Today we will continue to reflect on the destruction and exile of the northern kingdom of Israel. 2 Kings 17 explains why this happened. God had brought Israel out of Egypt to live in his blessing, but they just could not tear themselves away from their idols. And so, they would go back into captivity. In the light of this event the question begs: Why did they feel so compelled to worship the gods of the nations and even to sacrifice their children to them? It is not that they lacked demonstrations of God’s presence with them. They had both Elijah and Elisha in their midst calling them back to God, not to mention the other prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Hosea. The ministry of these prophets, not to mention that of Jesus, demonstrates that all the proof in the world will not change this propensity. The idolatry which snared the people was really just a means by which they sought to keep control of their world. They just could not bring themselves to let go of their own lives and trust God. They wanted a means of security that they could see and control to some extent, and the idols provided this for them, so they thought. They were too afraid to let go of their false securities, and, no doubt, this fear was cultivated within them by a demonic agency working through their pagan rituals and occultism. The moral of the story is simple. Trust in God alone, however counter-intuitive this may feel. Give your life over to him and trust him in all things.
Recommit yourself to God today.
Read 2 Kings 17 again
