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They Feared the LORD and served their own gods
They Feared the LORD and served their own gods
As we read of what caused the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel we find a fascinating statement. 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away" (2 Kings 17:33). "So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day" (2 Kings 17:41).
The writer reminds us that God had commanded them NOT to fear other gods (vs. 35, 37) but that they should fear the LORD only. Israel struggled with such faithfulness to the only God. From the beginning their hearts had turned from God unto the idols of the nations. Generation after generation had forsaken the worship of the LORD for the religion of idolatry.
God not only commanded and warned them of this when He made the covenant with them by the hand of Moses He also had repeatedly sent prophets unto them. "Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 2 Kings 17:13. Joel, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, plus all the 'non-literary' prophets preached this unto them. Elijah had challenged them: “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him" (1Kgs 18:21).
It is hard to fathom people turning from a God that is real and that loved them unto worthless idols. It is hard to fathom people turning from a religion that honored life, righteousness, faithfulness unto a religion of sacrificing their children. That is what Israel did.
We read that "they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their Go" (vs. 14), "they despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. (vs. 15), they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God" (vs. 16), they "sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger" (vs. 17).
Yet at the same time they somehow they convinced themselves that they DID fear the Lord. Hence the contradictory statement that they feared the LORD and served their own gods! While they did this in THEIR minds, in truth they did not fear the LORD at all. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and HIM only shalt thou serve.
Today many people are still trying to do this. Our 'gods' are the 'gods' of this world. They include not only materialism but worldly standards and thoughts. People have made 'gods' out of their own ideas and yet have convinced themselves that they fear the LORD. You cannot serve God and mammon said Jesus (Matt. 6:24) You cannot partake of the table of idols AND the table of the Lord said Paul (1Cor. 10:21). You cannot fear the LORD and serve your own gods said God through the writer of 2 Kings. Choose you this day whom you will serve said Joshua.
