THE RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF ISRAEL

1. For the purpose of keeping his people from returning to their allegiance to the house of Judah, Jeroboam I. provided them a form of worship at Bethel and Dan. Golden calves were made. It is probable that this was not intended as a total forsaking of Jehovah, but rather that Jehovah might be worshiped by the image of a calf. Whatever the intention was, it was a sin against Jehovah, and Jeroboam is ever after mentioned as the king who made Israel to sin. The view that this act was a protest against the idolatry of Solomon and his son, that it was in the line of reform in religious matters, cannot be substantiated by the narrative. The Levitical priests were deposed, and others from any source appointed; the time of the feasts was changed. All connection with the other kingdom was severed. Individuals no doubt in the northern kingdom remained faithful to Jehovah, but as a people they never gave up the sin established by Jeroboam.

2. The worship of Baal had been practised among the Israelites from an early time, but it was made to take the place of the worship of Jehovah as the national religion by Ahab. Phænicia was the chief center of this form of idolatry. It was exceedingly debasing in character, being ac companied with immoral practices. The Israelites had been in close contact with the Phænicians from the days of David. Ahab's marriage with the daughter of Tyre's king, one of the wickedest women described in history, made it all the more easy for this form of idolatry to invade Israel.¹  

Jehu made Baal worship less prevalent, although it was not altogether given up by the Israelites. His work of re form did not, however, bring the people back to complete fidelity to Jehovah; they still persisted in violating God's commands at the shrine of Bethel.

3. Most of the prophets who wrote belonged to the kingdom of Judah. The so-called schools of the prophets flourished especially in the kingdom of Israel. Prominent in these were Elijah and Elisha. The mission of these two prophets was to turn the Israelites back to fidelity to Jehovah. Elijah protested against accepting Baal as the God of Israel. Punishment was sent because they had forsaken Jehovah, and the contest on Carmel was to convince the Israelites that Baal was not God. Elijah was the prophet of warning, condemnation, threat. Elisha was to induce the people to turn to Jehovah on the ground that he was merciful and would heal their sinfulness. Almost all the miracles performed through Elisha presented the thought of mercy, healing, restoration. The people of Israel, through their ruler, at times acknowledged their obligation to Jehovah, yet persisted in their sin.

4. Two of the most important of the minor prophets belonged to the kingdom of Israel, Amos and Hosea. Both of these prophets give us an exceedingly dark picture of the religious condition of Israel in their times. The people had given themselves up to luxury, oppression, idolatry, and vice generally. Amos assured them that the day of Jehovah, which they were looking for, would not be a day of help as they expected, but a day of punishment; that they would not be spared because they were the people of Jehovah, but would be all the more severely punished. Hosea endeavored to lead them to obedience because of God's great love.

Micah and Isaiah, prophets of Judah, also prophesied against Israel, and help us to understand the religious condition of the people in their times. In most cases at least the language used need not be interpreted as figurative, but we may suppose that when the prophet accuses them of murder or drunkenness he means just these sins. The mission of Jonah to Nineveh was not so much to convert the Ninevites as it was to show the Israelites themselves that Jehovah was ready to forgive the penitent.

5. In accounting for the great wickedness of Israel, especially the sin of idolatry, it must be remembered that they were surrounded by peoples that universally practised idolatry; and the more they carried on intercourse with these the more they were exposed to the danger of contamination. Human sacrifices were offered by some of these nations; the heavenly bodies were worshiped; the doctrine of my gods prevailed. The worship of all these was debasing and demoralizing in the extreme.

SUMMARY.

1. The sin of Jeroboam; not intended as a reform.

2. Baal worship established by Atab, introduced from Phænicia. The extent of Jehu's reform; Baal worship no longer national.

3. Schools of prophets; the work of Elijah and Elisha; the relation between these two.

4. Israel's condition shown by Amos and Hosea; the special message of each. Information also given by Micah and Isaiah.

5. Examples of idolatry around the Israelites; the practices an. beliefs of these nations.

1) “Story of Phoenicia,” Rawlinson, ch. 7.