Countdown to captivity (North)

2 Kings 12-17 recounts the parallel histories of Israel and Judah at a time when Israel was first in a period of relative political stability, a time that would end in a series of coup d'etats by various political factions. Judah enjoys greater stability because of God's mercy, but they are also following their northern neighbor's blasphemous practices in later years.

The clock runs out. Israel is carried away captive to Assyria and they are replaced by other ethnic groups from throughout Assyria. So it is with us -- sin has consequences which will find us out in God's time. We should turn away from sin before we are destroyed.