Testimonies.
1. That the Jews have fallen under the heavy wrath
of God because they have forsaken the Lord, and have followed
idols.
In Exodus the people said to Aaron:
“Arise and make us gods which shall go before us: because
as for this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, we know not what
has become of him.”
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In the same place also Moses
says to the Lord: “O Lord, I pray thee, this people have
sinned a great sin. They have made to themselves gods of gold and
silver. And now, if thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive;
but if not, blot me out of the book which Thou hast written. And
the Lord said unto Moses, If any one hath sinned against me, him will I
blot out of my book.”
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Likewise in Deuteronomy:
They sacrificed unto demons, and not unto God.”
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In the book of Judges
too: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of
Egypt, and followed the gods of the peoples that were round about them,
and offended the Lord, and forsook God, and served
Baal.”
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Also in
the same place: “And the children of Israel added again to
do evil
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in the sight
of the Lord, and served Baal and the gods of the strangers, and forsook
the Lord, and served Him not.”
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In Malachi: “Judah
is forsaken, and has become an abomination in Israel and in Jerusalem,
because Judah has profaned the holiness of the Lord in those things
wherein He hath loved, and courted strange gods. The Lord will
cut off the man who doeth this, and he shall be made base in the
tabernacles of Jacob.”
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Ex. xxxii. 1
.
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Ex. xxxii.
31–33
.
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Deut. xxxii. 17
.
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Judg. ii.
11–13
.
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“And again they did evil.”
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Judg. iv. 1
.
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Mal. ii. 11
.