Apostasy of Israel

In my last post, I discussed the steps of an individual going apostate. Another type of apostasy is of an entire nation going apostate. It happens as individuals lose sight of God and we can learn by looking at these societal patterns how what may seem like a personal choice can have consequences for a larger community. As I am drawing from the scriptures, the examples given are for the apostasies of Israel and Judah.

The history of Israel is littered with dozens of examples of the nation going into apostasy and then being restored again, but I would like to focus on one apostasy in particular that had very long lasting effects. I would like to break apart some of the teaching of Isaiah and Jeremiah. These were two prophets who preached concerning the time period known as the Babylonian Captivity, when Babylon conquered Judah, slaughtering a good number of the people and taking the rest captive back to Babylon. Before this happened, Judah was openly practicing pagan rituals that were forbidden by the laws of God and committing all manner of sins without remorse or shame. Isaiah foresaw and prophesied of all this happening about 100 years before it occurred, while Jeremiah actually live through it. Isaiah and Jeremiah, along with other prophets, were called of God to preach repentance, and to warn the people that if they did not repent, then they would be conquered by other nations.

So what had happened to Judah to make it so wicked?

*They had grown prideful with their own accomplishments (Isaiah 2:8)

8Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

*They had changed the holy ordinances and practices of their religion (Isaiah 24:5)

5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

*They were worshiping other gods and taking up the practices of their neighbors (Jeremiah 11:13)

13For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

*They were openly breaking the commandments (Isaiah 3:9, Jeremiah 23:10)

9The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

*They rejected the prophets God sent them (Jeremiah 35:15)

15I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

All of these can be done by an individual in a private life, but in the strongest sense these are societal choices that change the entire make up of a nation.

A lot of people believe that freedom of religion means that everyone should be free to practice, secretly in their own homes away from their neighbors, whatever they want. What they do not see is that religions freedom means being able to have an open dialogue of what one believes and feels that society should adopt. As a study of this topic shows, when it comes to moral practices, it is not just a personal practice that will determine a nations future, but of what that nation's inclinations are towards religion and God that will lay the foundation for its future prosperity.