Israelites Rejected God

Synopsis     2Kings 17:6-15     9/25/2019

Because of King Hoshea’s treachery, the king of Assyria invaded Israel with the intent to bring the people fully under submission. In order to accomplish this, he repopulated the northern kingdom of Israel. First, he sent the Israelites from the ten northern tribes to other Assyrian regions. These included Halah, and Habur, Gozan and the “city of the Medes”.

Israelites Rejected God

This reflection examined the faithlessness of the Israelites. Although there is a clear sense of the tragic nature of Israel’s end, the account is a matter-of-fact recognition that failing the covenant produced the ruin of the nation.

And, the most important aspect of this ruin was the loss of identity. For, the people who were taken away lost their connection to the Israelite community. As a result, their legacy became largely insignificant and forgotten as they merged with the other dislocated peoples who had been transplanted throughout Assyria.

Their customs and unique relationship with God withered and died as the people lost contact with the temple and the priestly system of authentic, Israelite worship.

I Have Rejected God

The path that leads to ultimate destruction is the loss of relationship with God. Perhaps the greatest distinct advantage of the Covenant with Jesus Christ over the Law of Moses is that it is both personal and universal.

Jesus came to call sinners. Of which, I am the greatest I will ever know.

The Covenant of Moses was between God and all of the children of Israel. The failure of the community made the failure of each of the individuals more likely.

But the Covenant of Jesus Christ was not born out of God’s relationship with a particular community. It was born as an invitation to as many who would hear and respond.

And that’s me. And you. And the invitation stands no matter whatever past failure I might have committed. Or even, whatever my community might have done.

“But to those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” John 1:12