Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 17

God sends Israel’s people away from their own country

2 Kings 17:18-20

For God to turn his face towards someone, means that the person knows God’s kindness (Numbers 6:22-27). That person is in a right relationship with God. Even during troubles, such a person receives constant support and help from God.

That was how God wanted his people to live. He established his covenant with them – an agreement that depended upon his promises. He gave them their own country, where they could live in a right relationship with him. If they obeyed his commands and laws, he would show them special kindness in that country (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

However, if they turned away from God, they would no longer benefit from that special kindness (Deuteronomy 28:15-65). God would send them away from that country where he was so kind to them. In other words, God would send them away from the place where his face looked so kindly upon them. They would no longer know the special kindness of God, but would suffer the results of their evil behaviour.

That happened to the people in northern and central Israel in about the year 720 BC (years before Christ). God permitted Judah’s people to remain in their own country for almost 150 years after that. However, that was not because Judah’s people were better than the people in the rest of Israel. In fact, the people in Judah copied the same wrong behaviour and, in the end, they became even worse (Ezekiel chapter 23). In the end, they too suffered in a similar way.

So, God sent them all away from their land, but not permanently. He had told them to turn to him in the foreign nations where they then lived. When they did that, he would show his kindness to them again. He would bring them back from those foreign countries to the land that he had promised to them (Deuteronomy 30:1-10).

Next part: The patience of God (2 Kings 17:21-23)

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