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Dangers of Deserting God's Chosen Vessels in Scripture

Deserting God's chosen vessels, whether individuals or the divine covenant itself, carries significant dangers and consequences throughout Scripture. This desertion is often depicted as a form of forsaking God, leading to judgment and ruin.

One prominent example of desertion is found in the prophet Jonah, who attempted to flee from God's command to preach to Nineveh. Jonah "thought himself safe enough" when he set sail for Tarshish, but God pursued him with a "mighty tempest" at sea, identifying him as a "deserter from God" [10]. This illustrates that attempts to evade divine calling or presence are met with divine intervention, often in the form of severe trials. The dangers of travel in deserts, described as "great and terrible" and "infested with wild beasts" and "serpents," can serve as a metaphor for the perilous spiritual state of those who abandon God's path [1].

The concept of forsaking God is broadly defined in scripture as turning from God, leaving one's "first love," or departing from the "simplicity of the gospel" [8]. This includes forsaking God's house, covenant, and commandments [6]. Such actions are not only displeasing to God but also bring about their own punishment [8]. Jeremiah 17:13 states, "O Lord, the hope of Israel: all that forsake thee shall be confounded: they that depart from thee, shall be written in the earth: because they have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters" [2]. This passage highlights the confusion and ultimate downfall that await those who abandon the source of life. Similarly, Jeremiah 14:3 describes nobles sending their servants to cisterns only to find no water, returning "disappointed and confounded," symbolizing the futility of seeking sustenance apart from God [4].

The consequences of deserting God's chosen path or covenant are severe. Deuteronomy 30:18 warns that those who desert will "surely perish" and "not prolong your days in the land" [3]. This is echoed in Jeremiah, where God threatens to "surely consume" a sinful people, stripping them of their comforts, such as "no grapes on the vine" [13]. Such judgments are a direct result of provoking God's anger through actions like forming alliances with God's enemies, which is strictly forbidden and leads to idolatry [5].

The Bible also presents instances where God allows people to "reap the fruits" of their desertion [5]. This can manifest as despair, which in the wicked is produced by divine judgments and can lead to continued sin or blasphemy [9]. The prophet Jeremiah laments the impending ruin of Judah and Jerusalem, urging them to "Gather up thy wares out of the land," as their perceived impregnable country would not protect them from God's determined consumption [12, 13].

Even encounters with divine holiness are inherently dangerous for those who are not prepared or who have deserted God's ways [11]. The narrative of the Flood, sent as a punishment for humanity's extreme wickedness, serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of widespread desertion from God's moral order [7]. The long-suffering of God is evident in deferring such judgments, but warnings are given to the wicked [7].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Deserts — Vast barren plains -- Ex 5:3; Joh 6:13. Uninhabited places -- Mt 14:15; Mr 6:31. Described as Uninhabited and lonesome. -- Jer 2:6. Uncultivated. -- Nu 20:5; Jer 2:2. Desolate. -- Eze 6:14. Dry and without water. -- Ex 17:1; De 8:15. Trackless. -- Isa 43:19. Great and terrible. -- De 1:19. Waste and howling. -- De 32:10. Infested with wild beasts -- Isa 13:21; Mr 1:13. Infested with serpents -- De 8:15. Infested with robbers -- Jer 3:2; La 4:19. Danger of travelling in -- Ex 14:3; 2Co 11:26. Guides required in -- Nu 10:31; De 32:10. Phenomena of, alluded to”
  2. Jeremiah “Jeremiah 17:13 (DRC) — O Lord, the hope of Israel: all that forsake thee shall be confounded: they that depart from thee, shall be written in the earth: because they have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters.”
  3. Deuteronomy “I denounce to you this day, that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. -- Deuteronomy 30:18”
  4. Jeremiah “Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads. -- Jeremiah 14:3”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Alliance and Society With the Enemies of God — Forbidden -- Ex 23:32; 34:12; De 7:2,3; 13:6,8; Jos 23:6,7; Jdj 2:2; Ezr 9:12; Pr 1:10,15; 2Co 6:14-17; Eph 5:11. Lead to idolatry -- Ex 34:15,16; Nu 25:1-8; De 7:4; Jdj 3:5-7; Re 2:20. Have led to murder and human sacrifice -- Ps 106:37,38. Provoke the anger of God -- De 7:4; 31:16,17; 2Ch 19:2; Ezr 9:13,14; Ps 106:29,40; Isa 2:6. Provoke God to leave mean to reap the fruits of them -- Jos 23:12,13; Jdj 2:1-3. Are ensnaring -- Ex 23:33; Nu 25:18; De 12:30; 13:6; Ps 106:36. Are enslaved -- 2Pe 2:18,19. Are defiling -- Ez”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Forsaking God — Idolaters guilty of -- 1Sa 8:8; 1Ki 11:33. The wicked guilty of -- De 28:20. Backsliders guilty of -- Jer 15:6. Is forsaking His house. -- 2Ch 29:6. His covenant. -- De 29:25; 1Ki 19:10; Jer 22:9; Da 11:30. His commandments. -- Ezr 9:10. The right way. -- 2Pe 2:15. Trusting in man is -- Jer 17:5. Leads men to follow their own devices -- Jer 2:13. Prosperity tempts to -- De 31:20; 32:15. Wickedness of -- Jer 2:13; 5:7. Unreasonableness and ingratitude of -- Jer 2:5,6. Brings confusion -- Jer 17:13. Followed by remorse -- Eze 6:9. Brings down his wrath ”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Deluge, The — Sent as a punishment for the extreme wickedness of man -- Ge 6:5-7,11-13,17. Called the Flood. -- Ge 9:28. Waters of Noah. -- Isa 54:9. Noah forewarned of -- Ge 6:13; Heb 11:7. Long-suffering of God exhibited in deferring -- Ge 6:3; 1Pe 3:20. The wicked warned of -- 1Pe 3:19,20; 2Pe 2:5. Noah, &c, saved from -- Ge 6:18-22; 7:13,14. Date of its commencement -- Ge 7:11. Came suddenly and unexpectedly -- Mt 24:38,39. Produced by Forty days' incessant rain. -- Ge 7:4,12,17. Opening up of the fountains of the great deep. -- Ge 7:11. Increased gradually -- Ge”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Backsliding — Is turning from God -- 1Ki 11:9. Is leaving the first love -- Re 2:4. Is departing form the simplicity of the gospel -- 2Co 11:3; Ga 3:1-3; 5:4,7. God is displeased at -- Ps 78:57,59. Warnings against -- Ps 85:8; 1Co 10:12. Guilt and consequences of -- Nu 14:43; Ps 125:5; Isa 59:2,9-11; Jer 5:6; 8:5,13; 15:6; Lu 9:62. Brings its own punishment -- Pr 14:14; Jer 2:19. A haughty spirit leads to -- Pr 16:18. Proneness to -- Pr 24:16; Ho 11:7. Liable to continue and increase -- Jer 8:5; 14:7. Exhortations to return from -- 2Ch 30:6; Isa 31:6; Jer 3:12,14,22;”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Despair — Produced in the wicked by divine judgments -- De 28:34,67; Re 9:6; 16:10. Leads to Continuing in sin. -- Jer 2:25; 18:12. Blasphemy. -- Isa 8:21; Re 16:10,11. Shall seize upon the wicked at the appearing of Christ -- Re 6:16. Saints sometimes tempted to -- Job 7:6; La 3:18. Saints enabled to overcome -- 2Co 4:8,9. Trust in God, a preservative against -- Ps 42:5,11. Exemplified Cain. -- Ge 4:13,14. Ahithophel. -- 2Sa 17:23. Judas. -- Mt 27:5.”
  10. Jonah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jonah 1:4: When Jonah was set on ship-board, and under sail for Tarshish, he thought himself safe enough; but here we find him pursued and overtaken, discovered and convicted as a deserter from God, as one that had run his colours. I. God sends a pursuer after him, a mighty tempest in the sea, Jon 1:4. God has the winds in his treasure (Psa 135:7), and out of these treasures God sent forth, he cast forth (so the word is), with force and violence, a great wind into the sea; even stormy winds fulfil his word, and are often the messengers of his wrath; he gathers the winds in his”
  11. Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 6:22: 6:22 Encounters with divine holiness are inherently dangerous (cp. Gen 32:30; Deut 5:4-5).”
  12. Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 10:17: In these verses, I. The prophet threatens, in God's name, the approaching ruin of Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 10:17, Jer 10:18. The Jews that continued in their own land, after some were carried into captivity, were very secure; they thought themselves inhabitants of a fortress; their country was their strong hold, and, in their own conceit, impregnable; but they are here told to think of leaving it: they must prepare to go after their brethren, and pack up their effects in expectation of it: "Gather up thy wares out of the land; contract your affairs, and bring t”
  13. Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 8:13: In these verses we have, I. God threatening the destruction of a sinful people. He has borne long with them, but they are still more and more provoking, and therefore now their ruin is resolved on: I will surely consume them (Jer 8:13), consuming I will consume them, not only surely, but utterly, consume them, will follow them with one judgment after another, till they are quite consumed; it is a consumption determined, Isa 10:23. 1. They shall be quite stripped of all their comforts (Jer 8:13): There shall be no grapes on the vine. Some understand this as intim”
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