“They Feared the Lord & Served Their Own Gods.”

Kings 2 17:32-33

God had allowed the King of Assyria to take Israel captive & put other nations in the land of Samaria.

I: They Knew not the Manner of the God of the Land.
1. The Lord sent Lions among them & slew some of them.
2. They were afraid because death stalked their pathway.
3. They were aware that there was a God that was angry with them.
4. In their fear they sought to know the God of the land and how to worship him.

II: The Fear of God Should Keep Us from Sin.
1. If we think that God is a mealy-mouth, easy going grand-daddy that wouldn’t harm a fly, we have no fear of breaking His laws.
2. If we think that God is just kidding about Hell, then we are not afraid of judgment day.
3. When we are sure that God will chastise for sin then we fear sin.
4. David’s heart was stricken with fear when the prophet of God said: “Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own eyes.” “The child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”
5. Achan did not fear God until he was under the wrath of God.
6. The Old & New Testament is full of men & women that forgot that God was a jealous God.

III: “They Feared the Lord & Served Their Own God’s.”
1. A priest taught them how to fear & serve God.
2. The lions made them fear God.
3. But their wicked hearts deceived them into serving idols.
4. We fear God when danger is near and make a vow to serve him.
5. When sickness comes & death is near, we face God.
6. When adversity comes & we are looking for another, then we fear God.
7. When death comes and breaks our hearts, then we fear God.

But when everything goes well, there is food aplenty, new clothes, money in the bank, & health to spend in pleasure, then we turn from the service of God.

This is a curse upon any people, church, or nation.