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24 the King of Assyria Brought People from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and Settled Them in the Towns of Samaria to Replace the Israelites

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24 the King of Assyria Brought People from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and Settled Them in the Towns of Samaria to Replace the Israelites P a g e | 1 Third Presbyterian Church Tuesday Bible Study Old Testament Tour – 2 Kings Lesson 93 – The Battle for God’s worship 2 Kings 17:24-41 (NIV) 24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, 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 men from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men from Cuthah made Nergal, and the men from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech, 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 ordinances, 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 ordinances, 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 fathers did. P a g e | 2 Questions 1. God has been working with Israel and Judah for a while to make them a people set apart until it came to a head and God allowed them to be taken captive by the Assyrians. Share a testimony where our disobedience to God led to a season of “captivity” in our own lives. How did the captivity end? 2. What emotion do we provoke in God when we knowingly disobey His commands? How do you respond that emption in God with your behavior? 3. The king of Assyria sent one of the priests taken captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires. So that happened and the people were taught but still didn’t follow what was taught to them. A. Why do you think Christians have been taught to worship yet still don’t incorporate worship of the Lord with the same passion as they worship idols? 4. Why isn’t God endlessly patient with sin in individuals and nations? 5. Why isn’t God satisfied when people merely add worship of Him to their other spiritual practices? 6. Why does God command us not to serve other gods at the same time He commands us to serve Him? 7. What does God consistently do for those who serve Him and Him alone? 8. What idolatries in modern life are Christians tempted to mix with their worship of God? 9. How can we tell when some person or thing has usurped God’s proper place in our lives? When has that happened in your life and what did you do to stop it? 10. As group come up with a list of questions that would help you know when something or someone has become an idol to you? P a g e | 3 E. The Tragic Fall of Israel, Its Conquest and Deportation of the People by the Assyrians (721 or 722 B.C.): The End of God's Patience and the Execution of His Judgment, 17:1-41 (17:1-41) Introduction— Patience, Traits of— Patience, Difficulty— God, Patience, Ends— Northern Kingdom of Israel, God's Patience with: patience is one of the most important qualities a person can possess. Bear in mind that a patient person is slow to speak, not easily angered, not prone to overreact. A patient person is more likely to understand, to be merciful and compassionate; more likely to be gentle and kind, a better listener. A patient person is also more open to receive others, even when a mistake is made. But, in reality, it is sometimes very difficult to be patient. A family member or fellow worker aggravates us or moves too slowly or fails to do what he or she promised. A parent becomes impatient with a child or a child with a parent. In the workplace, a supervisor or employee becomes impatient with others. The list of scenarios is endless. The great subject of this passage is the patience of God and the end of His patience with the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The day came when God's patience finally ended and His hand of judgment struck. For over 200 years God's patience had endured Israel's sin. He had been longsuffering with their wicked behavior, their turning to false gods and worship, and their rejection of Him. Imagine the patience and forbearing needed to put up with the sinful, rebellious Israelites of the Northern Kingdom for over 200 long years. Because of Israel's wickedness and their rejection of Him, God had no choice. The people had reached a point of no return, a day when their hearts would never repent nor turn back to Him. Consequently, there would be nothing but evil and wickedness flowing out of their lives. This, God could not allow. If there was no hope of the Israelites' ever repenting and living righteous lives as a testimony to the only living and true God, it was time for them to face the judgment of God. Sadly and tragically, the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell under the assault of the Assyrians and the people were transplanted into other conquered nations. This is: The Tragic Fall of Israel, Its Conquest and Deportation of the People by the Assyrians (721 or 722 B.C.): The End of God's Patience and the Execution of His Judgment, 17:1-41. 1. The reign of Hoshea, the last king of Israel: a picture of reaping what one sows (v.1-4). 2. The climactic fall of Israel: the end of God's patience and His final judgment (v.5-6). 3. The terrible sins that caused Israel's fall: a tragic picture of sin's consequences (v.7-23). 4. The settlement of foreign refugees in the land of Israel: a clear warning to the reader (v.24-41). 1. (17:1-4) Reaping, What One Sows, Example— Sowing, Principle of— Evil, Results of— Northern Kingdom of Israel, Kings of: Hoshea, the last ruler of the Northern Kingdom, had assassinated his predecessor Pekah. He had led an uprising of pro-Assyrian supporters. Because of Pekah's opposition and war against Assyria, much of the territory of Israel had been lost to the Assyrians. Now the Assyrian troops were stationed all along Israel's eastern border, right across the Jordan River.Israel as a nation and people was facing annihilation, extinction. A cloud of hopelessness swept the nation. Because of this, Hoshea and his pro-Assyrian supporters made a secret agreement to become a vassal state of Assyria, that is, to pay an annual tax if Assyria would allow them to keep their land. Agreeing with the proposal made by Hoshea and the pro-Assyrian supporters, Tiglath-Pileser apparently backed or at least encouraged the uprising against King Pekah (see outline—• 2 Kings 15:27-31 and note—•2 Kings 15:27-31 for more discussion). Once the secret agreement had been settled upon, Hoshea assassinated the Israelite king and assumed the throne for himself. Hoshea took the throne in the twelfth year of King Ahaz of Judah, and he reigned nine years (2 Kings 17:1- 2). Throughout his life, Hoshea had lived wickedly and, as ruler of Israel, he continued to do evil in the eyes of the LORD (2 Kings 17:2).
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