11 Chronicles Chapter 28

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

• 2Chronicles 28:1  Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: 
• 2  For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. 
• 3  Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 
• 4  He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 

This is so heartbreaking. They would put their children or babies into the arms of images of Baal which they heated up very hot and lay the child in to sacrifice them to idols. This was a practice so evil which the northern kingdom had gotten into first. Now a king of Judah began to do these things. This was why God wanted the former Caananites to be completely wiped out. This practice of Baal worship was why. He didn't want the Israelites to follow the ways of the Canaanites which included horrible child sacrifices. The suffering of the children must have been so bad that they had to make noise to drown out the screams. They do this today only it's called abortion. When a baby is alive and kicking within a mother's womb, and someone deliberately kills it, it is murder. People can repent over these things but if they do not find God or repent in their lifetime, they will stand before God on the day of judgment to pay for their sins.

Judah Defeated

• 2Chronicles 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. 

What leaders of all nations should realize that without God's hand of protection anything can happen. Anything. Good godly leadership over nations is vital for the good of all. We need God. That is why Jesus came as a substitute for our sins. Once we receive Him we can overcome this stuff and work righteousness. We can't force anyone to receive or believe in Jesus but a righteous leader can have godly law and order to protect the innocent especially the little children. This stuff must have been going on before the flood of Noah. Violence was very bad then. It starts when we abandon the Holy one. Our creator and our God. Without His presence, evil prevails because the enemy of our souls can start deceiving men into thinking evil is good and good is evil. It's happening again in our day.

• 2Chronicles 28:7  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.

When God's hand of protection is removed some will take that opportunity and go a little too far. Now the northern kingdom of Israel takes advantage of this and takes captive of their brethren from among Judah. God has to send a prophet to them for correction. 

• 2Chronicles 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. 

Oded came out and warned them of God's judgment when they were just as evil. In fact their nation fell into this evil years before the kingdom of Judah became that way. I notice today that even politicians will accuse the opposing party of the same things they do themselves. We assume God doesn't see this but He does and they will stand before Him one day. There is a God, there is a creator, evolution is a impossible lie and we will all find out one day what the truth is but for some it will be too late.

• 2Chronicles 28:12  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. 

Thankfully some listened to the prophet and did what they could to make things right. God always has some that will do right. Praise the Lord. Except for the grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ, many of us might still be doing this crazy stuff. Do we think for one minute that the nation of the United States got the constitution it has with fair and balanced law and order by accident? It was ordained of God. Granted not all politicians and leaders kept the fair and balanced law, but God showed us the way to have it. He allows us to choose whether or not we keep it and follow after His word and His righteousness.

What many have tried to do to Donald Trump for instance, is a threat to our Republic. Are we going to choose to lose what we had and become a place that does evil, have tyrants for leaders, and keep ignoring God, thereby losing His hand of protection upon our country? Our we going to keep voting for those that are corrupt instead? They now have gender surgery to ruin the health and well being of children, babies ready to be born alive, killed in the womb and some even being allowed to be born alive and then their organs harvested. Do we not know that God sees this?

Read the Old Testament and see what happens to nations that do these things. If it wasn't for what Jesus did on our behalf and sending His Holy Spirit within those that receive Him there would be none that does any good. When I was in grade school, we started our day with the pledge of allegiance and the Lord's prayer. In the sixties that was outlawed but everything else came in. There were no school shootings when I was a child. None. We need God back.

• 2Chronicle 28:16  At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. 
• 17  For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. 
• 18  The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. 
• 19  For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD. 
• 20  And Tilgathpilneser 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. 

He tried to bribe the king of Assyria to help. That fell through. All he would have had to do was stop sinning, repent and ask God for help.

Ahaz's Idolatry

• 2Chronicles 28:22  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. 
• 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. 
• 25  And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers. 
• 26  Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 
• 27  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. 

Ahaz assumed mistakenly that the false gods of Damascus and Syria would have helped them against their enemies so he decided to worship their gods so their gods would help him. How foolish was that? Just like the other evil kings, the people hated him in the end for leading them into evil. He was not put in the sepulchers of the kings. Tyrants and evil bullies end up the same. They are hated; for people do not serve them out of loyalty but out of fear. He got worse and never once repented.

They are headed now toward the 70 year captivity prophesied by Jeremiah and other prophets. Hezekiah is a good king who comes next and delays that for a few years but it was coming. We do not get by with evil in the long run. The worship of idols brings in evil faster than almost anything else. It steals, kills and destroys nations because Satan is behind every false worship or false religion. Ahaz was a miserable badly deceived human being. It is sad to read about. DJC

11 Chronicles Chapter 29