Israel's idolatry shattered their set-apart relationship with God, causing Him to judge them, discipline them, and ultimately hide His face from them.
Les Feldick teaches that Israel was chosen to be a separated people under God's sovereign kingship, but idolatry caused them to lose that set-apartness. Whenever Israel turned to other gods, God's judgment fell, and He warned that He would forsake them and hide His face from them (Deuteronomy 31:16-18). Les also shows that God's deeper controversy was their unbelief, not just the immorality connected with idolatry.
Deuteronomy 31:16-18 — God explicitly promised that if Israel broke His covenant by turning to other gods, He would kindle His anger, forsake them, and hide His face from them.
Jeremiah 44:16-17 — The people's defiant answer to Jeremiah reveals how far idolatry had severed them from obedience to God's word.
2 Kings 17:18-20 — The historical record shows the Lord's anger and removal of Israel from His sight because they walked in idolatry.
God had set Israel apart through His covenant with Abraham, calling them to be a nation under His sovereign kingship and, as believers, to bring the knowledge of Him to the surrounding heathen. But idolatry broke that relationship. In Deuteronomy 31:16-18, the Lord told Moses that the people would 'rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land' and would 'forsake me, and break my covenant.' He then promised: 'Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them.'
Les Feldick emphasizes that Israel's relationship with God depended on their separation. He points back to Genesis 12, where God called Abraham's descendants to be a nation under His sovereign kingship. Instead of fulfilling their purpose, Israel sank into idolatry and lost their set-apart position. When they lost that separation, God's judgment fell, as seen with the 23,000 who died in the Balaam incident and the severity of the golden calf episode.
Les Feldick teaches that any time Israel had a knowledge of God and His word, they were a separated people. But as soon as they went far down into idolatry and lost belief in God, they lost that separation and God's judgment fell. He connects this to Genesis 12: God called Abraham's nation to be under His sovereign kingship and to carry the knowledge of Himself to the heathen. Idolatry replaced that purpose and destroyed their separation.
Les contrasts two events. At Mount Sinai, Israel made the golden calf and engaged in abject immorality, and God judged a few thousand for it. But when Israel reached Kadesh Barnea, God's controversy was not their idolatrous immorality; it was their unbelief. They said they could not take the land God said they could take. Les says God didn't remind them of their nakedness or dancing; He reminded them of their unbelief. That refusal to take God at His word was God's real controversy with them.
Les quotes God's warning from Deuteronomy: after Israel entered the land, they would forsake Him and break His covenant. Then God's anger would be kindled against them, He would forsake them, and He would hide His face from them. This is the central biblical answer to how idolatry affected Israel's relationship with God—it moved God from blessing to judgment and the hiding of His presence.
Moloch and the Loss of Set-Apartness
Les describes the horror of Moloch child sacrifice to show how far Israel fell and why God could no longer bear it. He ties their idolatry to losing the set-apart position promised through Abraham.
Separation and Judgment
Les teaches that Israel was a separated people only when they knew God and His word; when they fell into idolatry and lost that separation, God's judgment fell, as with the 23,000 who died after idolatrous involvement with Moabite women.
Idolatry, Immorality, and Unbelief
Les contrasts the golden calf's immorality with Israel's unbelief at Kadesh Barnea, explaining that God's real controversy was their refusal to take Him at His word.
Incorporating the Canaanites
Les shows that Israel's failure to destroy the Canaanites led them to adopt Canaanite gods; within a couple generations Israel turned from Jehovah and went headlong after these idols.
God's Covenant Discipline
Les explains that Israel has come under God's disciplinary rod again and again because of unbelief and sin, fulfilling God's promise to chasten a covenant-breaking nation.
God's Warning to Forsake and Hide His Face
Les quotes God's promise that if Israel forsook Him and broke the covenant, God's anger would kindle against them and He would hide His face from them.
The Golden Calf and Kadesh Barnea
Les shows that, although Israel's worship of the golden calf involved gross immorality, God's later word at Kadesh Barnea emphasized unbelief rather than immorality as the central issue.
Jeremiah 44: Defiant Idolatry
Les points to Jeremiah 44 where Israel openly answered Jeremiah's call to return to Jehovah with a refusal, insisting they would keep serving the queen of heaven—evidence of their idolatrous relationship to God.
Deuteronomy 31:17: Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?
God's direct warning of what would happen when Israel broke His covenant through idolatry.
Jeremiah 44:16: As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
The people's explicit refusal to listen to the Lord's word.
Jeremiah 44:17: But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
The people's stated determination to keep serving the queen of heaven.
2 Kings 17:20: And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
The historical consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry.
Les Feldick says Israel turned their back on everything God had tried to do with them, losing the set-apart position God had given them. Idolatry was not a small failure; it was open rejection of God's covenant and His sovereign kingship. God could no longer bear it, and severe judgment followed.
Les teaches that while golden calf idolatry and its immorality brought judgment on a few thousand, God's deeper controversy at Kadesh Barnea was unbelief. Israel could not take the land God said they could take, and that refusal to take God at His word brought His wrath.
Les explains that Israel spared the Canaanites and incorporated them into their lifestyle instead of cleansing the land as God commanded. Within a couple generations, Israel had turned from Jehovah and was headlong after the gods of the Canaanites.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected God as King — 1 Samuel 8 Explained