2 Kings 17:1-23
Today's Passage: 2 Kings 17:1-23
This text makes my heart hurt. It makes me come face to face with the thing that God hates and shows me how often I am prone to do it. IDOLATRY.
God desires and deserves our worship. This has been evident since fellowship with God in Genesis 1, was emphasized in the 10 Commandments of Exodus 20, and proclaimed by God through the prophets of the Old Testament.
Yet, Israel did what they wanted, and this self-seeking lifestyle led to their captivity. Assyria finally came and took Israel away (v. 5-6).
If you ever wanted the scriptures to be clear about something, it is crystal clear in verse 7. Why did God allow Assyria to invade and exile His people?
v. 7-8: And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel…
Can we stop for a second and make some important notes:
If there are things you currently idolize, burn them ASAP. Put them to death. Turn your heart back to the faithful God of the Exodus of your sin through Jesus Christ. (v. 13) Don’t let idolatry be the reason you face the discipline of God. Give Him all your heart and devote yourself to Him completely. I promise you, it’s FAR better than the alternative.
Written By: Drew Dukes
This text makes my heart hurt. It makes me come face to face with the thing that God hates and shows me how often I am prone to do it. IDOLATRY.
God desires and deserves our worship. This has been evident since fellowship with God in Genesis 1, was emphasized in the 10 Commandments of Exodus 20, and proclaimed by God through the prophets of the Old Testament.
Yet, Israel did what they wanted, and this self-seeking lifestyle led to their captivity. Assyria finally came and took Israel away (v. 5-6).
If you ever wanted the scriptures to be clear about something, it is crystal clear in verse 7. Why did God allow Assyria to invade and exile His people?
v. 7-8: And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel…
Can we stop for a second and make some important notes:
- God hates idolatry. Anytime we worship something other than Him (a lesser god, by the way), we transgress against Him. He wants and deserves our sole devotion. (v. 9, 11, 14-16)
- God was altogether just in the exile. This wasn’t a cruel joke or a temporary temper tantrum that God later felt bad about. The reason God was grieved is because His people turned away from His faithfulness. Not once was God unjust or unloving, even in the Assyrian invasion. (v. 20-23)
- God warns, but we don’t listen. Verse 13 says it plainly. We have a unique proclivity to touch the hot stove after we’ve been told not to and after it injured us the first time. God’s warning is a Fatherly, shepherd-like warning that indulging in idolatry is fleeting and will not go well in the end.
If there are things you currently idolize, burn them ASAP. Put them to death. Turn your heart back to the faithful God of the Exodus of your sin through Jesus Christ. (v. 13) Don’t let idolatry be the reason you face the discipline of God. Give Him all your heart and devote yourself to Him completely. I promise you, it’s FAR better than the alternative.
Written By: Drew Dukes
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