Human Response 454: Transgression and Idolatry

1 Chronicles 5:25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

The Lord had just given Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh victory over the inhabitants of the land God gave them to occupy. But the next we hear is that they transgressed against God and went a whoring after the gods of the land. They had just cried to God in battle and He gave them victory. And now that they were settled in and comfortable, they sinned against God by committing spiritual adultery.

The warning for us is to be extra thoughtful and careful for our spiritual faith when things are going well and we are settled and comfortable. In the midst of struggles we turn to the Lord and seek His help, but when things are at peace we tend to forget God and turn away. We need to hear the truths of God’s Word and remember we are always sinners who need God all the time, in good times and in bad. Hearing words of Law and Gospel keeps us mindful of our constant need for the Lord. We are always sinners who need the Gospel. False gods do not stop their temptations to lead us to forget God. Since things will always be present to lead us to ignore God, whether war or peace, we need continual reminders of Grace and Life.