V. THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
BEING CARRIED AWAY INTO ASSYRIA
The king of Assyria invaded the whole land, going up against Samaria, besieging it three years, and capturing it in the ninth year of Hoshea, and carrying the people away into Assyria. All this happened because of the sins of the people of Israel (vv. 5-41).
A. Forsaking the Very God
Who Brought Them out of Egypt
The people of Israel forsook Jehovah their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and feared other gods (v. 7).
B. Walking in the Statutes of the Nations
The children of Israel walked in the statutes of the nations and in the statutes made by the kings of Israel, secretly doing things against Jehovah their God that were not right (vv. 8-9a).
C. Doing Wicked Things and Serving Idols
The children of Israel built high places in all their cities. They set up pillars and idols on every high hill and under every green tree; they burned incense in all the high places; and they did wicked things and served idols to provoke Jehovah to anger (vv. 9b-12).
D. Not Hearing the Prophets
Sent to Them by Jehovah
In His love God sent the prophets to the people of Israel to testify to them against their evils, sins, and wickednesses and to help them come back to God, but they would not return. Instead of hearing the prophets, the people stiffened their necks (vv. 13-14).
E. Rejecting God’s Statutes and His Covenant
The people rejected God’s statutes and His covenant and followed the nations in their vanity to worship idols (vv. 15-17).
F. Jehovah Removing Them from Their Land
The people provoked Jehovah their God to such an anger that He removed them, both Israel and Judah, from their land to the heathen world (vv. 18-23). Their wickedness went to the extent that God could no longer tolerate them but gave them up and let them be carried away to Assyria.
(Life-Study of 1 & 2 Kings, Chapter 19, by Witness Lee)
