2 Chronicles 28

“Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done. For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.  And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.”  2 Chronicles 28:1-5 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, we get to peer under the “hood” of God’s rebuke and see the mechanics of chastening from every angle. We begin with a young king, not quite old enough to buy beer. Age, in & of itself, is not a problem, but Ahaz’s admiration for the sophisticated choices of worship in the Northern kingdom led him to imitate his cousins. A little leaven spoils the whole lump, and King Ahaz’s personal choice to compromise spreads throughout the entire kingdom. Speed of the leader, speed of the team. The problem was that the very culture Ahaz sought to imitate was the one that defeated & took him captive, along with his people, the tribe of Judah.

“And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.” 2 Chronicles 28:8 (NKJV)

But all is not lost! God sends His Word to Judah’s Israelite brothers/captors. He lets Israel know that their defeat of Judah is not because of His blessing. They themselves were idolaters. No, God had been using the Northern Kingdom of Israel to teach Judah a lesson: If you worship their idols, you will suffer their fate. It was a forecast, not only to Judah but also to Israel, as to what Assyria would shortly do to them for the same sins. NOTE: Just because the Lord is using you to rebuke someone else does not mean that He condones your sin any more than theirs.

“But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: ‘Look, because the Lord God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.’” 2 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)

WHY? The sad truth of today’s chapter is that the rebuke from the Lord was all avoidable. We must commit to seeking God’s Word, obeying & sharing it with others.

“For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 28:19 (NKJV)