The kings of Israel continued to lead the people to sin and do evil in the sight of the LORD. The LORD was patient and made many attempts to call them back to Him. The stubbornly refused, continuing in the ways other pagan nations worship their gods and even worshipping other false gods directly. They were so far from the LORD that even when dominated by the Assyrians, there is no mention of turning to the LORD for help.
For those nations whose strength was founded in fear of the LORD, such as Israel or the United States, when they continue generation after generation turning away from the ways of God and continue to do evil in His sight there will be consequences. In 2 Kings 17 we see an example where He not only removed His hand of blessing, but actually brought Israel to defeat. We should not think of this as some old story, but realize a similar situation applies even now in the United States and we should be humbled and repent as a nation.
Hoshea Reigns over Israel
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned nine years. 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.
Israel Captive
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Why Israel Fell
7Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods 8and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had introduced. 9The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the LORD had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the LORD. 12They served idols, concerning which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” 14However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them. 16They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him. 18So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah.
19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced. 20The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
21When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin. 22The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them 23until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.
The LORD can raise up an adversary to conquer or simply let our nation rot and decay from the depravity of our own minds internal to our nation. The point is that any nation that drew strength and blessing from relationship with the LORD, as I believe the USA did since its founding for many generations, should take heed if / when they turn from the Father’s ways and pursue the ways of man.
It is not much better to mix and mingle false gods with worship of Yah than to simply turn from Him completely. Both are very bad.
I hope each of us can humble ourselves and pray for our personal lives, our family, our communities, the body of Christ as a whole, and our nation. Pray for repentance and that God would lift up righteous leaders and bring down wicked godless ones, even if they acknowledge Him with their lips. We can see with their policies and actions whom they serve.
In all of this, we must remember that our true enemy is Satan, and not individual people who come against us. We fight above all else, a spiritual war and should always remember that prayer and repentance is a huge part of any strategy that will bring our nation back to the one true God. (Read more on Spiritual Warfare.)
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, you and you alone are God. There are none like you. There are none whose works are like yours. Please help me personally and help your people collectively to humble themselves, turn from our wicked ways, and pray for your forgiveness and victory. Please restore the hearts and minds of the people of our nation to you and away from the paths of wickedness. Lift up righteous leaders and protect them with your right hand. Bring forth restoration and revival and a complete purge of wickedness and false teaching from our nation and most certainly from those who claim to follow you. Amen.
Shalom
Devotion by John in service to Christ
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