2 Kings 17:7-23 NLT This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the L ord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the L ord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the L ord their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the L ord had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the L ord ’s anger. Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the L ord ’s specific and repeated warnings. Again and again the L ord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.” But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the L ord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the L ord ’s command not to imitate them. They rejected all the commands of the L ord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the L ord ’s anger. Because the L ord was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land. But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the L ord their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced. The L ord rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence. For when the L ord tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the L ord and made them commit a great sin. And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sins until the L ord finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.

Living with the Consequences Repeated covenant-breaking has serious consequences. The flipside is that covenant-keeping has positive outcomes. Notice in this passage the central importance of Torah (law) and Israel's chronic recurrent problem of slipping back into all forms of idolatry. Modern Western society is permeated to its core with idolatry, with one particular ism extending its grasp beyond any other - materialism. Unchecked materialism has no infiltrated Christianity and other religious systems that it goes virtually unnoticed by the majority. Unless humanity, led by people of faith, can turn a corner quickly, the spiritual, interpersonal and societal consequences in today's interconnected world will hold us captive in ways ancient Israelites could have never conceived. Following is a quotation from author, educator and environmentalist Bill McKibben's call for communities of faith to return God to the center of life: Consumption is an issue uniquely suited for faith communities. Among the institutions of our society, only the communities of faith can still posit some reason for human existences other than the constant accumulation of stuff! If we in religious communities are going to do anything about it, we have to recognize just how strong the consumerist ethos is. It has taken root in all of us, basically unchallenged. Fertilized by a million commercials, it has grown like a wolf tree, a tree whose canopy spreads so wide that it blots out the sun. In the same way, the consumerist ethos blots out the quiet word of God. Churches, obviously, do not have the power to compete head-on, and few of us junkies are ready to go cold turkey. But increasingly there are signs that people are asking, 'Isn't there something more than this?' Theologian and educator Marva Dawn would answer McKibben's rhetorical question with a resounding and unapologetic yes. Dawn would assure us that churches, pastors and individual Christians who struggle with a perceived 'need' to compete with the world may rest easy. Our God has everything under control, today as in every age, no matter what its unique set of challenges: The kingdom is always alive and well. Many Christians refuse to accept the gimmicks, the quick-fix techniques, the appeal of success, the power of money, the lure of fame, and other cultural idolatries because they have a deep sense of profoundly countercultural call, the call to live as kingdom people. Try to answer the following questions as you reflect upon today's passage: how is materialism woven into the fabric of your society, what does it look like for you to live as a 'kingdom person,' and what changes could you make in your life to look more like a kingdom person?