Ahaz now becomes king of Judah at the age of twenty and he reigned in Judah from 732 B.C. to 716 B.C. 2 Kings 16:1-2 / 2 Chronicles 28:1. The writer informs us that he did three things wrong as leader and king of Judah. He didn’t do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, 2 Kings 16:2 / 2 Chronicles 28:1, and we are told why.
1. He didn’t walk in the way of David, 2 Kings 16:2 / 2 Chronicles 28:1-2, that, is a man after God’s own heart, who was obedient to God, Acts 13:22.
2. He offered his son as a burnt offering to Molech, 2 Kings 16:3 / 2 Chronicles 28:3 / 1 Kings 11:7 / 2 Kings 3:27, which was condemned by the prophets, 2 Kings 23:10 / Psalm 106:38 / Jeremiah 7:31 / Ezekiel 16:21.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Ahaz adopted the Moloch worship of the Ammonites and Moabites, 2 Kings 3:27 / Micah 6:7, and sacrificed at least one son, probably his firstborn, according to the horrid rites of those nations, and the Canaanite tribes, Deuteronomy 12:31 / Psalms 106:37-38.’
3. He participated in the immoral worship in the high places, 2 Kings 16:4 / 2 Chronicles 28:4. Although just before he died, he did close the temple hall and suspended the temple worship, 2 Chronicles 28:24.
The kings before him accepted Canaanite worship in the high places, but Ahaz is the first king to actually get involved in it. When we compare the words, ‘under every spreading tree’ used here, 2 Chronicles 28:4 / 2 Kings 16:4, with the way Jeremiah uses the phrase over in Jeremiah 3:6, we quickly learn that this phrase is used metaphorically for prostitution, which gives us an insight into the kind of worship Ahaz was involved with.
God had warned both the northern and southern kingdoms that they would eventually be carried away into captivity if they didn’t obey His law. God delivered Ahaz into the hands of the king of Aram, 2 Chronicles 28:5. He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him, 2 Chronicles 28:5.
Rezin and Pekah weren’t successful in their attack against Jerusalem because of the strong fortifications of the city, 2 Kings 16:5.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘2 Kings 16:5, here is practically identical to Isaiah 7:1. In fact, Isaiah probably is the author of a great many passages in Kings. From the account, in Isaiah, we learn the reason for this war against Judah. Syria, mentioned first here, was the leader of a coalition in which they had also enlisted Pekah with a projected purpose of forming a widespread alliance against the rising authority of Assyria. They desperately wanted Judah to join this coalition, and when Ahaz refused, Syria and Israel under Pekah decided to replace Ahaz on the throne of Judah with a man of their own choice, Ben-Tabeel, Isaiah 7:6.’
Cook, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A large party in Judah were weary of the house of David, Isaiah 7:13, and were ready to join the coalition. Their siege of Jerusalem was for that purpose, but although they inflicted great damage and casualties upon Judah, they could not compel the removal of Ahaz.’
In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their ancestors, 2 Chronicles 28:6. At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah, 2 Kings 16:6. Although most translations have the word Edomites, 2 Kings 16:6, some translations use the word Syrians, but it really doesn’t make any difference as to how they are described.
Isaiah makes it clear that the goal of this attack was to dethrone Ahaz and set up a Syrian king over Judah, a certain son of Tabeel, Isaiah 7:6. Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king, 2 Chronicles 28:7.
They almost succeeded in capturing Ahaz, but they couldn’t actually overcome him, 2 Kings 16:5. However, they did carry away two hundred thousand captives and much spoil, 2 Chronicles 28:8. When Israel defeated Judah, Israel wanted to take them into captivity and make slaves of one-hundred and twenty-thousand Judean soldiers and two-hundred thousand civilian hostages, but this wasn’t to be.
Notice God sent the prophet, Oded, straight away to inform Israel that they were able to defeat their brethren because God was punishing Judah for her sin, 2 Chronicles 28:9. They were to return the captives they took out of Judah and they listened to what Oded had said, and afterwards fed, clothed, and allowed the captives to return to their homes in Judah, 2 Chronicles 28:10-11.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the prophet, Obed.
‘God never stopped his pleading with the northern tribes through his holy prophets, despite the fact that within a decade, or a little less time, the Northern Israel would be destroyed and many of them transported as captives by Assyria in 722 B.C. The reign of Ahaz, 735-715 B.C. would not close until after the fall of Samaria. Thus this change of heart by some of the men of Ephraim came at a time when it was already too late. This act of mercy on their part must therefore be viewed, not as any fundamental change in the apostate Israel, but as an act of God’s mercy upon Judah, even in his judgment against them. Significantly, Nothing is known of this prophet Obed, except what is written here. There may have been many such prophets whom God sent in his futile efforts to win back from their rebellion the northern kingdom.’
Then some of the leaders in Ephraim, confronted those who were arriving from the war, 2 Chronicles 28:12. They warned them not to bring those prisoners here, or they will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel, 2 Chronicles 28:13. The soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly, 2 Chronicles 28:14.
The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked, 2 Chronicles 28:15. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm and those who were weak they put on donkeys, 2 Chronicles 28:15. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria2 Chronicles 28:15.
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, 2 Kings 16:7 / 2 Chronicles 28:16-18.
Although most translations have the word Edomites, some translations use the word Syrians, but it really doesn’t make any difference as to how they are described. They took captive those of Judah and the Philistines attacked and became successful in defeating the Judean army.
Notice that God, Himself humbled Judah because of Ahaz, 2 Kings 16:7 / 2 Chronicles 28:19 / Isaiah 7:10-16, and it appears that Ahaz couldn’t get the message of doom that was sent to him from God, and so chaos ruled. Sadly, because of his arrogance, he wouldn’t lead the people into repentance, and so, the result was a punishment from God upon the whole nation.
Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help, 2 Chronicles 28:20.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The long-time sins and apostasies of the Chosen People had all but completely erased from their hearts those basic truths and the final result of that shameful development would be rapidly revealed in the defeat and deportation, first, of Northern Israel to Assyria, 722 B.C., and later, in the defeat and captivity of Judah in Babylon, 586 B.C.’
Ahaz refused to seek help from God, despite being given a sign of assurance from Isaiah that God would help him, Isaiah 7:1-12. The sad thing concerning Ahaz is that he could have easily avoided all of this if he had listened to and taken Isaiah’s advice, Isaiah 7:4-25.
Notice that Ahaz took the gold and silver he found in the temple, 2 Kings 16:8 / 2 Chronicles 28:21. Please note that the word translated ‘gift’ in 2 Kings 16:8, is the same word also rendered ‘bribe’. Despite offering the bribe, it didn’t help him, 2 Chronicles 28:21.
Throughout Israel’s history, the stores of wealth in Jerusalem were often plundered by foreign kings or used by the kings of Judah to buy the allegiance of foreign powers, 1 Kings 14:26 / 1 Kings 15:18 / 2 Kings 12:18. Because Tiglath-Pileser killed Rezin, the king of Syria, 2 Kings 16:9, this meant that the nation of Syria no longer acted as a boundary between Syria and Israel.
In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD, 2 Chronicles 28:22. Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria and he saw a pagan god altar, 2 Kings 16:10.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Assyrian altars were not very elaborate, but they were very different from the Jewish. They were comparatively small, and scarcely suited for ‘whole burnt-offerings.’ One type was square, about half the height of a man, and ornamented round the top with a sort of battlement. Another had a triangular base and a circular top consisting of a single flat stone. A third was a sort of portable stand, narrow, and about the height of a man. This last was of the kind which the kings took with them in their expeditions.’
However, Ahaz didn’t just like the altar, he asks Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction, 2 Kings 16:10. He went as far as having a copy of it made and placed in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem, 2 Kings 16:11. It’s possible that he is now introducing these foreign gods to Israel as a way of showing his allegiance to the Assyrians and the Syrians.
Notice that Uriah the priest built the altar, 2 Kings 16:11. He is mentioned as a witness in Isaiah 8:2, but make no mistake about it, by building this altar, he was demonstrating how evil a priest he really was. He should have refused to build it, just as Azariah did when he refused to obey the king, 1 Chronicles 26:17.
When Ahaz comes back from Damascus and sees the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it, 2 Kings 16:12. 2 Chronicles 28:23, tells us he offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him because he thought the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, he will sacrifice to them so they will help me. We are told that they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel, 2 Chronicles 28:23.
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, 2 Kings 16:13. 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, 2 Kings 16:14.
The bronze altar was the original bronze altar found within the temple, 2 Kings 16:14 / Exodus 25:40 / Exodus 26:30 / 1 Chronicles 28:19. It wasn’t destroyed as some commentators suggest, Jeremiah 52:17-20, but it appears that all of its purposes were transferred to the new altar designed after Ahaz’s orders.
Ahaz orders Uriah the priest to 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 on the large new altar, 2 Kings 16:15. Uriah is to slash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices, 2 Kings 16:15.
It appears that the original bronze altar now has second place, in the eyes of Ahaz, he moves it to a place where he can inquire of the Lord, 2 Kings 16:15 / Ezekiel 21:36. Uriah did just as Ahaz had ordered, 2 Kings 16:16.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The writer condemns the obsequiousness of Urijah, whose conduct was the more inexcusable after the noble example of his predecessor Azariah, 2 Chronicles 26:17-20.’
Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands and removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base, 2 Kings 16:17 / Jeremiah 52:17 / Jeremiah 52:20. 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, 2 Kings 16:18.
Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in piece and shut the doors of the temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 28:24. In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of God, 2 Chronicles 28:25.
He blatantly carries on building altars to false gods and he blatantly encourages the people to be apostates. He brings Judah into such a spiritual state, that even the people wouldn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings when he died.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His adoption of the Syrian gods, Hadad, Rimmon, and others, as objects of worship, no doubt preceded the destruction of Damascus by the Assyrians, 2 Kings 16:9.’
The other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah and Israel, 2 Kings 16:19 / 2 Chronicles 28:26 / Isaiah 7:10-13 / 2 Chronicles 29:3 / 2 Chronicles 29:7. Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel, 2 Kings 16:20 / 2 Chronicles 28:27.
Ahaz was arguably the worst of Judah and after his death, his son, Hezekiah, now becomes king, 2 Kings 16:20 / 2 Chronicles 28:27.