Today’s reading has a summary of the reason for Israel’s fall. The people were taken into captivity because of the sins they committed against God, despite repeated warnings from the prophets. The historical record spells it out. The Samaritans mixed religions as the Israelites had done. It seems as if they had one foot with the world and one foot with the Lord.

II Ki 17:41
Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.

There are so many lessons we can learn from the Old Testament…all the mistakes that God’s people have made in the past are spelled out for us, repeatedly. The consequences of those mistakes are also spelled out, repeatedly. Why can’t we learn from them?