Why did God base His punishment of 70 years on Israel’s failure to honor the Land Sabbath?

[farouk]

14 hours ago, Charlie744 said:

You are right... that is a nice commentary, thank you.

Indeed, interesting.

Some ppl insist on taking Chronicles and then seeking the church - rather than Israel - there and then make dogmatic statements, as if the church were the primary interpretation; I wouldn't go that far.

[NConly]

2 kings 21

11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

Hope this helps

[farouk]

20 minutes ago, NConly said:

2 kings 21

11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

Hope this helps

@NConly Solemn passage; shows that apostasy has long-term consequences.

[JoeCanada]

On 5/26/2024 at 9:02 PM, Charlie744 said:

Jeremiah was telling his fellow Israelites that, unless they repented and returned to their God, they would be destroyed and many taken captive by the Babylonians. 
This went on for more than 20 years and, unless I am mistaken, the Israelites were not only guilty of failing to honor the land Sabbath, but they have turned away from their God and even idolatry for many years. 
If that is true, then can someone help me understand why the punishment period of 70 years was only based on the failure to honor the land Sabbath? It would seem that disobedience and idolatry in the many other ways of life would have been more hurtful to God. 
 

 

Hi Charlie,

You said: "If that is true, then can someone help me understand why the punishment period of 70 years was only based on the failure to honor the land Sabbath?"

We should look at Leviticus for the answer. In chapter 25 and then following to 26,  we read:

  "For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My Sanctuary; I am the Lord. If you walk in My statutes..... (God goes on to describe all the blessings that Israel will enjoy)............ I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.... Lev 26:1-13

God then tells them the penalties of Disobedience:

                        "But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead , you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as to not carry out all My commandments and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you...." Lev 26:14>

                         "If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins"....verse 18

                         "If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins".... verse 21

                          "And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins".... verse 23

                           "Yet is spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins"................ I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars,  I will lay waste your cities and make your sanctuaries desolate, I will make the land desolate.... You, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste."... verses 27>

                "Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies land".. verse 34 

By His grace and mercy, God ended the first 70 years of exile to Babylon in fulfillment of the prophecy to Jeremiah. However, the ending to Dan 9:26 shows that more desolations were in store for the Jewish people because of their disobedience and their rejection of Jesus, the cornerstone.

                                 "And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined."

What "desolations" is the angel Gabriel talking about?

History tells us that after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jewish people were driven out of Israel and scattered among the nations...... for nearly 1900 years.

Are these the "desolations" that God prescribed as punishment for breaking the Mosaic Covenant?

                       The initial punishment that God laid out for the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant was the 70 years of exile in Babylon:

                           "But if you will not listen to Me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn My statutes, and if your soul abhors My rules, so that you  will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, then I will do this to you"... Lev 26:14-16

  "And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste."..... Lev 26:33

 

[NConly]

On 5/27/2024 at 2:13 PM, Charlie744 said:

Thank you very much! This certainly does speak to the punishment of His people for their disobedience and idolatry.

Please consider this question:

Is it safe to say that those verses speak to the house of Israel, the northern tribes which were destroyed and scattered by the Assyrians as opposed to Judah, who would be subject to the 70 year period of punishment in Babylon?

Not sure if both the north and the south kingdoms were  NOT guilty of the same transgressions but the 70 year punishment for Judah was based on the land Sabbath transgression only.. 

Thanks again and I look forward to your thoughts! 

 

@joeCanada

Ezk 36: 16-28 verse 20 is important to the answer you seek

Edited July 21, 2024 by NConly
add

[JoeCanada]

4 hours ago, NConly said:

 

@joeCanada

Ezk 36: 16-28 verse 20 is important to the answer you seek

Ezek 36 speaks about Israel at the end of time. 

                                                    "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities.... "  

This is  definitely speaking about when the Lord returns and forgives the nation of Israel of all their sins and unrighteousness. 

[NConly]

These verses show why God scattered Israel.

Ezk 36

17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:

19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

 

verse 24 is step 1

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. done 1948

 

step 2 is below Not happened yet  Israel brought into the new covenant V26 and 27 is new covenant

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Edited July 21, 2024 by NConly
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[JoeCanada]

16 hours ago, NConly said:

These verses show why God scattered Israel.

Ezk 36

17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

"They defiled it by their own way and by their doings"

Yes..... and Leviticus tells us what God commanded for the Israelites after He brought them out of Egypt into their own land.

"You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My Sanctuary; I am the Lord."  .... Lev 26:1>

But they didn't follow God's commandments. They did things "their own way"

 

[Retrobyter]

On 5/27/2024 at 12:02 AM, Charlie744 said:

Jeremiah was telling his fellow Israelites that, unless they repented and returned to their God, they would be destroyed and many taken captive by the Babylonians. 
 

This went on for more than 20 years and, unless I am mistaken, the Israelites were not only guilty of failing to honor the land Sabbath, but they have turned away from their God and even idolatry for many years. 
 

If that is true, then can someone help me understand why the punishment period of 70 years was only based on the failure to honor the land Sabbath? It would seem that disobedience and idolatry in the many other ways of life would have been more hurtful to God. 
 

Look forward to anyone’s thoughts… literally just came to mind. 

Shalom, Charlie744.

Well, the simple answer is this: It's because people don't generally live as long as the Land exists. The Land of Israel, today known as "Palestine" from the Romans' nickname for the Land (from the people of Philistia or "Palestinia"), is GOD'S LAND!!! He has written His Name upon it, and most of the cities and towns of the Land also bear His Name within their names.

For God to be able to GIVE the Land to Avraham and then later to the Children of Israel under Mosheh ("Moses") and later under Yhowshuwa` ("Joshua"), He had to first OWN the Land, and of course, He owns it ALL! "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills." (Which really means "He owns ALL THE HILLS for grazing cattle!" For the word for "thousand," which is "'elef" ["אֶלֶף"], is the SAME WORD for "ox" which is "'aalaf," ["אָלַף"] as in oxen that "associate," working together with each other in the yoke).

The children of Israel, both Ephrayim in the north and Yhudah in the south, were taken into exile, and THAT is a punishment upon them for their sins. The Land was allowed to REST while they were in captivity. They had OVERWORKED THE SOIL, planting the same thing over and over upon the same fields that needed a break every seven years! God allowed the Land to produce DOUBLE in the sixth year, and that was what they were to live on during the seventh year. They had also neglected the YoViyl ("Jubilee") which was the 49th year, in which they were to allow the land to rest TWO YEARS and the Land would produce TRIPLE the year before! So, for the HUNDREDS of years that they had disobeyed God's commandments to allow the Land to rest, they were GOING to let it rest, whether they liked it or not!

[R. Hartono]

The Hebrew honour sabbath but they do not honour God and Paul and Peter further explained the sabbath and the Law ,: 

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/273448-paul-rebuked-sabbath-lovers-as-peter-rebuked-law-practitioners/