Verse 10

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. I viewed your ancestors like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season. Then they came to Baal-Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame– they became as detestable as what they loved.

Referenced Verses

  • Jer 11:13 : 13 This is in spite of the fact that the people of Judah have as many gods as they have towns and the citizens of Jerusalem have set up as many altars to sacrifice to that disgusting god, Baal, as they have streets in the city!’
  • Hos 4:14 : 14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men consort with harlots, they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. It is true:“A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!”
  • Ezek 20:8 : 8 But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
  • Hos 2:15 : 15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her, and turn the“Valley of Trouble” into an“Opportunity for Hope.” There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up from the land of Egypt.
  • Jer 2:2-3 : 2 “Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem:‘This is what the LORD says:“I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted. 3 Israel was set apart to the LORD; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them,” says the LORD.
  • Num 25:1-9 : 1 Israel’s Sin with the Moabite Women When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. 2 These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel. 4 God’s Punishment The LORD said to Moses,“Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the LORD in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel,“Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal-peor.” 6 Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from among the assembly, took a javelin in his hand, 8 and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust through the Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. So the plague was stopped from the Israelites. 9 Those that died in the plague were 24,000. 10 The Aftermath The LORD spoke to Moses: 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal. 12 Therefore, announce:‘I am going to give to him my covenant of peace. 13 So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, and has made atonement for the Israelites.’” 14 Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed– the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman– was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan of the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur. He was a leader over the people of a clan of Midian. 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 17 “Bring trouble to the Midianites, and destroy them, 18 because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.”
  • Ps 106:28-29 : 28 They worshiped Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 29 They made the LORD angry by their actions, and a plague broke out among them.
  • Mic 7:1 : 1 Micah Laments Judah’s Sin Woe is me! For I am like those gathering fruit, and those harvesting grapes, when there is no grape cluster to eat, and no fresh figs that my stomach craves.
  • Rom 6:21 : 21 So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
  • Isa 28:4 : 4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, will be like an early fig before harvest– as soon as someone notices it, he grabs it and swallows it.
  • Exod 19:4-6 : 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I lifted you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine, 6 and you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.”
  • Num 13:23-24 : 23 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff between two men, as well as some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called the Eshcol Valley, because of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites cut from there.
  • Num 15:39 : 39 You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness.
  • Deut 4:3 : 3 You have witnessed what the LORD did at Baal Peor, how he eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor.
  • Deut 32:10 : 10 The LORD found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
  • Deut 32:17 : 17 They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known; to new gods who had recently come along, gods your ancestors had not known about.
  • Judg 6:32 : 32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, because he had said,“Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
  • 1 Kgs 16:31 : 31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.
  • Ps 81:12 : 12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires; they did what seemed right to them.
  • Jer 5:31 : 31 The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
  • Jer 31:2 : 2 Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship The LORD says,“The people of Israel who survived death at the hands of the enemy will find favor in the wilderness as they journey to find rest for themselves.
  • Hos 11:1 : 1 Reversal of the Exodus: Return to Egypt and Exile in Assyria When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son, and I summoned my son out of Egypt.
  • Amos 4:5 : 5 Burn a thank offering of bread made with yeast! Make a public display of your voluntary offerings! For you love to do this, you Israelites.” The Sovereign LORD is speaking!