Troublemakers

Deuteronomy 13:11-18 – Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors—because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.

1 Samuel 2:12 – Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.

Isaiah 43:28 – So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple; I consigned Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.

Genesis 13:14 – The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.

Application:

• ·         In Old Testament usage, to “know” the Lord is not just intellectual or theoretical recognition. It is to enter into fellowship with Him and acknowledge His claims on one’s life.
• ·         Jerusalem suffered destruction at the hands of the Babylonians because of idolatry.
• ·         Lot and Abram are a study in contrasts. The former looked selfishly and coveted; the latter looked as God commanded and was blessed.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV