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 understood they would stray, just as Americans have over the last 200-plus years, and they did. He included language in the Old Covenant itself that anticipated their forsaking Him for idols, incurring the wrath of the Angel of the Lord, whom they were ordered to obey in everything. And He was right; Israel forsook Him, did not obey the Angel of the Lord, and ultimately became the most sinful of nations, even worse than Sodom. God's judgment against Israel was severe because of their special, intimate relationship with Him. They knew God, or should have known Him and His expectations, having formally agreed by covenant, ratified with blood, to worship and obey Him exclusively. His eyes were fixed on them, and if they had understood, they would have seen that He loved them and wanted to do everything for them. Yet, they flagrantly sinned and rebelled against Him, deserving severe punishment under His justice. Only His mercy kept them from utter annihilation. God described Israel as not knowing to do right, despite having received the Ten Commandments and witnessed His voice at Mount Sinai. Despite all He had done to educate them in His way and give them His laws, they had so suppressed His instruction and were so saturated with sin that they had no concept of right and wrong. They were morally warped, approaching the depths of immorality seen in the pre-Flood world. God warned Israel repeatedly with calamities such as famine, drought, blight, locusts, disease, destruction, and war, designed to get their attention and point to His displeasure. Yet, they never made the connection between these disasters and their rebellions and sins against Him, showing they were spiritually obtuse and imperceptive, having hardened themselves against God. God reminded Israel of who they were dealing with, declaring Himself as the Almighty Creator God who forms mountains, creates wind, declares man's thoughts, makes morning darkness, and treads the high places of the earth. He is the sovereign Lord God of hosts, not a dumb idol, great, powerful, and real. They were about to encounter Him as an enemy because their terrible sins forced Him into that role, though He desired to be their loving husband and give them all good things. Israel sinned against the Lord their God, primarily through idolatry, forsaking the God who freed and blessed them for impotent, dumb idols, particularly those of the Canaanites whom God had cast out for wickedness. They tried to hide their idolatry and rebellion from God, secretly doing things against Him, thinking He could not see or notice, revealing their poor misconception of Him. They reduced Him to just another idol, blind, immobile, and weak, believing they could sneak around and practice paganism out of His sight. Despite God's early and frequent warnings through His prophets, Israel never listened, wanting to shut them up or kill them, stopping their ears from the truth. They stiffened their necks and refused to believe God, rejecting Him purposefully. They actively sought alliances with foreign nations for wealth and safety, spurning God's promises to bless and protect them. In His eyes, this was spiritual adultery, as He considered the covenant with Israel a marriage covenant, with Him as the husband and the nation as His wife. Israel abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, leading to complete apostasy. This abandonment resulted in horrible sins, including making molded images and calves, worshiping the host of heaven, serving Baal, causing their children to pass through the fire, practicing witchcraft and soothsaying, and selling themselves to do evil, provoking Him to anger. They became completely enslaved to ungodliness, in all-out rebellion against God through sin. Israel's failure to keep His Sabbaths was a key issue, as the Sabbath is a

Many people claim to know God, but the more pressing question is whether God knows them. In the parables of Jesus, such as in Matthew 7:21, Luke 13, and Matthew 25, He repeatedly says to some, "I do not know you" or "I never knew you," despite their claims of familiarity with Him. These individuals are often described as workers of iniquity, lawlessness, or unrighteousness, indicating a lack of true relationship with Him. God knows everything and is aware of their names and deeds, yet He declares He does not know them in an intimate sense. The word for "know" in this context, such as the Hebrew "yedayah" and the Greek "ginosko," implies an intimate understanding and experience, akin to the relationship between a husband and wife. This imagery of intimacy between God and His people, Israel, is evident throughout both the Old and New Testaments, portraying God as the bridegroom and His followers as the bride. To know God means to experience Him closely, to cherish and pay attention to Him, as seen in Hosea 2 and other passages. God describes Himself in Jeremiah 9:23 as a God of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, delighting in these qualities. His nature is one of mercy, compassion, justice, and fairness, with unyielding standards that reflect His consistent and righteous character. To truly know God, and for Him to know us, we must reflect these traits, practicing righteousness and obedience to His commandments. As Jesus emphasizes, those who love Him keep His commandments, and without this obedience, there is no true intimacy with Him. God's relationship with Israel and His people is one of deep connection, where He corrects and chastises those He loves, as noted in Hebrews. This intimate bond requires us to grow in His love, striving to be as compassionate, merciful, and forgiving as He is. Only through practicing righteousness, exercising proper judgment, and embodying His lovingkindness can we be assured that we know God and that He knows us.