Why do God’s people rebel?

When you think about the rebellious nature of the Israelites you might wonder how God put up with them for so many years. From the time God revealed himself to Israel when they were slaves in Egypt they rebelled against him.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: on the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the Lord your God.’ On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.” (Ezekiel 20:4-8 NIV)

The problem Israel faced from their beginning was idolatry. Despite their being slaves in Egypt they became attached to the false gods of their captors. You would think that when YHVH revealed himself to bring them out of slavery and took them to their own productive land that they would have gladly given up the gods of captivity for the God leading them into freedom. But they refused to get rid of their idols.

Even though they refused to give up these “vile images” God still delivered them from slavery and led them into the wilderness. God gave them his commands and laws that if they would obey they would live. But the Israelites rebelled and refused to obey because “their hearts were devoted to their idols” (Ezekiel 20:16). God resolved that those he led out of Egypt would not enter the promised land but he would allow their children to enter – and he emphasised to them to obey his commands. But this, too, was short lived.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: in this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: when I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings…Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts – the sacrifice of your children in the fire – you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day.’” (Ezekiel 20:27-31)

Not only did they refuse to get rid of their idols they embraced even more false gods! They made offerings to them and even presented their children as sacrifices to be burned to worship the idol. 

We would do well to ask: why did they continually rebel against God and embrace idolatry?

“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.’” (Ezekiel 20:32)

The simple answer is that they wanted to be like everyone else. God called them to be different, to be his special, distinct people, but they didn’t want to be different but to be like everyone else.

Isn’t this the problem that Christians still struggle with? God has called us to live lives that are different from those around us (Romans 12:1-2). Yet the attraction to “be like the peoples of the world” continues to lure people away from God.

God did not tolerate rebellion amongst the Israelites – do we really think he will treat us any differently?

Photo by Jon Galloway: images of Baal, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Readings for next week: Ezekiel 18-23