Summary:
Ahaz King of Judah
Verses 1-27
Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem for 16 years. Unlike his father (ancestor) David, he did evil in God's eyes. He walked in the ways of the Israelite kings by making cast idols to worship the Baals, burning sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, and sacrificing his sons in the fire. Judah behaved like the nations that God had driven out from Israel. They offered sacrifices and burnt incense at the high places, hilltops, and every spreading tree.
God allowed the Arameans to defeat Ahaz and to take many people as prisoners to Damascus. He allowed Israel to inflict many casualties on Ahaz. In one day, Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah, because they had forsaken God. Zicri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah son of Ahaz; Azrikam, the palace officer; and Elkanah, the king's second. The Israelites took 200,000 wives, sons, daughters, and a lot of plunder to Samaria.
The Lord's prophet, Oded, met the army in Samaria. He told Israel that God had given them Judah, because He was angry with them. But, Israel had slaughtered Judah in a rage that reached heaven, and they were planning on making the Judeans their slaves. However, Israel was also guilty before God. God commanded them to send back their fellow countrymen, because God's fierce anger rested on Israel.
Some of the Ephraimite leaders - Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai - confronted those arriving from war. They told the soldiers to send back the prisoners, because they would otherwise add to their great sin and guilt. So, the soldiers surrendered the prisoners and plunder in front of everyone. Men, designated by name, clothed, fed, and supplied, with healing balm, the prisoners. They gave donkeys to the weak and returned them all to Jericho, the City of Palms. The soldiers, then, returned to Samaria.
Meanwhile, King Ahaz sent to Assyria for help. The Edomites had attacked Judah and taken prisoners, while Philistines raided the towns in the foothills and the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, Gizmo, and their surrounding villages. The Lord humbled Judah, because of Ahaz, who had promoted wickedness and unfaithfulness. Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, gave Ahaz trouble, not help. Ahaz took things from the temple, royal palace, and from the princes to give to Tiglath-Pileser, but it didn't help.
Ahaz, then, became even more unfaithful. He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, because he thought they were stronger, since he'd been defeated by Damascus. This led to his and all of Israel's downfall. He took all the furnishings away from the temple and shut the temple doors. He set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. He also built high places for other gods in every town, which provoked God's anger.
The other events of Ahaz are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. He rested with his fathers and was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the tombs of Israel's kings. His son, Hezekiah, then became king.
Lori's Thoughts:
Although Judah was guilty, Israel was also guilty, and for much longer. Although Judah was sporadically righteous, God did not allow them to be wiped out. When we sin, God allows us to be punished, so we will learn the consequences of our actions. He looks for the gaps in our sinful nature to save us.
Isn't that incredible?! God never looks at the gaps in our righteousness to condemn us. But, He does work with us to remove our unrighteousness from our lives, which only hurt us.
It's interesting that some of the Israelites feared God enough to obey His word through the prophet Oded. However, they were unwilling to turn back to Him. I hope the devil never gets such a strong hold on any of you. But, my God is greater and can save you, if you are that deep, if you want Him to.
Not only were the Judeans set free, they were sent with supplies for their journey.
"And my God will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
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