2 Kings 17. The end of the northern kingdom of Israel is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. It’s a story of what happens when people choose to follow their own self-made gods rather than the One True and Living God. God had called Israel, His chosen people, to be a light to the nations. Instead, they became just like them, if not worse. But this is not the end of the story. God will never leave His people in ashes. God had a plan.