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2 Kings 17 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Hoshea was the last king of Israel before it was captured by the Assyrians. In this chapter, the writer goes back and highlights exactly why Israel was led off to captivity. It’s an exhaustive list of the horrific sins for the northern kingdom. The writer makes special note that while Judah would still exist, they were not innocent in the least and, in fact, copied many of the same sinful practices of their northern neighbors.
Overall, we can take some very convicting truths from this chapter that have some application today. The people of this time were taught how to worship and honor God. Their ancestors could tell story after story of God’s faithfulness. But there was a disconnect in living life the way that God wanted them to live. Why? Let’s look at a few reasons that are still applicable today…
We Make God In Our Own Image
Verse 7 and 8 of 2 Kings 17 inform us that the people “walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.” In other words, God delivered them and set them up for a fruitful life, and they went back to bondage. Not only that, they made these false practices the most important thing in their life. Remember back when the Israelites were bickering at Moses in the wilderness? “We would be better off as slaves in Egypt!” This was the attitude of that generation, but it wasn’t just them. We see it all throughout Israel’s history and if we’re honest, we see it in our own history as well.
Though we have been delivered from our chains through Jesus Christ, we are often tempted to go back… and we do. Making God in your own image means that you know the truth but you refuse to see God for who He is. This often happens when we don’t want Him to change us or we want to be validated in our own pattern of thinking.
For example, you might not really believe that God loves ALL of you and died for ALL of your sins, so in your continual shame, you go back. Or, you might read about the grace of God and think He is a God who takes sin lightly, so in your justification, you go back. Or, you may not understand that as your Father, God wants you to come to Him with everything – even your deepest darkest thoughts – so you try and hold on to those things and control them yourself which causes you to… yes… go back.
God loves you with everything but He will not be defined any other way than how He has lived as Jesus Christ and how He has spoken through His Word.
We Keep Secrets Hidden
Verse 8 of 2 Kings 17 says that “the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right.” Of course, the term “secret” is a mirage because God was watching the whole time. But again, by making God in our own image, we are prone to developing behaviors that are inconsistent with truth. Because they made idols, their minds became dark and they actually believed they could hide things from God.
How does this happen today?
We don’t air our deepest and darkest sins to others because we fear that people won’t like us anymore. Many of us would lose something. Relationships. Respect. Employment. Reputations.
So because we believe that, we often take that same attitude into our relationship with God as well as His church. The church was established for believers to gather together for encouragement, accountability, spiritual depth, and the spreading of the Gospel. As you read in 2 Kings 17, the corruption of secret sins began with leadership and trickled down. The church needs to be a place of accountability but it also needs to be a place that functions as the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus loved sinners unconditionally and welcomed them into His presence for true healing. Jesus also held a strict line for those who were placed in positions of leadership and knew the right way to live.
Christianity isn’t just an individual report, it’s also a group project.
2 Kings 17 shows us what happens when we intentionally hide from God and don’t involve Him in our daily decisions. Furthermore, it shows us how far off course we can become collectively when we are not operating in the grace and truth organism that Jesus so powerfully began.