Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “The Fall of Israel—A Study of 2 Kings 17” by Matthew Ward
• Sermon Transcript: “Mixed-Up Religion” by W. A. Criswell
• Sermon: “Sin | Sermon on Israel’s Fall into Exile” by Colin Smith

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project—welcome to another Leader Training Podcast. Today we are in Unit 14, Session 4, Retribution, with the core passage of 2 Kings 17:6-15, and 18-20. And with the Key Concept of: Though God is merciful, sin has dreadful consequences.

We have been talking about the prophets previously, how they tried to warn the people and guide them of God’s righteous paths, even as a split kingdom, but as we well know, people tend to follow their own wills. In today’s passage, it’s like a summary of why the northern kingdom, Israel, failed and were taken into captivity.

Chapter 17 starts with the last king of Israel, King Hoshea, who reigned 9 years. He wasn’t as bad as the kings before him, but he was still bad. He was supposed to pay tribute to King Shalmaneser of Assyria, but he tried to double cross him by trying to make an alliance with Egypt and not pay Assyria. So King Shalmaneser found out and put him in prison and raided Samaria which was part of the northern kingdom at the time.

So we start in today’s passage, “the king of Assyria captured Samaria” and “deported the Israelites to Assyria.” And Scripture gives us a summary of why. Verse 7, “This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God” and because “they worshiped other gods.”  “They lived according to the custom of the nations” and “secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right.”  “They built high places” and “set up for themselves sacred pillars.” “They burned incense there” and “they did evil things.” “They served idols.”

These were the main things listed in the summary but let’s look at the detailed phrases here that describe the Lord they were angering. In verse 7, “He was the one “who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. He was the one who “had dispossessed [the nations] before the Israelites” in verse 8. He was the one that “had driven out [the nations] before them” in verse 11. Part of the problem the Israelites had was that they stopped remembering, they forgot, all that God had done for them. He led them out of Egypt, He rescued them. And He gave them the Promised land, one flowing with milk and honey, driving out the nations so they could be a people set apart, a holy people for His glory. But instead of worshiping Him alone and obeying Him, they did the opposite. They served idols instead of the God who was their rescuer and provider.  

Back in verse 9, it says the Israelites “secretly did things against the Lord their God.” They had forgotten who God is. That He was omniscient and omnipresent, all knowing and everywhere. They lived their lives like the nations around them, oblivious to God and oblivious to their calling as God’s people.

Why do we sometimes think and act as though the Lord cannot see us? We forget He is there. We get too busy or distracted and forget He is everywhere and knows everything. When we do that, forget, it is easy to fall into sin and false worship of other gods. It is easy to go on with our lives, and not see the Lord and thus, think that He cannot see us.

The Israelites rejected God’s covenant. The Gospel Project Commentary on page 99 puts it well. “The foundational law for Israel begins with ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery” in Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:6. Before God gave His covenant law, He reminded the Israelites of His amazing grace in saving them. In fact, every expectation God gave His people Israel was couched in the context of His saving grace, just as every command we receive as Christians is grounded in the saving work of Jesus on our behalf.” Here, God was reminding them of the covenant that was made. They would be His people, and He would be their God if they obeyed Him and remained faithful. But apparently, that was difficult for them and because of that “disaster happened.”

How would you explain sin to someone who has no Bible background? One example is that If there is a supreme God out there, the Creator of the universe who is all good and all holy, anything that misses the mark of His holiness is sin. Your group will have other answers.

The text continues, even as the people were doing evil, “still, the Lord warned Israel and Judah.” He sent prophets and warnings. The Gospel Project Commentary on page 98 comments that this disaster on the Northern Kingdom was foretold by the prophet Ahijah in 1 Kings 14:14-16. He spoke of a day where God would “uproot Israel from this good soil that he gave to their ancestors. He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates” because of their idolatry and sin.

And the text continues the list of Israel’s sin. “They would not listen… They became obstinate…. They rejected his statutes and his covenant… They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” And in the skipped verses 16-17, more causes for judgment: “16 They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images for themselves…. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal. 17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and angered him.” That is a serious long list of Israel’s evil acts.  

And it culminates with “Therefore,” in verse 18, because of all these evil acts, “the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence.” It would be easy to read quickly over these words but those are fighting words. Deep, serious stuff. Can you imagine being God’s people but then being removed from His presence? That’s disastrous! “Only the tribe of Judah remained.” But not for very long. “Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God but lived according to the customs Israel had practiced. (Meaning the idolatry of the Northern Kingdom.) “So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, punished them, and handed them over to plunderers until he had banished them from his presence.” All those consequences are dreadful: removed form God’s presence, rejected by God, punished, handed over to plunderers, and banished. That seems like a vengeful God but remember what was told first. The Israelites did these things to God first. They removed themselves from His presence, they rejected Him, they wanted to be like the nations around them, they forsook God and abandoned Him. Thus, God really just allowed them to have what they wanted all along. To be far from God and be like the other nations. Be careful what you want and what you seek because God might just allow that to the detriment of your soul.

What are some ways the Lord warns His children today to turn from evil and to keep His commands? God warns us through Scripture, through the voice of the Spirit, and through other believers and the church to turn from evil and keep His commands. There are so many people and things to keep us accountable and warn us from danger, but we need to be alert and looking for that accountability.

What idols might you be choosing today instead of listening to the Lord? Idols today can be anything we worship more than God or even alongside God. The Israelites wanted a syncretistic worship, worshiping God and Baal, but we are to worship God alone. Today, we might worship pop stars, politicians, our kids, or spouse. Fame, influence, power, riches, comfortability. If we put something above God or even worship anything alongside Him, they become idols in our lives. We need to remember that idolatry is sin, and sin leads to disaster and death. Trusting and following God is necessary for life. It leads to a fulfilled life here and in eternity.

Onto the Group Experience, go through the icebreaker and transition after people have arrived. Review the Context reminding your group how we have already covered some of the evil God’s people were involved in. Recap, displaying Pack Item 10: Prophets of Israel and Judah map to show how God tried to warn and teach His people through the prophets. Pass out Pack Item 11: God’s Prophets to review some of those prophets and their teachings. Though in today’s text we see the consequences of Israel’s sin, we also get a glimpse of God’s mercy through the warnings and prophets He sent. God will do all He can to try to bring us back on the right path, but we still have free will and can choose to go His way or not. And we can suffer the consequences of it.

Going into the Group Activity then, we look at God’s mercy and holiness. We see both in today’s text. Lead your group through the passage, first having someone read 2 Kings 17:6-12. Follow the instructions on page103. Make sure you have done this ahead of time to have the answers needed. List every mention of the Israelites sin. Then summarize with your group. It could be as simple as “The Israelites sinned and rejected God, forgetting all He had done for them” to a more elaborate summary. Continue in the same way with the warning and the result.

Discuss: Why do you think God appoints consequences for sin? How can we see both God’s holiness and His mercy in the consequences He brings? Consequences are warnings and teachings. When we touch a hot pot, and burn ourselves, we remember later to not touch hot pots. Consequences for sin is similar. When we experience negative consequences, we remember not to do what we did again. We remember not to sin again because sin is not only against God, but it affects us negatively. God wants good for us and leads us back to that goodness if we listen and obey.

Debrief with: What does this passage have to say to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ? To those who do believe in Jesus? God has given us free will to choose how we live. He will not force us to worship Him. He will reveal Himself and call us to Him, showing us that with Him there is life, but without Him, there is death and disaster. We are allowed to choose. For some of us, we choose to not believe. God allows that but He also warns us and shows us through life’s natural consequences that that is not the way nor the truth. Only through Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. For believers, we still face consequences of sin because we are still sinful. Those consequences are warnings to help us move back on the right path. They are to remind us that God’s ways are always better. But we have a choice still.

Summarize and answer the Heart question if time is limited. How do you need to reevaluate your perspective and feelings toward God’s holiness and discipline? Some answers may include thanking God for the consequences that come because they show us His mercy on wanting us to go on the right path. Maybe even asking for more consequences so that we are warned about danger that takes us away from God. Answers may vary here.

Go through Next Steps, giving your group options for further discovery. I like the option of reading through Colossians 3:1-15, seeing it as God’s warning, Scripture as accountability, reminding us to set our minds on Christ and nothing else.

Go through prayer request and praises and end with Psalm 12: 6, although the resource mention1-5. “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.” God’s words are true. They are commands and warnings because of His love and mercy. He wants us to have the good life, one that follows Him because He is a good Father. We stay thankful for His mercy and discipline because it leads us closer to Him.

Hey thanks for joining me on another leader training podcast. Write me at [email protected] and have a great group time!