2 Kings 17
Hoshea rules Israel, rebels against Assyria, Assyria retaliates
In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea (Elah’s son) took Israel’s throne and ruled from Samaria for nine years. He did what was evil the Existing One’s sight, but not as much as Israel’s kings who preceded him. Assyria’s King Shalmaneser came against him, and Hoshea became his subordinate and paid him tribute. But Assyria’s king found betrayal in Hoshea, because he sent messengers to Egypt’s King So [possibly Osorkon IV] instead of offering tribute to Assyria’s king like he had done in previous years. So Assyria’s king threw him in prison, and invaded the entire country, besieging it for three years.
Assyria deports Israelites
In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, Assyria’s King captured Samaria and took all the Israelites to Assyria where he put them in Halah, Habor, the Gozan river, and the Mede’s cities.
Why God allowed Israelites to be captured
This took place because the Israelites had offended the Existing One their God, the one who had saved them Egypt’s Pharaoh. The Israelites feared other gods and practiced the customs of the Canaanites who the Existing One expelled from Canaan just for them. The Israelites practiced the customs of their kings, and opposed the Existing One their God by secretly doing things that weren’t right. They built shrines in all of their towns from the highest watchtower to the most fortified city. They established pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree where they made offerings just like their predecessors who the Existing One abolished right before their own eyes. And they did wicked things, provoking the Existing One to anger, serving idols even after the Existing One had told them “You must not do this.” Yet the Existing One warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my instructions and decrees that I gave to your fathers and sent you by my servants the prophets.”
But they wouldn’t listen; they were just as stubborn as their fathers who didn’t believe in the Existing One their God. They despised his decrees along with the promise he made to their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They chased after incorrect idols and became incorrect themselves, patterning themselves after their neighboring countries after the Existing One had said not to be like them. They abandoned all of the Existing One’s instructions even though he was their God. They made for themselves metal replicas of two calves. They made an Asherah and worshiped all the spiritual beings and served Baal. And they burned their sons and daughters as offerings, using divination and omens, selling themselves to do evil in the Existing One’s sight, provoking him to anger. That’s why the Existing One was so angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. No one was left except for the tribe of Judah.
Judah didn’t keep the instructions of their God the Existing One either, but instead walked in the customs that Israel had introduced them to. The Existing One rejected all of Israel’s descendants and afflicted them, handing them over to looters until he finally threw them out of his sight.
Jeroboam appointed as Israel’s king
When he had torn Israel out of David’s house, they made Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) king. And Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Existing One, causing them to go against him greatly. The Israelites walked in all the detestable ways that Jeroboam led them in. They refused to depart from them until finally the Existing One removed Israel out of his sight, just like he had said through all his servants the prophets. So that’s why Israel has been exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
Assyria fills Israel with foreigners, God sends lions to attack new inhabitants, one priest sent back
Assyria’s king brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. When they first moved there, they had no fear for the Existing One, so the Existing One sent lions which killed some of them. Assyria’s king heard, “The people you placed in Samaria don’t know the laws of that land’s god, so he sent lions that are killing them. It’s because they don’t know the laws of that land’s god.” Then Assyria’s king ordered, “Send back one of the priests we deported from there so he can live there and teach them the laws of that land’s god.” So one of the priests they captured from Samaria went and lived in Bethel, teaching them how they should fear the Existing One.
Inhabitants fear God but continue worshiping other gods
But every country still made their own gods and put them in the shrines that the Samaritans had made. Babylon’s people made Succoth-benoth while the Cuth’s people made Negral, while Hamath’s people made Ashima, while the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech. They also feared the Existing One and appointed all sorts of people from among themselves to be the priests of the shrines who performed their sacrifices. So they feared the Existing One but also served their own gods from their original countries.
To this day they follow their former gods. They don’t fear the Existing One, and they don’t follow his decrees or rules or instructions that the Existing One gave to Jacob’s children who he named Israel. The Existing One made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You must not fear other gods or bow to them or serve them or sacrifice to them. Instead you must fear the Existing One who rescued you from Egypt with great power and offered his hand to you. You must bow down to him and sacrifice to him. And you should always be careful to do the decrees and rules and instructions he wrote for you. Don’t fear other gods, and don’t forget the promise I made to you. Don’t fear other gods, but fear your God the Existing One, and he will save you from all your enemies.” However, they wouldn’t listen, but followed their former customs.
So these countries feared the Existing One and also served their carved idols. Their children did likewise, and so did their grandchildren—just how their forefathers did is how they still do to this day.