17:3 This was probably Shalmaneser V, who had become king of Assyria after Tiglath-pileser (727–722 B.C.). He continued to demand heavy tribute from Israel. Israel’s king Hoshea decided to rebel against Assyria and join forces with King So of Egypt (17:4). This was not only foolish but also against God’s commands. To destroy this alliance, Shalmaneser attacked and besieged Samaria for three years. Just before Samaria fell, however, Shalmaneser died. His successor, Sargon II, took credit for capturing the city, destroying the nation of Israel, and carrying away its people.
17:5, 6 This was Assyria’s third and final invasion of Israel. (The first two invasions are recorded in 15:19 and 15:29.) The first wave had been merely a warning to Israel—to avoid further attack, pay money, and not rebel. The people should have learned their lesson and returned to God. When they didn’t, God had allowed Assyria to invade again, this time carrying off some captives from the northern border. But the people still did not realize that they had caused their own troubles. Thus, Assyria invaded for the third and final time, destroying Israel completely, carrying away most of the people, and resettling the land with foreigners.
God was doing what he had said he would do (Deuteronomy 28). He had given Israel ample warning; they knew what would come, but they still ignored God. Israel was now no better than the pagan nations it had destroyed in the days of Joshua. The nation had turned sour and rejected its original purpose—to honor God and be a light to the world.
17:7-17 The Lord judged the people of Israel because they had copied the evil customs of the surrounding nations, worshiping false gods, accommodating pagan customs, and following their own desires. Those who create their own religion tend to live selfishly. And to live for oneself, as Israel learned, brings serious consequences from God. Sometimes following God is difficult and painful, but consider the alternative. You can live for God or die for yourself. Determine to be God’s person and do what he says regardless of the cost. What God thinks of you is infinitely more important than what those around you think. (See Romans 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:15-17.)
17:9 Ruin came upon Israel for both their public sins and their secret sins. Not only did they condone wickedness and idolatry in public, but they committed even worse sins in private. Secret sins are the ones we don’t want others to know about because they are embarrassing or incriminating. Sins done in private are not secret to God, and secret defiance of him is just as damaging as open rebellion.
17:13-15 The people took on the characteristics of the idols and imitated the godless nations around them. Israel had forgotten the importance and benefits of obeying God’s word. The king and the people had become mired in wickedness. Time and again God had sent prophets to warn them about how far they had turned away from him and to call them to turn back.
God’s patience and mercy are beyond our ability to understand. He will pursue us until we either respond to him or, by our own choice and hardness of heart, make ourselves unreachable. Then God’s judgment is swift and sure. The only safe course is to turn to God before our stubbornness puts us out of his reach.
17:17 Forms of witchcraft, fortune-telling, and black magic were forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). They were wrong because they sought power and guidance totally apart from God, his law, and his word. Isaiah echoed this law and prophesied of the complete destruction these occult practices would bring to those who participated in them (Isaiah 8:19-22).
17:23 Israel was taken into exile, just as God’s prophets had warned. Whatever God predicts will come to pass. This, of course, is good news to those who trust and obey him—they can be confident of his promises; but it is bad news to those who ignore or disobey him. Both the promises and warnings God has given in his Word will surely come true.
17:24 Moving the Israelites out and moving foreigners in was Assyria’s resettlement policy to prevent revolt. Spreading the captives across Assyria prevented their uniting, and repopulating Israel with foreign captives made it difficult for the remaining Israelites to unite as well. This mixture of peoples resettled in Israel came to be known as Samaritans. They were despised by the Jews, even through the time of Christ (John 4:9).
17:27-29 The new settlers in Israel worshiped God without giving up their pagan customs. They worshiped God to appease him rather than to please him, treating him as a good luck charm or just another idol to add to their collection. A similar attitude is common today. Many people claim to believe in God while refusing to give up attitudes and actions that God denounces. God cannot be added to the values we already have. He must come first, and his Word must shape all our actions and attitudes.
17:29-31 Israel was conquered because it had lost sight of the only true God and the importance of following him. When conquering the land, the Israelites were told to destroy the pagan influences that could lead them away from God. Their failure to do so brought about their ruin. Here they faced an even greater influx of gods from the many pagan peoples moving into the land.