Bible Challenge Day 134: The Fall of Israel (2 Kings 17)

It is easy to read over chapter seventeen without really noticing just how important it is. But a LOT is going on.

The chapter describes Assyria’s conquest of Israel (the northern kingdom, not Judah, which continues to be ruled by David’s descendants for another century or so). Assyria was the great power dominating Mesopotamia at the time (late 8^th century BCE). The king of Israel became a vassal of the Assyrians (17:3), but then revolted. Assyria crushed the revolt and deported many of the leading citizens of the conquered kingdom. We are told that “Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day” (17:23). We can add that the ten tribes that constituted the kingdom of Israel (separate from Judah) never return. They are the “lost tribes” of legend. From this point forward, references to the twelve tribes of Israel only make sense as history or else as a vision of God’s restoration in the messianic age.

A second result of the Assyrian conquest is the resettlement of foreigners in the territory that had been Israel. Originally these people did not worship Yahweh (17:24-25). Eventually, the people there begin to worship Yahweh (17:28) but also other gods (17:29-33). The biblical author comments, “To this day, they continue to practice their former customs.” This is the origin of the Samaritans, who appear in the New Testament as hated semi-kin to the Jews.

Theologically, the most important claim in this chapter, and the central theological claim of First and Second Kings, is that conquest happens because they sinned and angered God who, therefore, allowed conquest to happen (17:7-18). The Assyrians were not acting on their own, or following their own gods. Instead, they acted as agents of Yahweh who governed them primarily based on the faithfulness (or lack thereof) of Israel. We will see the same when Judah falls to a later conqueror.

On one hand, this theological explanation blames the victim. Israel fell because they sinned; they deserved what they got. On the other hand, this theological explanation gives Israel some measure of control at a time when they are radically disempowered: if only they will obey God, they will overcome the mightiest empire of their day.

This theology needs to be supplemented by passages from other biblical books. But it governs virtually everything we are reading right now. . . .

Fr. Harvey