THE LORD HUMBLED JUDAH

Passage: 2 Chronicles 28:16-27

Key verse: 19a

NIV

16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings[a] of Assyria(A) for help. 17 The Edomites(B) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,(C) 18 while the Philistines(D) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon(E) and Gederoth,(F) as well as Soko,(G) Timnah(H) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19 The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful(I) to the Lord. 20 Tiglath-Pileser[c](J) king of Assyria(K) came to him, but he gave him trouble(L) instead of help.(M) 21 Ahaz(N) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.(O)

22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful(P) to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods(Q) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.”(R) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.(S)

24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings(T) from the temple of God(U) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors(V) of the Lord’s temple and set up altars(W) at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz rested(X) with his ancestors and was buried(Y) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Chronicles 28:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also 2 Kings 16:7) king
  2. 2 Chronicles 28:19 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  3. 2 Chronicles 28:20 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser, a variant of Tiglath-Pileser
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

16 (A)At that time King Ahaz sent to the king[a] of Assyria for help. 17 For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. 18 (B)And the Philistines had made raids on (C)the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco (D)with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. 19 For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made (E)Judah act sinfully[b] and had been very unfaithful to the Lord. 20 So (F)Tiglath-pileser[c] king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21 (G)For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the Lord and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

Ahaz's Idolatry

22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. 23 For (H)he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, (I)“Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and (J)cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself (K)altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to (L)make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers. 26 (M)Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for (N)they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Chronicles 28:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 2 Kings 16:7); Hebrew kings
  2. 2 Chronicles 28:19 Or wildly
  3. 2 Chronicles 28:20 Hebrew Tilgath-pilneser
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Ahaz seeks help from Assyria, not from the LORD (16-21)

When the Edomites and the Philistines attacked Judah again, Ahaz sought help from the king of Assyria, rather than the LORD. However, it didn't work, for the king of Assyria gave him more trouble. As a result, Judah's situation became worse. Why? The LORD had humbled Judah because Ahaz promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. When God humbles us, it is time for us to repent of our unfaithfulness and seek God's help.

2. Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD (22-27)

In times of trouble, Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, thinking that the gods of the kings of Aram were more powerful and beneficial than the LORD. Ahaz went further by shutting the doors of the temple of God and introducing pagan worship to every town in Judah, which provoked God to anger and caused Ahaz's downfall and that of his people.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus' faithfulness to you and to his unfaithful children. Help me be faithful to you and to those you brought into my life.

One Word: Be faithful like Jesus