2 Kings 17:8

The Lord cast out The native peoples of Canaan were cast out before Israel because of their abominable customs and gross immoralities. The Israelites could hardly have displayed greater stupidity than to follow the same practices. As the native inhabitants of Palestine were doomed because of their evil ways, so likewise was Israel.

Of the kings of Israel. The rulers of Israel were responsible for leading their people into sin. They introduced and encouraged the worship of such false gods as Baal, and turned the people from the worship of Jehovah to the most corrupt forms of worship. Nevertheless, the people were not thereby without excuse. Men are held responsible individually for their acts. The wrongdoing of the leader provides no excuse for the followers to adopt the same sinful course.

However, the Israelites were largely dependent upon oral instruction. Copies of the Law were rare, and few, if any, were privileged to have the Holy Scriptures in their homes. The people received their knowledge of the will of God through the priests and other religious leaders. If these spiritual instructors were themselves teaching and practicing evil, the natural result would be for those under their charge to follow the same course. The majority of the Israelites lacked a personal religious experience. The religion of the masses consisted largely of following a system of worship imposed by superior authority.

The situation is entirely altered today. Copies of the Bible are universally available. Men are no longer dependent, as formerly, upon instruction from others to ascertain the will of God. They are now urged to study the truth for themselves and counseled not to accept any teaching unless they themselves have verified it by their own research and found it supported by inspiration. Despite the new situation, many still determine their course of conduct by the beliefs and practices of those whom they regard their religious superiors. Such a course is fraught with grave danger. Those who follow a human criterion do so at their own risk. If they are lost they will be without excuse.

On the other hand, those who are responsible for leading them astray are also guilty before God. It is their responsibility, in view of the tendency of others to imitate them, to make their lives exemplary in every way, and at the same time urge all to seek an experience for themselves and to follow only the one perfect pattern, Jesus Christ.