Sell-out
I've decided to start blogging stuff that stands out to me when I read scripture, to make sure that I am taking something in. So if I don't say much about what I've been finding in the scriptures, please email me and ask, because the chances are that I haven't been bothering.
Just read 2 Kings 16. I was pretty upset that the Israelites' exile started because King Ahaz let King Tillegath-pilneser of Assyria take over Damascus, in exchange for protection from Prince Pekah.
In the next chapter, Tillegath-pilneser's successor, Shalmaneser took over Samaria, so King Hoshea (Pekah's successor) asked the King of Egypt for help.
The people also tried to solve their problems by worshipping idols, through magic and by ignoring YHWH. As a result, the Israelites (except for Judah) were exiled to Assyria, and their land was resettled.
I suppose what I understand from that is that we need to depend on God before we depend on other people or on money or strategies or whatever.
Another thing I noticed was that the new settlers were given an opportunity to follow YHWH:
The king of Assyria then commanded, "Send one of the exiled priests from Samaria back to Israel. Let him teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land." So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD.
2 Kings 17:27-28.
1 comment:
I've been reading a bit from the minor (and major) prophets lately. I can't hardly believe the number of times God warned His people they would be exiled if they didn't stop worshipping other gods and start trusting Him. Sometimes I worry that maybe we are as stubborn as they were.
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