THEOSISTheophan the Recluse
The conviction that bound the people to God was marked by a profound understanding of the covenant, which was viewed as both immutable and sacred. This meant that God would never revoke the authority of this covenant; those who entered into a relationship with Him would remain His cherished possession forever. Even if they turned away, He would not abandon or despise them. Instead, like a loving father, He would adjust His approach, administering discipline until they were corrected. Thus, they faced a choice: to align themselves with God's will or to endure the consequences of their actions. The series of judgments upon the Egyptians served as a clear reminder that God's will shall prevail and that none can resist it.
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If it was His desire to bring someone under His dominion, He would do so without fail.
However, the Israelites found it difficult to see this principle as applicable to their own lives. They truly recognized its significance only after they had breached the covenant established at Sinai (Ex. 32: 7). Who among them did not feel the weight of the Almighty as if His impending justice was about to be revealed at any moment? Israel found themselves in a state of humility, mourning, and repentance, yet God continued to invoke fear in their hearts. He was unwilling to restore His favor without their genuine and earnest repentance. Anyone could perceive that the just hand of God would not lower itself until prideful resistance was shattered, and the heart had been subdued.
The Lord designated the consequences for breaking the covenant (Lev. 26). He warned that if they persisted in ignoring His commands, the penalties would escalate (Lev. 26:18) and increase further if they continued to oppose Him (Lev. 26:21). The severity would grow threefold after each infraction (Lev. 26:24; Lev. 26:28) until they acknowledged their disobedience and surrendered their uncircumcised hearts. Despite any distance the Israelites may create between themselves and God, He would not scorn them nor cast them away to their destruction; His covenant with them would remain steadfast (Lev. 26:44). In essence, one who enters into a covenant with God becomes enveloped in its confines, akin to being in an enclosed space, bound by a yoke they cannot shed on their own.