Part 10 of the BibleTogether | History of Redemption Sermon Series ‌ 1. 2 Kings 17:6–23 is a persuasive argument for the exile of Israel. Who is named as the cause for the exile? What are the reasons given? ‌ 2. See v21. Standing behind the sins of the people of Israel is the idolatrous worship established by Jereboam. Does the Lord have the right to tell the people how to worship? ‌ 3. See v11b. The people had provoked the Lord to anger. What was the cause of the Lord’s anger? ‌ 4. Jereboam established an alternative to worship in Jerusalem in order to hold onto his power in the Northern Kingdom. The people were willing to go along with Jereboam’s idolatry because it allowed them to establish a kingdom separate from Judah. How do people and their leaders conspire together even today to fashion innovative worship practices that run against the grain of how the Lord has revealed he is to be worshiped? ‌ 5. The worship of Baal focused on fruitfulness in the field. The worship Asherah focused on fertility. This reveals how the people focused on material prosperity rather than spiritual worship of their Creator. How are we also prone to materialism in our worship? ‌ 6. The Lord is steadfast in his love and mercy. Read John 13:1. How does Jesus reveal God’s steadfast love and mercy even to those who have sinned against him?