GOD'S
JUDGEMENT IS ON ITS WAY
Key
verse 8 : 5
This particular
punishment is due to the following sins : abandoning the House of David
and the service made to the cow of Bethel (1-7), the alliances with the pagans
and the trust placed in Israel’s numerous altars and palaces (8-14). However,
God stills remains a compassionate shepherd (5).
1. Due to their infringement of my
alliance (1-7)
The enemy will war
against them because they have broken God's law. The prophet sees God's
judgement hovering over Israel like an eagle. The mention of the House of God
in the first verse refers to Bethel or to the country in which God dwells. However,
the people have abandoned both God and the temple. When judgement day arrives
they will revendicate their identity as God's people but this will be in vain. They
crown Kings without against God's advice so they do this according to their
will. Moreover when Israel misuses the material blessing that God gave them, He
takes it away from them (4). Israel rejects that which is just and right and so
God rejects Israel. In this context to reject means to dislike. Therefore the
time when God will declare them innocent, shall it never come about ? This
is one of the reasons that God sighs heavily in His chest inspite of His
reproaches. He wants them to be to saved more than they do (5).
2. The alliances with the pagans (8-14)
The pagan alliances
will give rise to nothing more that a situation of captivity similar to that
which the Israelites have already experienced in Egpyt. Their altars, the
palaces in which they placed their trust and their fortresses will be unable to
help them. Israel is being devoured by the tributes that they have to pay.
However, Assyria makes of fun of them inspite of this condition. The Israelites
are similar to wild donkeys ; lonely, unwilling to live with other people
and destined to live as undisciplined and abandoned people. Their altars have
become a place for sin to propagate itself, noteably with the chaos that goes
on during their services (11). Writing the Law doesn't is useless as their
hearts are so far away from God. They celebrate feasts with lots of meat but
not to make God happy but rather to enjoy themselves. God is therefore
horrified by their offerings. After their return to Egypt they will forget
their past and choose to be a submissive people. The Israelites have abandoned
God and seek their happiness in big buildings but they too will be destroyed.
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