2Ki 17:24-41 “The LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies”

(We will start tonight with these 2 verses from last week, for context:

2Ki 17:22  For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; 
2Ki 17:23  Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. )

2Ki 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.
2Ki 17:25  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. 
2Ki 17:26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:27  Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. 
2Ki 17:29  Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 
2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 
2Ki 17:31  And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
2Ki 17:34  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;
2Ki 17:35  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: 
2Ki 17:36  But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice. 
2Ki 17:37  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
2Ki 17:38  And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
2Ki 17:39  But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
2Ki 17:40  Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
2Ki 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.

The first question I had while reading this last section of chapter 17 of 2 Kings is in the language of these verses (2Ki 17:32-34, 2Ki 17:41) which say Israel feared the LORD, when clearly they did not.

2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
2Ki 17:34  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;

2Ki 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.

This fear that Israel had is the negative example of Godly fear, and was fear that was based on their superstitious pagan beliefs which continued to dominate their heavens, even while they claimed to be servants of the LORD who feared His name (Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1, Isa 1:3).

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Having God’s name and holding fast to your own righteousness may produce a perverted sense of fear, but the lesson is that when our fear toward God is taught by the precepts of men, it is a vain relationship with a heart that is far from God, and far from true Godly fear which is a gift from our Father (Isa 29:13, Isa 66:2).

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

The only time the phrase “I fear God” is mentioned in the KJV bible is in Genesis 42:18 where Joseph was trying his brothers and proving them through this experience of evil which was starting to bring great fear upon them, all typical circumstances that explain to us what it takes for our flesh to learn patience and faith, which are the spiritual by-products of those who “trembleth at my word” (Gen 42:14-21).

Gen 42:14  And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Gen 42:15  Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. [We can’t be freed from the bondage of sin, the ward, the prison, unless Benjamin, a type of the elect, comes hither (Oba 1:21)]
Gen 42:16  Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 
Gen 42:17  And he put them all together [1Jn 5:19] into ward three days.
Gen 42:18  And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: [in other words I “Joseph” fear God, and you don’t, and won’t until you go through this process of judgment represented by three days (Luk 12:5)]
Gen 42:19  If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
Gen 42:20  But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. [Rom 14:23, 1Pe 1:7, Jas 2:24]
Gen 42:21  And they said one to another, We areverily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

What is clearly brought out in these verses is that there is a process of judgment we have to go through (“he put them all together into ward three days“) in order to come to fear the LORD, or “fear God,” and that process was being orchestrated by Joseph who is a type of Christ and the elect who will prove the world in the lake of fire as typified by this story in Genesis (Gen 42:14-21).

Godly fear does not paralyze us but rather motivates us (Heb 11:7) to be true servants who realize how blessed we are to be His workmanship (Eph 2:10) who are being motivated to work righteousness, and are being heard when we pray in that we fear God as Christ did (Heb 5:7). Joseph’s brothers were now motivated to “carry corn for the famine of your houses” and the bargaining chip was “one of your brethren be bound in the house,” which typifies for us how we become bondservants for God and each other (Rom 12:1), bound to the altar and put in a place in this life where Christ strengthens us to endure until the end (Php 4:13, Mat 24:13) so that one day our judgment and suffering we experience in this life will produce all the corn for our families, which symbolizes God’s purified word within us that will be used to feed the nations and judge the world. The world will learn of His righteousness through the elect, and they will become part of the family of God who fulfill God’s will (Pro 9:10, Ecc 12:13, 1Jn 4:17, Isa 26:9, Mar 3:35). 

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Mar 3:35  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Today’s verses are focused on demonstrating the long and arduous journey Israel had to go through as they went into captivity and were shown that they were incapable of following God as He commanded them. This is written to show us that bondage to sin is an unavoidable part of being human and that only God alone can set us free from that sinful condition by giving us a new heart which will be able to follow and keep all His commandments (Joh 8:36, Eze 36:26).

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

2Ki 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. 
2Ki 17:25  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

The king of Assyria is a type of Satan who wants to pervert the land of Israel with heathen people that have been brought in from these foreign cities and places to possess that land. These actions typify for us what happens when God sends an evil spirit into our lives [the Israel of God – Gal 6:16] that perverts our judgment (Isa 63:17, Isa 9:16) and brings His wrath upon us by sending “lions among them, which slew some of them” (1Sa 16:14).

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Isa 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 

When we look at the names of these places in the PNBkjv bible version, it shows us what kind of spirits Israel, a type of the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), was dealing with in the early stages of this dispossessing/transplanting when we are easily overtaken by the powers and principalities of the spirit realm that we wrestle against (Eph 6:12).

2Ki 17:24 and the king of (plain)Assyria brought men from (confusion)Babylon, and from (burning up)Cuthah, and from (perverted)Ava and from (wall of anger)Hamath, and from (two scribes)Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of (watch tower)Samaria instead of the children of (he will rule with god)Israel and they possessed (watch tower)Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. [PNBkjv]

God is working all of this according to the counsel of his own will for our sakes (Eph 1:11, 1Co 10:11), and He does send lions that typify Satan to buffet us, chastening these wood, hay and stubble perversions out of our lives, all happening at the beginning (1Co 5:5), “it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.“

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

2Ki 17:26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:27  Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
2Ki 17:28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

The wrath of God has been poured out upon the people who have been placed “in the cities of Samaria,” and this humbling experience is accompanied by the actions of the king of Assyria who reasons that the solution to this problem with the people being destroyed by lions is to “Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.” However, as stated in the introduction of our study, this is not going to bring the people to “fear the LORD” because these priests who are going to be teaching these other pagan cultures are not true servants of God and therefore cannot instill the fear of God within the people (negative – 2Co 11:13-15, positive – Heb 1:5-7).

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 
Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

These “priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD” represent Babylon today that cannot eat at the altar we eat (Heb 13:10) and are guilty of feeding God’s other fold (Joh 10:16), as we all did in our appointed time with the precepts of men and not as men who fear God and demonstrate that fear through the fidelity of their thoughts and actions (1Ki 12:31, 1Co 4:6). It is our Father in heaven who gives us the increase as He matures us and receives us (Heb 12:6) by the grace through faith process we’ve been called to, which is a gift of God (Isa 29:13, Eph 2:8-9). These priests who come on the scene and minister to the nation of Israel and the people within it are only going to make them “twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” which is what happens to us when the deadly wound from the lion is healed and we take on the more insidious and harder to detect spirit of self-righteousness, represented by the two horns of a lamb, a witness of another Christ, who speaks as a dragon (Mat 23:15, Rev 13:11).

1Ki 12:31  And he [Jeroboam the son of Nebat] made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

2Ki 17:29  Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 
2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 
2Ki 17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

The fruit of these actions of the king of Assyria having “priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD” is revealed in these following verses (2Ki 17:29-31). They all made “gods of their own” demonstrating the self-willed spirit of the beast that is still on the throne of our hearts at this stage in our walk. Those “gods of their own” represent the different ideologies and false gods which are forged in our yet carnal heavens which have not overcome the god of this world as yet. The power of the beast showcases this earthly wisdom that is typified by the ten horns, and the ten crowns upon those fleshly horns the God of this world controls on a beast that has seven heads and ten horns (Rev 13:1, 2Co 4:4).

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The places that the men of Babylon and Cush, and Hamath make up are connected to harlotry, or defilement of the word of God, typifying the worldly churches of Babylon that have no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1). Then there are two other nations mentioned “And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.” Altogether there are five nations and seven gods mentioned where all these idolatrous acts are unfolding on the seven-headed beast that comes out of the earth, listed below:

2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon(PNB = “confusion”) made SuccothbenothH5524, and the men of Cuth(PNB = “burning”) made NergalH5370, and the men of Hamath(PNB = “wall of anger”) made AshimaH807,

2Ki 17:31  a) The Avites(PNB = “perverter”) made NibhazH5026 and Tartak,H8662

2Ki 17:31  b) The Sepharvites(PNB = “scribes”)  burnt their children in fire to AdrammelechH152 and Anammelech,H6048 the gods of Sepharvaim(PNB = “two scribes”).

2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. 
2Ki 17:34  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; 
2Ki 17:35  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:

So did they fear the LORD or not? Emphatically YES/NO! They may have thought that they were dedicated in their service to God, but their actions betrayed their thoughts as demonstrated by these words how they “made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places” just as Jeroboam the son of Nebat had done. So, in short, Israel feared God but did not work righteousness (Act 10:35, Ecc 12:13).

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

1Ki 12:31  And he [Jeroboam the son of Nebat] made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

This is how they demonstrated their fear of God, but it was mingled with a perverse spirit as they “served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” Then we are straightforwardly told that they were following their former manner of behavior, which was an abomination unto God, “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; [Act 10:35, Ecc 12:13] 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:.”

2Ki 17:36  But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice. 
2Ki 17:37  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. 
2Ki 17:38  And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
2Ki 17:39  But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. 

God mercifully reminds the elect where we’ve come from, and if we are His in this age we grow to heed those admonitions which encourage us to remember the days of old when we fought a great fight of affliction against the bondage of sin (Heb 10:32, Neh 4:14) and how God delivered us from that bondage with “great power and a stretched out arm” as He continues to do for us day by day, reminding those now who have God’s spirit that He has made a covenant with us, “And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.” It is a covenant that he will honor for His name’s sake, and it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom of God (Luk 12:32). If God is working with us, we will have His fear within us, is what we are being told here “But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies” (Joh 8:36), not that we can of our own selves generate that fear, which these old covenant stories show us is impossible as it is God who must put that fear in our hearts, giving us a humble and contrite heart which is a precious gift from him (Isa 66:2, Mat 21:44).

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 

Neh 4:14  And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. [how our Father forms the humble and contrite heart within the body of Christ]

2Ki 17:40  Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. 
2Ki 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.

Without that gift of a changed heart, we will not hearken unto the LORD and will continue to embrace our “former manner” which is another way of saying our former conversation of (Eph 2:2-3).

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So these nations feared the LORD all right, but not with humble and contrite hearts that would have brought them to stop serving “their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.“

I want to end this study with these verses (Psa 2:1-12) that Jim Carnevale recently sent in an email regarding a discussion about the so-called saviors of this world who are no saviors at all, because there is only one savior, Jesus Christ, who as a result of the new heart given from God, will produce saviors who come up on mount Zion to judge the mount Esau. That new heart is forged out of a life-long process of judgment that God has blessed the elect to experience before the rest of the world.

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 
Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion [Oba 1:21].
Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee [1Jn 4:17].
Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel [Rev 2:26-27]. 
Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling [Isa 66:2, Mat 21:44, Mat 18:3]
Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

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