2 Kings 17:7-18: a reflection

7It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8and walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made. 9The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God; and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city; 10and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree; 11and there they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations whom the LORD carried away before them did; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger; 12and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the LORD testified to Israel and to Judah, by every prophet and 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.” 14Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck like the neck of their fathers who didn’t believe in the LORD their God. 15They rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal. 17They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger. 18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

Explaining why the northern kingdom of Israel fell into exile, the passage traces a long history of unfaithfulness, idolatry, following the surrounding nations, worshiping false gods. But it also records God's patient response through all those years: Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments. God did not judge without warning; again and again, through prophet after prophet, he called his people to return. And the tragic refrain follows: But they would not listen, and hardened their necks.

Notice both God's patience and the people's hardening. Over many years God sent warning after warning, prophet after prophet, patiently calling his people to turn back before it was too late. The judgment, when it came, came only after long and repeated appeals. But the people would not listen; they hardened their necks, stiffening themselves against God's call, refusing correction until at last the warnings ran out.

That is a sobering picture of how a hardened heart meets God's patience. God is remarkably patient, warning and calling and giving time to turn. But his patience can be met with a hardened neck, a persistent refusal to listen, until the opportunity to turn is finally past. Do not harden your neck against God's warnings. If God is calling you, through his word, through conscience, through the counsel of others, to turn from something, do not stiffen yourself against it and refuse to listen, as Israel did. God's patience is real, but it is not to be presumed upon forever. Heed his warnings while they come; soften your neck, and turn.

Lord, before Israel fell, you warned them patiently through every prophet and seer, calling them to turn from their evil ways, but they would not listen and hardened their necks. Keep me from that hardening. You are remarkably patient, warning and calling and giving time to turn; do not let me meet your patience with a stiff neck, a persistent refusal to listen. When you call me, through your word, through my conscience, through the counsel of others, to turn from something, help me soften and heed you rather than stiffening myself against your voice. Your patience is real, but not to be presumed upon forever. Give me an ear that listens and a neck that bends, and help me turn while you are still calling.