What practices in 2 Kings 17:17 are considered detestable to the Lord? Setting the Scene 2 Kings 17 recounts how the Northern Kingdom spiraled into exile because it “walked in the customs of the nations.” Verse 17 pinpoints four specific sins the LORD labels as abhorrent. The Four Detestable Practices • Child sacrifice – “They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire.” – Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5 and Deuteronomy 12:31 forbid offering children to Molech. – Psalm 106:37-38 exposes this as bloodshed offered to demons. • Divination – “They … practiced divination.” – Deuteronomy 18:10-12: “Anyone who practices divination… is detestable to the LORD.” – Seeking hidden knowledge apart from God denies His all-sufficiency. • Soothsaying (fortune-telling) – “and soothsaying.” – Isaiah 8:19 warns, “Should not a people consult their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” – Any attempt to manipulate the future replaces trust with sorcery. • Selling themselves to evil – “They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD.” – 1 Kings 21:20 uses the same phrase of Ahab; it pictures a willful, contractual slavery to sin. – Romans 6:16 reminds believers we are slaves of the one we obey—either sin, leading to death, or obedience, leading to righteousness. Why God Calls These Practices Abominable • They attack the image of God in human life (Genesis 9:6). • They open doors to demonic influence (1 Corinthians 10:20). • They dethrone God by looking to forbidden spiritual powers (Exodus 20:3). • They harden the heart, anchoring a lifestyle that provokes divine anger (Hebrews 3:13). Timeless Application for Us • Guard every life as sacred—from the womb to old age. • Reject any occult curiosity: horoscopes, tarot, channeling, “harmless” fortune-telling. • Remember we are bought with Christ’s blood (1 Peter 1:18-19); never “sell” ourselves to sin. • Choose daily to serve the Lord alone (Joshua 24:15), confident that His ways bring freedom, not bondage. Key Scripture “They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.” —2 Kings 17:17 |
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