• Amos 3:1-6
    Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
    "You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
    Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."
    Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
    Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
    Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
    Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it?
    Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
    If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
    If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?

     
  • Ezekiel 16:6-15
    “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. 'When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,' says the Lord GOD. “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD. “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.
     
  • Deuteronomy 7:6-11
    "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.
     
  • Exodus 24:7-8
    Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”
     
  • Isaiah 54:5
    For your Maker is your husband,
    The LORD of hosts is His name;
    And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
    He is called the God of the whole earth.

     
  • Jeremiah 2:2
    "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD:
    "I remember you,
    The kindness of your youth,
    The love of your betrothal,
    When you went after Me in the wilderness,
    In a land not sown.

     
  • Jeremiah 3:8
    Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
     
For more scripture references, please see Bible verses for Israel's Relationship with God


Resources

The Beast and Babylon (Part Eight): God, Israel, and the Bible

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Israel's relationship with God is marked by a profound and intimate bond, uniquely established through His covenant with Abraham and symbolically represented as a marriage with the nation of Israel, a connection He extended to no other people. Despite this sacred relationship, Israel has repeatedly rebelled, engaging in …


The Doctrine of Israel (Part Four): God's Indictment

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

When God called Israel out of Egypt and made them a nation, He knew the inclination of their hearts and that their carnality would ultimately destroy them. He anticipated that they would forsake Him for idols and incur the wrath of the Angel of the Lord, whom they were ordered to obey in everything. Indeed, Israel did exactly …


Hosea, Gomer, God, and Israel

Sermon by Kim Myers

The book of Hosea reveals the profound relationship between Israel and God, portraying Israel as His wife and their worship of other gods as spiritual adultery. God viewed this idolatry with deep grief, as it violated His command to have no other gods before Him. Despite Israel's persistent disobedience, even from the times of …


The Doctrine of Israel (Part Fifteen):The Israel of God

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Israel's relationship with God reveals a history of struggle and failure, yet also a promise of future restoration. Physical Israel, called through Abraham, often failed to align with God's will, demonstrating a consistent lack of cooperation that descended into enmity. Their concerns remained earthly, material, and selfish, …


Israel's Missing Characteristics of God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The history of the Israelitish people's relationship with God, spanning from Abraham through the New Testament to Jesus' appearance and beyond, reveals a pattern of intermittent highs and lows. Far more lows than highs dominate this long narrative, with exceptional relationships seen in figures like Abraham, Moses, and David, …


The Beast and Babylon (Part Seven): How Can Israel Be the Great Whore?

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God's Word frequently paints unfaithful Israel as a harlot because she has consistently played the harlot in her relationship with God.


Prepare to Meet Your God! (Part Three)

Article by John W. Ritenbaugh and Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's impartial judgment is a significant factor in the book of Amos. He will execute proper judgment, true justice, on all according to their works.


The Doctrine of Israel (Part Eleven): Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 identify the family traits of the Israelite tribes. God maintains a closer relationship with Israel than with any other people.



For more resources, please see the library topic for Israel's Relationship with God