Today's lesson comes from 2 Kings 17: 6-17. Assyria was the dominant world power at this time. Its primary center, with its capital of Nineveh, was north of Israel and Syria. The Assyrians were very aggressive and cruel. Israel and her kings should have taken warning of their impending doom, repented, and returned to God. Instead, they continued on in their sin and rebellion.
Amos and Hosea earnestly warned the Israelites about their sinful practices. They showed them that if they refused to repent, there could be but one end, captivity and destruction from Assyria. These warning lasted a long time, and were reinforced by foretastes of Assyrian cruelty and power. God put every possible hindrance in the downward path of Israel; there were object lessons, warnings, entreaties, promises, lesser punishments, but all in vain. The Israelites were determined to go on in sin, and they were to reap the harvest they had sown. So must all who refuse to repent and meet God's requirements for salvation.
Consider the ways of the United States of America since the 1960's:
1. Prayer removed from public schools;
2. The separation of church and state taken to extremes. Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Christians was to assure them that there would be no national religion and they would be free to worship in their faith. Today, God has been removed from all governmental assemblies.
3. Bible reading was removed from schools.
4. Abortion was sanctioned and now even promoted as a national right. The right to kill your baby. Proverbs 8: 36 tells us that "all who hate Me (God) love death."
5. Homosexual marriage which is an abomination according to the Holy Scriptures Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1: 26-27, is now legally recognized in the USA.
Symbolically and practically, we can see the same sins committed by Israel being committed by our nation. As we read this lesson, do not be afraid to apply the principles to our current circumstances.
The first section is "Israel Taken Away Captive." v. 6 Hoshea was an usurper of the throne in Israel. He killed King Pekah and Tiglath-Pileser (who was ravaging Israel and taking people captive), made him king of Israel. Later, Hoshea revolted against the Assyrian king and Israel was invaded and Samaria was besieged for three years. The ultimate fate of the ten tribes, known as Israel, has been a subject of endless controversy. They never returned to Palestine as tribes. Those who remained were poor and few. Many who were carried away captive lost their nationality by intermarriage with the heathen. The more sturdy and religious individuals joined with those who returned with the Jews to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. Those representatives of all the tribes that returned to form the Jewish nation was a fulfillment of the promises given by Amos (9: 11-15) and by Hosea (14: 4-9),
One of the points of this first section is that God does all that is possible to save men from sin and ruin. However, we have the right to make choices. If we refuse to repent and turn from sin, there comes a time that God says, "Enough is enough." Then, the consequences of sin will become manifest.
The second section is "Reasons for Captivity." vv. 7-18 In this portion, we look at the reasons for Israel's terrible calamity. The people had come to a place that it was impossible to destroy sin without at the same time destroying the sinner. This is the state of no hope. God had done all that wisdom and love could do, but without success. There was only one thing left to do, root out the sin by destroying the sinner. The following were the reasons:
First, they forgot their God and what He had done for them. They "had sinned against the LORD their God."They had forgotten what the LORD had done in delivering them from Egypt. The people, broke through all the barriers of the Loveland goodness of God.
Second, they conformed to the world. They "walked in the statutes of the heathen." They adopted the pagan worship of the heathen. The church today is dangerously close to this today. When church services could pass for a night club, something has gone very wrong.
Third, Israel was taken into captivity because of their hypocrisy. They covered their idolatry with the pretenses that it was a worship of God.
Fourth, the nation was destroyed because of its idolatry. They had wooden images carved on pillars of the goddess Asherah. They "wrought wicked things," the vile immoralities connected with heathen worship. Idolatry presented the temptation of novelty, fashion, and worldliness. But perhaps the chief attraction consisted in the sports, revelry, and licentious freedom with which idols were worshipped. They could serve every evil in the name and under the sanction of their gods.
Fifth, they were resistant to good influences. God had sent prophets of every kind. The prophets spoke truth, but Israel "hardened their necks." Israel refused the word of the Lord and continued in sin.
Sixth, they "did not believe in the LORD."They refused His guidance, wisdom, and goodness. So they refused to trust Him and turn away from sin.
Seventh, they were disobedient; "they rejected His statutes." Disobedience is the natural result of unbelief. They rejected "His covenant." Not only did they reject His laws, they followed vanity, that is nothingness. The result was utter powerlessness.
Eighth, they engaged in cruelty and crime. They "caused their sons and their daughters to [ass through the fire." The idol Molech was made of brass, the head was a calf with a crown on it, and was made hollow. A very hot fire was kindled within it. When the arms were red hot, the child was thrown into the hot arms and was almost immediately burned to death. This custom was grounded in part on the notion that children were the dearest possession of the parents who should offer their best to their god.
How could these moral causes bring national ruin?
First, their sins took them from under God's special guidance.
Second, Irreligion brought weakness. There was no longer any high moral devotion to a great cause, which would have brought strength.
Third, Immorality led to degeneracy, it made them weak and divided the counsels of the nation.
We should apply this lesson to our country. We are in the midst of a pandemic known as cornovirus. Churches have been closed. Most businesses have also. I am not saying this is God's judgment, but it may be. Pray it is not too late for our country to return to our Christian roots.
The Golden Text is "Because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you." I believe most of the church in America has forsaken the LORD. The holy fire from days gone by is long gone. We need national and individual repentance. God will hear from heaven and restore our land.
My summary points:
1. Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you intended to stay, and make you pay more than you wanted to pay.
2. God does all that is possible to save men from sin and ruin.
3. Repent and turn from sin before it is too late.
Next week, "Hezekiah's Great Passover." 2 Chronicles 30: 1-10.
First, they forgot their God and what He had done for them. They "had sinned against the LORD their God."They had forgotten what the LORD had done in delivering them from Egypt. The people, broke through all the barriers of the Loveland goodness of God.
Second, they conformed to the world. They "walked in the statutes of the heathen." They adopted the pagan worship of the heathen. The church today is dangerously close to this today. When church services could pass for a night club, something has gone very wrong.
Third, Israel was taken into captivity because of their hypocrisy. They covered their idolatry with the pretenses that it was a worship of God.
Fourth, the nation was destroyed because of its idolatry. They had wooden images carved on pillars of the goddess Asherah. They "wrought wicked things," the vile immoralities connected with heathen worship. Idolatry presented the temptation of novelty, fashion, and worldliness. But perhaps the chief attraction consisted in the sports, revelry, and licentious freedom with which idols were worshipped. They could serve every evil in the name and under the sanction of their gods.
Fifth, they were resistant to good influences. God had sent prophets of every kind. The prophets spoke truth, but Israel "hardened their necks." Israel refused the word of the Lord and continued in sin.
Sixth, they "did not believe in the LORD."They refused His guidance, wisdom, and goodness. So they refused to trust Him and turn away from sin.
Seventh, they were disobedient; "they rejected His statutes." Disobedience is the natural result of unbelief. They rejected "His covenant." Not only did they reject His laws, they followed vanity, that is nothingness. The result was utter powerlessness.
Eighth, they engaged in cruelty and crime. They "caused their sons and their daughters to [ass through the fire." The idol Molech was made of brass, the head was a calf with a crown on it, and was made hollow. A very hot fire was kindled within it. When the arms were red hot, the child was thrown into the hot arms and was almost immediately burned to death. This custom was grounded in part on the notion that children were the dearest possession of the parents who should offer their best to their god.
How could these moral causes bring national ruin?
First, their sins took them from under God's special guidance.
Second, Irreligion brought weakness. There was no longer any high moral devotion to a great cause, which would have brought strength.
Third, Immorality led to degeneracy, it made them weak and divided the counsels of the nation.
We should apply this lesson to our country. We are in the midst of a pandemic known as cornovirus. Churches have been closed. Most businesses have also. I am not saying this is God's judgment, but it may be. Pray it is not too late for our country to return to our Christian roots.
The Golden Text is "Because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you." I believe most of the church in America has forsaken the LORD. The holy fire from days gone by is long gone. We need national and individual repentance. God will hear from heaven and restore our land.
My summary points:
1. Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you intended to stay, and make you pay more than you wanted to pay.
2. God does all that is possible to save men from sin and ruin.
3. Repent and turn from sin before it is too late.
Next week, "Hezekiah's Great Passover." 2 Chronicles 30: 1-10.
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