2 Kings 17:1-18:12
2 Kings 17
This is a
very sad chapter of the Bible and is entirely about Israel being taken out of
its land. We've read about God's redemptive plan since almost the first day of
the year. We've read about the long years with Abraham, how God made a covenant
with him, and how the nation of Israel was formed, and began to see the
fulfillment of that promise. Yet it seems that the nation never really
responded to God, not in the wilderness, nor as a nation with its own land.
We have
seen the power of sin. This spiritual sickness is the strongest force on earth,
except for the amazing grace of God. His patience and kindness in these last
chapters, working with Israel, has truly been a testimony to His love. The
summary of this chapter shows that unless the heart of man is changed by the
new life of the Spirit, there is no hope for mankind.
Notice in
this chapter that it mentions worship and the fear of the Lord, yet vs. 34-35
make it clear that to worship any other god, in addition to God, is not to fear
Him at all. That would be true today, too.
This
chapter introduces the origin of the "race" of the Samaritans of the
New Testament, whom the Jews hated. They were a mixed people, both of race and
of religion - doubly despised and hated in the NT.
It should
be mentioned here that to take a people into exile was to
"exterminate" a race of people by forcing them into another culture
to intermarry and lose their cultural identity. Living in another land meant
they would be forced to serve and worship other gods, learn new customs and
speak another language. This effectively happened to the northern kingdom. But
then, they had already lost their identity through their worship of foreign
gods, long before they were taken into captivity. Israel survived through the
southern kingdom. People from all 12 tribes were represented in Judah and we'll
see that there will be something very different about Judah's exile in Babylon.
What things
do you find interesting in this chapter? What does this say to you as a
disciple in the harvest?
Vs. 1-6 At
this point everyone was either paying tribute to Assyria or paying the price of
not paying. Hoshea has the distinction of being the last king of Israel, the
northern kingdom.
Vs. 7-18 This explanation is for the northern
kingdom. You can see this by v. 19, which refers to the kingdom of Judah and
their sin. But the people were idolatrous from the death of Joshua to the
judgeship of Samuel. Then with Solomon, idolatry was reintroduced into the
nation. We have witnessed God's mercy, patience and His outstretched hand over
hundreds of years. Remember that what we are seeing is not how bad Israel was,
but how deep and irresistible sin is in each of us. Israel is being used as a
visual aid for us to learn from. In the future God will restore and bless them
for this "ministry" and because of His promise to Abraham. For now,
as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:11-12, Now
these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our
instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Vs. 19-20
When we get into Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we'll see that Judah really gets blasted
because they saw all that God did to Israel and still didn't follow the Lord.
Notice
that since this is mentioning Judah going into exile, this had to have been
written after they went into exile.
Vs. 21-23
This short summary covers a couple of hundred years of God reaching out to
Israel.
Vs. 24-28
The king of Assyria brought in his own people once he had removed most of the
people of Israel. These people from Babylon, Cuthah, etc., were part of what
Assyria controlled. As these people mixed with the Jews who were left in
Samaria, these mixed people became the hated Samaritans we hear of in the New
Testament. It is interesting that God made sure that these people still
respected Him. What God will do later in Babylon will be very direct and will
actually save Judah/Israel.
Vs. 29-33
This is all to say that those who occupied Samaria were not worshipers of the
Lord. They were pagans who worshiped everything. Yahweh was just one of many.
Vs. 34-41
If Kings was written after the return from Babylon, it is explaining why the
Jews would not allow the Samaritans to help them with the temple, and why they
would not join the Samaritans as "brothers" or in worship. These
people called themselves Israelites and they claimed to worship Yahweh, but
they were totally lost and embraced all gods. The exiles who returned from
Babylon never worshiped idols, and most of them were very strong in the culture
of Judaism. When we get into the book of Daniel, we can do some speculating as
to why this was.
2 Kings
18:1-12
Vs. 1-8 We
will hear more about Hezekiah in this section, in 2 Chronicles and in Isaiah,
than any other king besides David and Solomon. You wonder why Hezekiah was a
better man than his father. It might have been that he was influenced by Isaiah
and Micah the prophets and that he learned from God's judgment against the
northern kingdom.
V. 3
Hezekiah walked in the way of David. How? Not in being perfect, but in
worshiping no other God but Yahweh. That then is the deciding mark of having
the heart of David.
V. 4 Did
you even know that thing was still around? Imagine the guts it must have taken
for Hezekiah to have destroyed this old relic. I can imagine all the cultural
initiatives to have this put into the Smithsonian, and all the rallies with
people carrying signs that said, "Save Nehushtan." Apparently no
other king, not even David, had objected to people "honoring" that
bronze snake.
Notice the
beginning of vs. 5, 6 & 7.
V. 5 When
it says there was no king like Hezekiah, before or after him, that is a very
high honor and it needs to be seen in the full context of what he did. We'll
see that full context tomorrow.
Vs. 9-12
Whereas the king of Assyria took Samaria, he would break his back on Jerusalem.
The difference was the godliness of the king and the presence of the Lord.
Acts 20
This is
the conclusion of the third missionary journey. After the night of fun in
Ephesus, Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem.
Vs. 1-2
Paul apparently stopped in Corinth to pick up the aid that was collected for
the church in Jerusalem, as per 1 Corinthians 16. This would have been after
Paul had written 1 and 2 Corinthians. Paul spent three months there to settle
the church and to write Romans.
Vs. 3-6
Apparently Paul had planned to sail directly back to Antioch, but when he learned
of the plan to kill him, he went back through Macedonia by foot to Philippi.
Paul sent these fellow workers ahead to Troas, maybe to throw his persecutors
off of his scent, and then sailed from Philippi to Troas. Notice that Luke is
again with Paul.
Vs. 7-12
Paul preached long sermons too!
Vs. 13-16
So, why did Paul avoid Ephesus? It might have been because of Alexander the
coppersmith. It may also have been to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost.
Vs. 18-38
Notice the amount of space given to this meeting with the elders from Ephesus.
For some reason, this talk Paul has with them is very important.
Vs. 23-24 Notice that Paul did have some
foreboding regarding Jerusalem. You can also see this in Romans 15:30-31
(written in Corinth, vs. 1-2), I appeal
to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to
strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31that
I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for
Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints…
Vs. 29-31
Notice Paul's warning. The church in Ephesus survived and is mentioned in
Revelation, written probably 25 years after Paul's death. But in 1 Timothy,
written after Acts and after Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, Paul was
rushing off to Macedonia, while Timothy was trying to rebuild the church in
Ephesus. Something happened that almost destroyed that church. Paul is saying
here where the main threat will arise. Also, if you look at the problems Paul
warns Timothy that he will face, in 1 Timothy, you can also see how that
"threat from within" worked to sidetrack and ruin that church. They
became very defensive and doctrinal and lost their first love and their
effectiveness in the harvest.
Vs. 33-35
This sounds like Moses and Samuel saying that they never took anyone's donkey,
meaning that they never took advantage of the people they served. During those
14 years of silence in Paul's life, when he learned the trade of tent
manufacturing, God impressed on him working to make the gospel free of charge.
This may have been from the fact that as a Pharisee he was rich. But in all of
Paul's work, he worked with his hands and expressed this conviction in 1
Corinthians 9.
V. 35 Sounds like what Paul says in Ephesians
4:28, Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with
his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
As disciples, keeping the
church on track to make disciples and follow Christ in the harvest is not an
easy task. The harvest is challenging enough, but when different influences and
"missions" come into the church, we need a lot of wisdom and all of
God's help. If you read 1 Timothy, notice how often Paul warns about
"discussions," and how often he tries to refocus on the mission. The
love of Christ and His mission is the key to discipleship and our walk with
Christ. Once we lose the mission, we overcompensate by becoming
"theological geniuses;" and then we lose everything, and making
disciples cannot take place. You follow Christ in the harvest, not in debates
about theological issues and purity. Disciples are for the harvest and are made
in the harvest, not in discussions. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, For the love of Christ controls us, because
we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live
might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was
raised. 16From now on, therefore, we
regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ
according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come. 18All this is from
God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ
God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. 21For our sake he
made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
Psalm 148
Obviously
some of this is poetic and some is hyperbolic and some is metaphoric, but we
all get the point. We should praise the
Lord.
Vs. 1-2 I
take this to mean that all created beings should worship and praise God.
Vs. 3-4
This would be the vast creation of the universe and earth.
Vs. 5-6
All of these beings and things mentioned represent the majesty of God's power
and He deserves praise for all of this.
Vs. 7-10
All of the things and creatures God created should give praise to God.
Vs. 11-12
Everything created in His image on earth should praise Him.
Vs. 13-14 God deserves praise for all of His
greatness and majesty, but v. 14 goes further. In God raising up a horn,
it is talking about a ruler. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist said it
like this in Luke 1:68-69, Blessed be the
Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised
up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.
Proverbs 18:6-7
Notice the
art in this. You have lips in the
first and last clause and two mouths
in the middle. It's amazing how that hole in our face can get us into so much
trouble. But Jesus said, all these evil
things come from within, and they defile a person, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So the problem is really a heart problem,
and the Lord knows how to take care of –that, but do we?
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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