2 Kings 17

Jonathan Ledbetter

Kingdom, Come • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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Sunday Morning, We Began Looking at the Reign of King Ahaz in Judah

This is in 2 Kings 16 & 2 Chronicles 28

Ahaz was a Terrible King

He Brought All Sorts of Idol Worship to Judah

Because of His Wickedness, God Sent a Barrage of Attacks on Judah…

From Surrounding Nations:

Aram from the North

Israel from the North

Edom from the South (About to Read that)

Philistines from the West (About to Read that)

The Last Thing We Read was:

Israel Attacked Judah & Took 200,000 Women & Children Captive to Be Slaves

God Told Them to Return Them Back to Their Homes…

And They Did with Great Mercy/Compassion

2 Chronicles 28:16–20 (NIV)

16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. 17 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, 18 while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soko, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19 The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord. 20 Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help.

Because of King Ahaz’s Extreme Wickedness…

Not Only were They Attacked from the North By Aram & Israel…

But Also from the South By Edomites…

And from the West By the Philistines

Then King Ahaz Asked for Help from Assyria…

And that Only Made Their Situation Worse

2 Chronicles 28:21–27 (NIV)

21 Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.

2 Kings Tells Us that Assyria Did Capture Damascus…

The Capital City of Aram

But King Ahaz had Now Placed Judah Under the Power of Assyria

Judah Became a Vassal to Assyria…

And had to Pay Allegiance & Tribute to Them…

In Exchange for Protection

22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaz was One of the Worst Kings in Judah’s History

He Single-Handedly:

Brought Worship to Various Gods into the Kingdom

Led Judah to Being Attack By Enemies on All Sides

Put Judah Under the Power of the Mighty Assyrians

Desecrated the Temple

Made Worship to False Gods Available on Every Corner…

But Shut the Doors of the Temple of God

It’s Extremely Important to have Faithful/Godly Leaders!

Of the Nation of America?

Sure, that would Be Great

But More Importantly, Over the Kingdom of Heaven

We have the Perfect King…

And We Need Faithful/Godly Leaders in Our Local Churches Too

The Last Thing the Text Tells Us…

Is that Ahaz’s Son Hezekiah Succeeds Him as King of Judah

2 Kings 18 will Look at His Reign

But, Tonight, We’re in 2 Kings 17…

Which Takes Us Back Up North to the Kingdom of Israel

This is Where We See the End of Northern Israel

2 Kings 17

2 Kings 17:1–6 (NIV)

1 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.

Hoshea is Another Bad King…

But it Seems Like He wasn’t as Bad as All the Other Kings of Israel

He Tried to Stage a Revolt Against Assyria with Egypt’s Help…

And that Didn’t Work Out Well:

The King of Assyria Imprisons King Hoshea…

Besieges Samaria for 3 Years…

And Took the Israelite People Captive…

And Made Them Exiles All Across the Assyrian Empire

Now the Author Wants to Tell Us Why this Happened to Israel:

2 Kings 17:7–23 (NIV)

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.

So, Why was Israel Conquered By the Assyrians…

And Taken into Exile?

What should We, as God’s New Nation/Kingdom…

Learn from Israel’s Judgment?

Now the Author Wants to Tell Us What Assyria Did Next

After They Removed the Israelites from Their Territory…

They Moved People of Other Conquered Nations in

2 Kings 17:24–41 (NIV)

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.

Introduction

Tonight, We Read about the End of the Northern Kingdom of Israel

The Text Told Us Why God Brought about Their End:

They Ignored His Laws & Covenant

They Worshiped Other Gods

It wasn’t that Israel had Completely Forgotten about God

They Wanted Him Along with All the Other Gods

Then When the Israelites were Taken Captive & Exiled in Other Nations…

Assyria Moved People from Other Nations into Israel’s Territory

After an Israelite Priest Taught Them about the God Yahweh…

They Began Doing the Exact Same Things as Israel Did

2 Kings 17:33 (NIV)

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.

If We’re Not Careful, We will Fall into the Same Trap:

Believing it is Possible to Serve God & Other Things

Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24 (MSG)

24 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

You Can’t Serve/Worship/Follow/Chase/Prioritize 2 Things at Once

It’s Proven True Time & Time Again

The More You Love One, the More You’ll Grow to Hate the Other

The More You Adore One, the More Contempt You’ll Feel for the Other

The More You Chase After One, the More You’ll Run Away from the Other

The More You Prioritize One, the Less You’ll Think about the Other

Whether it’s Money, Sex, Possessions, a Person, an Earthly Purpose/Goal, or Yourself…

If You Make it Your Master/God/Priority/Life’s Aim…

Then Your Relationship with God is Going to Die Out

And if You Don’t have a Relationship with God…

Then None of Those Things Matter Anymore

They are All Good in Relation to God

But When They are Pursued Without Relation to God:

They are Meaningless, Useless, & Empty

They Become Our Gods

And When We Follow Worthless Gods…

We Become Worthless Ourselves…

Just Like the People of Israel:

2 Kings 17:15 (NIV)

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.”

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