All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods All this happenedThis phrase sets the stage for understanding the consequences that have befallen Israel. The Hebrew root here is "הָיָה" (hayah), meaning "to happen" or "to come to pass." It indicates a fulfillment of divine prophecy and judgment. Historically, this refers to the Assyrian conquest and exile of the Northern Kingdom, a pivotal moment in Israel's history that underscores the seriousness of covenantal disobedience. because the Israelites had sinned
The word "sinned" comes from the Hebrew "חָטָא" (chata), meaning "to miss the mark." This phrase highlights the moral and spiritual failure of the Israelites. Sin, in this context, is not merely a personal failing but a national transgression against God's covenant. The Israelites' sin is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing the need for repentance and divine forgiveness. against the LORD their God
The use of "LORD" (YHWH) signifies the personal and covenantal name of God, reminding the Israelites of their unique relationship with Him. The phrase underscores the gravity of their sin, as it is not just a breach of law but a betrayal of a personal relationship. The historical context here is the covenant at Sinai, where Israel pledged exclusive loyalty to YHWH. who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt
This phrase recalls the Exodus, a foundational event in Israel's history. The Hebrew root "יָצָא" (yatsa) means "to bring out" or "to deliver." It serves as a reminder of God's past faithfulness and power. Theologically, it underscores the expectation of Israel's gratitude and obedience in response to divine deliverance. and had warned them
The Hebrew root "עֵד" (ed) means "to witness" or "to warn." This phrase indicates that God had provided clear instructions and warnings through the Law and the prophets. It highlights God's justice and mercy, as He does not punish without first providing ample warning and opportunity for repentance. not to worship other gods
The phrase "worship other gods" refers to idolatry, a central issue in Israel's history. The Hebrew word for "worship" is "עָבַד" (avad), meaning "to serve." This command is rooted in the first of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing monotheism and exclusive devotion to YHWH. Historically, the allure of surrounding pagan cultures often led Israel astray, resulting in spiritual and national decline. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt but repeatedly fell into idolatry and disobedience. 2. The LORD their GodThe covenant God of Israel, who delivered them from Egypt and commanded their exclusive worship. 3. EgyptThe land of bondage from which God delivered the Israelites, symbolizing sin and oppression. 4. Pharaoh, king of EgyptThe ruler of Egypt during the time of the Exodus, representing the oppressive forces from which God freed His people. 5. Other godsThe false deities that the Israelites turned to, violating their covenant with the LORD and leading to their downfall. Teaching Points The Danger of ForgetfulnessForgetting God's past deliverance can lead to spiritual decline. We must continually remember and recount God's faithfulness in our lives. The Consequences of IdolatryIdolatry, in any form, leads to separation from God. We must guard our hearts against modern-day idols that can take God's place. The Importance of ObedienceObedience to God's commandments is crucial for maintaining a right relationship with Him. We should strive to live according to His Word. The Need for RepentanceWhen we fall into sin, repentance is necessary to restore our relationship with God. We should be quick to turn back to Him. God's Faithfulness Despite Our FailuresEven when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. His grace is available to us when we return to Him with sincere hearts. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "gods" or idols that can distract us from our relationship with the LORD, and how can we guard against them? 2. How does remembering God's past deliverance in our lives help us remain faithful to Him today? 3. In what ways can we ensure that we are obedient to God's commandments in our daily lives? 4. How can the cycle of sin and repentance seen in Israel's history serve as a warning and encouragement for us today? 5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness despite your own failures. How can this encourage you to trust Him more fully? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:2-3The first commandment given to the Israelites, emphasizing the exclusive worship of the LORD, directly relates to their sin of idolatry mentioned in 2 Kings 17:7. Deuteronomy 6:12-14Warns the Israelites not to forget the LORD who brought them out of Egypt and not to follow other gods, highlighting the recurring theme of forgetfulness and idolatry. Judges 2:11-12Describes a similar cycle of sin where the Israelites forsake the LORD and serve other gods, leading to their oppression. Psalm 106:34-39Reflects on Israel's history of disobedience and idolatry, providing a poetic recount of their repeated failures. Hosea 13:4-6God reminds Israel of His deliverance and their subsequent ingratitude and idolatry, echoing the themes of 2 Kings 17:7. People Adrammelech, Ahaz, Anammelech, Avites, Avvites, David, Elah, Hoshea, Israelites, Jacob, Jeroboam, Nebat, Pharaoh, Sepharvites, ShalmaneserPlaces Assyria, Avva, Babylon, Bethel, Cuth, Cuthah, Egypt, Gozan, Habor River, Halah, Hamath, Samaria, SepharvaimTopics Bringeth, Egypt, Evil, Fear, Feared, Gods, Pass, Pharaoh, Power, Sinned, Sons, Worshiped, Worshippers, Wrath, YokeDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Kings 17:3-7 7216 exile, in Assyria 2 Kings 17:3-18 7560 Samaritans, the 2 Kings 17:3-23 7233 Israel, northern kingdom 2 Kings 17:5-8 5607 warfare, examples 2 Kings 17:6-23 6659 freedom, acts in OT 2 Kings 17:7-8 5286 custom 2 Kings 17:7-20 8705 apostasy, in OT
8764 forgetting God 2 Kings 17:7-23 6026 sin, judgment on Library Divided Worship
'These nations feared the Lord, and served their own gods.'--2 KINGS xvii. 33. The kingdom of Israel had come to its fated end. Its king and people had been carried away captives in accordance with the cruel policy of the great Eastern despotisms, which had so much to do with weakening them by their very conquests. The land had lain desolate and uncultivated for many years, savage beasts had increased in the untilled solitudes, even as weeds and nettles grew in the gardens and vineyards of Samaria. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureA Kingdom's Epitaph
'In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7. For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8. And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture September the Eleventh a Fatal Divorce
"They feared the Lord, and served their own gods." --2 KINGS xvii. 24-34. And that is an old-world record, but it is quite a modern experience. The kinsmen of these ancient people are found in our own time. Men still fear one God and serve another. But something is vitally wrong when men can divorce their fear from their obedience. And the beginning of the wrong is in the fear itself. "Fear," as used in this passage, is a counterfeit coin, which does not ring true to the truth. It means only the …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
Discourse 9 "No man can serve two masters; For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions Mongrel Religion
I. I shall first call your attention to THE NATURE OF THIS Mongrel Religion. It had its good and bad points, for it wore a double face. These people were not infidels. Far from it: "they feared the Lord." They did not deny the existence, or the power, or the rights of the great God of Israel, whose name is Jehovah. They had not the pride of Pharaoh who said, "Who is Jehovah that I should obey his voice?" They were not like those whom David calls "fools," who said in their hearts, "There is no God." …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 27: 1881 Building in Troublous Times
'Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3. But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Profession and Practice.
18th Sunday after Trinity. S. Matt. xxii. 42. "What think ye of Christ?" INTRODUCTION.--Many men are Christians neither in understanding nor in heart. Some are Christians in heart, and not in understanding. Some in understanding, and not in heart, and some are Christians in both. If I were to go into a Temple of the Hindoos, or into a Synagogue of the Jews, and were to ask, "What think ye of Christ?" the people there would shake their heads and deny that He is God, and reject His teaching. The …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent The Original Text and Its History.
1. The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew, with the exception of certain portions of Ezra and Daniel and a single verse of Jeremiah, (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Dan. 2:4, from the middle of the verse to end of chap. 7; Jer. 10:11,) which are written in the cognate Chaldee language. The Hebrew belongs to a stock of related languages commonly called Shemitic, because spoken mainly by the descendants of Shem. Its main divisions are: (1,) the Arabic, having its original seat in the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion A More Particular view of the Several Branches of the Christian Temper, by which the Reader May be Farther Assisted in Judging what He Is, And
1, 2. The importance of the case engages to a more particular survey what manner of spirit we are of.--3. Accordingly the Christian temper is described, by some general views of it, as a new and divine temper.--4. As resembling that of Christ.--5. And as engaging us to be spiritually minded, and to walk by faith.--6. A plan of the remainder.--7. In which the Christian temper is more particularly considered with regard to the blessed God: as including fear, affection, and obedience.--8, 9. Faith and …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Kings 17:7 NIV2 Kings 17:7 NLT2 Kings 17:7 ESV2 Kings 17:7 NASB2 Kings 17:7 KJV
2 Kings 17:7 Commentaries
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