Read 2 Kings 16
Ahaz King of Judah
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
5 Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. 6 At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.
7 Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it. 13 He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.
15 King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” 16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
17 King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. 18 He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.
19 As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
Go Deeper
Ahaz is one in a long line of kings who had a short reign full of evil. We see that he not only replaced the Lord’s altar and spoiled the temple, but he also even burned his own son as an offering, much like the people God had previously driven out of Israel. Ahaz returned to the times of sinful offerings in the high places and reigned in wickedness.
While it is easy on this side of history to judge Ahaz and kings like him, theologian Matthew Henry reminds us: “It is common for those who bring themselves straight by one sin, to try and help themselves out by another.” Ahaz’s failure to respect the Sabbath “opened a wide inlet to all manners of sin.” Haven’t we all found ourselves in that unfortunate cycle? One small sin leads to another, and eventually we find ourselves idolizing success, prosperity, and living in a way that we never thought possible. We look up and see we are in the “high places,” offering up our time and talents to the wrong things.
As the son of Jotham and an ancestor of David, Ahaz had plenty of examples of how to live a God-fearing life. Instead, he rejected the ways of God and chose to live in ungodly ways. Micah 7 provides a stark and bleak description of the result of Ahaz’s failures. The only way we can prevent ending up in the same situation is to maintain an eternal focus through time spent in the Word, in communication with God, and within the biblical community surrounding us, which pushes us in the right direction.
As Matthew Henry explains, our natural tendencies when not regulated by the Word of God “produce absurd superstition or detestable idolatries….or at best quiet our conscience with meaningless ceremonies and ridiculous falsehoods.” We know that the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12). We also know that prayer and confession have great power (James 5:16). We need to arm ourselves with these three things as we face the spiritual battles that come each day. Today, as we pray and reflect on this passage, instead of sitting back and judging the actions of Ahaz, let’s acknowledge that our natural tendencies would lead us to be exactly like him.
Questions
- What meaningless ceremonies or ridiculous falsehoods might be crowding out the presence of God in your life?
- If you find yourself in a place where you are giving offerings to the wrong gods if your life (success, fame, anger, justice), spend time in prayer and confession today.
- Are you trying to help yourself out of one sin by committing another? Write down anything the Holy Spirit lays on your heart as a sin that is keeping you from living the life God desires for you.
Did You Know?
Dr. Thomas Constable, a retired seminary professor and commentator, noted this about the death and burial of Ahaz:
“The godly people in Judah gave Ahaz a respectable burial (v. 20), but they did not honor him by burying him in the royal tombs with the good Judean kings (2 Chron. 28:27).”
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4 responses to “2 Kings 16”
Ahaz was a man chasing freedom but instead found bondage. He looked to the world for answers when all along God was trying to give hi His answers. He came from good “stock” but that didnt help. He had people, prophets speaking into his life but he didnt listen. He was even offered a sign from heaven and he refused that.(Isa 7:10-11). He wanted control. He was after the bottom line of kingship.
BUT GOD
In response to Ahaz’s stubbornness, God declared: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa 7:14)
Even though he/we chase our idols and compromises God was promising a King who would never fail.
God’s promises are yes and amen. He promised David’s kingdom will be a “forever kingdom” and it was.
God thank You for receptive heart to see what is written, to hear with shema hearing, with obedience. God thank You for the idols in my life that You show me and help me get rid of them. Thank You for being able to stand firm on Your Word. That my yes mean yes. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10. I am thankful being on alert, to be strong. God help me to continue to not fear because I DO know You are my God and You are with me, will strengthen me, and You uphold me minutely. God I stand firm in my identity of who I am in Christ Jesus. God thank You for the minutes of this day. Thank You for my mind stayed on You, that I am the daughter of the most High King. Thank You for these minutes of this day that my thoughts, actions, and words give You glory in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God I lift up JP,right now, I come before Your throne boldly. God Your word says we are healed by the broken body of Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 2:24: “‘He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed.’” I stand in the gap for JP today for that healing. God give him or dr wisdom on what is going on in his body. I stand in faith with him and all who are praying for him that the adversary is stopped. Christ blood has covered JP and the wiles of the devil have to cease in Jesus name. Thank You God for complete restoration within his body and knowledge to know what has happened. God thank You for JP’s story which is YOur story. God bless Monica and the kiddos beyond comprehension. Thank You for amazing reports that give You all glory and honor in Jesus name amen
WOOHOOagain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There’s much in the story of King Ahaz that is cringe-worthy. It’s difficult to read of child sacrifice and the desecration of the temple of God. Although he had great examples in his father and grandfather, he willfully chose wickedness. We must examine our hearts carefully to see how worldly influences are shaping us. His ways are far better than anything the world may offer. Matthew 16:26 challenges us this way, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
3 and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
The evidence is overwhelming that Ahaz was a terrible king and a terrible person. And yet as we will soon read, his son, Hezekiah, will be an amazing king.
The impact of our lives can be independent of our ancestry!
We see King Ahaz making compromises that lead him away from God. He sought help from the king of Assyria instead of relying on Yahweh. This teaches us the importance of standing firm in our faith and not compromising our beliefs for worldly solutions. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2