Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Seminary
    • Seminary Info
    • GES Seminary Curriculum
    • GES Seminary Faculty
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Blog
→
Calling the Wrong Person (2 Kings 17:24-33) 

Calling the Wrong Person (2 Kings 17:24-33) 

August 9, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Assyria, captivity, False Teaching., Grace, Luke 6:39-40

We have all had a job that needed to be done and that we couldn’t complete without help. On some of these occasions, we’ve asked for that help from the wrong person. For example, we might have needed some help fixing our car and a friend told us they could help us because they really know how to work on automobiles. We found out, however, that our friend wasn’t a very good mechanic. We learn from experience that sometimes a person talks a good game but isn’t the right person to solve our problem.

There is an example of this in 2 Kgs 17:24-33. The nation of Israel had fallen deep into idolatry. The people had set up golden calves to worship and then imported the worship of Baal and many other idols. They tried to justify their actions by worshipping God as well. There were priests who told the people how to please God and the other gods at the same time. They saw Him as a good luck charm. By worshipping a great number of idols, and God as well, they thought they were covering all their bases.

Of course, this dishonored the Lord. They were not to have any other gods. To treat God as simply one of many was to blaspheme Him. As a result, the Lord disciplined His people by allowing the Assyrians to defeat them and carry them away into captivity. The Assyrians left a few people behind, but mainly brought in people from other countries to repopulate the land. These people brought in their own gods and worshipped them in Israel.

Even though God had disciplined His people in this way, He still manifested His glory in the Promised Land by punishing the new people who dwelt in the land because of their idolatry. He sent lions to kill the inhabitants. The people concluded that the God of Israel was angry with them. They were superstitious and wanted to know how to placate Him.

The Assyrian leadership decided to bring in an “expert” on the subject. They would ask a priest of Israel who had been taken into captivity to return in order to teach the people in the land how to divert the anger of God. Such a priest stepped up to do just that.

This guy talked the talk. He had the appropriate title, calling himself a priest of the God of Israel. I’ll bet he even wore the right clothes. He no doubt told the people about how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt and into the land. They needed to respect Him. Of course, he did not tell them that their many idols were false. In fact, he would have told them that having lots of idols was a good idea. They could continue to “fear” the Lord while simultaneously engaging in the worship of their idols.

Anybody reading this account will conclude that the people turned to the wrong guy for help. The people should have been able to figure out that this priest didn’t know what he was talking about. After all, the God of Israel had removed him and his buddies from the land for not doing what pleased Him. He was not the guy to listen to. The author of 2 Kings concludes that his advice contributed to the spiritual darkness that infected the country for years to come (1 Kgs 17:34-41).

This is a clear example of the blind leading the blind. The Lord warned that people can call the wrong person when they need help with spiritual things (Luke 6:39-40). It doesn’t take long to find out that there are many people who claim to have the answers people are looking for when it comes to things of the Lord, just like the priest who returned from Assyria. Many, for example, teach that salvation from hell is through works. They do not understand the grace of God.

Like the priest from Assyria, these modern-day false teachers also know how to speak the language. They have the appropriate titles, often accompanied by appropriate degrees. And, as with the priest from Assyria, many listen to what they have to say.

In the time of 2 Kings 17, listening to the wrong guy was devastating. The same is true today. When multitudes listen to preachers and teachers who do not understand the things the Lord has revealed in His Word, they walk in darkness. They have no assurance. Even if they have believed the message of grace in the past and have eternal life, they will experience defeat in their Christian walk.

When we read 2 Kings 17, we are forced to ask: “Why did they call for that guy? Why did they listen to him?” Unfortunately, the same questions could be asked today.

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
Ken_Y

by Kenneth Yates

Ken Yates (ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Editor of the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society and GES’s East Coast and International speaker. His latest book is Mark: Lessons in Discipleship.

If you wish to ask a question about a given blog, email us your question at ges@faithalone.org.

Recently Added

June 16, 2025

Are Angels Spirit Beings Without True Physical Bodies?

It is quite common in Christianity to refer to angels as spirit beings. That is probably because of verses like Heb 1:7 “Who makes His...
June 16, 2025

How Could the Apostles Be So Blessed and Yet Suffer So Much?

Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr are talking about a seeming paradox. Why were the apostles promised blessings...
June 13, 2025

When Do the Beast and the False Prophet Get Judged? (Revelation 20:10)

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Listen on YouTube

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram