II Kings Chapter 16
Please read: II Kings 16 –
What we read in this chapter is the account of one of Judah’s most evil kings that ever sat on the throne. He not only was defiant against the living God, but he commanded the priests of the temple to do things they knew to be wrong. It was as if this king purposely wanted to destroy what his father and forefathers had built in Judah. It makes you wonder how this could have happened. How do people go so far from the pattern that was set by their parents? It is a question that can only be answered with one word – sin. People are sometimes bent on sinning and doing what pleases themselves only. We know that the only cure for sin is repentance to God.
Ahaz was known for taking on the worship and ways of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering. This was a known cult that sacrificed their children to the god Molech. This was satanic worship. The devil has always been about getting people to kill children. It was a horrible way for an infant to die. The idol of Molech was heated with fire till burning hot and then the infant was placed in the idol’s hands, alive. They beat drums to drown out the sounds of the baby screaming in pain and left the infant there to die.
Let's Reflect
1. What does the Bible call this act of sacrificing one’s baby to an idol?
2. In verses 5 and 6 we read that now Judah has lost some of its territory to the Assyrians. And we see a running pattern here. What did these kings do whenever the Assyrians attacked them? See verse 8.
3. Damascus now belonged to Assyria. Ahaz went to Damascus to meet with the king of the Assyrians. He was most likely meeting with him to strike some sort of peace treaty, but while he was there, he became enthralled with what?
4. Ahaz commanded that the priest of the temple construct a similar altar. Where did he put the altar?
5. Ahaz gave completely different orders for the priests to follow concerning sacrifices. These were his own orders not God’s. After reading this account, I believe that Ahaz was possessed by a demon(s). He did things that were so senseless and cruel. He even did something to the big basin that sat on 4 bronze oxen outside the temple. This was the basin that was called the sea. What did Ahaz do to it?
6. Ahaz copied the ways of the Assyrians. He even changed the covered entrance to the temple. He made it larger to wrap around the building. We recall that God had given very specific directions on how the temple was to be built, but this man just changed things to his liking not caring what God had said. What was this man’s legacy? See the verses below for the answer.
Chronicles 28:22-25 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD—this same King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “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. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and 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 altars in every corner of Jerusalem. In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the LORD, the God of his fathers.
