Read 2 Kings 17
Hoshea Last King of Israel
17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. 5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
Israel Exiled Because of Sin
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 11 At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 12 They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” 13 The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”
14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”
16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. 17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.
21 When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. 22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23 until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
Samaria Resettled
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”
27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.
29 Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
Go Deeper
Here we have another king who did evil in the Lord’s sight. King Hoshea was the last king before Assyria destroyed the nation and deported its people. This was the consequence of their sin, and God’s judgment on Israel. Because His people worshiped and feared other gods, He took away what was given to them to steward. They abused what they had been entrusted with, not only the land, but the deliverance and freedom it represented. Therefore, the Lord used Israel’s enemies to fulfill a prophecy of the destruction of the nation that had to happen before Jesus came.
In their rebellion, the Israelites began to look like the enemies God had delivered them from and the idols they worshiped. The text says the Israelites followed worthless idols, so they became worthless (2 Kings 17:15). We become like what we follow. When we follow the world, we look like our ugly, broken world. When we follow God, we begin to look more like him and overflow with the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
In addition, the author states that Israelites did things “secretly” against the Lord. We know we can’t do anything in secret, for the Lord knows all. He knows what we do and what we think (Psalm 139:2). Yet, how often do we think we are so sneaky in our sin? We think God will never notice our rebellion against Him as we ignore the nudges of the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we become calloused, life gets louder, and we feel farther from God.
This is the same pattern the Israelites found themselves in. God delivered them from their enemies, they walked in freedom, they gave way to sin and rebellion, they began to look like their enemies, they faced the consequences of their sin, and then they turned back to God begging to be delivered. It was an endless cycle for them. We give in to worship and fear of our idols and it leads to our demise. But there is hope, we have Jesus, and His mercies are new every morning. We can change, chase after him, and look more like Jesus and less like Israel.
Questions
- Is there any secret rebellion that you need to bring into light?
- What nudges from the Holy Spirit have you been ignoring lately?
- What/who do you think you are becoming right now? Make it your mission to talk to your Life Group about these things this week.
Listen Here
Wanting to learn how to live an authentic life? Check out this episode of Becoming Something: “How to Live Authentically” to learn more!
Leave a Comment Below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
4 thoughts on “2 Kings 17”
Why oh why are we so stiff-necked? These guys in the old testament had it so much harder than us. Pride, selfishness, arrogance, and criticism of this world so that I believe my way is better than anything which sadly includes God. Becoming something podcast yesterday #170 is very very good. I have listened 4 times and taken notes. Prayer then leaning in to pause. 60 seconds of giving my trouble to someone who has bigger shoulders than me. Letting nature help in healing. Again leaning into our Union with God. Listening. God gives directions but we have to be still to hear. When is the last time you sat still with quietness or just nature and truly truly listened?
God thank You for your desire for unity with me. Thank You for not giving up. I am so thankful for pausing and letting You have my burdens. Thank You for being the God of LOVES so much!!!! God inhabit my broken places. Strengthen and spiritually energize with Your Holy Spirit my inner most being so that I can overflow You in my minute to minute walk in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!
My heart is grieved as I read of the demise of Israel, a chosen, set apart people who God desired to dwell with and carefully instructed, so they would be a shining light to the world. Instead, they chose to dishonor him in the most unimaginable, detestable ways following pagan practices. As a result they are taken into captivity by the evil Assyrian king. Like the Israelites, we are without excuse in knowing what God requires, will we chose to walk intentionally in step with his commands, or ignore and reject them and follow customs of this world. It’s been said “You can live for God or die for yourself.” May we fully understand that sin ALWAYS brings undesirable consequences. Praying that as believers in Christ we will stand firm “to give our bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will accept” (Romans 12-1).
33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
This was repeated twice, and even closed with stating the generational sin. Is this not what we do? What’s that saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too?”
They were living two lives…They were trying to fool God, or appease God enough to not receive punishment or hopefully receive blessings, but still live in sin.
It reminds me of Revelation 3.
Again, Evans is anointing our passage in his series today, “Reversing Generational Curses Part 1”