ... master of himself,
and is often hurried away ... The converted Jews had undergone a very sudden ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iii the formation and.htm

Meditations for the Sick.
... Whilst thy sickness remains, use often, for thy comfort, these few ... when God seemeth
to be angry and displeased with him ... and was derided King of the Jews, by the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/meditations for the sick.htm

The Crisis in Galilee
... practice of good works; and it was often said that at ... The unbelieving Jews refused
to see any except the ... They were greatly displeased, and wishing to wound the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 41 the crisis in.htm