Session 11 2 Kings 17:7-20
evidence of the people’s disobedience against God.
7 This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the LORD their God
who had brought them out of the land of Egypt
from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt
and because they worshiped other gods.
8 They lived according to the customs of the nations
that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites
and according to what the kings of Israel did.9 The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God
that were not right.
They built high places in all their towns
from watchtower to fortified city.
10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles
on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 They burned incense there on all the high places
just like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them had done.
They did evil things, angering the LORD.
12 They served idols, although the LORD had told them,
“You must not do this.”
13 Still, the LORD warned Israel and Judah
through every prophet and every seer, saying,
“Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes
according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors
and sent to you through my servants the prophets.”
The Lord had driven out the peoples who had lived in this land before.
Why might the children of Israel think they would be treated differently and wouldn’t be run out of the land? (p. 95)
Call for the group to silently reread verses 7-13 again
search for and name the specific things the people of Israel did to sin against God.
Stress that in the same way we always know that 2+2=4,
we can know that sinful actions plus more sinful actions against God eventually equal “Disaster.”
Through His prophets, God sent warning after warning to the people.
Surely the people would respond to those warnings and repent.