(TEXT : 2 Kings 17:24)
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
FOCUS:
This is the beginning of the New Testament Samaritans. These individuals subsequently intermixed with the Jews who returned from captivity; hence, this culminated in a mixed breed. The Jews in Jesus’ day would basically have nothing to do with them. It was the general belief of the heathen nations of antiquity that each country and nation had its own god or gods, who presided over its destinies, etc.; so they complained that they are not familiar with the manner of this God Israel. When Israel rejected God’s Status, they adopted “the statustes of the heathen,” and walked in them. If the ways of the Lord are rejected, religious man must them adopt the ways of the world.
In addition, 2 Kings 17:30-31 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
These are individuals, who had been brought from other countries and placed in the territory of the former northern kingdom of Israel. Brought as well, their heathen gods with them, which they continued to worship. These are the people who who knows not God nor have any respect for God’s Laws or commandments. However, they are living among the people of God. Without proper leadership, all is lost! One can be a religious leader, or one can be a Prophet. One cannot be both! The former seeks to appeas the people, while the latter seeks to obey God. Regrettably, we presently have far too many religious leaders.
Finally, 2 Kings 17:33-35 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
Their so-called worship of Jehovah did not include obedience to His Laws; unfortunately, that is basically the tenor of the modern Church, as well. True worship of God cannot be mixed with other things; we are to look to Him alone as the supplier of every needs. This mixed race, which now occupied the northern kingdom of Israel, with their mixed religion, though professing to be worshippers of Jehovah, paid no attention to the warnings and threatenings of the Law. Continuing to speak of the Samaritans, this was certainly true up until the time this account was written. However, little by little, they began to forsake their idol gods and draw closer to Jehovah. In 409 B.C., they erected a Temple to Jehovah on Mount Gerizim, which of course, the Lord couldn’t recognize. However, they then laid aside their idols, accepting the Pentateuch as their religious Textbook, and began to attempt to observe the whole Law. The Samaritans were ostracized by Israel as a whole, and thought of in a very negative manner; nevertheless, Jesus ministered to them expensively during His 3 1/2 years of public ministry.
2 Kings 17:41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
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T.O AKINSANYA
PRINCE ORATORTEE