The writer of Kings took special pains to explain the reasons for and the results of Israel's captivity.
In this section the writer catalogued Israel's transgressions of God's Word that resulted in her going into captivity. Ironically Israel's last king had sought help from Egypt from which Israel had fled 724 years earlier.
They feared other gods (v. 7; cf. Exod. 20:3; Judg. 6:10).
They adopted Canaanite customs (v. 8; cf. Lev. 18:3; Deut. 18:9).
They adopted customs condemned by the Mosaic Law (v. 8; cf. 16:3; 17:19).
They practiced secret sins (v. 9).
They built pagan high places (v. 9; cf. Deut. 12:2-7, 13-14).
They made many sacred pillars and Asherim (v. 10; cf. Exod. 34:12-14).
They burned incense to other gods (v. 11).
They did evil things that provoked Yahweh (v. 11).
They served idols (v. 12; cf. Exod. 20:4).
They refused to heed God's warnings (vv. 13-14).
They became obstinate (v. 14; cf. Exod. 32:9; 33:3).
They rejected God's statutes (v. 15).
They rejected God's covenant (v. 15; cf. Exod. 24:6-8; Deut. 29:25).
They pursued vanity (v. 15; cf. Deut. 32:21).
They became vain (v. 15).
They followed foreign nations (v. 15; cf. Deut. 12:30-31).
They forsook Yahweh's commandments (v. 16).
They made molten calves (v. 16; cf. Exod. 20:4).
They made an Asherah (v. 16; cf. Exod. 20:4).
They worshipped the stars (v. 16; cf. Deut. 4:15, 19; Amos 5:26).
They served Baal (v. 16).
They practiced child sacrifice (v. 17; cf. Lev. 18:21; Deut. 12:31).
They practiced witchcraft (v. 17; cf. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10-12).
They sold themselves to do evil (v. 17; cf. 21:20).
Though God allowed Judah to remain, she was not innocent (v. 19).
The cult of Jeroboam was a major source of Israel's apostasy (vv. 21-22).
The immediate result of the captivity (vv. 24-33) was twofold. The Assyrians deported many Israelites to other places in the Assyrian Empire, and they imported other people from the empire into the newly formed Assyrian province that they called Samaria (v. 24). The king who did this was probably Sargon II (722-705 B.C.). Shalmaneser died either during or shortly after the siege of Samaria. These imported foreigners eventually intermarried with the Jews who remained in the land and probably were the ancestors of the Samaritans of Jesus' day (cf. John 4:9). As polytheists the Assyrians did not hesitate to worship Yahweh as well as their other gods (cf. Exod. 20:3). They had no priestly caste but appointed anyone as a priest (v. 32). The syncretistic worship of Yahweh and false gods prevailed (vv. 32-33). The writer again emphasized the judgment of God that came on the Israelites who remained in the land for their apostasy.
The continuing result of the captivity (vv. 34-41) was the same. In this section of verses the theme of Israel's disobedience reaches a climax. In verses 35-39 note the loose quotation of these passages from the Mosaic Law: Exodus 6:6; 9:15; 14:15-30; 20:4-5, 23; Leviticus 19:32; Deuteronomy 4:23, 34; 5:6, 15, 32; 6:12-13; and 7:11, 25.
This chapter concludes the second major section of Kings (-
"God's people had become disloyal to their Suzerain who had brought them redemptively out of Egyptian servitude. They had expressed disloyalty by worshipping other gods (17:15-17). And they did all this despite his persistent reminders to them through his spokesmen, the prophets, that what they were doing constituted high treason. The inevitable result was the judgment of God, a judgment which took the form of exile from the land of promise."113
