The other day, Brian was reading from 2 Kings 17. The king of Assyria had captured Israel and taken the people away. Then he filled the land of Samaria with other people:
"The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”
Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord." 2 Kings 17:24-28
All this seemed strange to me until I thought about it. In ancient times people thought each land had a god they had to respect. God used this custom to bring his teachings to these people who had come from many different lands.
"They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought." verse 33.
All through the years Samaritans did this. They worshiped God and also idols. But they had the books of Moses with them to study. One day, about 700 years later, Jesus walked into a town of Samaria. He met a woman there who had studied the books of Moses and she said to him, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” John 4:25
Jesus answered her, "I, the one speaking to you, I am he." verse 26.
Jesus knew this woman was ready to accept him. She had already accepted his Father.
How many Samaritans over the years had learned about and worshiped God because he made sure they heard of him? Perhaps thousands. I am always struck how God tried to take his message to all the nations of the world in the Old Testament. Sometimes his ways seem harsh: letting lions kill people. But, salvation is a matter of life and death and the King of Assyria probably wouldn't have listened to anything less than that.
I am just amazed by God's humility and how he will do so much to save us from ourselves and evil. He will even be worshiped alongside other idols, if the people don't know any better, and will teach those people and send the Holy Spirit to those people. I thank God he loves us all so much.
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