Such a sad commentary....

 Such a sad commentary....

Chapter 17 of 2 Kings is small summary of Israel and Judah...

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 

They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 

The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. 

From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 

At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. 

They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 

They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.” 

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 

They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. 

They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. 

They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.” 

They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. 

They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. 

So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. 

Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. 

They followed the practices Israel had introduced. 

Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence. 

When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there. 

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. 

The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 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. 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. 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. 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. 

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. 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. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 

They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 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.

2 Kings 17:7-23,29-41 

 This was penned earlier .....

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Judges 21:25

When I read of today’s events, we really haven’t changed over the thousands of years...

Now as believers, we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us truth...we have the whole Bible as our guide for instruction, admonishment...

We have the life of Jesus to follow...we can even walk in the streets where He walked, read His Words...but sin still abounds ...I do things I wish I didn’t as Paul says in Romans ...

But, we have a hope that is untarnished...through Jesus...

We know that ...Paul prayed...

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11

Jesus prayed... 

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 

26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

John 17:20-26 

I don’t want the commentary of my life to read, “ and they did was was evil in the sight of the Lord“ as it says over and over in scriptures...

But to read, “ and they did what was right in the sight of the Lord “....

Thank YOU....