The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right

2 Kings 17:1-23

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.

When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Hoshea reigns for nine years as Assyria's vassal. An attempt to win Egyptian support proves fatal. Samaria falls after a terrible three-year siege, and the whole remaining population is deported. Israel's fate is seen as the direct consequence of long-standing idolatry, pursuing heathen practices, disobeying God's law, and ignoring the prophets.

Why?

Hoshea did not ask the help from the Lord, but from Egypt, so the Lord let Assyria take them and exiled them to Halah, in Gozan on the Havor river.

The writer described the reason as that Israelites were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.

How?

To be a Christain, what my help is from the Lord。I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)