October 24 / II Kings 17
Dear RTB’ers,
Samaria is mentioned nine times in today’s one chapter (vv. 1,5,6,24 (2x),26,27,28,29) It is both a city (see especially vv. 1,5,6) and a global word for all of the Northern Kingdom (see the rest of the verses noted above, especially v. 24 and 26, “the towns of Samaria”). We have to go back to I Kings to see its beginning – to 13.32 for the first mention of Samaria and to 16:24 where the city is actually built and named. There are then many more verses in I and II Kings where Samaria is mentioned.
Today we also see the origin of the term “Samaritans”: The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. (v. 24) They not only lived there, but they also brought their own gods with them: …each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima, the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. (vv. 29-31) This intermixing of foreigners and their gods into the Israelite culture is what brought the people of Judah to “condemn” Samaritans and to not even walk through Samaria on their way between Jerusalem and Galilee and other locations. Two gospel items are of particular interest here – the parable of “The Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37) and Jesus’ visit with the woman from Samaria (John 3).
Finally, we see “the fall of Samaria” and the deportation of these Israelite people to other locations: In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. (v. 6) This occurred in 722 BC. And less we see the Southern Kingdom (Judah) as so much more righteous, before we finish this book we will see their own deportation to Babylon. All this is Jesus’ history – His origins – and our own history as well.
Blessings!
Fred