YHWH's Final Judgment On Israel Because Of All Their Disobedience Will Result In Their Being Removed In The Same Way As He Had Previously Cast Out The Nations From Before Them (2 Kings 17:7-23).
Having described the taking away of the cream of the people of Israel into other lands the prophetic author gives his explanation of why YHWH has allowed such a thing. The philosophy of sin and retribution found here is essentially Mosaic, especially as brought out in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (to call it simply Deuteronomic is to close the eyes to the wider facts for the sake of a theory. The ideas are found throughout the Pentateuch). It was because they had disobeyed His commandments, and especially because they had engaged in false worship and evil doings in spite of all the He had done for them in delivering them out of Egypt, and they had continued to do it in spite of the fact that He had sent prophets to warn them, that they were open to judgment. Thus just as YHWH had cast out the nations from before them, so now He was removing them, all except ‘Judah' (i.e. the southern kingdom).
While there are certainly indications in the passage of the author's knowledge of the whole of the Pentateuch, and of Joshua to Samuel, (as there are throughout the Book of Kings), it is in fact surprising how little he draws on their language in any depth, demonstrating that while he would use choice phrases, the thinking was his own. The principles behind his statements are, however, undoubtedly found throughout the Pentateuch.
The passage fits together as a whole and there is therefore no reason to seek diverse authorship. We can view it as follows:
The Activity Of Israel.
· This commences with the deliverance from Egypt (2 Kings 17:7-8, compare Exodus 1-20).
· Considers how Israel gradually introduced syncretism into Yahwism in the time of the Judges, something which then expanded even more under the kings (2 Kings 17:9-12).
· Emphasises how YHWH sent His servants the prophets to try to win them back (2 Kings 17:13-15).
· Moves on to the action of Jeroboam which resulted in the ultimate dilution of Yahwism and the covenant (2 Kings 17:16).
· Continues on with the thought of the introduction of further outside foreign influences through Ahab and others (2 Kings 17:17).
· And concludes that this is what has resulted in the exile of Israel, with a probationary period and a warning being given to Judah (2 Kings 17:18-19).
The Activity Of YHWH.
2 Kings 17:20-22 are a review and cover the same ground as above, but this time from the point of view of YHWH's direct activity.
· In the time of the Judges and Samuel, He had delivered them to the spoilers (2 Kings 17:20).
· He had then divided up the two kingdoms, rending Israel from the faltering house of David, but instead of their taking warning as a result it had produced the resultant apostasy of Jeroboam, an apostasy which Israel had lapped up (2 Kings 17:21-22; compare 1 Kings 14:7-8).
· And finally, having first sent His prophets to plead with them, He had fulfilled what the prophets had warned about, namely their sending into exile and the destruction of their kingdom (2 Kings 17:23).
The passage can also be analysed as follows:
Analysis.
a And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against YHWH their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom YHWH cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made (2 Kings 17:7-8).
b And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against YHWH their God: and they built themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city, and they set themselves up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green tree, and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom YHWH carried away before them; and they wrought wicked things to provoke YHWH to anger, and they served idols, of which YHWH had said to them, “You shall not do this thing” (2 Kings 17:9-12).
c Yet YHWH testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets” (2 Kings 17:13).
d Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their neck, in a similar way to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in YHWH their God (2 Kings 17:14).
e And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them, and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the nations who were round about them, concerning whom YHWH had charged them that they should not do like them (2 Kings 17:15).
f And they forsook all the commandments of YHWH their God, and made themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal (2 Kings 17:16).
e And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do what was evil in the sight of YHWH, to provoke him to anger (2 Kings 17:17).
d Therefore YHWH was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only (2 Kings 17:18).
c Judah also did not keep the commandments of YHWH their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made (2 Kings 17:19).
b And YHWH rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. For he tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drove Israel from following YHWH, and made them sin a great sin (2 Kings 17:20-21).
a And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They did not depart from them, until YHWH removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day (2 Kings 17:22-23).
Note that in ‘a' they disobeyed YHWH and followed the gods of the nations who were cast out, and in the parallel because they walked in the sins of Jeroboam they themselves were to be cast out. In ‘b' we have a description of all the ways in which Israel provoked God to anger, and in the parallel we have the consequences for Israel. In ‘c' YHWH testified to both Israel and Judah what would happen to them if they did not obey His commandments and in the parallel Judah too was found guilty of breaking His commandments. In ‘d' they hardened their necks and followed the unbelieving ways of their fathers, and in the parallel YHWH was angry and removed them out of His sight, apart from Judah. In ‘e' they became vain and followed the nations round about, and in the parallel they especially did this by child sacrifice, and using divination and enchantments. Centrally in ‘f'' they forsook the commandments of YHWH and sought other gods.
‘And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against YHWH their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom YHWH cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.'
The reason why YHWH had allowed the exile of the Israelites to happen is now given. It was because in spite of the fact that He had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, they had sinned against Him and had rather ‘feared' other gods, and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom YHWH had cast out before them. And as He had constantly warned them, if they did this they would be ‘spewed out of the land' (Leviticus 18:24-29). Thus this exile followed His constant warnings to them of what would happen if they failed to obey His covenant. See especially Leviticus 18:24-29 (in the context of passing through the fire to Molech); Leviticus 26:30-33 (note the direct connection there of the exile with ‘high places' and ‘images'); Deuteronomy 28:64. The warnings in Leviticus appear to be especially in mind.
The theme of YHWH's deliverance of His people from Egypt is a common one in Scripture. It was this that had made them His special people (Exodus 19:5-6; Exodus 20:2). and it was constantly mentioned in the Psalms. After He had put so much effort into redeeming them, it was seen as making their turning to other gods totally inexcusable. How much more then are we inexcusable if we turn away from obedience to the One Who suffered so much for us, and redeemed us through His cross.
For the phrase ‘under the hand of Pharaoh' compare Genesis 41:35. For ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt' see Genesis 41:46; Exodus 6:11; Exodus 6:13; Exodus 6:27; Exodus 6:29; Deuteronomy 7:8. For ‘bringing forth out of the land of Egypt' compare Exodus 29:46; Leviticus 23:43; Deuteronomy 29:25; Jos 24:17; 1 Samuel 12:6; 1 Kings 8:21; 1 Kings 9:9. For the idea of ‘the statutes of the nations' (chuqqoth ha goyim) see Leviticus 20:23 (chuqqoth ha goy); 2Ki 18:2-3; 2 Kings 18:30.
‘And the children of Israel did surreptitiously things that were not right against YHWH their God, and they built themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city, and they set themselves up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green tree, and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom YHWH carried away before them; and they wrought wicked things to provoke YHWH to anger, and they served idols, of which YHWH had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” '
The idea behind ‘surreptitiously' (or ‘secretly') is that they maintained outwardly the worship of YHWH while at the same time flirting with Baal and Asherah ‘in secret'. Like so many foolish people they thought that God would not see (such was their low conception of YHWH. But as we often think the same it is difficult to suggest that it was a ‘primitive' idea).
But what they did was not really done in too much secrecy, except possibly from the upright priests and the prophets, and the righteous kings. They built their high places (bamoth) in their cities, for a high place could be any place uplifted for worship, such as a high altar approached by steps or a roof top sanctuary. And they also set up pillars (to Baal) and Asherim (images or poles set up to Asherah, the Canaanite fertility goddess) at hill top sanctuaries and beneath spreading and fruitful trees, worshipping in the same way as the Canaanites had previously, and behaving with the same sexual licence. Thus they ‘wrought wicked things which provoked YHWH to anger'. And they specifically disobeyed YHWH by serving the very idols of which YHWH had said, “You shall not do this thing.”
‘From the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.' The tower of the watchmen may refer to the tower from which the shepherd watched over his flock, or it could refer to the watchtowers on the borders (compare 2 Kings 18:8). The fortified city was the pinnacle of civilisation. So wherever Israelites were, in country or city, they indulged in their false worship.
For the mention of ‘high places' see Leviticus 26:30; Numbers 33:52; 1 Kings 3:2-3 and often. For ‘under every green tree' see 2 Kings 16:4; Deuteronomy 12:2; 1 Kings 14:23. For ‘provoking YHWH to anger' see Deuteronomy 4:25; Deuteronomy 9:8; Deuteronomy 31:29; Deuteronomy 32:16; Deuteronomy 32:21; Deuteronomy 1 Kings often. For ‘fortified (fenced) cities' see 2 Kings 3:19; 2Ki 8:12; 2 Kings 10:2; Numbers 13:19; Numbers 32:17; Numbers 32:36; Joshua 10:20; Joshua 19:29; Joshua 19:35; 1Sa 6:18; 2 Samuel 24:7.
‘Yet YHWH testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” '
However, they were without excuse, for YHWH continually testified to both Israel and Judah through many prophets and seers, calling on Israel to turn from their evil ways, and keep His commandments and statutes, in accordance with all the Law which He gave them through His servants the prophets. Here is YHWH's definition of righteousness.
‘Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their neck, in a similar way to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in YHWH their God.'
In spite of YHWH's efforts Israel had not heard Him. They had ‘hardened their necks' in the same way as their fathers had, who had also not ‘believed in YHWH their God'. Their fathers had also similarly not trusted God and obeyed Him, as had been made clear throughout the Pentateuch and the ‘historical books', compare, for example, Exodus 32; Numbers 13-14; Judges 2. For ‘hardened-necks' see Deuteronomy 10:16; Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3; Exodus 33:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13; Deuteronomy 31:27. For ‘believing, not believing, in YHWH their God' see Genesis 15:6; Exodus 4:31; Exodus 14:31; Numbers 14:11; Deuteronomy 1:32; Deuteronomy 9:23.
‘And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them, and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the nations who were round about them, concerning whom YHWH had charged them that they should not do like them.'
Their unbelief was revealed in the fact that they rejected YHWH's statutes and testimonies, and the covenant that He had made with their fathers (e.g. Exodus 20-24; Exodus to Numbers; Deuteronomy). Instead they followed what was empty and vain, and became foolish, following the examples of the nation round about them, in spite of the fact that YHWH had charged them not to behave like them. They had blatantly disobeyed Him.
‘And they forsook all the commandments of YHWH their God, and made themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.'
And they especially forsook the first two commandments of YHWH, making molten images, even the two golden calves, and an Asherah image, and worshipping all the host of Heaven, and serving Baal. It is possible that the mention of the worship of ‘the host of Heaven' especially had in mind Ahaz's innovations, although we must remember that Assyrian influence had been applied to Israel much earlier, but its placing suggests rather that it refers to Canaanite religious ideas in parallel with Asherah and Baal. For the worship of the sun, moon and stars was almost universal and would have taken place in Canaan for centuries. (Consider ‘Beth-shemesh', the house of the sun, and Re the sun god in Egypt, while Abraham's father had probably worshipped the moon god at Harran, and the moon god yrh was worshipped at Ugarit). Thus the ‘host of heaven' was probably simply an abbreviated way of describing such worship. For the general idea of these verses compare Exodus 20:5; Exodus 23:24; Exodus 34:13; and often. For ‘molten images' compare Numbers 33:52; 1 Kings 1:9. For the two golden calves see 1 Kings 12:26-30. For ‘all the host of Heaven' compare Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3. For serving Baal and Asherah see, for example, Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 16:21-22; Judges 2:13; Judges 3:7; Judges 8:33; Jdg 10:6; 1 Samuel 12:10.
‘ And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do what was evil in the sight of YHWH, to provoke him to anger.'
The worship of idols led on to child sacrifice, divination and sorcery. These things were evil in the eyes of YHWH and ‘provoked Him to anger'. Divination was widely practised, whether in Egypt, Philistia, Tyre, Assyria or Babylon. Indeed, Balaam was expected to use divination in his oracles against Israel (Numbers 22:7). Sorcery was also practised worldwide through the ages. All these sins were therefore probably practised in Baalism. For us ‘divination' would include tarot cards, fortune telling, palmistry, reading tea leaves, ouija boards, and engaging in the occult, all of which are forbidden to those who walk with God.
Had ‘to cause to pass through the fire' stood on its own we might have seen it as simply an extreme method of dedication involving fire, but Jeremiah made clear that it involved child sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5). For the phrase compare Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:10. For divination and enchantments see again Deuteronomy 18:10. It was therefore already present in Canaan in the time of Moses.
‘And sold themselves to do what was evil in the sight of YHWH, to provoke him to anger.' Doing evil in the eyes of YHWH is found in Numbers 32:13; Deuteronomy 4:25; Deuteronomy 31:29. But in no case is the verb ‘sold' applied to those verses. We can, however, compare Isaiah 52:3, where the prophet says, ‘you have sold yourselves for nothing', (and as a result they would be redeemed without price). The idea would appear to be that they have handed themselves over either to gods or to men, and have gained nothing from it, not receiving the reward promised. Here then it probably refers to some artificial transaction whereby they had sold themselves to Baal and as a result had walked in the evil and sordidness of Baalism. But all that they had gained from it was shame and exile.
‘Therefore YHWH was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.'
And all these were the reasons why YHWH was very angry with Israel and thus removed them out of His sight. It was because, instead of worshipping Him fully, and in spite of the great efforts of the prophets, especially Elijah and Elisha, they had bastardised Yahwism and diluted it until it had lost all its content. Even official Yahwism had become syncretistic and blurred, and open Baalism had become common. That was the result of ‘the sin of Jeroboam'. Judah had done a little better for they had the original Ark of the Covenant, and at least in the Temple (apart from the aberrations of those influenced by their connection with the house of Ahab, and of course Ahaz) had maintained a kind of purity of religion, at least ritualistically (but even then see Isaiah 1:11-18), while their flirting with the gods of Canaan was both unofficial, and even probably officially frowned on. Thus they alone of the tribes (‘the tribe of Judah' here indicated all who permanently lived in Judah seen in terms of the dominant tribe) were spared YHWH's anger, at least for a time, although with a timely warning added.
‘Judah also did not keep the commandments of YHWH their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.'
However, he did not feel that he could leave us with the impression that in Judah all was fine, so he stresses that Judah were also guilty of not keeping the commandments of YHWH, and were indeed walking in the statutes that Israel had invented, ‘the statutes of the nations', which had resulted in social injustice and divisiveness, something which was also apparent in Judah.
A Summary Of YHWH's Response To The Above Failures.
Throughout the whole of Israel's history YHWH had been active in judgment on His erring people.
· In the time of the Judges and Samuel, He had delivered them to the spoilers (2 Kings 17:20; compare Judges 2:14).
· He had then divided up the two kingdoms, rending Israel from the faltering house of David, but instead of their taking warning as a result it had produced the resultant apostasy of Jeroboam, an apostasy which Israel had lapped up (2 Kings 17:21-22; compare 1 Kings 14:7-8).
· And finally, having first sent His prophets to plead with them, He had fulfilled what the prophets had warned about, namely their sending into exile and the destruction of their kingdom (2 Kings 17:23).
‘And YHWH rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.'
This had in fact commenced from the beginning. It was especially true of the times of the Judges (Judges 2:14), and throughout that book. It occurred again with the Philistines in Samuel, and was only ‘reined in' in the time of David. It occurred once more at the end of Solomon's reign, and had continued on from then on until it had now reached its climax in the exile of many in Israel.
‘For he tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drove Israel from following YHWH, and made them sin a great sin.'
Because of their sins He had torn Israel from the security of the Davidic covenant, and the protection of the house of David (viewed idealistically), for they had set over themselves the house of Jeroboam who had driven Israel from truly following YHWH. Note how YHWH's sovereign action and man's freewill activity go hand in hand.
‘And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They did not depart from them, until YHWH removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.'
The result was that the Israelites had set their faces to walk in all the ways of Jeroboam, and had refused to be turned from it. They had persistently continued in them in spite of the warnings of the prophets (there had, of course, been exceptions, the ‘seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal', and the like, who composed the ‘true Israel') until they had finally reaped their reward and had been carried away by the Assyrians out of their land to Assyria, where they still were. Thus had come to an end the northern kingdom of Israel.