2 Kings 17:16-17
And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's so striking here isn't just that they made idols, but that they abandoned the commandments of God first. This wasn't a sudden slip; it was a deliberate turning away from God's specific instructions, paving the way for every kind of false worship. The idols were the result of rejecting God's revealed will.
After King Solomon’s reign, the unified kingdom of Israel split into two: a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). This verse describes the northern kingdom of Israel, led by kings who actively turned away from God. They abandoned the Lord's commands, adopted idolatrous practices like worshipping golden calves and celestial bodies, and ultimately set themselves up for the judgment that follows.
Have you ever felt like you're drifting away from what truly matters? The people of Israel did, and it led them down a dangerous path.
The verse starts with a stark declaration: 'And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God.' This wasn't a minor slip-up; it was a deliberate turning away from God's established ways.
The Foundation of Disobedience
This abandonment is the root cause of everything that follows.
Why do people create physical representations of gods? Explore the temptation of making the divine manageable and visible.
The verse details the specific forms their disobedience took: 'made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah.'
Creating False Gods
Understand the original words
azab · Hebrew Verb
A covenantal term describing the willful turning away from God’s revealed laws and covenant obligations. It implies a conscious act of forsaking or leaving behind that which was previously held.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
Divine instructions or laws given by God to His people to govern their life, worship, and relationship with Him. Breaking them is synonymous with sin and rebellion against His authority.
massakah · Hebrew Noun
An object of worship made of cast or molten metal; in biblical usage, it refers to idols that represent false gods, strictly forbidden by the second commandment.
Asherah · Hebrew Noun
The verse describes the state of the Northern Kingdom of Israel just before its final collapse and exile. Their abandonment of God's commands for idolatry, including the worship of calves, Asherah, and Baal, directly led to the judgment of conquest and deportation by the Assyrians.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
After Solomon's reign, the united kingdom of Israel splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) and the southern Kingdom of Judah (two tribes). This division creates political instability and fosters separate religious and political trajectories.
c. 870 BC
Reign of Omri and Ahab
The Northern Kingdom experiences a period of expansion and significant idolatry under kings like Omri and Ahab, who promote the worship of Baal and Asherah, often in collaboration with foreign influences like Phoenicia.
c. 786-746 BC
Reign of Jeroboam II
The Northern Kingdom sees a period of prosperity and territorial expansion under Jeroboam II. However, this outward success masks deep spiritual decay and social injustice, which prophets like Amos and Hosea condemn.
740 BC
Fall of Samaria (Assyrian Siege)
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, begins its systematic conquest of the Northern Kingdom, leading to deportations and political upheaval. This marks the beginning of the end for the independent Northern Kingdom.
This passage lays out the foundational commandments against idolatry, directly contrasting with the Israelites' actions in 2 Kings 17:16 by forbidding the worship of any other gods or making graven images.
Deuteronomy 4:19It warns against worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, highlighting the specific 'host of heaven' sin that the Israelites fell into, showing God's clear disapproval even in the earlier covenant laws.
1 Kings 12:28-29This reference shows the origin of the golden calf worship, as Jeroboam set them up in Bethel and Dan, providing the historical context for the idolatry that continued and ultimately led to the Northern Kingdom's destruction.
Jeremiah 2:8The prophets consistently called out this same pattern of abandoning God for false gods, as Jeremiah directly accuses Israel of exchanging their glory for worthless idols, mirroring the spiritual unfaithfulness described in 2 Kings.
What's so striking here isn't just that they made idols, but that they abandoned the commandments of God first. This wasn't a sudden slip; it was a deliberate turning away from God's specific instructions, paving the way for every kind of false worship. The idols were the result of rejecting God's revealed will.
After King Solomon’s reign, the unified kingdom of Israel split into two: a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). This verse describes the northern kingdom of Israel, led by kings who actively turned away from God. They abandoned the Lord's commands, adopted idolatrous practices like worshipping golden calves and celestial bodies, and ultimately set themselves up for the judgment that follows.
After King Solomon’s reign, the unified kingdom of Israel split into two: a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). This verse describes the northern kingdom of Israel, led by kings who actively turned away from God. They abandoned the Lord's commands, adopted idolatrous practices like worshipping golden calves and celestial bodies, and ultimately set themselves up for the judgment that follows.
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When we worship things other than God, what are we really doing? This verse reveals a profound spiritual error.
The culmination of their abandonment is clear: 'worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.' This points to a broader rejection of the One True God in favor of the created order and other deities.
The Universal Pull of Idolatry
This wasn't just a religious mistake; it was a cosmic rebellion. By worshiping the created, they denied the Creator's supremacy and sovereignty. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25) and ultimately invited judgment.
A Canaanite fertility goddess often represented by a wooden pole or tree symbol; her worship was characterized by sexual immorality and was a primary snare for Israel.
tsaba · Hebrew Noun
The sun, moon, stars, and planets. Worshiping them as deities was considered high rebellion against the Creator who made the celestial bodies.
Baal · Hebrew Noun
The chief Canaanite deity of storm and fertility. His worship was deeply associated with idolatry and moral corruption, frequently appearing as the antithesis of Yahweh-worship in the Old Testament.
qesem · Hebrew Noun
Practices intended to gain hidden knowledge or control the future through occult means, forbidden by God as they replace reliance on His revelation and sovereignty.
nachash · Hebrew Noun
A sign or token used to predict the future, often interpreted through non-divine methods, which God prohibited because it diverts trust from Him.
makar · Hebrew Verb
A figurative way of saying they fully surrendered their freedom and will to the service of sin, becoming slaves to evil instead of servants of God.
aph · Hebrew Noun
An intense divine reaction to human rebellion and covenant-breaking. It is the righteous, settled indignation of a holy God against that which violates His nature and people.
732 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War
Assyria intervenes in a conflict between Damascus and Israel, further weakening the Northern Kingdom. Many Israelites are deported by the Assyrians.
722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria and Northern Exile
The capital city of Samaria falls to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II. The Northern Kingdom ceases to exist as an independent entity, and its population is exiled to various parts of the Assyrian Empire.
c. 722-622 BC
Assyrian Colonization and Religious Syncretism
The Assyrians resettle the depopulated lands of the Northern Kingdom with people from other conquered territories. These new inhabitants bring their own gods and practices, leading to a syncretic worship that mixes their traditions with remnants of Israelite religion and other local cults.
"And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughter…" — What's so striking here isn't just that they made idols, but that they abandoned the commandments of God first. This wasn't a sudden slip; it was a deliberate turning away from God's specific i…
