"But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They despised* his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false . . ."
II Kings 17:14-15
*Note that at other places in the Bible, the word "despised" does not refer to our common understanding of the word, that of sheer hatred and distaste. Esau despised his birthright out of neglect. He simply did not see it as important and gave it away. So "despised" could be (I would say "is likely," though I don't have the study tools to back that up) referring to ignoring, setting aside or treating cheaply. The people of the Israel had been ignoring God for hundreds of years, so he finally "despised" them as well, destroying their nation and sending them into captivity.
We who call ourselves Christians are not far different from Israel. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" does not exclude believers. Jesus alone is our hope.
Posted by jonhanneman at April 10, 2005 8:22 AM | TrackBack