What happened when the Israelites turned away from the real God to idols?

Answer 1

First there is no such thing as "Real God Worship" this is an assumption made by people who are steeped in religion or church systems. What you refer to as "God" is our Father. You will not find Jesus Christ refer to our Father as "God" in the new testament. How did Jesus teach you to pray? its written in Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2 "Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name ....." He is our Father not some man made god, such as zeus.

Second the tribes of Israel can be traced from Adam or more accurate "ethhaadam" to Christ. They are a specific people. 1st Peter 2:9 defines who those people are:

"Ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. "

2nd Peter chapter 3 defines the three earth ages which will occur. The first which was destroyed by flood due to the actions of Satan (Revelation 12) and the second in which we now live in the flesh, having free will to choose to follow our Father or be deceived by Satan (all but the elect) and the next which will be the eternity.

Our Father had set aside a chosen people, to lead the remainder of flesh men. Those people were the tribe of Adam and his sons through time Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and his 12 sons, known as the tribes of Israel (Jacobs name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Our Father made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17)

"I will establish my covenant with me and thee and thy seed after thee in there generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee (the word God here is translated from Strong's Hebrew word 430, look that up in a Strong's concordance-dictionary). "And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be there God"

That same covenant was established with Isaac specifically, not any of the rest of Abrahams children (Genesis 17:21, 21:12) In Genesis 25:5 it is written "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines (Hagar and Keturah) which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son..."

So we are talking about a specific people, who the covenant which was given to Abraham was passed on to. First Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob (Israel), then Joseph and finally Ephraim, where it remains today. Christ is traceable directly to the house Levi of the tribes of Israel. One can trace via an unbroken genealogical chain, from Adam or specifically ethhaadam (farmer formed on the 8th day) directly to Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:49 again our Father is specific that the land of Canaan was given to the Children of Israel (Jacob) for a possession. This is a continuation of the covenant given to Abraham in Genesis 17 and passed specifically to Isaac Genesis 21. This is that peculiar people who Peter spoke of.

Now look at Joshua chapter 1 and you will start to find you answer there:

"Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise , go over this Jordan thou and all this people unto the land which I do give them, even to the Children of Israel. Every , place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you as I said unto Moses. 1:6 " Be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to the Law which my servant Moses commanded thee, turn not from it to the right hand nor to the left , that thou mayest prosper wheresoever thou goest. This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there in : for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid; neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is which thee wheresoever thou goest."

But what happened? The children of Israel took up with the strange gods of the people of Canaan. You will find these account written in the books of the Kings of Israel. One specific event comes to mind, which is written in 1 Kings chapter 12, where the King of Samaria (the 10 Northern tribes of Israel) Jeroboam, setup two golden calves for the people to worship (1 Kings 12:28). The king swearing before the people that these two golden calves were the gods which brought them out of Egypt, and the people worshiped them as the King commanded.

So what happened to Israel for their transgressions against our Father? They were punished for their transgressions against our Father and his Law, they were taken captive and driven from their land.

First Samaria (the 10 northern tribes) were driven from Israel by Sennacherib, king of Assyria (2 Kings 18 and 19, and 2 chronicles 32 also Isaiah 36 and 37). Samara was punished for their transgressions again our Father. This is defined in many of the prophets writings.

Second was the tribe of Judah (which included Benjamin), they too went after strange gods they were punished by being taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar (king of babylon), The account is written in the second book of kings chapters 24 and 25, 1 Chronicles chapter 6, and 2 Chronicles chapter 36, also the book of Jeremiah chapters 28, 29, 34, and 39.

A lengthy answer, but its is a very intense subject which this small space here may not give proper justice to. Remember to read the chapters given and don't just assume that what I have written here is the totality of the matter as it is not. Its simply guidance to get you on the right track with our Fathers word.

Answer 2

It seems that whenever God was angry with someone, he promised to punish that person's sons or descendants, not the person himself. In the nature of things, a descendant would fall upon hard times and that was recorded as God's punishment. No doubt, the eventual destruction of Israel in 722 BCE was the final punishment for centuries of idol worship by the ancestors of those Israelites who were defeated, whereas the idol-worshipping earlier Israelites prospered.

Answer 3

Because humans are sinful by nature.