The End of the Northern Tribes

In short

2 Kings 17. The part of Israel that seceded (see yesterday’s lesson) was conquered by the Assyrian empire.

Why it is important

This is the end of the northern tribes. The end-end. The Assyrians were brutal rulers that conquered nations and then stripped the people of their heritage and identity.

Not to get political or judgmental, but it’s basically like what the United States did to the Native Americans, stripping them of their land and resettling them – if that analogy helps you get the idea. The people still exist, but their nations do not.

Main characters

The main characters today are PLACES:

• JUDAH, the only Jewish nation left after this
• The king of ASSYRIA – which basically implies the Assyrian army and empire
• ISRAEL – and this is REALLY confusing – meaning the OTHER Jewish nation that had broke off from… Israel. In this story, Israel means ONLY the 9 or 10 northern tribes.
• SAMARIA, the capital city of Israel – but the Assyrians call the entire territory “Samaria” also (see v. 24)

What is in this story

1. Israel’s final bad king double-crosses Assyria (vs. 1-4)
2. Assyria invades Israel (v. 5) and captures Samaria (the capital) and deports the citizens (v.6)
3. The author’s summary of why God did this to Israel (vs. 7-23)
4. Assyria imports a bunch of foreign people to live in Israel instead of the original Jews (v. 24)
5. After a plague of lions from God (v. 25), Assyria sends a Jewish priest (just one, apparently) to teach the heathens about the LORD (v. 26-28)
6. And they said, OK, great, we will worship this LORD of yours—but we will still keep our gods, too (vs. 32-33)
7. And it never got better (v. 41)

Theology and doctrine

The chapter makes it clear why all of this happened: because Israel (the northern tribes) sinned relentlessly – especially their kings.

Idol worship, 2 Kings 17:7

“And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God… and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.”

Ignored the prophets, 2 Kings 17:13-14

“Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways….” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.”

Rejected by God, 2 Kings 17:20

“And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.”