They would not hear

Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. – 2 Kings 17v14

It is hard to read about the Jews in Israel and Samaria. Time after time God gives them a chance to repent of their sins. Generations pass, kings come and go, prophets proclaim God’s word, but still they will not turn.

Finally it is clear that they are not going to change. The know it, the nations around them know it, and God has already known it for a while.

So God allowed the wicked Assyrian Empire to come in and conquer all of Israel. Ten of Israel’s tribes are carried off into captivity, slavery, and dispersion. When the Assyrians conquered lands they transported people around so that no one felt at home. People from all over the region were moved into the lands vacated by the people of Israel.

You might think that Judah would have learned. But no, she continued on her way and eventually suffered a similar fate when she was conquered by Babylon.

The Jews would not hear God’s word. The stiffened their necks in their stubbornness. The just would not listen to God.

That’s a sad story.

But there is even a sadder story.

There are Christians, believe it or not, who refuse to deal with sin in their lives. Amazing as it may seem there are people, bought with the precious blood Christ, redeemed at the foot of the cross – who still persist in their sin!

Are you surprised? I doubt it, because most of us can identify with that. Sometimes we get so attached to our sin that we just ‘can’t’ let it go.

It is bad enough when these Jews who only had the Law to guide them hold on to our sin. How much worse is it when we have Christ, who paid the penalty for those sins, to hold on to them?