Transformed

Context: King Hoshea and the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:1-4, 18:1, 18:9-12)

• Hoshea was the king of Israel for 9 years
  • He began to reign in the 12th year of Ahaz king of Judah
  • In the third year of Hoshea’s reign, Hezekiah became king of Judah
• Initially Hoshea paid tribute to Assyria
  • But with the help from So, king of Egypt, he choose to rebel
    • Therefore he was thrown in prison
• Israel was under siege by the Assyrians for about 3 years
  • Staring in the 7th year of Hoshea’s reign
    • Was taken in the 9th year of Hoshea’s reign
• King of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria

Why were Israelites thrown out of the land? (v7-12, 18-20)

• Sinned against Yahweh, their God
  • Who brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh
    • They feared other gods instead
    • Walked in the ways of the people who lived in that land before them
      • And whatever the kings of Israel came up with / made
• Children of Israel secretly did things that were against God
  • Food for thought: Can anything be secret from God?
• They built high places everywhere
  • and setup up pillars and poles on every high hill and under every green tree
    • Burned incense in all these high places and they served idols

Were the Israelites warned? How did they respond? (v12-17)

• Foretold by the Law of Moses.  “You shall not do this thing”
• God sent prophets and seers asking them to turn around but they
  • Refused to listen just like their fathers
  • Didn’t believe in Yahweh their God
  • Rejected God’s statutes
  • Abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God
  • Followed the nations that were around them

Are there any similarities between the believers and the Israelites?

Israel	Believers
Redeemed out of bondage in Egypt	No longer in bondage to sin
Taken through the red sea	Baptized
Asked to follow God (His Commandments)	If you love me, keep my commandments.
But feared other gods and worshiped idols	Who do we fear?  What are our idols?
Followed the nations around them	What are we following?  Conforming to?

Conclusion / Application

• Israel was warned multiple times but refused to listen
• Are we conforming to this world or being transformed by renewing of the mind?

Main Passage 2 Kings 17:7-20 – World English Bible (WEB)

7 It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who 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 nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made. 9 The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against Yahweh their God; and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city; 10 and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill, and under every green tree; 11 and there they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them did; and they did wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger; 12 and they served idols, of which Yahweh had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 14 Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God. 15 They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom Yahweh had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 They abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal. 17 They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger. 18 Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 19 Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 Yahweh rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight.

Notes / Cross References

2 Kings 17:1-4  In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years. 2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute. 4 The king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria seized him, and bound him in prison. 

2 Kings 18:1 Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Kings 18:9-12 9 In the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. 10 At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they didn’t obey Yahweh their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, and would not hear it or do it.

Romans 12:2 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Jeremiah 10:3-4 3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity;

    for one cuts a tree out of the forest,

    the work of the hands of the workman with the ax.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold.

    They fasten it with nails and with hammers,

    so that it can’t move.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;