A Counterfeit Conversion

Introduction

2 Kings 17:25 KJV 1900

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.

2 Kings 17:33–34 KJV 1900

33 They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. 34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

Body

Deception and counterfeits are everywhere!

In the world

In the spiritual

Satan authors them all

Conversion is necessary to salvation

True conversion leads us “from sin to righteousness, from self to Christ, from the world to heaven, from rebellion to obedience”. — Charles Spurgeon

Conversion can be counterfeited as well.

Three points to make of our scripture text

Their initial state - “They feared not the Lord”

Their counterfeit conversion - “They feared the Lord and served their own gods”

The true state of their hearts while they professed to be converted - “The feared not the Lord”

Feared Not the Lord

The Samaritans were most likely forced to relocate to where the former nation of Israel was.

They were altogether indifferent to the God of Israel.

Maybe they even mocked this God as being powerless to beat the gods of the Assyrians

However, they came to live near a people who did fear the Lord

Hezekiah was king in Judah

A good king who served God with all his heart

It ought to be hard for for people to be indifferent to God and to truth in our presence!

Feared the Lord and Served their own gods

They ‘converted’ because of the lions

They weren’t converted because they wanted to eschew evil and pursue righteousness

They were converted because of the teeth and the fierceness of the lions

No lions, no conversion

No troubles, no difficulties, no conversion

Their conversion was accomplished in gross ignorance

They didn’t want to know God, but the “manner of the God of the land”

They thought of God as just another petty god of that territory, just like all the other gods of the Assyrians.

There are those today who convert to Christianity and are only interested in the externals

How should I dress?

How do these other Christians act?

How do I satisfy the rules?

They convert to a creed, to sacraments, to rules, to a form

Rather, true conversion means we become interested in knowing, not just the manners of the God of the land, but we become interested in knowing God.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

It appears their conversion was accomplished by an unfaithful priest

2 Kings 17:27–28 KJV 1900

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. 28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

2 Kings 17:32 KJV 1900

32 So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

This is not how they were suppose to worship the one true God.

This is indicative of either the calf worship instituted by Jereboam son of Nebat, or an amalgamation of true worship with the worship of those gods they brought with them

Bethel, along with Dan, are the two places that Jereboam had set up the golden calves for Israel to worship. This priest came and dwelt in Bethel.

Their conversion was attended with a great amount of pomp and ceremony

The counterfeits of their conversion

Altars on every high hill vs. God’s command to have one altar only

Priest of the lowest of them vs. God’s command that only Levites would be priests

Their conversion involved no repentance, do death to self. It was easy. It cost them nothing.

There is no mention of any sacrifices. No shed blood for their sins.

There was no love for God. Only fear of the lions.

They Feared not the Lord

They insulted the Lord in worshipping other gods beside Him

They did not obey Him and had no desire to obey Him. They only wanted the lions to depart

They had no covenant with God. No relationship with Him. Only an outward form.

Conclusion

Later we see in Ezra how these responded

They said they would like to join in the work

Ezra and Nehemiah said we have nothing to do with you. You can’t trace your lineage back to Abraham, you don’t belong to the covenant seed.”

They responded in form by attacking them, writing letters to kings to stop the work, but to no avail.

It was Ishmael who hated Isaac because, although he was not in the line of succession he was very near akin to Isaac.

It was Esau who hated Jacob because, although he didn’t receive the blessing he was very near akin to Jacob.

There is no enmity like the lukewarm Christian has toward one who is genuinely converted.

Outwardly they may look very much alike

But inwardly, they’re difference is night and day