Ahaz II Chronicles 28

II Chronicles 28:1 "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he DID NOT that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father; v2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim."

Ahaz reigned between the times of two good kings. His father Jotham did pretty well but was hampered by the legacy of his father who was a bad king. Following Ahaz is Hezekiah who is a very good king of Judah.

Ahaz reigned sixteen years and crammed a lot of wrong doing into those sixteen years. He immediately turned to worshipping idols. He dishonored the house of the LORD and even went so far as to burn his children.

v3 "Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel."

He further brought back the high places and spread them as far as he could.

v4 "He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree."

It is as if he was daring God to do something about it. He was delivered into the hands of the Syrians and others went about Judah slaying the people. Even Israel carried people away to make them servants or slaves. A group of the leaders of Israel arose to stop this though. They said we have sinned enough without this.

v13 "And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."

The people held captive were freed. They were given clothing, food and drink and returned as far as Jericho.

Ahaz tried to buy some help but after taking his the money he stole from the house of the LORD they did not help him. v21

Ahaz did not repent and was buried in Jerusalem instead of with the kings.

v24 "And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem."

I know that must have been a terrible sixteen years for Judah but they survived and a new king, actually the son of Ahaz, came to power and tried his best to turn the people back to God. We should note that his mother was not mentioned.

Psalm 4:3 "But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call unto him."

Ahaz, a bad king who turned to idols.

-----------------------------
Advertisement: Mother's Coat

Jotham II Chronicles 27

II Chronicles 27:1 "Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok."

Jotham had been doing the kings business already in the king's house because his father had gotten leprosy and moved out into other residence.

Jotham was a good king but never went into the temple, I expect because of what happened to his father.

v2 "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly."

Jotham, too, was a builder and a warrior and was successful in both. He fought the king of the Ammonites and took tribute from them.

v6 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God."

He reigned 16 years. Ahaz, his son, took over then.

Psalm 95:3 "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Jotham reigns as king.

Uzziah II Chronicles 26

II Chronicles 26:1 "Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah." "He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers." v2

It almost seemed like the author was opening and closing king Uzziah's life in two verses but he goes on in verse 3.

We are going through what I would describe some minor kings of Judah with some peaks here and there after David and Solomon. They are drifting toward the captivity. Israel has already turned to idols but Judah has been preserved because of God's promise to David that he would not let his kingly line fail.

v3 "Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. v4 "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did."

It should be noted that the Bible is particular about pointing out the mother of these kings. I believe we will find that the line of David was preserved through the mothers. We will have to study further on that.

v5 "And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding int he visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper."

'As long as he sought the LORD' is a good phrase to remember. It has been the key phrase in the nation Israels problems from the beginning. When they turned from the LORD, the enemy was victorious. When they were true to the LORD, the kingdom prospered.

Uzziah made war and was successful. He was a builder also and was successful in that. But he had a bit of an ego problem them.

v16 "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense."

He was quickly reproved by the priest who told him it was not for him to burn incense but for the priest of Aaron. v17-18. It made Uzziah mad when the priest told him that and he raised a hand toward the priest with a censor in it.

v19 "Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar."

Uzziah was run out of the house of the LORD because of the leprosy and dwelt in another house instead of the king's house. Neither could he enter the house of the LORD. His son Jotham took care of his business at the king's house and Uzziah never recovered and died a leper king. So after he died Jotham ruled in his place.

It is not good to be lifted up in our own eyes.

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Uzziah, a good king, is brought down by his own ego.