Why didn't more people convert to become Israelites?

[Zen]

2 Kings 19:[SUP]
32 [/SUP]Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
[SUP]33 [/SUP]By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.
[SUP]34 [/SUP]For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
[SUP]35 [/SUP]And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
[SUP]36 [/SUP]So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
[SUP]37 [/SUP]And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Can you imagine being in an army of people and seeing the angel of the Lord kill 185,000 of your people effortlessly to stop you from going near Jerusalem? Why didn't they throw down their swords? I'm just saying, wouldn't you be terrified? I don't get it.

 

[tourist]

Their hearts were harden towards God.

 

[breno785au]

The Hebrews saw God do awesome miracles before their eyes but didn't trust in Him, same thing I think.

I've seen God do awesome stuff in my life and in the lives of others and I still have faith issues at times, same thing I think.

 

[Issachar92]

Its tough thats why.

 

[Galatea]

I don't know. I wondered that about the Egyptians when the plagues happened, I suppose maybe because worshiping idols is more 'sexy' than worshiping God. I mean, an idol has a face and a name. God was the invisible 'I AM'. I think it takes more faith to believe in the God of Israel than the gods. Even the Jews went into idol worship. I don't know what some of the gods looked like, maybe they were ugly- but the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were beautiful, and there is something attractive about the Egyptian gods and goddesses too.

I guess it is more sensual to pray to an idol than to the Invisible.

 

[J0Hnnatcc3]

Their hearts were harden towards God.

That's what Im thinking too.

Jn 3:19 — Jn 3:20
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Different time period than the Gospels, but still seems to make sense in this context.

 

[graceNpeace]

In general, the Israelites, and later the Jews did not encourage the process.
Being an Israelite or Jew was much more a matter of ethnicity than it ever was about spiritual orientation.

 

[Rachmiel]

From the words of the prophet
Though it was said in a rebuke to Saul
But despite the context we see
There might be a little wisdom here to glean
In the great words of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:22-23

[SUP]22 [/SUP]And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

 

[Adstar]

How did you come to the total of 185,000? I came to a total of 13,000..

100 x 80 ( fourscore ) = 8000 plus 5000 = 13,000..

 

[dcontroversal]

How did you come to the total of 185,000? I came to a total of 13,000..

100 x 80 ( fourscore ) = 8000 plus 5000 = 13,000..

It states an hundred fourscore and five thousand.....

that is 185,000

 

[Desertsrose]

I agree, it's much easier to follow after the gods of this world.


They might require a little something of you, but they allow you to continue on in your sinful lifestyle. You don't have to change in the sense that you have to live righteously. You can carry on in your evilness and wickedness.


The lust of the eyes, they lust of the flesh and the pride of life is still wide open to you. The true God, YHWH requires faith in Him, belief in Him, trust in Him. It requires a changed life. Even Abraham knew what it meant to leave the old life and to live the new life in God, even when you don't know where it will take you. He died to himself to live for God.


There's only a very few out of the whole that will bow the knee, humble themselves and have faith in the one and only God of the universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 

[Zen]

How did you come to the total of 185,000? I came to a total of 13,000..

100 x 80 ( fourscore ) = 8000 plus 5000 = 13,000..

185,000

an (1) [hundred fourscore and five thousand]

4x20 = 80 (000)
+5 = 85 (000)

 

[pottersclay]

Many did not know or believe there is only one God. Our Lord was referred as the Hebrew God. Later king of the Jews.

 

[Gabriel2020]

LOYALTY!! that is what they were