CHAPTER 28

(741 B.C.)

AHAZ REIGNS OVER JUDAH

1Ahaz 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 (in fact, Ahaz was one of the most ungodly kings who ever ruled over Judah):

2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim (this was a characteristic sin of Israel, but Judah had not previously been guilty of making molten images during the recent past).

3Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire (human sacrifice), after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the Children of Israel (the intimation is, if Judah continued in this particular fashion, they would be cast out exactly as the heathen of old; in fact, thats exactly what ultimately happened!).

4He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree (in other words, he engaged in idolatry to the hilt).

AHAZ CONQUERED BY ISRAEL AND SYRIA

5Wherefore 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.

6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 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 (the reason for the judgment is obviously clear!).

7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the kings son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

8And the Children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren (of Judah) two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

THE PROPHET

9But a Prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host who came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have killed them in a rage that reaches up unto Heaven (the particular language in which this is set forth proclaims the inference of its abomination in Gods sight).

10And now you purpose to keep under the Children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you (slaves): but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

11Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you (in other words, the Lord is going to do to you what you have done to Judah, if you do not quickly make amends).

12Then 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 who came from the war,

13And said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel (for once, somebody heeded the Prophet of God!).

14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

15And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who 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.

EDOMITES AND PHILISTINES INVADE JUDAH

16At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him (after all the problems of being defeated by both Syria and Israel, still, Ahaz will not seek the Face of the Lord, but, instead, will lean on the arm of man, and heathen man, at that).

17For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

18The 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.

19For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel (Israel is used in place of Judah, signifying the fact that the Lord looked at Judah as the legitimate Israel); for he made Judah naked (naked to the Judgment of God), and transgressed sore against the LORD (the judgment that the Lord brings is always redemptive in its application; it is intended to bring the person or the nation to repentance; in this case, it would not).

20And Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not (so, his effort to get the king of Assyria to help him only resulted in them walking on him, so to speak).

21For 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 (they took advantage of him, knowing that he could not do anything about it).

22And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz (the Holy Spirit uses this latter phrase in order to point him out; there are three other especially branded transgressors in the Word of God; they are: Cain [Gen. 4:15], Dathan, and Abiram [Num. 26:9]).

23For 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 (when we read the account of Ahaz, his plight because of his rebellion seems to be so clear, and yet most of the world, and even the Church, seek help from that other than God; I speak of witchcraft or humanistic psychology).

24And 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 the every corner of Jerusalem. (Tragically, the Church is presently shutting the covers of the Bible, the only revealed Body of Truth in the world. Most preaching and teaching of that which professes to be the Word of God is, rather, psychology. Psychology places the emphasis on the person or the problem instead of Christ and the Cross. There is no profit in the victim or the symptom; there is only profit in the Victor, Who is Christ.)

25And 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 (anything that departs from the Bible, be it the obvious evil of Ahaz or the subtle proposed solution of psychology, angers the Lord of Glory).

DEATH OF AHAZ

26Now 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.

27And 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 (it is with great relief that the Holy Spirit closes out the sordid history of Ahaz; today he is in Hell, and will be there forever and forever!).