8840 unfaithfulness, to God
Dictionary of Bible Themes

Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  8000 The life of the believer  »  8700 Threats to the life of faith  »  8839 unfaithfulness  »  8840 unfaithfulness, to God

In the OT the terms of the covenant with God were constantly broken by Israel by acts of idolatry and disobedience. The consequence was God's judgment, which eventually included exile.

Warnings within the covenant

Nehemiah 1:8; Leviticus 26:1,14-17,31-33; Deuteronomy 4:25-27; Deuteronomy 8:19-20; Proverbs 2:22; Ezekiel 14:13; Ezekiel 15:8

Unfaithfulness seen in idolatry

Idolatry as marital unfaithfulness

Jeremiah 3:20 The covenant between God and Israel at Sinai viewed in terms of a marriage contract ; Jeremiah 3:6-9 See also Jeremiah 3:12-14; Jeremiah 9:2; Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 1:2

Idolatry as prostitution

1 Chronicles 5:25; Hosea 4:10-12; Hosea 9:1

Idolatry as abandoning God

Jeremiah 1:16 See also Judges 10:13; Jeremiah 5:19; Jeremiah 15:6

Unfaithfulness seen in other forms of disobedience

Trust in money and possessions

Job 31:24-28 See also Jeremiah 49:4

Doing wrong to others

Numbers 5:5-6 See also Leviticus 6:2; Proverbs 11:3; Proverbs 13:2; Isaiah 1:21-23; Hosea 6:6-7

Marrying foreign wives

Ezra 10:2 See also Ezra 9:1-4; Nehemiah 13:27

Withholding tithes and offerings

Joshua 7:1; Joshua 22:20; Malachi 3:8

Breaches in the ritual law

1 Samuel 14:33; Malachi 1:7-8

Unfaithfulness as a characteristic of God's people throughout the OT

Jeremiah 5:11 See also Acts 7:37-41; Judges 2:16-17; Nehemiah 9:26; Haggai 1:7-9

Unfaithfulness among Israel's leadership

The unfaithfulness of the priesthood

Ezra 9:1-2 See also 2 Chronicles 36:14; Ezekiel 22:26; Malachi 2:7-8

Unfaithful kings

Solomon's unfaithfulness leads to unfaithfulness among his subjects:

1 Kings 11:4-5,33 2 Chronicles 12:1-2 Rehoboam; 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 Uzziah's bad example

Ahaz:

2 Chronicles 28:19-23; 2 C 19

Manasseh:

2 Kings 21:9 pp 2 Chronicles 33:9; 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 33:19

Unfaithfulness leads to judgment

Deuteronomy 32:20; Psalm 73:27; Psalm 78:56-59; Proverbs 21:18

Individuals judged for unfaithfulness

Joshua 7:1,25; 1 Chronicles 10:13

Wandering in the desert

Numbers 14:33 See also Numbers 14:34-35

The people taken into exile

Ezekiel 39:23 See also 1 Chronicles 9:1; Daniel 9:7

Restoration following repentance

Ezekiel 39:25-26 God's purpose through the exile is to bring about the eventual repentance and restoration of his people. See also Leviticus 26:40-42; Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Nehemiah 1:8-9

See also

1310  God as judge
1349  covenant at Sinai
5482  punishment
6189  immorality, examples
6243  adultery, spiritual
7141  people of God, OT
7215  exile, the
7766  priests
8718  disobedience
8769  idolatry, in OT
8810  riches, dangers
8834  unbelief



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