A Little Q & A For Your Day

Viewed: 1450

Date: Apr 29 2016 2:27 PM

Hey Everybody,

I hope your weekend outlook is positive. Here is a little Q & A for your day.

The Question:

Dear Brother: During the time between Genesis and Exodus (430 years) did Israel worship God or Idols. If they worshiped God, how did they do it, with sacrifices and such? If so, why?

The Answer:

Animal sacrifices were common in ancient days, among both those who worshiped idols and those who worshiped God. "Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering" (Gen. 4:4). This is the first event following the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden. Obviously, animal sacrifices began at an early time. We are not given any details as to how this came about, but since God was pleased with Abel's offering it is obvious the animal sacrifice was something God wanted from man.

After Noah came out of the ark he too built an altar and offered animal sacrifices (Gen. 8:20). When Abraham first arrived in Canaan he built an altar to God (Gen. 12:7-8) and then, after his foolish journey to Egypt, he came back to Canaan and built another altar and worshiped God (Gen. 13:4). We are not told what Abraham sacrificed on these altars, but the implication would be animal sacrifices as well. Isaac built an altar (Gen. 26:25) and Jacob did the same (Gen. 33:20). It had long been a custom for the people of God to approach Him with animal sacrifices and offerings. Again, we are not told where or how they received the commands to do this, but we can see that they believed strongly that they should do it.

What the Israelites did during the centuries between the events of Genesis and Exodus, we do not know. They may have offered sacrifices, but we are not sure. They did seem to accept Egyptian practices to some degree, which is why God tells them repeatedly not to have anything to do with the gods of the nations around them (Ex. 20:3,23; Ex. 23:13,24).

It seems that among the people of God it was not uncommon for individuals to also believe in other gods. This was true with Jacob and his clan. When Jacob left Haran to return to Canaan, Rachel took the household gods (small idols) with her (Gen. 31:19). Later, Jacob still had to ask his clan to give up their foreign gods. "And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem" (Gen. 35:2-4). Clearly, the sons of Jacob (Israelites) were still keeping idols in their homes.

It would not surprise me if the children of Israel in Egypt also kept some idols while still trying to believe in God. It has always been human nature to try to serve God and keep our little idols too. But God commands the Israelites to give up their idols and not go back to them at all. This was a clear and unmistakable part of the old covenant.

I hope this helps.

Have a great weekend!

Mitch Robison

Enon Church of Christ

1366 Enon Road

Webb, AL 36376

[email protected]

Come see us, we'd love to have ya!

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