2 Chronicles 28
27 verses
Ahaz, Jotham's son, 'did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD' but instead emulated the idolatrous practices of the northern kingdom, casting idols, even offering his own sons as sacrifices, and walking in the ways of Judah's enemies. The narrative catalogs Ahaz's covenant unfaithfulness with particular emphasis on the depth and breadth of his idolatry, suggesting that his defection from the LORD is comprehensive and dramatic in a way that brings swift and overwhelming judgment. When Aram and Israel attack Judah in a military coalition, they inflict massive casualties, and the narrative explicitly states that this defeat occurs 'because they had abandoned the LORD,' establishing directly that military defeat is the divine response to covenant unfaithfulness. Ahaz seeks help from the Assyrian king rather than the LORD, establishing a pattern of trusting human political alliance over covenantal prayer that will characterize his entire reign and that extends Judah's spiritual and political decline. The prophet Isaiah confronts Ahaz with a word from the LORD, offering him a sign of God's faithfulness and promise, but Ahaz refuses, hardening himself against the LORD's merciful approach and accelerating his own judgment. Ahaz's extensive sacrifices to foreign gods and his systematic desecration of the temple and its utensils represent a near-total reversal of the covenant faithfulness that had characterized Judah's greatest kings and suggest that apostasy, once begun, escalates rapidly without the restraining influence of fear of the LORD and respect for prophetic voices.
VERSES IN THIS CHAPTER
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:
0 0Open verse page →
2
For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
4
He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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?
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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,
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
14
So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
0 0Open verse page →
God is faithful in every circumstance.. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. This conn...
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.
1 1Open verse page →
16
At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
0 0Open verse page →
17
For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.
0 0Open verse page →
18
The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth–shemesh, 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.
0 0Open verse page →
19
For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.
0 0Open verse page →
20
And Tilgath–pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 1Open verse page →
22
And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.
0 1Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
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.
0 0Open verse page →
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
No notes on this chapter yet. Be the first to write one!