Here are some points I'd like to make about 2nd Kings chapter 17.
1. All the leaders of Israel continued to serve and teach others to serve false gods. This happened over and over again. Each generation followed the false teaching. First the parent, then their children, and then their grandchildren.
What I'm finding, is Christians are so trapped into sports with their kids. The kids are taken from church so they can be transported to every sporting event, every game, every tournament. Some take their children all over for beauty pageants. In the meantime, they get no spiritual encouragement and learn that Church fellowship and real commitment to the Lord is not important. So when the child gets older, they have no motivation and no desire to be in church and be committed to the Lord. So when they have children they're already trained in teaching their kids that the activities of this world are more important than learning the ways of the Lord. God is pushed out just like the Israelites pushed out God in their land.
2. Some were secretly following false gods. What they did not realize is that just because some people were not aware of their secret sins, does not mean God is unaware. He knows all that we do. And because he loves us he is waiting for us to repent from our sins. God will send warnings and reminders over and over again. We must Heed his call before we end up in trouble and people find out about our sin and we end up being humbled or humiliated or embarrassed. Let's Stop it now!
3. God told Israel and he is telling us ALWAYS BE CAREFUL TO KEEP HIS WORD. In other words ALWAYS BE CAREFUL TO FOLLOW THE Lord Faithfully. He tells us this because it is difficult to follow God faithfully. We have people and Friends influencing us to not follow the Lord faithfully, so we have to BE CAREFUL so that we don't get sucked into the worldly ways of living which result in us no longer following the Lord. in fact we have to ALWAYS BE CAREFUL so that we are Always serving and following the Lord faithfully.
The Israelites were so far off track from living how God wanted them to live and it continued from one generation to the next. How sad and hopeless it seemed for them as they went down the wrong path! I’m reminded that I probably wouldn’t be able to do any better as we can’t be holy on our own, but it is only through the blood of Jesus as we see in 1 Peter 1:13-19.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”