August 14, 2022 - 2 Kings 17:7-20

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1. Approximately 120 years separates 2 Kings 12 (last week’s lesson) and 2 Kings 17.

2. Instability of the northern kingdom, Israel. Five different dynasties and the last four have a very short tenure. (Bold outlines represent a dynasty.)

3. Outline of 2 Kings 17

• Hoshea Reigns over Israel 1-5

• Israel taken captive by Assyria 6

• Why Israel fell 7-23

• Cities of Israel filled with strangers 24-41

4. You can not keep a secret from God.

5. Obedience to God’s commands is the way to measure your love for Him.

6. Worship of creation rather than the creator is idolatry.

7. Ask God to reveal any blind spots that you have where He does not have 1st place in your life.

8. Israel did not fall because Assyria was such a great power. It fell because of Israel’s progressive sinful practices.

9. “Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!”  Isaiah 5:20

10. “The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

11. Application:

• Falling away from God occurs in small incremental steps.

• The major and minor prophets gave warning to Israel to repent of their wicked ways—We have the complete Word of God to point out how God expects His people to live.

• People that are determined to ‘do it my way’ will face the wrath of God.

• In the midst of the apostasy of the nation, you will find believers who are true to God.

• Israel’s light did not shine—We are called to be light to those in darkness. Don’t let the darkness snuff out the light.