Why did Israel, God's covenant people, repeatedly fall into sin and unbelief?
Israel repeatedly fell into sin and unbelief because for about 1,500 years they labored under the law’s yoke of bondage. Legalism destroyed their incentive, leading many to give up, thinking they could not keep it anyway. Their failure was rooted in unbelief, and the bondage of the elements of the world contributed to their rank unbelief.
Les explains that Israel had been under this yoke of bondage for 1,500 years, from the giving of the law until the time of Christ. Abraham was called out of Ur at 2,000 B.C., and about 490 years later Moses led Israel out of Egypt and God gave the law. Les says it is no wonder they were in such rank unbelief, because legalism destroys the incentive. Many just gave up, thinking they could not keep it anyway. People who sat under abject teachings and preachings said that when they were young and heard all that preaching, they thought, “What’s the use? I can’t measure up.” That is what legalism has always done. Even Israel, God’s covenant people, went into abject sin and unbelief many times because they could not hack it and could not keep it anyway.