Ahaz Ruled as King of Judah For 16 years

II Chronicles 28:1–27
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Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 16 years from Jerusalem (v. 1). He was nothing like his ancestor David as he disobeyed God and was as sinful as any of the kings of Israel (v. 2). He made idols of Baal and offered sacrifices in Hinnom Valley (v. 3). He even sacrificed his own sons and offered sacrifices at the local shrines and on every hill (v. 4). Ahaz and the people of Judah sinned and turned away from the Lord, so the Lord let their enemies defeat them (vv. 5-7). King Pekah of Israel later killed 120,000 of Judah’s bravest soldiers in one day. They also captured 200,000 women and children and took them back to Samaria, even though they were their own relatives (v. 8).  

Obed, a prophet in Samaria, met Israel’s army on their way back from Judah and told them they should not have been so cruel (v. 9). He told them that if they made slaves of the people of Judah, instead of sending them back home, they would be as guilty as they were (vv. 10-11).  At the same time four of Israel’s leaders agreed with Obed that the Israel troops were wrong, and the Lord was Angry, so the troops handed over the prisoners (vv. 12-14). The four leaders gave the prisoners some clothes and then returned to Samaria (v. 15).  

Later the Edomites attacked Judah again and carried away prisoners (vv. 16-18). Ahaz sent a message to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria for help, but God was punishing Judah (v. 19). Instead of helping, Tiglath Pileser made things worse (vv. 20-21). After all these terrible things happened to Ahaz, he sinned even worse than before (v. 22). He even tried to get the Syrian gods to help him (v. 23). This was the sin that finally led to Ahaz downfall and the destruction of Judah. He smashed the temple’s furnishings, set up altars to foreign gods and built shrines to worship them (vv. 24-25). Everything else Ahaz did is written in 1^st and 2^nd Kings (v. 26). He died, was buried and his son Hezekiah became king (v. 27).  

Application

Our words can sometimes be very sharp and cruel. Lord put a guard on my tongue.