ILLUMINATING OUR BLINDNESS
Opening Prayer
‘Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.’1 Help me to keep it, O God, and experience your blessing.
Read 2 KINGS 17:24–41
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Samaria Resettled
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.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
In what intentional ways do you influence new believers in their faith walks?
Our attention turns to the resettled Samaria. To destroy the cohesion of the Israelites remaining in Samaria, the Assyrians deport the Israelites to various parts of the Assyrian Empire, replacing them with captives from other lands (v. 24). Since the newly imported foreigners do not worship the Lord, God sends lions against them to warn them of his anger (v. 25). This indicates that, being subject to the same commandments, these outsiders in the land are invited into the covenant as well, revealing God’s heart for gentiles. In desiring to know how to worship and please the God of that land, these foreigners are more sensitive to God’s warnings than his own people.
Ironically, a priest, who was exiled for his apostasy, now returns to Bethel to teach those who replace him how to worship the Lord (v. 27). How can such a flawed guide lead them? Both will fall into a pit.2 The sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat extend beyond the doom of Israel. These foreign people imitate the Israelites’ worst syncretistic practice—worshipping both the Lord and other gods from many lands (vv. 32, 33, 41). Such mixed worship violates the covenant grounded in the law (vv. 35–38), as this jealous God demands exclusive loyalty from his people. Sadly, these foreigners’ syncretistic custom continues for generations, to the time when this text was written (vv. 34, 41).
‘God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’3 We must worship as instructed in his Word. To avoid blind leadership, remaining sensitive to the instruction of the Spirit, church leaders must solidly ground their teaching in Scripture. Since we all are ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation’,4 over-reliance on our leaders to feed us is unhealthy. The Holy Spirit can enlighten each individual if we desire to know his truth.
Apply
In what ways might your worship have become more of an outward formality than an expression of gratitude and love overflowing from knowing truth found in God’s Word?
Closing prayer
Spirit of Truth, come and guide me into all the truth.5 Open my heart to possess it in ways that change me and bring glory to Christ.
1 Ps 119:18 2 Matt 15:14 3 John 4:24 4 1Pet 2:9; cf. Rev 1:6 5 John 16:13
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