2 Kings 17:13-14
17:13 The Lord solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers, “Turn back from your evil ways; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law. I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands.”
17:14 But they did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had not trusted the Lord their God.
2 Kings 17:2
17:2 He did evil in the sight of
the
Lord, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him.
2 Kings 1:6-12
1:6 They replied,
“A man came up to meet us. He told us, “Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, ‘This is what the
Lord says: “You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.
Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.”’”
1:7 The king
asked them, “Describe the appearance
of this man who came up to meet you and told you these things.”
1:8 They replied,
“He was a hairy man
and had a leather belt
tied around his waist.” The king
said, “He is Elijah the Tishbite.”
1:9 The king sent a captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. The captain went up to him, while he was sitting on the top of a hill. He told him, “Prophet, the king says, ‘Come down!’”
1:10 Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire then came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.
1:11 The king sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him, “Prophet, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”
1:12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire from God came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.
Hosea 6:1-4
Superficial Repentance Breeds False Assurance of God’s Forgiveness
6:1 “Come on! Let’s return to the Lord!
He himself has torn us to pieces,
but he will heal us!
He has injured us,
but he will bandage our wounds!
6:2 He will restore us in a very short time;
he will heal us in a little while,
so that we may live in his presence.
6:3 So let us acknowledge him!
Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord!
He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,
as certainly as the winter rain comes,
as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”
Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment
6:4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim?
What am I going to do with you, O Judah?
For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist;
it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew!
Hosea 14:1
Prophetic Call to Genuine Repentance
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for your sin has been your downfall!