![[object Object]](https://d20cai2bqfzz6a.cloudfront.net/images/main_image/shutterstock_95568901_chosen_consequences_copy_1454359416_7.png)
2 Kings 15-17
Israel Gets Their
Chosen Consequence
Psalm 56:1-9 When I'm Afraid
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Silent Dove in Distant Lands." A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
1.“Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.2.My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.3.When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.4.In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?5.All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.6.They conspire and lurk, watching my steps, they are eager to take my life.7.Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.8.You number my wanderings. You put my tears into your bottle. Aren’t they in your book?9.Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this, that God is for me...”Observations
56:1-9.The Inscription - David is fulfilling his vow to praise God for saving him from the Philistines (56:10-13 will be covered next time round; this content is so good, I split it, so we'd see it again). David was called the sweet singer of Psalms, so he probably wrote the tune as well, and then gave it to the “choir” to be used in public worship. The “tune” refers to the blameless peaceful dove, David the anointed - but not ruling - king, persecuted so he has to flee to distant lands, when he should have been reigning in the palace at Jerusalem. Only verses 3 and 4, and the last half of 9 would ever make it into a modern hymnal, because most people don't walk with God close enough to attract the opposition of folks taken captive to do Satan's will of afflicting saints.
The Context is 1Sam 21 when David pretended to be mad to escape the Philistines, and contains one of my favorite verses: 1Sam 21:15 Am I so short of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence?
56:3-6.
The wicked twist words (lie), conspire against, attack, fight, oppress the righteous, and look for any opportunity to harm them, resulting in pain and tears (56:8). However, those who know God as revealed in His word, have no need to fear man, but can confidently put their trust in God, knowing that He is for the righteous, knows what's going on, feels our pain, and will judge the wicked and save the righteous. Praise time!!
Application
When the crocodiles are causing you to shed real tears, don't succumb to fear, but remember: who God is, as well as what He has done and promised to do. Then start planning how you will praise Him for His deliverance/salvation.
Prayer
God, whose word and works I praise, keep me focused on You and Your trustworthy promises, and deliver me from the wicked, so I can praise You even more. Amen.
Proverbs 15:6-10 Would You Rather Be Loved or Loathed by God?
6.“In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the income of the wicked is trouble.7.The lips of the wise spread knowledge, not so with the heart of fools.8.The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.9.The way of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but He loves him who follows after righteousness.10.There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way, and whoever hates reproof/correction shall die.Observation
15:6-10.Both the religious and secular activities of those who don't pay attention to God's word (see Psalm 50 for a Biblical definition of the wicked) are an abomination. He tends to discipline and destroy abominations (cf. Exodus generation). On the other hand, those who are rightly related to God, pursuing wisdom and righteousness, experience His love.
Application
Chase after righteousness and wisdom and your prayers will be more pleasing to God than great philanthropy.
Prayer
Righteous God, may I be a cause of delight to You and not a cause for discipline, but when I need it, help me be quick to learn. Amen.
2Kings 15-17 Israel Gets Their Chosen Consequence
At the end of these chapters, the Northern Kingdom of Israel will cease to exist, forever, the consequence of refusing to seek and do God's will. The same fate awaits people and nations who do likewise. Chapter 15 summarizes the reign of Azariah/Uzziah of Judah, and six of the last seven kings of Israel. It also introduces us to Pul, the Babylonian name for Tiglath-pileser III, king of Assyria, who starts executing God's final judgment on Israel. Don't get bogged down in all the names, but get the lessons God intends. In Chapter 16, Ahaz of Judah remodels the temple in Jerusalem to serve another god (oh-oh, this can't be good), and in Chapter 17, Israel is totally taken out of the promised land into the land of permanent punishment. Make sure you understand why, or you might find yourself in a similar consequence.
2 Kings 15 One Good King Goes Bad, Six Bad to the Bone
1.In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.2.He was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.3.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.4.However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.5.Yahweh struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land.6.Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?7.Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his place.8.In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months.9.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as his fathers had done: he didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.10.Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his place.11.Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.12.This was the word of Yahweh which he spoke to Jehu, saying, "Your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." So it came to pass.13.Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned for a month in Samaria.14.Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and reigned in his place.15.Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.16.Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all who were therein, and its borders, from Tirzah: because they didn’t open to him, therefore he struck it; and all the women therein who were with child he ripped up.17.In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel for ten years in Samaria.18.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn’t depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
19.There came against the land Pul/Tiglath Pileser, the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.20.Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and didn’t stay there in the land.21.Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?22.Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.23.In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years.24.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.25.Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and struck him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his place.26.Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.27.In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years.28.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
29.In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser/Pul, king of Assyria, came, and took Ijon, and Abel Beth Maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.
30.Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck him, and killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.31.Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
32.In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.33.He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.34.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.35.However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh.36.Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?37.In those days Yahweh began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.38.Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
Observations
15:1-8.A good teenage king in Judah, doing what's right, gets hit with leprosy. Why did that happen? Comparing 2 Kings 14:21 with 2 Chronicles 26:1 reveal that Azariah is Uzziah. The high places remained, and the people practiced the sensual pagan worship that prevented God from fully blessing them. Azariah/Uzziah (contracted form) also got incensed and censured over incense. 2 Chronicles 26 gives the tragic story:
26:5 (Uzziah) set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as (Uzziah) sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper.16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahweh his God; for he went into the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17...the (high) priest went in after him, with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were valiant men: 18 and they resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, "It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for you have trespassed...19 Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense.”
15:9-31.
Bad Israelite king reigns, gets killed by bad Israelite king, who gets killed by another bad Israelite king...yawn. A couple of noteworthy items is that God keeps his promise to Jehu of a four generation dynasty, fulfilled with the six month reign of Zechariah (the king, not the prophet). Menaham acts like a pagan king, instituting a reign of terror, which brings an even more terrifying king, Pul, AKA Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria. Pul extracts tribute (~$2,000,000), then exports Naphtali, a harbinger of things to come.
15:32-38.
With tragic irony the chapter ends with Jotham rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem which his son will destroy in the next chapter.
Application
Sin always gets worse when we don't listen to warnings from godly people, and repent. If we remain stubborn, will live to regret it.
Prayer
God, help me be quick to hear at the low volume, and turn my feet toward Your ways. Amen.
2 Kings 16 Worst Temple Makeover Ever
1.In the seventeenth year of Pekah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.2.Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh his God, like David his father.3.But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel.4.He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.5.Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
6.At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and lived there, to this day.
7.So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me."8.Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
9.The king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.
10.King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and its pattern, according to all its workmanship.11.Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Urijah the priest made it for the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus.
12.When the king had come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near to the altar, and offered on it.13.He burnt his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, on the altar.14.The bronze altar, which was before Yahweh, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of Yahweh, and put it on the north side of his altar.15.King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king’s burnt offering, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by."16.Urijah the priest did so, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17.King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the basin from off them, and took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stone.18.The covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry outside, turned he to the house of Yahweh, because of the king of Assyria.19.Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?20.Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
Observations
16:1-11.Wicked king Ahaz of Judah, forsakes Yahweh, cutting himself off from God's protection, despite warnings from Isaiah (famous Chapter 7), Hosea, and Micah. He gets invaded by Israel and Syria, and looks to Tiglath Pileser/Pul for salvation rather than Yahweh, calling himself Pul's servant and son. Most pagan kings went by the name Ben (son of) “X” where “X” was the god of the land (as in Ben-Hadad). Covenantal relationships were expressed as father-son, in which the father protected the son, and the son loyally served the father. Ahaz transfers his allegiance from Yahweh, the Creator God, to a creature. Ahaz gives gifts to Pul from Yahweh's house, instead of worshiping Yahweh with them.
16:12-20. Experience is a poor means of determining truth, especially if it conflicts with Revelation (see the first of the 7QUESTIONS in the sidebar, “How do you know what's true?”). The experiencing and faulty reasoning of Ahaz led him to conclude that if someone worships “X” and wins, then “X” must be the thing to worship. We make the same error today, replacing “X” with money, fame, success, etc. Ahaz, with the priests' cooperation, even replaces Yahweh's altar with one dedicated to the gods of Damascus. Hadad, known as Baal (remember him?), was the chief deity in Syria. So like Jereboam institutionalized Baal worship in Israel, Ahaz does the same in Judah. 2 Chronicles 26 says it tragically:
“19 Yahweh brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed severely against Yahweh. 20 Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and distressed him, but didn’t strengthen him. 21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahweh, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria: but it didn’t help him. 22 In the time of his distress, Ahaz trespassed yet more against Yahweh. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him; and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.”
Application
Determine truth (that which best explains all the facts) from Reality (experience) and Reason, understood in light of God's Revelation, not the other way around; otherwise you'll wind up worshiping a lie.
Prayer
God, You are the only true source of blessing; I won't seek it elsewhere. Amen.
2 Kings 17 Israel Gets Their Chosen Consequence
1.In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years.2.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.3.Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.4.The king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.5.Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.6.In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7.It was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8.and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
9.The children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against Yahweh their God: and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;10.and they set them up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green tree;11.and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them; and they worked wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger;
12.and they served idols, of which Yahweh had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."
13.Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets."14.Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God.
15.They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom Yahweh had commanded them that they should not do like them.16.They forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.
17.They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
18.Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.19.Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.20.Yahweh rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.21.For he tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from following Yahweh, and made them sin a great sin.22.The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them;23.until Yahweh removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.
24.The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and lived in the cities of it.25.So it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn’t fear Yahweh: therefore Yahweh sent lions among them, which killed some of them.26.Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations which you have carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land."27.Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land."28.So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Yahweh.29.However every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.30.The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,31.and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32.So they feared Yahweh, and made to them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.33.They feared Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.34.To this day they do what they did before: they don’t fear Yahweh, neither do they follow their statutes, or their ordinances, or the law or the commandment which Yahweh commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;35.with whom Yahweh had made a covenant, and commanded them, saying, "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;36.but you shall fear Yahweh, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and you shall bow yourselves to him, and you shall sacrifice to him.37.The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forevermore. You shall not fear other gods.38.You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you; neither shall you fear other gods.39.But you shall fear Yahweh your God; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies."40.However they did not listen, but they did what they did before.41.So these nations feared Yahweh, and served their engraved images. Their children likewise, and their children’s children, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Observations
17:1-6.The nation of Israel gets forcibly removed from the land by Assyria. The reasons given are:
17:7-7.
They were disloyal, sinning against their Savior and fearing other gods instead of Him;
17:8-8.
They followed the practices of the nations whom God wanted to use Israel to judge;
17:9-11.
They secretly reveled in sensual pagan worship;
17:12-12.
They served idols in defiance of God's explicit commands;
17:13-14.
They refused to listen to the prophets, hardening themselves in their unbelief;
17:15-16.
They rejected God's covenant and ways, following vanity, and remaking God according to their preferences;
17:17-17.
They didn't train their children to follow Yahweh, but sold them and themselves to demonic worship.
17:18-23.
As a result of not doing what was right in His sight, God removed them from His sight. He was also angry with Judah who followed the ways of Israel. God first afflicted, and then when they refused to heed His discipline and prophets, He had them carted away. It's interesting that they so easily departed from Yahweh, and so stubbornly followed false gods. That says something about the demonic pull of sensual pagan practices.
Dt 28:63 “And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. 64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known --- wood and stone.”
17:24-41.
The king of Assyria (Pul's son, Shalmaneser died around the time of the siege of Samaria, and Sargon succeeded him) transplanted captives from Babylon into the land God had given to Israel, so God sent lions to cause them to fear (Lev 26:22). The king sends a priest back to teach the pagans God's law. This could be funny, since the Assyrian king is not only doing Yahweh's will in disciplining Israel, but fulfilling Israel's function of being a light to the nations, causing them to learn God's law. However, it's unlikely that the priest would have been a Levitical priest, since he came from Samaria, and went back to calf-worshiping Bethel. So perhaps he taught them the hybrid religion of Israel (and today). They outwardly fear God, but don't worship Him according to His truth, instead, they do their own thing, which pleases their sensual side, rather than God. In any event, God fulfilled His promise to curse, since they chose not to be blessed.
Application
God always, eventually and inevitably responds to our choices with His planned consequences.
Prayer
God, open my eyes to see where I may be like Israel, and I will turn from my stupidity to Your truth. Thanks. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God is patient and gracious, but does mean what He says. He has to follow through on His promises to bless those who choose to serve Him, and curse those who choose to serve themselves or Satan. When someone moves from the curse camp to the bless camp, God moves from the curse mode to the bless mode. When they move back to the curse camp, God moves back to the curse mode. There is no getting around this, otherwise He would be an unjust liar. His righteous rule requires Him to do what He promised. He uses unbelievers to judge His people, and even used sinning Israel, headed for destruction, to punish less sinful Judah. He sends warnings, chastisement, and encouragement to trust and obey Him, which if ignored, result in final, irreparable damage.
Us in a nutshell: We can go from not trusting God, to trusting Him, to not trusting Him, and experience His sovereignly planned consequences at each turn of our roller coaster. We can receive some of His blessings even if we're not wholeheartedly following Him, but eventually we will trip over the sin and values we failed to clean up. The prevalence of sensual worship in the high places, contrary to God's clear commands, underscores the importance of loving God with all our minds, heart, and will, and not just our soul (emotions) and body.