Ahaz King of Judah

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

I. Ahaz’s Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

11th King of Judah

Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah (Athaliah), Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham

Ascended to the Throne at 20, Reigned for 16 years (2Chr. 28:1)

If you line up the dates, it appears that he spent four years as co-regent with his father Jotham before taking the throne solely and reigning for 16 years afterwards.

He ascended to the throne at twenty and reigned for sixteen years.

During the Reigns of Pekah, and Hoshea

As we studied the final kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, we see that Hosea was the final king.

The northern kingdom would not fall during Ahaz's reign but it would in his son Hezekiah's.

He reigned during the reigns of Pekah and Hoshea.

II. Ahaz’s Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

Walking in the Way of the Kings of Israel (2Ki. 16:2; 2Chr. 28:2)

In other words he followed after idolatry and led his people in the same manner.

Any kind of the southern lineage compared to the northern kings is an insult in the highest degree.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel.

Sacrificing his Son(s) (2Ki. 16:3; 2Chr. 28:3)

In 2nd Kings 16:3 the terminology is sometimes confusing. What it means is that he had offered up his son for a sacrifice.

In 2 Chronicles 28:3 it gives a clearer picture as to what he did. It also alludes to the fact that he not only offered his son but children (as in plural). Therefore it appears that he sacrificed more than one child.

This could be a very deep and interesting study because the Bible tells us that this practice not only was not a part of the Mosaic law but it was something that the heathen did.

And so as we consider the practice as being detestable, which it is, for you and me, and unimaginable, I'd be curious as to where the heathen got the idea to do this in the first place.

Because when you think about it, it's what God did for us.

It is also what God commanded Moses to do, but he did not let him go through with it.

Is it possible that the heathen took the pictures in the Word of God and what God would do for us and twisted it?

Could it be that in their vanity they fashioned themselves to be gods themselves?

He sacrificed his son.

Now know this: children are sacrificed in America every day. They may not pass through flames. They just have their skin burnt off of them with a saline solution or ripped limb from limb with a suction hose.

We think of the horror of placing your child upon a fiery altar. It is no worse than what transpires in America daily.

He's known for sacrificing his son.

A Crumbling Country Under Assault (2Chr. 28:5; 17-18)

(Show the picture)

We see that Syria and the Northern Kingdom have teamed up to go against them. Also the Philistines from the West and the Edomites from the South are fighting against them as well.

The nation is in a mess and it seems that they are in a far worse position than the Northern Kingdom. The northern kingdom has an ally and at first they had none.

But looks can be deceiving.

He's known for presiding over a crumbling country under assault. But it's important to recognize why they were in this situation and that was because of his sin.

For His Sin (2Chr. 28:19)

To demonstrate the omniscience of God we see that while his father was yet king, God was preparing judgment for Ahaz before he ever took the throne 2 Kings 15:37 “In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.”

I think it's important to note something I am more aware of now as I have gone through this political process: I have noticed that the people in the land’s Spiritual welfare is tied as much or more to their political leader than it is to the priesthood.

We have seen and will see priests of the Lord stand against the political leaders and those that have been compliant to them but God does not tie the spiritual welfare of the people to the priesthood but to the political leaders.

I've never thought of it in that fashion before here recently but it's a true statement.

Being that it's a true statement, it's truly sad that in this nation we have the opportunity to select our leaders and the majority of the public pays little to no attention to who they are electing.

This nation suffered judgment because of Ahaz's sin.

Becoming Tributary to Assyria (2Ki. 16:7-9; 2Chr. 28:21)

Being that Ahaz was in a bad way, being judged because of his sin - given that he was a heathen, he rejected God's help and trusted in man. He made a league with Assyria and it solved the immediate problem but put them under another and at that time they became a subject to Assyria.

They became tributary to Assyria under Ahaz. This would change under his son but for the time being they were subject unto Syria.

Rebuked from Isaiah (Isa. 7)

The book of Isaiah spends time dealing with Ahaz and his sin, and we learn some special insight into him.

God assures Ahaz through Isaiah that their attempted overthrow will not happen. (v3-7)

God promises that Israel is going to be cast down. (v8)

Isaiah explains faith is the key (v9)

He gives Ahaz an option for a sign - any sign at all (v11)

Ahaz refuses (not out of humility, but out of a lack of faith as he’s already set in motion his saviour which is not God, but rather Assyria. (v12)

Isaiah goes on to give a prophesy of Christ as a sign and Judgments to come (Isa. 7:20-25; 8:7) and how Assyria is His tool (Isa. 10:5-6 but will also cast them down (Isa. 10:7-16)

III. What Makes him Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

A Season of Sin Results in Long-Term Suffering (Isa. 7)

Ahaz’s lack of faith and his sin Brought him a moment of relief but it also gave him a lifetime of sorrow.

The Bible speaks of the pleasures of sin for a season in Hebrews 11:25, And it's something that we commonly know. But as common knowledge this seems, you would think that more people would understand it and avoid it better.

(Ill.) Consider the drug addict… Or the alcoholic Of the fornicator Or the gambling addict… you scratch off a $20 winner and you spend $50 trying to ‘hit it big’ again.

How many children go hungry or go to foster homes because of drugs, alcohol? How many homes / life savings have been lost due to gambling? How many marriages are destroyed because of adultery? How many children grow up without a stable 2-parent home because of fornication?

When you allow sin into your life it often has a ‘pandora’s box’ effect in that it opens up senses in you that dominate your mind and actions. The science world has a name for it called ‘endorphins’. The Bible has a word for it called ‘demons’.

This is why we must guard constantly against initial sin so that it doesn’t become habitual sin.

A season of sin often results in long-term suffering.

God’s Grace Offers Salvation - even to the Worst of Men (Isa. 7:1-11)

Ahaz was about as bad a man as you can get. Yet God extended unto him grace.

Church, know this: you cannot earn grace. You do not deserve grace. Grace is something extended to people who don't deserve it.

Ahaz certainly didn't deserve it but God gave him an opportunity. If he would only put his faith in God, he could have overcome Syria and Israel without becoming a tributary to Assyria. Not because he was good or deserved it but because of God's grace.

Church, it's very easy for you and me to look at the product of our hands and the life in which we live. I hope that you live an upright life, in private as you do in public. What's very easy to do is to begin to think that you earned it or you deserve it.

Church, the only thing you truly deserve is a lake of fire.

What often keeps men from fully serving the Lord is pride. They take credit for the things in their life, therefore they feel no compunction to serve the Lord. Indeed as well as word.

Everything you have, everything you've done, everything you've accomplished, every good thing in your life is a gift of God by His grace. When you realize that you'll become a servant like you'd never thought.

God's grace offers salvation even to the worst of men.

Sin and Covetousness Causes One to “Set Aside” God (2Ki. 16:10-15)

As we consider the descriptors in 2Ki. 16 of what happened to the Temple after Ahaz went to Damascus, it gives us a really good illustration of what happens when we let sin and covetousness come into our lives.

(Show pictures)

So they literally took the brazen altar - which pictures Jesus Christ - and set it to the side to worship another.

I’ve seen this play out in the hearts of men time and again. Something comes into a man’s life and God gets set aside and we begin worshipping on another altar.

The altar of sports, children, popularity - we begin to set God to the side to spend all our time on something else.

We must be careful not to set aside God when other things come into our life.

Obedience unto God > Man (2Ki. 16:10-11)

This point is more on Uriah the priest than it is on Ahaz in that he should have been a protector of God and the things of God rather than being obedient to Ahaz.

Peter answered this question: Acts 5:27–29 “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

(Ill.) This was (IMO) an important doctrine to understand during Covid, as we had quite the opposite on many fronts. Now that we’ve gotten through the madness of that, they are now talking about Hantanavirus or something like that and how “Covid killed 3%, this is killing 30-40%”. The fear tactics are already being whispered… Don’t think we can’t have the madness of Covid again? Let me ask you this: Did you ever think you’d have to debate whether boys should be in girls bathrooms?

We need to keep in mind that no matter what man or government says, God is always greater and we should always be obedient unto Him first.

Things aren’t Always What they Seem (2Chr. 28:22-23)

To Ahaz's eye it seemed as though Syria's gods were greater because Syria had the victory.

What was his problem?

He was looking through the eyes of a natural man instead of that of God.

He was looking at things carnally rather than spiritually.

Whenever we're approached with a problem, our immediate take could be one thing and it could seem as though it's obvious but the best course of action is always to take a step back and look at it in a spiritual sense because I'm here to tell you things aren't always what they seem.

Things aren't always what they seem. We must examine things spiritually if we are to make wise decisions.

Conclusion