The
Book of Second kings
Chapter 16
[1] In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of
Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
[2] Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years
in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his
God, like David his father.
[3] But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to
pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the
LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
[4] And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills,
and under every green tree.
1)
Direct Disobedience (1-4)
Ahaz, the son of Jotham, began to reign over Judah
at the age of 20.
He reigned 16 yrs and was corrupt in the sight of
God
Though he had a good father and godly examples
surrounding his life, he was wicked
Ahaz, was an idolatrous king, rejecting the God of
Glory and embracing false gods
“made his sons to pass through
the fire” and 2Chr 28:3 burnt his
children in the fire
He
worshipped Molech- a demon god
He would heat a metal statue until
it became red hot
Then he would place a living infant
in the outstretched arms and the child would burn (Mt 19:14)
This was a practice of the Canaanites
that should have been driven out and many in Israel accepted this
Lev 20:1-5 God spoke against
this practice (1K 11:7 Solomon
allowed this evil practice)
Ahaz, also sacrificed in high places
It is said of other kings that took
not the high place away that the people sacrificed
But here it was Ahaz that offered
sacrifice (Dt 12:13,14)
[5] Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up
to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
[6] At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the
Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
2)
Defiled but not Destroyed (5,6)
“They besieged Ahaz”
Because of Judah’s sin, God allowed the Syrians and
Israel to attack Judah (chastisement)
Is 7:6 tells us that these 2
nations wanted to establish a Syrian King over Judah
2 Chr 28:5 Wherefore the LORD his God delivered
him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a
great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also
delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great
slaughter.
[6] For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand
in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God
of their fathers.
[7] And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and
Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.
[8] And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two
hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil
from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
120,000 were killed in Judah and 200,000 were taken
captive
“But could not overcome him”
2 Chr 28:9 But a prophet of the LORD was
there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to
Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was
wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them
in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.
[10] And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for
bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins
against the LORD your God?
[11] Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken
captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.
[12] Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of
Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum,
and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
[13] And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas
we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins
and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath
against Israel.
[14] So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and
all the congregation.
[15] And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives,
and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them,
and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and
carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the
city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
As captives are brought to Samaria (capital of
Israel), Obed the prophet stands
Obed says the Lord says “deliver the captives
again” and Israel responded
Israel clothed, fed and returned all the captives
back home to Judah
(2Tim 4:2 The man of God was able to
reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine)
The combined forces of Syria & Israel could not
defeat and overthrow Judah
Is 7:10-14 The Lord spoke to Ahaz ( a remnant will remain)
God will defend the nation and ultimately will not
let satans plot to overthrow the Messiah to stand
[7] So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am
thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of
Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
[8] And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD,
and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king
of Assyria.
3)
Defeated Disposition (7,8)
Ahaz refused to trust the words of the Lord and
instead put his trust in Assyria
Ahaz called on the king of Assyria to deliver Judah
from Syria & Israel.
“I am thy servant and thy son”. He
surrendered to one enemy in order to defeat another
By refusing to submit to the Lord, he submitted
himself and the kingdom of Judah to the enemy
Ahaz even gave the treasures of the Lord house to
the enemy
[9] And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up
against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and
slew Rezin.
4)
Disastrous Deliverance (9)
The King of Assyria answered and delivered; but
history tells us that this was short lived
2 Chr 28:20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of
Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
[21] For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the
house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria:
but he helped him not.
Had Ahaz surrendered and gave sacrifice to the Lord,
it would have secured the kingdom
Ps 18:6 David said “in my distress I called upon the Lord
and cried unto my God”
[10] And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria,
and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest
the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the
workmanship thereof.
[11] And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had
sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from
Damascus.
[12] And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the
king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
[13] and he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his
drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
[14] And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the
forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and
put it on the north side of the altar.
[15] And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar
burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's
burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the
people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and
sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the
sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by.
[16] Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
[17] And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from
off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it,
and put it upon a pavement of stones.
[18] And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the
king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of
Assyria.
[19] Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
[20] And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the
city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
5)
Deadly Design (10-20)
Ahaz left the land of Judah to journey to Damascus
to meet with the King of Assyria
In doing so, he officially commits his will and
submission to the enemy
While there, Ahaz saw a pagan altar which impressed
him much
Ahaz sent the plans of it to the high priest
desiring to erect one just like it
He is wanting the latest trends of worship style
Trusting tools and techniques of worldly
success (mold Gods message to fit
our preferences)
The church does not need the world’s methods,
principles or practices
Urijah the priest (Is 8:1,2 says he was
faithful) saw the pattern and built this pagan altar (Ex 27:1-8)
The priest has compromised and bowed to the power of
the king
When Ahaz came back, he saw the altar and he offered
sacrifice (forbidden by the Lord Num
18:7)
His grandfather Uzziah offered sacrifice and was
smitten with leprosy
King Ahaz is smitten with worse the “incurable
hardness of the heart”
Then the priest participates in this sin and finally
began to pollute & defile the holy things of God
2 Chr 28:19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.
The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz
2 Chr 29:22 And in the time of his
distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
[23] For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said,
Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to
them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
In time of distress Ahaz trespassed the more(Jms
1:2-4) false gods were the ruin of him
2 Chr 28:24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels
of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and
shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every
corner of Jerusalem.
Ahaz shut up the doors of the House of the Lord and
made altars everywhere in Judah
Ahaz had no relationship with God and was the worst of all of the kings of Judah