2 Kings 17 & 18: Israel Did Secretly
Verse of the Day: (17:9) And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

1. Secret (17:1-23)
Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. (17:19)

God allowed King Shalmaneser of Assyria to invade and defeat King Hoshea of Israel, as Israel had sold themselves to do evil before Him by offering their children as sacrifices to Baal, the Devil. Hoshea then incurred the anger of Shalmaneser as he ceased his support for him, and aligned himself with the King of Egypt. Subsequently, God judged Israel and allowed their enemies to attack and defeat them. Let us therefore submit to God who not only knows all about us and our works, but even our deepest secrets. (Romans 2:16)

2. Service (17:24-41)
So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day. (17:41)

God judged and scattered Israel until today, as they grievously rebelled and sinned against Him by serving and fearing both Him and the devil, not just their own generation, but even the generations after them, just like the unbelievers of the world. Indeed, let us and our generation after us only serve and fear God as He is the true God. (Matthew 6:24)

3. Servant (18:1-37)
Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them. (18:12)

Unlike many of the kings of Israel and Judah, King Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, of Judah, truly trusted and obeyed God, just like King David, his forefather, a man after God’s heart, and Moses, God’s faithful servant. In the 4th year of King Hezekiah and the 7th year of King Hoshea of the son of Elah of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded and defeated Israel. Then in the 14th year of Hezekiah, King Sennacherib, who succeeded Shalmaneser, sent his representatives, namely, Rabshakeh, to mock Hezekiah and his people, and ordered them to surrender to him. Hezekiah commanded his people to remain silent, as he prayed to God. God then delivered them out of the Assyrians. However, God eventually allowed Judah, like Israel, to fall into the hands of their enemies, primarily, because they had rebelled and sinned against Him. Indeed, let us yield ourselves as servants of righteousness trusting and obeying God now and forever. (Romans 6:12-23)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to truly live for You even in my secret moments.