Remember, the Israelites carried idols with them throughout their time in the wilderness (Amos 5:25-26; Acts 7:42-43). Their idols seemed good to them, but the true God did not. God's way of life undoubtedly seemed devilish - it was chaffing and constraining, which is one reason they always complained. They did not see the true God as a force for good in their lives. They believed He was bent on their destruction (Deuteronomy 1:27-28). Joshua rebuked Israel because, as he said, serving the true God seemed evil to them (Joshua 24:15)! The Israelites accepted Baal, Molech, and other demons, and yet, as Stephen told the council during his trial, the fathers always resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51).
Isaiah castigated ancient Judah for calling evil good and good evil, for putting darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). Their backwards judgment was still on display during Christ's ministry, which is why He denounced their traditions that interfered with true worship. The Jewish leadership considered the Son of God to be evil, and they put to death their own Messiah. If they were unable to identify God in the flesh when He walked among them, how trustworthy is their folklore about a spirit being in the wilderness?
