II Kings 17:7 "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."
Reference can be made here to Deuteronomy 28:15-68 and 30:1-9 II Samuel 7:8-17.
The captivity here refers to the ten tribes and Judah is a separate issue. I think of Jonathan when he was tired and hungry from battle and dipped his staff in the honey that flowed from the trees. It tells of the richness of this great land. Now Israel is loosing it for no other reason than that they rebelled against the LORD God.
v12 "For they served idols whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing."
Israel is paying tribute to Assyria but also sent to Egypt for help. The king of Assyria found out about it and took the people away and put them in other cities besides Samaria. The king of Israel, Hoshea, was put bound in prison.
A list of their sins is given in the following verses they set them up images v10, wrought wicked things v11, they left all the commandments v16, they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire v17. It is a long list and shows that punishment was justified.
v24 "And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and Cuthah, and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof."
So here we see how Samaria became a mixed people within Israel. The sting of that will play out in the New Testament.
Lions were sent by God on the newcomers and one told the king of Assyria that it was because the people did not understand the ways of the God of the land. A priest was sent to teach them. v28.
v29 "Howbeit every nation, made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities where the dwelt."
A list of those false gods is given in verse 31. The land is becoming like it was before the children of Israel possessed the land.
The people thus tried to have it both ways.
v33 "They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence."
Judah remains as a testimony to David who followed the LORD.
Psalm 55:6 "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest."
Israel is taken into captivity.
Keywords: Israel, captivity, Judah, Israel, Assyria. Bible Study, Old Testament.
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