The king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria…All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them. 2 Kings 17:6-8
On 14 April, 1912, Frederick Fleet was serving as lookout when he spotted an iceberg immediately ahead of Titanic during her first trip across the ocean. He quickly raised the alarm, and the first mate ordered the ship to change course. But it was too late. The Titanic struck the iceberg, and it soon became clear that the ship was doomed. No one on board was prepared for such an emergency. In accordance with safety practices at that time, ships were thought to be unsinkable.The Titanic only had enough lifeboats to carry about half of those on board. Nearly 1,500 lives were lost.
In a lot of ways, the fall of the Northern Kingdom was a lot like the sinking of the Titanic. For generations, the prophets had warned the people in Israel that God was unhappy with their faithlessness. They continued to worship other gods and turn away from the Lord. Eventually, the prophets’ message shifted. They stopped asking Israel to change and started warning Israel that God’s punishment was coming. There was an iceberg on the horizon and not everyone would escape.
In 722 BC the northern kingdom was destroyed by their neighbors the Assyrians. The Assyrians broke through the walls of the capital city Samaria and killed many of its inhabitants. Then they kidnapped anyone who might be useful and took them away to work on building the Assyrian empire.
The fall of the Northern Kingdom reminds us how seriously God treats unrepentant sin. Periodically, we all should pause and take stock of our own lives. Bad decisions can lead us to a point of no return, and we will suffer the consequences of our sinfulness. Today, spend time searching your heart for any sin that could sink your faith, and ask the Lord to make you whole again.
Kena Hawkins Newkirk 