But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, “Do not do as they do,” and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do. They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 2 Kings 17: 14-17, NIV.
Merciful God, we are grateful for Your loving-kindness toward us. We pray that the study of Your Word will bring us closer to You. In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
As we continue our study today, I would like us to pay attention to at least three steps in Israel’s downfall: 1) A lack of trust in the LORD. 2) They became worthless like the idols they worshipped; 3) They forsook all the commands of the LORD, which led them to commit great atrocities. This gradual progression in a downward direction is what makes sin so dangerous. It can be so subtle, that the individual or group hardly notice the change until they are caught in the web of whatever was pulling them down, and now has them bound. In the case of God’s dealings with His creatures, God warns us. He speaks to His creatures in so many ways, that one cannot miss the warnings.
According to our Scripture, “they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers.” That implies that God had spoken to them. In our study yesterday, we ended on the note that God had warned them – but they made the choice to do things their way. Note that this behavior began with the parents “who did not trust in the LORD.” Yesterday, we also spent time talking about “cause and effect,” and, the power of influence. Indeed, “no one is an island.” Nevertheless, this in no way nullifies the power of choice. While it is true that environment, plays a very important role in character formation, the individual always has the final say. God has given unto each and every person, the sacred privilege of choice. However, the ripple effect is very strong, for good or for evil. Oftentimes, parents will allow children to do as they please, then when tragedy occurs, the lament is, “Why did God do this to me?” Dear friends, we serve a good God! The last thing He wants to do is hurt us and those we love (Ezekiel 33: 11)! So let us take heed and listen when God speaks. It is by getting acquainted with His voice and obeying His will that we learn to trust Him. When we prove that He is trustworthy, trusting Him becomes easier.
“They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.” It is “by beholding that we are changed” (2 Corinthians 3: 18). Whoever, or whatever we spend time with, is going to have an influence upon us whether we are aware of it or not, for good or for evil. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule; but the norm is, that we will reap dividends from whatever we invest in. God Himself invites His people to be “holy, not only as He is holy,” but because He is holy Leviticus 11: 44a, 45). And He tells us how, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3: 3). When our hope is in a holy God, it influences our behavior almost instinctively! It works the other way as well. When “anything goes,” when there is nothing to aspire to, the behavior will reflect it. When there is no worth attached to what we do, we begin to lose our sense of self-worth. Is it any wonder that God has set His standards so high? It is because we were created for great things! Just note the child or young person who is an achiever. It reflects in his or her walk, talk, dress, and everything that he or she does. I repeat, there are always exceptions; but that is the norm. By choosing to worship creation (the heavenly bodies) in place of the Creator, Israel’s value system became devaluated, and in their confusion they were led into all kinds of unnatural behavior. The basest of practices were offered to the deities of their making.
When the wrong deity is seated upon the throne of our lives, there will be no end to how low people will go. But We serve a good God. When God banished his people from His presence, it was with the intention that in a foreign land, they would come to their senses (Luke 15: 17). In spite of everything, He never stopped loving them. He will not stop loving you or me, either.