Αλλά οι Ρουβηνίτες, οι Γαδίτες και οι μισοί Μανασσίτες δεν έμειναν πιστοί στο Θεό των προγόνων τους. Τον εγκατέλειψαν και πρόσφεραν λατρεία στους θεούς των λαών που κατοικούσαν πριν απ’ αυτούς στη χώρα και που ο Θεός του Ισραήλ τους είχε εξοντώσει από μπροστά τους. Έτσι ο Θεός ξεσήκωσε τον Πουλ, βασιλιά της Ασσυρίας, δηλαδή τον Τιγλάθ-Πιλέσερ, και τους οδήγησε στην αιχμαλωσία. Τους έφερε στη Χελάχ, στη Χαβώρ και στη Χάρα και κοντά στον ποταμό Γωζάν, όπου και κατοικούν μέχρι σήμερα.
What Does This Mean?
This verse from 1 Chronicles explains that the people of Israel stopped following God and started worshiping the false gods of the people who had lived in their land before them. The verse tells us that this action was a rebellion against their ancestors' God. The message is about the consequences of turning away from God.
Explained for Children
Imagine you have a favorite toy that your parents gave you. One day, you see a shiny new toy and decide to forget about the old one. This verse is like that, but with God. The people forgot about their old God and started liking new 'toys' instead. This made God very sad.
Historical Background
1 Chronicles was written by anonymous authors, likely during or after the Babylonian exile, around 500 BCE. The audience was primarily Jews returning from exile, and the context was a reminder of past mistakes to avoid repeating them.
Living It Out Today
In modern terms, this verse can be applied to situations where people abandon their values or commitments for something new and exciting but not necessarily good. For example, a person who leaves a stable job for a risky venture without proper planning might face consequences similar to those described.