Title Ahaz/2 Chronicles 28:1-27
Ahaz/2 Chronicles 28:1-27
1. Walk in the way of the kings of Israel
Ahaz became king at the age of 20 and reigned as king of the southern kingdom of Judah for 16 years. Ahaz was a very special wicked king among the kings of Judah. In verse 2, it says, “I walked in the ways of the kings of Israel.” He was the king of Judah in the south, just like the kings of Israel in the north.
The first king of Israel, Jeroboam, built a high place and set up an idol of a golden calf. All the kings of Israel were like this. That is exactly what Ahaz said when he said that he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. Ahaz made a molten idol (verse 3) and built a high place to offer sacrifices to the idol (verse 4).
2. God's Warning
God raised up the kings of Syria and Israel to guard against Ahaz. The two kings formed an alliance to overthrow Ahaz and then to make the son of Tabel their puppet. When the news was delivered (Isaiah 7:6), the king and the people said that the trees of the mountain shook like a swaying in the wind (Isa 7:2).
At that time, God sent the prophet Isaiah and told him that if we only trust and depend on God, God will protect us. 'Tell him, 'Be careful and be quiet. Although Rezin king of Syria and the son of Remaliah are very angry, do not be afraid and do not lose heart, for they are just two poker stumps that smoke. The kings of Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, with their wicked schemes, were against you, saying, Let us go up and strike down Judah and make it wretched, and destroy it for us, and set up a son of Tabel as king among them, says the Lord GOD. This plan will not stand, nor will it be accomplished. For the head of Syria is Damascus, the head of Damascus is Rezin, the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah, but within sixty-five years Ephraim will be defeated and there will be no more kingdom . “If you do not believe, you will certainly not be established.” (Isaiah 7:4-9)
3. Ahaz’s Distrust and Hypocrisy
After Isaiah preached the word of God, with the conviction of his heart, he said, 'Ask for a sign of anything from God' (Isaiah 7:10,11). After receiving the omen, Gideon gained courage and wanted to be like he defeated the great army of Midian with 300 men (Judges 6:36-40).
But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test' (Isaiah 7:12). He pretended to be godly that he would not put God to the test, but that was unbelief and hypocrisy. It was not only afflicting the people, it was afflicting God (Isaiah 7:13).
4. God's Discipline
Because he did not turn back, God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Syria and into the hand of the king of Israel (verse 5). Thousands of people died and were taken prisoner. The prince and important men were killed. 120,000 people died a day, and 200,000 were taken captive to the north. The prophet Oded and some others in Samaria arose and strongly opposed it. So the captives could come back (verses 8-15). Still, Ahaz did not turn. God raised up Edom and the Philistines again to attack Judah.
5. trickery
Ahaz gathered all the silver and gold that was in the country, took all that was in the temple, and sent it to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, 'I am the king's servant and the king's son. Now the king of Syria and the king of Israel are against me, so I beg you, come up and save me from his hand' (2 Kings 16:7,8). The king of Assyria came and attacked the Syrians and killed the Syrian king Rezin (2 Kings 16:9). But Ahaz did not help. Rather, they tortured them (2 Chronicles 28:20). Tiglath-pileser did not come to hear about Ahaz and help him. I came only to conquer.
6. Evaluation
1) greed
One of the characteristics of religions that served God was the separation of governments. But Ahaz didn't like it. He wanted to become a ruler with absolute power (Saul, Uzziah).
2) Human craftsmanship
God has warned you. He sent the great prophet Isaiah and his son Shealjashub to tell them (Isaiah 7:3). Isaiah comforted and encouraged a fearful king. And he told him to return to God. He said that when he returns, God will surely take care of him. But Ahaz did not respond. He did not obey God's word and tried to solve the problem by his own scheme. In the end, he fell deeper and deeper into the trap.
“The fear of man is a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).
3) strong
They gave everything to Tiglath-pileser, but there was no help. Rather, he gave him trouble instead of help. At this level, we should have returned to God. However, it is very foolish to say, 'I sinned against the Lord all the more when I was in distress' (verse 22). They brought the gods of Syria and served them (verse 23). They gathered the temple's utensils, destroyed them, and closed the doors of the temple. And he built altars to idols in every corner of Jerusalem, and high places in every city in the country (verses 24, 25). It made my heart stronger. rebelled against God.
'Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts' (Hebrews 4:7, 3:8, 14 Psalm 95:8).
“Blessed is the one who always fears, but the one who hardens his heart will fall into disaster” (Proverbs 28:14).
When Ahaz died at the age of 35, the people did not allow him to enter the tombs of the kings (verse 27).