2 Crônicas 28

2 Crônicas 28

SECOND CHRONICLES The Kingdom of Israel From Splendor to Disaster Splendor Disaster King Solomon of Judah 2 Chronicles 1-9 Successive Kings of Judah 2Chr 10-36 Kingdom United Kingdom Divided 2Chr 10:1-19 Rulers of the Southern Kingdom of Judah After the Split The Exile of Judah 2Chr 36:17-23 Inaugural 2Chr 1:1-17 Solomon's Temple 2Chr 2:1-7:22 Solomon's Glory 2Chr 8:1-9:31 Building of the Temple Decline & Destruction of the Temple Temple Destroyed ~40 Years ~393 Years Chart from Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Click Chart from Charles Swindoll TIMELINE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES 1107 1011 971 931 853 722 586 1Samuel 2 Samuel 1Kings 1Kings 2 Kings 31 1-4 5-10 11-20 21-24 1-11 12-22 1-17 18-25 1 Chronicles 10 1Chr 11-19 1Chr 20-29 2 Chronicles 1-9 2 Chronicles 10-20 2 Chronicles 21-36 Legend: B.C. dates at top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah" and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note that 1 Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because these chapters are records of genealogy. SEE ALSO: ESV chart - kings of Israel - more information ESV chart - kings of Judah - more information Another Chart with Variable Dates for Reigns of King 2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done. Ahaz: 2Ki 16:1,2-20 1Ch 3:13 Isa 1:1 7:1-12 Ho 1:1 Mic 1:1 Mt 1:9 as David his father: 2Ch 17:3 CLICK 2 CHRONICLES COMMENTARIES FOR MULTIPLE SERMONS AND COMMENTARIES See BELOW FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR 1-2 CHRONICLES - adapted from Paul Apple's Bible Outlines Parallel Passages 2 Kings 16:2+ 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 his God, as his father David had done. 2 Chronicles 17:3+ The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, AHAZ EVIL FROM START TO FINISH Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right (yashar) in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done - This brief verdict measures Ahaz against the highest standard in Judah’s history—David, the man after God’s own heart. The comparison with David is deliberate. David was far from sinless, yet his heart was directed toward the LORD. When he fell, he repented; when he ruled, he sought God’s will. Unlike his ancestor David, who, despite failures, humbled himself before God and sought to honor His word, Ahaz chose a different path. He evaluated life by expediency rather than obedience, allowing foreign alliances and pagan customs to shape his decisions. The verse sets the tone for his entire rule: a king seated on David’s throne but lacking David’s heart, leading Judah away from covenant faithfulness and toward spiritual decline. He did not do right - To “do right” meant honoring God’s Word, protecting the temple, and leading the people in faithful obedience. Ahaz neglected each of these responsibilities. His reign illustrates that heritage alone cannot secure righteousness. Being a son of David did not guarantee a heart like David’s. Every generation must choose whom it will serve. In the sight of the LORD - Coram Deo - God’s perspective, not human approval, determines the true value of a life. Ahaz may have appeared shrewd to some of his contemporaries, yet heaven’s assessment was painfully clear: he failed to walk in the path of covenant faithfulness. 🙏 THOUGHT - This statement stands as a mirror for all who follow the LORD. God measures our lives not by comparison with the culture around us, but by the pattern of faith He has revealed. The question is not whether we are better than others, but whether we walk in the light we have been given: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6–7+) Ahaz’s tragic life warns that privilege without devotion becomes failure, for “to whom much has been given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48b+). David’s example, however, shows that a heart set toward God can transform even imperfect lives into enduring testimonies, for the LORD said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22+). Scripture calls us to choose our pattern wisely for “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Whose life are you imitating, Ahaz's or David's? The Chronicler’s account of Ahaz’s reign is the most negative of any king in the book. John Olley: The Chronicler’s account of Ahaz’s reign is the most negative of any king in the book. Unlike with other rulers, Ahaz’s description is negative throughout, beginning with the admission that “he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and ending with the statement that he was “provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers” (2 Ch 28:1, 25); further, Ahaz is buried separately from the “tombs of the kings of Israel [i.e., Judah]” (2Ch 28:27; cf. 2Ch 21:20; 24:25). While other kings had been “unfaithful” (2Ch 12:2; 26:16, 18; 1 Ch 10:13), Ahaz was “very unfaithful” and became “yet more faithless” (2Ch 28:19, 22). (SEE ESV Expository Commentary Volume 3: 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles) C H Spurgeon on Ahaz's death at age 36 - So that he died before he reached the prime of life; he was cut off by God in the very midst of his sin. To paraphrase historian Thomas Carlyle, the destinies of societies are shaped by great men and women who act boldly at key times. On the other hand, Ahaz demonstrates that societies are also shaped, sometimes even more decisively, by the failure andcorruption of influential people at key moments. To say it another way, the destinies of societies are often determined by the moral collapse of those who were positioned to act but chose comfort, fear, or compromise instead. Scripture repeatedly shows this darker side. Ahaz had royal privilege yet led Judah into idolatry. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but lacked courage. Solomon, with unmatched wisdom, ended by tolerating idols. The turning points were not only when someone acted boldly for good, but when someone refused to do so. Right (03477) yashar from the verb yashar = to be smooth, straight or right is an adjective meaning straight, reliable, level, pleasing, upright, or righteous. Yashar is only rarely used literally of that which is physically straight (Ezek 1:7); more often it describes a path metaphorically as one’s conduct or behavior (Ps 107:7). Most occurrences refer to what is right in an ethical or emotional sense—what is agreeable or pleasing—and it is significant that God Himself is the standard of yashar, the measure of what is truly “straight” (Ps 92:15; Isa 26:7). God’s Word is described as upright (Ps 19:7), as are His judgments (Ps 119:137) and His way (Ps 107:7). Though “God made men upright” (Ge 1:27), Ecclesiastes reminds us that “they have sought out many devices” (Eccl 7:29). The term is frequently applied to the moral condition of the heart, speaking of those who are “upright in heart” (Ps 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11; 111:1; 125:4). The upright will behold His face (Ps 11:7), experience gladness (Ps 97:11), gather in worship (Ps 111:1), be blessed (Ps 112:2), receive light in darkness (Ps 112:4), dwell in God’s presence (Ps 140:13; cf. Pr 2:21), gain access to His sound wisdom (Pr 2:7), enjoy intimacy with the Most High (Pr 3:32), be guided by integrity (Pr 11:3), delivered by righteousness (Pr 11:6) and by their words (Pr 12:6), and see their tents flourish (Pr 14:11), for “the highway of the upright is to depart from evil” (Pr 16:17). YASHAR IN KINGS AND CHRONICLES - 1 Ki. 11:33; 1 Ki. 11:38; 1 Ki. 14:8; 1 Ki. 15:5; 1 Ki. 15:11; 1 Ki. 22:43; 2 Ki. 10:3; 2 Ki. 10:15; 2 Ki. 10:30; 2 Ki. 12:2; 2 Ki. 14:3; 2 Ki. 15:3; 2 Ki. 15:34; 2 Ki. 16:2; 2 Ki. 18:3; 2 Ki. 22:2; 2 Chr. 14:2; 2 Chr. 20:32; 2 Chr. 24:2; 2 Chr. 25:2; 2 Chr. 26:4; 2 Chr. 27:2; 2 Chr. 28:1; 2 Chr. 29:2; 2 Chr. 29:34; 2 Chr. 31:20; 2 Chr. 34:2 INTRODUCTION John Olley: The dramatic developments affecting Judah that eventuated during Ahaz’s sixteen-year reign (2Ch28) are for the Chronicler the result of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness (2Ch 28:1–5, 19). An attack by the alliance of Syria and Israel brought some devastation to Judah (2Ch 28:5–8), and a weakened Judah was then attacked by Philistines and Edomites; Ahaz sought help from Assyria, which demanded tribute (2Ch 28:16–21). Ahaz’s apostasy increased, even to shutting the doors of the temple (2Ch 28:22–27). (SEE ESV Expository Commentary Volume 3: 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles) August Konkel: The reign of Ahaz was a disaster both politically and in regard to covenant faithfulness. The Chronicler essentially shares the views of the other prophets regarding Ahaz. Isaiah, through the names of children, had exhorted Ahaz to be faithful in the fear of the Lord. His warning was unequivocal: “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isa 7:9b). Isaiah offered the king a sign, but it was refused as if it would be tempting God (2Ch 7:12). Ahaz had already made his own plans when confronted by Isaiah and his son; he would turn to the Assyrians for help against his enemies (2 Chron 28:16). But Ahaz could not escape God; the promise of the sign was that God would be with him (Immanuel). God was indeed with him. The Assyrians would flood through his land like the overflow of the Euphrates and then he would know that God was with him (Isa 8:7-8). The Chronicler speaks of Ahaz’s losses to the Edomites and Philistines (2 Chron 28:17-18). The decimation of Judah had begun. (SEE 1 & 2 Chronicles) Frederick Mabie: In a rapid departure from his father Jotham (cf. 2Ch 27:6), Ahaz becomes one of the most ungodly kings in the history of Judah’s monarchy (note 2Ch 28:19), thus underscoring how quickly one generation can abandon the values of the previous generation. (SEE 1 and 2 Chronicles) J.A. Thompson: King Ahaz (735-715 B.C.) probably is most familiar to Bible students as the faithless king to whom the prophet Isaiah delivered the prophecy of Immanuel in Isa 7:14. But the biblical historians, especially the Chronicler, furnish much more information about him. He was king at a critical time in Judah’s history, which saw a corrupt Israel fall to a revived Assyrian Empire, thus ending the divided monarchy. Any hopes on the part of the faithful that Judah might learn from this event and return to the Lord were dashed by the reign of Ahaz, who patterned himself after everyone but his righteous predecessors. (SEE 1, 2 Chronicles: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Mark Boda: While in the book of Kings, Manasseh represents the lowest point in the history, in the book of Chronicles Ahaz plays this role (Smelik 1992:182-183; 1998: 164, 181). Hezekiah will soon appear on the scene and usher in a new ideal period of renewal for Judah, inviting faithful northerners to join him in worship at Jerusalem. But before Hezekiah arrives, it is Ahaz who creates the conditions of nothing short of “exile” as he first desecrates the land with inappropriate worship practices, sees a foreign emperor take control of his kingdom, then closes the Temple (cf. Dillard 1987:261; Mosis 1973:41-43, 186-188). (SEE 1-2 Chronicles - Page 376) Matthew Henry Notes: Chapter: 28 This chapter is the history of the reign of Ahaz the son of Jotham; a bad reign it was, and which helped to augment the fierce anger of the Lord. We have here, I. His great wickedness (2Ch 28:1-4). II. The trouble he brought himself into by it (2Ch 28:5-8). III. The reproof which God sent by a prophet to the army of Israel for trampling upon their brethren of Judah, and the obedient ear they gave to that reproof (2Ch 28:9-15). IV. The many calamities that followed to Ahaz and his people (2Ch 28:16-21). V. The continuance of his idolatry notwithstanding (2Ch 28:22-25), and so his story ends (2Ch 28:26, 27). 2Ch 28:1-5 Never surely had a man greater opportunity of doing well than Ahaz had, finding things in a good posture, the kingdom rich and strong and religion established; and yet here we have him in these few verses, 1. Wretchedly corrupted and debauched. He had had a good education given him and a good example set him: but parents cannot give grace to their children. All the instructions he had were lost upon him: He did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord (2Ch 28:1), nay, he did a great deal that was wrong, a wrong to God, to his own soul, and to his people; he walked in the way of the revolted Israelites and the devoted Canaanites, made molten images and worshipped them, contrary to the second commandment; nay, he made them for Baalim, contrary to the first commandment. he forsook the temple of the Lord and sacrificed and burnt incense on the hills, as if they would place him nearer heaven, and under every green tree, as if they would signify the protection and influence of heaven by their shade and dropping. To complete his wickedness, as one perfectly divested of all natural affection as well as religion and perfectly devoted to the service and interest of the great enemy of mankind, he burnt his children in the fire to Moloch (2Ch 28:3), not thinking it enough to dedicate them to that infernal fiend by causing them to pass through the fire. See what an absolute sway the prince of the power of the air bears among the children of disobedience. 2. Wretchedly spoiled and made a prey of. When he forsook God, and at a vast expense put himself under the protection of false gods, God, who of right was his God, delivered him into the hands of his enemies, 2Ch 28:5. (1.) The Syrians insulted him and triumphed over him, beat him in the field and carried away a great many of his people into captivity. (2.) The king of Israel, though an idolater too, was made a scourge to him, and smote him with a great slaughter. The people suffered by these judgments: their blood was shed, their country wasted, their families ruined; for when they had a good king, though they did corruptly (2Ch 27:2), yet then his goodness sheltered them; but now that they had a bad one all the defence had departed from them and an inundation of judgments broke in upon them. Those that knew not their happiness in the foregoing reign were taught to value it by the miseries of this reign. 2 Chronicles 28:2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. he walked: 2Ch 21:6 22:3,4 1Ki 16:31-33 2Ki 10:26-28 molten images: Ex 34:17 Lev 19:4 Baal: Judges 2:11,13 Ho 2:13,17 Parallel Passages 2 Kings 16:3+ But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. AHAZ WALKING THE WAY OF NORTHERN KINGS But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel - This is a first! It is the first time the king of Judah imitated Israel’s apostasy. Ahaz abandoned the faithful pattern of David and instead adopted the idolatrous practices and false worship that characterized the northern kings of Israel. he also made molten images for the Baals (ba'al) - This brief statement exposes how far Ahaz had moved from the exclusive worship of the LORD. He was not merely tolerating pagan practices around him; he actively sponsored them by crafting molten images, idols cast from metal and fashioned to represent the Baals, the false gods of Canaan. Such images were strictly forbidden in the Law, which prohibited making any likeness for worship, yet Ahaz used the resources of the kingdom to promote what God had condemned. The plural “Baals” suggests a variety of local deities and cults, indicating that Judah was being drawn into the full religious system of its pagan neighbors. By producing these idols, Ahaz institutionalized idolatry at the highest level, turning the Davidic throne from a guardian of covenant faith into a patron of false gods and leading the nation further from its calling as a people devoted to the one true LORD!