The Counterfeit Version of Real Religion. (2 Kings 17: 1-41)

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Episode Notes: The Counterfeit Version of Real Religion. (2 Kings 17: 1-41)

We use the word religion all the time; we say someone is “religious.”

When we talk about “world religions", we usually refer to beliefs, rituals, and practices connected to a deity. Usually, when we use the word, we’re thinking of the major systems of belief: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

 But interestingly, the Bible doesn’t use the word religion very often. The word, when translated in this way, appears only three or four times in the New Testament, and when it does appear, it’s used in two very different ways:

 Sometimes negatively describes an empty, external ritual.  Sometimes, positively, describing what James calls “pure and undefiled religion.” And if Scripture speaks of pure religion, then by implication, there must also be impure religion. Religion that looks spiritual… sounds spiritual… feels spiritual… but is actually defiled.

 So, what does impure religion look like and how does it affect us today?

 There is a story in the Old Testament that helps answer those questions with remarkable clarity and it’s found in 2 Kings 17, I would say one of the most important chapters in the entire book, and a chapter that helps explain events in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John.

 So, let’s walk through it together…..

Transcript

The Counterfeit Version of Real Religion. (2 Kings 17: 1-41)

We use the word religion all the time.

 We say someone is “religious.”

We talk about “world religions.”

We refer to beliefs, rituals, and practices connected to a deity.

Usually, when we use the word, we’re thinking of the major systems of belief:

Hinduism

Buddhism

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

But interestingly, the Bible doesn’t use the word religion very often.

The word, when translated in this way, appears only three or four times in the New Testament.

And when it does appear, it’s used in two very different ways:

Sometimes negatively describing an empty, external ritual.

Sometimes positively, describing what James calls “pure and undefiled religion.”

And if Scripture speaks of pure religion, then by implication, there must also be impure religion.

Religion that looks spiritual… sounds spiritual… feels spiritual… but is actually defiled.

And that raises an important question:

What does impure religion look like?

How does it form and how does it affect us today?

There is a story in the Old Testament that helps answers those questions with remarkable clarity.

It’s found in 2 Kings 17, I would say one of the most important chapters in the entire book, and a chapter that helps explain events in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John.

So, let’s walk through it together…..

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. 4 And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore, the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

5 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

(2 Kings 17:1–6)

2 Kings 17 opens with a simple historical note: “In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.”

So, Hoshea becomes king around 732 BC and reigns until 722 BC.

And if you know your Old Testament dates, that last year — 722 BC — should ring a bell.

It is the year the northern kingdom falls.

The Assyrians invade, and Samaria collapses, and the people are taken into exile…. And the northern kingdom disappears from history.

This chapter tells us how it happened and, more importantly, why.

Before we get to the “why,”

The text gives us a brief evaluation of Hoshea. “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who were before him.”

That’s an interesting statement.

If you’ve been with me through 2 Kings, you know the standard for evil in the north is Jeroboam, the king who introduced the high places and alternative worship centers.

Hoshea wasn’t righteous, but he wasn’t as corrupt as some of his predecessors either.

Jewish tradition even suggests he may have allowed some Israelites to travel south to Jerusalem to worship something that earlier kings had forbidden.

But he still permitted the high places, and he still tolerated idolatry.

He still walked in disobedience.

And that sets the stage for what happens next.  Assyria Moves In

Hoshea submits to Assyria, who are the dominant world power of the day, and pays heavy taxes to keep the peace.

But then verse 4 says Hoshea secretly reaches out to Egypt,

trying to ally against Assyria.

Assyria discovers the plot. They imprison Hoshea and the northern kingdom is left leaderless.

Then the king of Assyria invades and lays siege to Samaria for three years.”

Three years of pressure.

Three years of starvation.

Three years of fear.

And then verse 6 delivers the devastating conclusion:

The king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites back to Assyria with him.

This is one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history.

The northern kingdom falls.

The people are carried away.

The land is emptied.

And the nation is gone.

This is the first major exile in the Old Testament and it shapes everything that follows.

That’s the history. But the next section — beginning in verse 7 — tells us the reason.

Why did God allow His people to be conquered?

Why did He allow the northern kingdom to fall?

Why did He send them into exile?

The answer is not political.

It’s not military.

It’s not economic.

It’s spiritual.

And it has everything to do with impure religion.

7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also, the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” 14 Nevertheless, they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they rejected His statutes and the covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. 16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a moulded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.

19 Also, Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. 21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord and made them commit a great sin. 22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he did; they did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

(2 Kings 17:7–23)

We’ve just seen the fall of the northern kingdom, the collapse of Samaria, and the exile of Israel in 722 BC.

But now the text turns a corner and answers the most important question:

Why did God allow His own people to be conquered?

Verse 7 begins with a single word:

“For…”

In other words:

“Let me explain why this happened.”

And what follows is one of the clearest descriptions in the Bible of impure religion — religion that looks spiritual on the surface but is deeply corrupted underneath.

Let’s walk through it, but don’t miss the fact that.

These were God’s children.

These were the people He redeemed.

These were the people He rescued from Egypt.

These were the people He forgave, protected, and provided for.

And yet, it says, “…they feared other gods.”

That’s the shock of this passage.

Not pagans, not unbelievers, not outsiders. 

God’s own redeemed people feared other gods.

This is the heart of impure religion:

Trying to worship God while also worshiping something else. They mixed true worship with false worship.

Verse 8 says they walked in the practices of the nations.

Verse 9 says they secretly did things that were not right.

Verse 10 says they set up sacred pillars and wooden images.

Verse 11 says they burned incense on the high places.

Here’s the key:

They didn’t abandon the Lord completely or renounce Him. They didn’t stop using His name, they simply added other gods alongside Him.

They worshiped Yahweh in Jerusalem… and idols on the hills.

They offered sacrifices in the temple… and burned incense under the trees.

They blended truth with error. They mixed devotion with superstition, and they combined the worship of God with the worship of idols.

And that is the essence of impure religion. It’s not rejecting God, it’s redefining Him.

But God sent preacher after preacher, and they still wouldn’t listen

God didn’t stay silent, He didn’t abandon them without warning. He sent messenger after messenger:

·         Elijah

·         Elisha

·         Hosea

·         Joel

·         Amos

·         Micah

·         Isaiah

This is the time of the prophets, in fact, eighteen prophets in all.

Eighteen voices calling them back.

Eighteen sermons pleading with them to turn.

Eighteen reminders of God’s love and God’s law.

But the text tells us “They did not listen, but stiffened their necks…”

That’s a Hebrew expression for stubbornness, a refusal to bend, a refusal to yield, a refusal to trust.

And the text tells us why:

“…they did not believe the Lord their God.”

That’s the bottom line. Impure religion always begins with unbelief,

not unbelief in God’s existence, but unbelief in God’s authority.

They believed in a God. They just didn’t believe what God said.

They followed empty things and became empty themselves. It says, “They followed idols…”

But interestingly, the Hebrew word, which isn’t the normal word for idols, literally means: “Vapours… emptiness… nothingness.”

They chased empty things and became empty themselves.

That’s what false religion does:

It promises fulfilment but delivers emptiness.

It promises wisdom but delivers confusion.

It promises freedom but delivers bondage.

…. And Israel walked right into it.

They worshiped the host of heaven, the stars, the constellations, and the zodiac. It also says they practiced witchcraft and soothsaying,

fortune‑telling, occult practices, spiritual counterfeits.

And then comes the darkest line:

“They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire.”

Child sacrifice.

This is the same sin that brought judgment on the Canaanites, and now God’s own people are doing it.

This is the final straw; they have reached the point of no return and verse 18 says: “Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight.”

That doesn’t mean God stopped caring; it means He had removed them from the land, the place where His presence dwelt.

“So, Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria…”

This is the end of the northern kingdom.

Not because Assyria, their enemy, was stronger, but because Israel embraced impure religion, error, false worship and idolatry,

This passage gives us a clear picture of what impure religion looks like:

It begins with unbelief.

It mixes God with other gods.

It blends worship with superstition.

It ignores God’s Word.

It refuses correction.

It chases empty things.

It leads to spiritual emptiness.

And eventually, it brings consequences.

This is not just ancient history; it’s a warning.

24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore, the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore, He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” 28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

29 However, every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 They feared the Lord yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, 35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36 but the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However, they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. 41 So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also, their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

(2 Kings 17:24–41)

We’ve seen the fall of the northern kingdom.

We’ve seen the long list of sins that led to their captivity.

And now the passage turns to the result of that captivity —

a result that becomes one of the most important background stories in the entire Bible.

This is where the chapter becomes especially relevant to the New Testament.

Up to this point, the Assyrians have deported the Israelites. Now they begin to import foreigners into the land.

This was a common ancient strategy:

Remove the original population and replace them with people from other regions. Encourage intermarriage, prevent rebellion by blending cultures. So, the land of Israel, once filled with God’s people is now filled with people who do not know the Lord.

And immediately, there’s a problem. Lions are roaming the land and attacking the new inhabitants. 

The response is unusual, but it makes sense in context.

These new settlers don’t know the God of Israel. They don’t know His law, and they don’t know His worship.

In the Old Testament, the land itself was tied to God’s presence. To live in the land without acknowledging the Lord was a serious matter.

So, the people complain to the king of Assyria and say, “We don’t know the rituals of the God of this land.”

Their solution? “Send us one of the priests you deported, so he can teach us how to fear the Lord.”

So, the king sends a priest back, but where does he go?

Verse 28 says: “One of the priests… came and lived in Bethel and taught them how to fear the Lord.”

Bethel.

Of all places.

Bethel was one of the centres of idolatry in the northern kingdom.

One of the two locations where Jeroboam set up the golden calves.

So now we have: A priest from a corrupt system teaching people who don’t know the Lord, In a city famous for false worship. What could go wrong? Everything.

 4. The Result: “Every nation continued to make gods of its own…”

On one hand, it says, “They feared the Lord…” And on the other is still says, “…yet served their own gods.”

There it is.

The heart of the passage.

The definition of impure religion.

They feared the Lord… and they served other gods.

They blended worship. They mixed truth with error, and they combined devotion to God with devotion to idols.

This is not atheism.

This is not rebellion.

This is not rejection.

This is a mixture and mixture is always more dangerous than outright unbelief.

Because the mixture feels spiritual.

It feels sincere.

It feels religious.

But it is not real.

Verse 32 says: “They feared the Lord.”

But verse 34 says: “They do not fear the Lord.”

Which is it?

Both.

They feared the Lord externally — in ritual, in form, in appearance.

But they did not fear the Lord wholeheartedly — in obedience, in loyalty, in truth.

They had a divided heart, a split devotion, and God calls that impure.

Let’s summarize what’s happening:

Israel sinned and was exiled.

Foreigners were brought into the land.

A compromised priest taught them a compromised version of worship.

They blended the worship of God with the worship of idols.

They created a mixed religion — part truth, part error, and the final verse 41 gives the final summary:

“These nations feared the Lord yet served carved images.”

This mixed religion became the foundation of the Samaritans.

And that is why this chapter is so important.

Because when you get to the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, you meet the Samaritans.

And now you know where they came from.

They were the descendants of this mixture of people who feared the Lord and served other gods.

People with partial truth. People with sincere devotion but confused theology.

And that sets the stage for one of the most beautiful moments in the New Testament:

Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

But we’ll get to that connection in the next segment because this chapter explains the background of the Samaritans in the New Testament.

Why did Jews despise Samaritans?

Because they were:

Ethnically mixed (Jew + Gentile)

Religiously mixed (God + idols)

And historically tied to this very chapter

So, when Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, He deliberately chooses the most despised group in Jewish society and makes one of them the hero.

And when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman in John 4,

He steps right into the heart of this mixed religious tradition

and offers her living water. The pure worship God desires.

Understanding 2 Kings 17 helps us understand the Gospels.

And James 1 also picks up that theme. James says:

“If anyone thinks he is religious…”  (meaning: if anyone thinks he’s spiritual because he participates in religious activities) …but does not control his tongue, he deceives himself. His religion is vain — empty, hollow, useless”.

Then James defines pure religion:

“Pure and undefiled religion before God is this: To visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

In other words:

Pure religion is moral purity.  “Lay aside all filthiness and wickedness.”

Pure religion is obedience.   “Be doers of the word, not hearers only.”

Pure religion is love in action.  “Visit the fatherless and widows.”

Pure religion is not:

Attending church

Reading your Bible

Praying

Giving

Observing the Lord’s table

Those are all good things — but they are not the measure of purity.

Pure religion is:

A clean life

An obedient heart

A loving spirit

A servant’s posture

An life unspotted by the world

That’s what God calls pure.

What Does Impure Religion Look Like Today?

Impure religion today looks very much like what we have just witnessed in 2 Kings 17:

Going through the motions

Attending services

Participating in rituals

Hearing sermons, but not obeying

Not loving

Not serving

Not controlling the tongue

Not resisting the world’s influence

It’s one foot in worship, and one foot in the world.

It’s Sunday devotion and Monday through Saturday compromise.

And James says it deceives you because it feels spiritual, but it isn’t.

Let’s bring this home.

You’re listening today — which means you’re at least religious in the basic sense.

You probably participate in worship.

You hear the Word, and you engage in spiritual practices.

But is your religion pure?

Ask yourself:

Do I try to control my tongue?

Do I try to set aside filthiness and wickedness?

Do I obey the Word, not just hear it?

Do I love people?

Do I serve the vulnerable?

Do I minister to those in need?

Pure religion is not about ritual. It’s about relationships, with God and with others.

It’s not about ceremony…. It’s about character.

It’s not about Sunday. It’s about every day.

Maybe as you listen today, you realize there’s a problem with your life.

A habit.

A compromise.

A divided loyalty.

A place where you fear the Lord… but also serve something else.

You don’t have to stay there….

You can pray:

“Lord, cleanse my heart. Purify my devotion. Make my religion pure and undefiled.”

And He will.

Because God delights in giving grace to those who seek Him with a whole heart.

Outro:

In our next episode, we move into 2 Kings 18, where we meet one of the most remarkable kings in the Old Testament.

A man who breaks the cycle, tears down the idols and shows us what wholehearted devotion really looks like.

Tomorrow we will see what it looks like. “When Faith Stands Tall.” It’s a refreshing contrast to the mixed religion of chapter 17, and it offers hope for anyone who wants to walk with God in purity and courage.

I hope you’ll join me for that.

Until then.

Walk in truth,

Love in action,

And keep your devotion pure and undefiled before the Lord.