Deuteronomy 32:16
King James Version
16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods,
with abominations provoked they him to anger.
What is the "way of nations"?
The way of nations is also called the "way of the heathen".
The Bible is replete with verses on grievous abominations against the FAITHFUL GOD of Israel.
So we shall start with this striking chapter -- practices which continue "unto this day" -- challenging the authority of GOD.
2 Kings 17:1-2
King James Version
17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah
began Hoshea the son of Elah
to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 And he did that which was evil
in the sight of the Lord,
but not as the kings of Israel
that were before him.
2 Kings 17:3-6
King James Version
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria;
and Hoshea became his servant,
and gave him presents.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy
in Hoshea:
for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt,
and brought no present to the king of Assyria,
as he had done year by year:
therefore the king of Assyria shut him up,
and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria
came up throughout all the land,
and went up to Samaria,
and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria
took Samaria,
and carried Israel away into Assyria,
and placed them in Halah and in Habor
by the river of Gozan,
and in the cities of the Medes.
2 Kings 17:7-12
King James Version
7 For so it was,
that the children of Israel had sinned
against the Lord their God,
which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt,
from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt,
and had feared other gods,
8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen,
whom the Lord cast out
from before the children of Israel,
and of the kings of Israel,
which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things
that were not right against the Lord their God,
and they built them high places in all their cities,
from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10 And they set them up images and groves
in every high hill,
and under every green tree:
11 And there they burnt incense
in all the high places,
as did the heathen
whom the Lord carried away before them;
and wrought wicked things
to provoke the Lord to anger:
12 For they served idols,
whereof the Lord had said unto them,
Ye shall not do this thing.
2 Kings 17:13
King James Version
13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel,
and against Judah,
by all the prophets,
and by all the seers,
saying,
Turn ye 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.
2 Kings 17:14-15
King James Version
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear,
but hardened their necks,
like to the neck of their fathers,
that did not believe in the Lord their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes,
and his covenant that he made with their fathers,
and his testimonies which he testified against them;
and they followed vanity,
and became vain,
and went after the heathen
that were round about them,
concerning whom the Lord had charged them,
that they should not do like them.
2 Kings 17:16-17
King James Version
16 And they left
all the commandments of the Lord their God,
and made them molten images,
even two calves,
and made a grove,
and worshipped all the host of heaven,
and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters
to pass through the fire,
and used divination and enchantments,
and sold themselves to do evil
in the sight of the Lord,
to provoke him to anger.
2 Kings 17:18
King James Version
18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel,
and removed them out of his sight:
there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
2 Kings 17:19
King James Version
19 Also Judah kept not
the commandments of the Lord their God,
but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
2 Kings 17:20-23
King James Version
20 And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel,
and afflicted them,
and delivered them into the hand of spoilers,
until he had cast them out of his sight.
21 For he rent Israel from the house of David;
and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king:
and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord,
and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel
walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did;
they departed not from them;
23 Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight,
as he had said by all his servants the prophets.
So was Israel carried away
out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
2 Kings 17:24-25
King James Version
24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon,
and from Cuthah, and from Ava,
and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim,
and placed them in the cities of Samaria
instead of the children of Israel:
and they possessed Samaria,
and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was at the beginning
of their dwelling there,
that they feared not the Lord:
therefore the Lord sent lions among them,
which slew some of them.
2 Kings 17:26
King James Version
26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria,
saying,
The nations which thou hast removed,
and placed in the cities of Samaria,
know not the manner of the God of the land:
therefore he hath sent lions among them,
and, behold,
they slay them,
because they know not
the manner of the God of the land.
2 Kings 17:27
King James Version
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded,
saying,
Carry thither one of the priests
whom ye brought from thence;
and let them go and dwell there,
and let him teach them
the manner of the God of the land.
2 Kings 17:28
King James Version
28 Then one of the priests
whom they had carried away from Samaria
came and dwelt in Bethel,
and taught them
how they should fear the Lord.
2 Kings 17:29
King James Version
29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own,
and put them in the houses of the high places
which the Samaritans had made,
every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
2 Kings 17:30-31
King James Version
30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth,
and the men of Cuth made Nergal,
and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak,
and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire
to Adrammelech and Anammelech,
the gods of Sepharvaim.
2 Kings 17:32
King James Version
32 So they feared the Lord,
and made unto themselves of the lowest of them
priests of the high places,
which sacrificed for them
in the houses of the high places.
2 Kings 17:33
King James Version
33 They feared the Lord,
and served their own gods,
after the manner of the nations
whom they carried away from thence.
2 Kings 17:34-39
King James Version
34 Unto this day they do
after the former manners:
they fear not the Lord,
neither do they after their statutes,
or after their ordinances,
or after the law and commandment
which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob,
whom he named Israel;
35 With whom the Lord had made a covenant,
and charged them,
saying,
Ye shall not fear other gods,
nor bow yourselves to them,
nor serve them,
nor sacrifice to them:
36 But the Lord,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
with great power and a stretched out arm,
him shall ye fear,
and him shall ye worship,
and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
37 And the statutes, and the ordinances,
and the law,
and the commandment,
which he wrote for you,
ye shall observe to do for evermore;
and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 And the covenant that I have made with you
ye shall not forget;
neither shall ye fear other gods.
39 But the Lord your God ye shall fear;
and he shall deliver you
out of the hand of all your enemies.
2 Kings 17:40-41
King James Version
40 Howbeit they did not hearken,
but they did after their former manner.
41 So these nations feared the Lord,
and served their graven images,
both their children,
and their children's children:
as did their fathers,
so do they unto this day.
The world is the way it is today.
Desolate.
Chaotic.
Unfaithful.
For we continue to do the same.
As had been prophesied.
The abomination, hypocrisy, hard-heartedness, betrayal, and rebellion continue.
2 Kings 17:33
King James Version
33 They feared the Lord,
and served their own gods,
after the manner of the nations
whom they carried away from thence.
Only by the GRACE of GOD are we not all consumed -- yet.
It is right that I write on these abominations, as the Holy Spirit of God inspired me to do so early this morning, for the times are critical.
And the unbelieving man is so unteachable.
Related material:
Image: All-free-download
Updated 20 October 2023
