In this chapter, we find out God’s plan for Judah, and why He sent others to attack Judah, the place where God promised the seed of David would rule forever. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah’s reign in Israel. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. (Wow!) He imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. (Wow! How do you go from several years of doing what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord, seeing the God-like examples of the leadership before you, to being this far away from the Lord your God???)
Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel declared war on Ahaz. They besieged Jerusalem but did not conquer it. (Ok, now this makes sense. In the previous chapter, it stated that the Lord began to send King Rezin and King Pekah to attack Judah. It’s obvious that the Lord is not happy with King Ahaz, and it looks like God is shaking things up.) At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day. (Wow!)
King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: “I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel.” Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the Lord and the palace treasury and sent it as a gift to the Assyrian king. (Wow! This king is banking from all of his dealings with the kings of Israel and now Judah!) So the Assyrians attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. They also killed King Rezin.
King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he noticed an unusual altar. So he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail. Uriah built an altar just like it by following the king’s instructions, and it was ready for the king when he returned from Damascus. When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it. The king presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, poured a drink offering over it, and sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on it.
Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from the front of the Lord’s Temple, which had stood between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar. He said to Uriah the priest, “Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, and the offerings of the people, including their drink offerings. The blood from the burnt offerings and sacrifices should be sprinkled over the new altar. The old bronze altar will be only for my personal use.” Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz instructed him.
Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement. In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been constructed inside the palace for use on the sabbath day, as well as the king’s outer entrance to the Temple of the Lord. (This does not sound good. If I am not mistaken, Solomon built the Temple of God according to God’s instructions, and now Ahaz seems to be making some significant changes. I wonder how the Lord will respond?)
The rest of the events in Ahaz’s reign and his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. When Ahaz died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king. (2 Kings 16)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us follow your lead, and your lead only...never wavering from your instructions. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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