WE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD GOD AND OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“They feared The Lord, and they served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.”  2 Kings 17:33 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The human author is unknown although some Bible scholars attribute this book to the prophet Jeremiah.  During the nine year reign of Hoshea the son of Elah over Israel, he did that which was evil in the sight of The Lord.  Shalmaneser the king of Assyria took him captive and made him his servant.  Then he bound him and put him in prison when he learned that Hoshea had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt for help. (2 Kings 17:1-4)  Shalmaneser sieged Samaria and took the people of Israel captive.  The Lord God allowed this to happen because Israel had sinned and worshiped the statues of the heathens and offered sacrifices unto them. (2 Kings 17:5-12)  God had sent prophets to Israel and Judah to tell them to turn from their evil ways but they rejected them and went in the ways of the heathens.  Therefore He was angry with them and punished them with captivity. (2 Kings 17:13-23)  The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and Cuthah, and Ava, and Hamath, and Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria where the children of Israel had lived.  These men did not know or fear The Lord so He sent lions among them which slew some of them.  They cried out to the king who ordered that one of the captive priest from Israel be taken to Bethel in Samaria to teach the new inhabitants how to serve The Lord. They worshiped The Lord but every nation also made gods of their own.  They feared The Lord God but they also worshiped and made sacrifices to their own gods. (2 Kings 17:24-41)  

 

APPLICATION

We cannot serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13)  The Lord God told us that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) and we are to serve no others. (Exodus 20:3)  We are not to put anyone or anything above or ahead of Him, and we are not to have any others alongside of Him or in addition to Him.  The Lord God is God, and He is God all by Himself.  He is The One and Only True and Living God.  Beside Him there is none other. (Deuteronomy 5:7 and Mark 12:32)  There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved. (Acts 4:12)