Why Did God Punish Israel?

There are many reasons, but I think God's own words given to the prophet Isaiah should suffice. Isaiah 1:2-9 "Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; for the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have revolted against me. An Ox knows its owner, and a donkey its masters mangerm, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand. Alas sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him. Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it. Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil. Your land is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your fields--strangers are devouring them in your presence; it is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would be like Gomorrah." These people turned their backs on God, and did not see fit to acknowledge Him as God. We have to be careful to not do the same things that they did. God has offered us the greatest of blessings, just like He offered great blessings to Israel. It kinda boggles the mind to see how people could just walk away from the blessings that were promised, but they did. Our world is not any different today. While God offers the home in heaven as a reward for the faithful, many are turning their back on God. These people were guilty of sin. They were corrupt. They even despised the LORD. They were suffering the punishment God promised. Yet they would not return to God. Their cities were desolate, and the Assyrians were coming in and taking whatever they wanted, and the people did nothing except watch them steal from them. If we do not want to be rejected by God, we just need to do the opposite of what they did. We must acknowledge God, and worship Him. We must be obedient to His will. We must serve Him with our whole being, heart, mind, and soul. And then be faithful until death, so that we might receive the reward. By Carey Scott