God’s mercy still shines through faithful instruction today.
So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. (v.28) This action took place after the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Samaria, originally purchased and built up by King Omri around 885 BC, had been the capital city where Israel’s rulers operated. When the Assyrians deported many Israelites from their homes, they introduced foreign settlers into the land. These new inhabitants did not understand the ways of Yahweh, so the king of Assyria arranged for one of the exiled priests to return. This priest took up residence at Bethel—a city about ten miles north of Jerusalem, once established by King Jeroboam I as a main site of worship for the Northern Kingdom—to show these newcomers how to properly worship the LORD.
In sending this priest, the king of Assyria hoped his new subjects might appease the “local god” of the territory, since they were experiencing tumult in their new home. Ironically, Bethel itself was the place where Jeroboam I set up a golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-29), blending idolatrous practices into the worship of Yahweh. Although the priest taught them “how they should fear the LORD,” the people too often continued their mix of religious devotion, failing to worship the LORD alone. Their partial devotion represented much of the confusion that had plagued the northern tribes for generations, ultimately leading to their downfall.
The priest’s instruction reflects God’s willingness to make Himself known, even in the face of widespread rebellion. Despite the Northern Kingdom’s history of idol worship at Dan and Bethel, God still provided a teacher so that those now dwelling in Samaria could learn His ways. The biblical narrative elsewhere reveals that even a half-hearted pursuit of God can seed something greater, foreshadowing a time when true worship and knowledge of God would go beyond the boundaries of one nation (John 4:9-10). His mercy extended through a single returning priest, emphasizing God’s desire for all people to learn to fear Him and to walk in His covenant faithfulness.
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2 Kings 17:28 meaning
So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. (v.28) This action took place after the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Samaria, originally purchased and built up by King Omri around 885 BC, had been the capital city where Israel’s rulers operated. When the Assyrians deported many Israelites from their homes, they introduced foreign settlers into the land. These new inhabitants did not understand the ways of Yahweh, so the king of Assyria arranged for one of the exiled priests to return. This priest took up residence at Bethel—a city about ten miles north of Jerusalem, once established by King Jeroboam I as a main site of worship for the Northern Kingdom—to show these newcomers how to properly worship the LORD.
In sending this priest, the king of Assyria hoped his new subjects might appease the “local god” of the territory, since they were experiencing tumult in their new home. Ironically, Bethel itself was the place where Jeroboam I set up a golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-29), blending idolatrous practices into the worship of Yahweh. Although the priest taught them “how they should fear the LORD,” the people too often continued their mix of religious devotion, failing to worship the LORD alone. Their partial devotion represented much of the confusion that had plagued the northern tribes for generations, ultimately leading to their downfall.
The priest’s instruction reflects God’s willingness to make Himself known, even in the face of widespread rebellion. Despite the Northern Kingdom’s history of idol worship at Dan and Bethel, God still provided a teacher so that those now dwelling in Samaria could learn His ways. The biblical narrative elsewhere reveals that even a half-hearted pursuit of God can seed something greater, foreshadowing a time when true worship and knowledge of God would go beyond the boundaries of one nation (John 4:9-10). His mercy extended through a single returning priest, emphasizing God’s desire for all people to learn to fear Him and to walk in His covenant faithfulness.