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2 Kings Chapter 16
Ahaz Reigns in Judah
- 2Kings 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.
Sometimes I want to cry out to God when
I read of those who know to do good but do not. They have heard
about God yet ignore or purposely depart from the ways of God
choosing rather to do what they want no matter who it hurts. It
hurts themselves more than the others because they set the example.
Now we have one who became one of us,
was born of God but came to die for our sins, and rose again from
the dead to give us eternal life, forgiveness of all sins, a new
body that can never suffer or die, treasure in Heaven, our names
written in the book of life and much more. Through faith in Jesus
(Yeshua in Hebrew), we become a new creature. Old things pass away
and all things become new. Yet sadly not everyone believes in Jesus
the very Son of God that is the Messiah of Israel and savior to all
who will believe.
This king departed from that which is
holy and right for the worship of devils, the worship of Baal, and
idols which can never grant us eternial life but paves the road to
eternal hell and suffering. Why, why why. This king made his own sons pass
through fire. All this to control people and be king over a kingdom
that will not last.
Ahaz was one of the most wicked kings
of Judah. Not only made his sons pass through fire but burned them
in the fire as a sacrifice to idols. He did not care for the
sufferings of his children in fire. He was that evil. Not realizing
that he would suffering for eternity in hell if he did not repent
and turn away from evil. He will actually feel the fires of hell
forever.
- 2Kings 16:5 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.
- 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to
Tiglathpileser 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.
- 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.
- 10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to
meet Tiglathpileser 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 enquire 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.
It would seem here as if Ahaz changed the
altars and worship in the house of God to please the king of
Assyria. He got rid of the worship of the real God and began to
worship the false gods of Assyria instead. This may be what opened
the door to Babylon later taking Judah captive as the Assyrians took
Israel captive. Judah's captivity to Babylon lasted 70 years until
time of the time of Medes and Persians taking over Babylon. What a
sad state the sins of evil kings brought upon their own country. No
nation will get by with evil. They eventually will fall.
It would seem as if the fear of being taken
over by the Assyrians was greater than his fear of God. However, it
didn't work in the long run. Eventually Israel was conquered by the
Assyrians and later the tribe of Judah fell under the kingdom of
Babylon. -DC
2 Kings Chapter 17
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