📖 2Chronicles Chapter 28

Ahaz, one of the most evil king of Judah, did not follow the steps of his father Jotham and his grandfather Uzziah and great grandfather Amaziah and Joash. Rather he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel.
📝 Prophet Isaiah had encouraged King Ahaz not to be afraid of the Northern Coalition: King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel (7:3-9)
But Ahaz had turned a deaf ear to the counsel of Isaiah to trust in God.

📌 THE WICKEDNESS OF AHAZ:
✔️ He promote the Baal worship (v 2)
✔️ He sacrificed his sons in the fire (v 3)
✔️ He burned incense and offered sacrifices at the high places, on the hilltops and under the big trees (v 4)

✅ All these evil practices had provoked the Lord to anger. Thus, the Lord handed Ahaz to the king of Aram and as well as to the kings of Israel (v 5 – 8).

✅ There was constant danger coming out from Edomites and the Philistines (v 17 – 18)

✅ Ahaz, instead of seeking God’s help, sent messengers to seek the help from Tiglath – Pileser the king of Assyria along with the gold and silver taken out from the temple of the Lord as a special gifts for him (2Kings 16:7-9)

✅ Thus, the king of Assyria defeated Judah’s enemies and captured Damascus (2kings 16:9)

✅ May be to give thanks to the king of Assyria, Ahaz went down to Damascus to meet Tiglath – Pileser (2Kings 16:10)

📌 AHAZ IN DAMASCUS (2Kings 16:10-11)
🔖 He saw an altar and was impressed.
🔖 He sent the sketch of the altar to Uriah the priest.
🔖 He gave order to construct the replica of it in Jerusalem.

📌 AHAZ RETURN TO JERUSALEM (2Kings 16:12 – 14)
🔖 He saw the altar and was happy.
🔖 He presented his offerings :
🔥 Burnt Offering
🌾 Grain Offering
🥂 Drink Offering
🤝🏽 Fellowship Offering
❌ No Sin Offering.

📌 OUTCOME OF DAMASCUS TRIP (v 24 – 25)
➡️ Ahab took away the furnishings from the temple of God.
➡️ He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple.
➡️ He set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.
➡️ He built high places to burn sacrifices to pagan gods in every town.
➡️ He used the bronze altar for seeking guidance (2Kings 16:15d)

Ahaz began his reign with a staggering range of IDOLATRIES and ended with SHUTTING THE DOORS OF THE LORD’S TEMPLE (v 1-4, 24)

💕 Beloved Church, Jesus said,” We are in the world but not of the world. Let us WALK carefully or else the door of the Lord’s temple would be shut down / closed for the world to come in because of OUR BAD CONDUCT.

Glory to God 🙌
✍🏽 Mark Boje
Arunachal Pradesh, India 🇮🇳