Israel taken into captivity (2 Kings 17:6, 13-14, 22)

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria (capital of Israel) and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Haalah and Habor, on the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and every seer saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments, my statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through my servants and prophets. The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them until the LORD removed Israel from his sight as he spoke through all his servants the prophets. It is important to grasp that Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom) are different countries even though they are both Jews. Israel's capital city is Samaria and Judah's is Jerusalem. These kingdoms existed alongside one another for hundreds of years. Previously we learned that Jeroboam, Israel's first king, is the man who caused Israel to sin by making competing gods outside of Jerusalem to compete with Father God who delivered them from captivity in Egypt. The kings of Israel all followed after the first bad shepherd until they were punished by the most extreme penalty which is removal from the land under the covenant. Daily Prayer: Father, I am not a covenant person as was the relationship between you and the Jews, but I am included into your kingdom by the sacrifice of your son who is Jesus Christ. I need to be able to learn lessons from those who came before me. As such, let me now repent of my own sins and trust in Jesus Christ for the times that I miss the mark. In Jesus name I pray Amen.