God, lions , and non-believers

stevencarrwork · Post by **stevencarrwork** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:39 pm

2 Kings 17:25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD ; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26 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."

Why would God send lions to kill off non-believers? Surely setting lions on people was the work of people like Nero.

Post by **otseng** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:05 pm

Let's look at the context...

2Ki 17:23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

2Ki 17:24 And the king of Assyria brought [men] from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed [them] in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

2Ki 17:25 And [so] it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, [that] they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew [some] of them.

2Ki 17:26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

2Ki 17:27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

2Ki 17:28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

The Assyrians had conquered Israel and deported the Israelites to other places. This was to remove all of the original culture and influence from the area. The Assyrians then populated the region with people from other countries. But, then some of them were killed by lions. They concluded that it was because they didn't know the manner of the god of the land. An Israelite priest was then brought back to Israel to teach people how to fear the Lord.

So, the lions was the way that God used to bring the foreigners to learn to how to follow God.

stevencarrwork · Post by **stevencarrwork** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:51 pm

otseng wrote:The Assyrians had conquered Israel and deported the Israelites to other places. This was to remove all of the original culture and influence from the area. The Assyrians then populated the region with people from other countries. But, then some of them were killed by lions.

The lions God had set among them?

Did God know that putting lions among non-believers would result in some of them dying?

Post by **otseng** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 3:51 pm

stevencarrwork wrote: Did God know that putting lions among non-believers would result in some of them dying?

I would venture to guess that God would know that. And God would probably also know that it would result in them learning how to worship God correctly by having a priest come back to Israel.

stevencarrwork · Post by **stevencarrwork** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:58 pm

otseng wrote:I would venture to guess that God would know that. And God would probably also know that it would result in them learning how to worship God correctly by having a priest come back to Israel.

Really? I though God would know that it would result in them dying.

Very hard to worship God correctly after you have been eaten by a lion. Do you have any tips on how to do so?

Post by **otseng** » Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:32 am

stevencarrwork wrote: Very hard to worship God correctly after you have been eaten by a lion. Do you have any tips on how to do so?

If the lions wiped out the entire population, then I can see your point. However, that was not the case.

I guess what you're implying is that it's not fair for those that did die to not have a chance to learn how to worship God correctly.

But do we know that if God did not send lions, would they have otherwise been motivated to learn how to worship God correctly? The Assyrians obviously knew about the God. However, they had a disdain for the God of Israel.

2Ki 18:28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

2Ki 18:29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

2Ki 18:30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

2Ki 18:31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make [an agreement] with me by a present, and come out to me, and [then] eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:

2Ki 18:32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.

2Ki 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

2Ki 18:34 Where [are] the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

2Ki 18:35 Who [are] they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

Learning how to worship God was far from their minds. However, the lion incident certainly motivated them to change their minds.

dangerdan · Post by **dangerdan** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 11:34 pm

So it seems normal for God to kill some expendable people with lions so that they learn proper rituals? God must have been a big fan of what child physiologists call “negative reinforcement”.

Interesting side note – why did God make lions such a ruthless and efficient killing machine? Microevolution? That’s not so micro.

Lotan · Post by **Lotan** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:17 am

Not just lions, but bears too!

A little story about Elisha:

"And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." II Kings 2:23-24

Cute!

hiramabbi2 · Post by **hiramabbi2** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:15 pm

ISAIAH 45
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and CREATE EVIL: I the LORD do all these things.

1 JOHN 3
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

I guess, the Lord has all the right to punish & finish those evil people that he created, after all, they are not his children, but the devil.

Lotan · Post by **Lotan** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:26 pm

hiramabbi2 wrote:

I guess, the Lord has all the right to punish & finish those evil people that he created, after all, they are not his children, but the devil.

So, are you saying that mutilating little children is OK, but calling God's little buddy bald is evil?