Fulfilling the Curse of the Law
In 725 BC, Shalmaneser V, King of Assyria, besieged Samaria, capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Three years later, Samaria fell and everyone was carried away into exile in the land of Assyria, along the rivers that lead into the Euphrates and Tigris, and in the cities of the Medes. Then Shalmaneser died and his brother Sargon II became king over Assyria.
The Bible is clear as to why this final calamity fell upon Israel. The children of Israel sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and saved them from the hand of Pharoah. They rejected the LORD and served other gods. They walked in the ways of the nations whom God had drive out from before them. They served the twin golden calves made by Jeroboam, and the gods of the surrounding nations like Baal, Molech, Astarte, and Remphan. All of israel worshiped other gods in secret and in public. They built places of pagan worship everywhere they could find to build one. They burnt incense to false gods and served idols.
The LORD had warned them from the beginning that calamity would come if they served false gods. They did it anyways. The LORD sent prophets to warn them and call them to repentance. He sent enemies from within and without to afflict them. The would not hear, so they hardened their necks against God and did not believe the LORD. They rejected His statutes, worshiped the stars, the angels, false gods like Baal, and even burned their children in fire to Molech. So the LORD was very angry and removed them out of His sight. He left Judah only in the land, but they too would eventually fall for the same reasons.
God had promised blessings if they had simply obeyed Him. He warned of curses if they rejected Him to served demonic idols. The Old Testament records their many sins and stubborn rebellion against their God. So His promised calamities came, sent because they would not listen. God chose the most disobedient and rebellious people to be His own to show that He is God and there is no other. Israel was carried away by their enemies into the exile promised by God through Moses. They would not listen, so they were removed.