What does the Bible say about forsaking god?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible teaches that forsaking God is a grievous sin of covenant unfaithfulness, bringing righteous judgment, yet God calls His people to repent and return to Him. Israel repeatedly abandoned the Lord for idols and foreign gods, as 1 Samuel 8:8 and 1 Kings 11:33 recount. Deuteronomy 28:20 and 29:25 explain that calamity followed because the people forsook the covenant God made with them. The prophets likewise charged Judah with turning away from the Lord, leading to deserved discipline and exile, as Jeremiah 15:6 and 22:9 show. Yet Scripture also records godly sorrow and reform, as in 2 Chronicles 29:6, reminding believers to cling to God by faith and seek His mercy in repentance.
Study outline
Curated topical outlines from classic public-domain study works.
Torrey's New Topical Textbook
- Idolaters guilty of 1 Samuel 8:8; 1 Kings 11:33
- The wicked guilty of Deuteronomy 28:20
- Backsliders guilty of Jeremiah 15:6
- Is forsaking
- His house 2 Chronicles 29:6
- His covenant Deuteronomy 29:25; 1 Kings 19:10; Jeremiah 22:9; Daniel 11:30
- His commandments Ezra 9:10
- The right way 2 Peter 2:15
- Trusting in man is Jeremiah 17:5
- Leads men to follow their own devices Jeremiah 2:13
- Prosperity tempts to Deuteronomy 31:20; Deuteronomy 32:15
- Wickedness of Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 5:7
- Unreasonableness and ingratitude of Jeremiah 2:5; Jeremiah 2:6
- Brings confusion Jeremiah 17:13
- Followed by remorse Ezekiel 6:9
- Brings down his wrath Ezra 8:22
- Provokes God to forsake men Judges 10:13; 2 Chronicles 15:2; 2 Chronicles 24:20; 2 Chronicles 24:24
- Resolve against Joshua 24:16; Nehemiah 10:29-39
- Curse pronounced upon Jeremiah 17:5
- Sin of, to be confessed Ezra 9:10
- Warnings against Joshua 24:20; 1 Chronicles 28:9
- Punishment of Deuteronomy 28:20; 2 Kings 22:16; 2 Kings 22:17; Isaiah 1:28; Jeremiah 1:16; Jeremiah 5:19
- Exemplified
- Children of Israel 1 Samuel 12:10
- Saul 1 Samuel 15:11
- Ahab 1 Kings 18:18
- Amon 2 Kings 21:22
- Kingdom of Judah 2 Chronicles 12:1; 2 Chronicles 12:5; 2 Chronicles 21:10; Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 15:6
- Kingdom of Israel 2 Chronicles 13:11; 2 Kings 17:7-18
- Many disciples John 6:66
- Phygellus, & c 2 Timothy 1:15
- Balaam 2 Peter 2:15
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