2 Crônicas 28
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 28
Wiersbe - Each Jewish son was to be redeemed by a sacrifice and therefore belonged to the Lord (Ex. 13; Nu 18:14–16+). How could a son who belonged to God be sacrificed to an idol? But Ahaz was a compromiser both in his religious practices and his political leadership. David
2 Crônicas 28
Wiersbe - The prophet Obed (not the same man as in 15:8) pointed out three sins the army of Israel committed. First, they were in a rage against the people of Judah and captured and killed them indiscriminately. Second, they planned to make slaves out of their own brothers and sisters, and this was contrary to God’s law (Lev. 25:39ff.). In doing these things, they showed no fear of the Lord and therefore were asking for Him to judge them (2 Chron. 28:9–11). Yes, God was angry with Judah (2Ch 28:9, 25), but there was danger He would become angry at Israel for the way they treated Judah (28:11–13). After Obed’s message, some of the leaders in Israel stood and affirmed what he had said and urged the army not to sin against the Lord and their brothers and sisters. August Konkel: The response of the Israelites to the appeal of Obed the prophet is further evidence of the unity that God intends for his people. It is testimony to the firm belief of the Chronicler that this is one nation. The political realities that have come about must not give a false impression of that underlying reality. It is seen in the way the words of the prophet can subvert political and material ambitions with spiritual victory and community concord. In the darkest time of a virtual exile for Judah, there is at the same time the evidence of the light the darkness cannot overcome. (SEE 1 & 2 Chronicles) 2 Chronicles 28:12 Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim–Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai–arose against those who were coming from the battle, the heads: 1Ch 28:1 arose: Jer 26:6 COOLER "HEADS" PREVAIL Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim–Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai–arose against those who were coming from the battle - In the midst of national pride and military excitement, a remarkable moment of conscience occurred. As the victorious army of Israel returned laden with captives and spoil, four respected leaders (Azariah...Berechiah...Jehizkiah...Amasa) from the tribe of Ephraim stepped forward to oppose what was taking place. These were not obscure men but recognized heads of the community, individuals whose voices carried weight among the people. Their names are carefully recorded, as if the Spirit of God wished to honor their courage for all generations. The fact that they arose against those who were coming from the battle was no small act. The mood of an army fresh from victory is rarely gentle or receptive to criticism. The warriors expected celebration and reward, not correction and rebuke. Yet these leaders were willing to stand in the path of popular opinion because they feared the LORD. They seem to understand that success on the battlefield did not justify disobedience to God’s law or cruelty toward their own brethren from Judah. They recognized that the captives being paraded home were not enemies but fellow Israelites—sons and daughters of the same covenant. To enslave them would deepen Israel’s guilt and invite divine judgment. These four men risked misunderstanding, ridicule, and perhaps even violence in order to defend righteousness. Their stand prepared the way for repentance, mercy, and the eventual release of the captives. Andrew Hill: Unlike King Ahaz and their Judean counterparts, the leadership of Israel responds to the word of God through the prophet Oded and repents of their actions (2Ch 28:12-13). (See First and Second Chronicles) 2 Chronicles 28:13 and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the LORD adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” adding: Nu 32:14 Jos 22:17,18 Mt 23:32,35 Ro 2:5 EPHRAIMITE LEADERS WARNING TO ARMY and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, The Ephraimite leaders spoke with firm conviction: “You must not bring the captives in here.” They recognized that what the soldiers saw as trophies of victory was, in God’s eyes, a grave injustice. To parade their Judean brothers into Samaria as slaves would turn military success into national sin. for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the LORD adding to our sins and our guilt; Their warning was spiritual, not political. Israel was already burdened with rebellion and idolatry, and this cruelty would only multiply their accountability. The leaders interpret the situation through a spiritual lens rather than a political one. Military success had blinded many to the true issue, but these men understood that every act is weighed before the Lord. To enslave their brothers would not be a neutral act of war; it would be a deliberate offense against God’s covenant. Israel already carried a heavy burden of idolatry and rebellion, and this new cruelty would only multiply their accountability. for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel - They explained (for = term of explanation) that the recent victory was not proof of divine favor. These leaders acknowledge that the nation already stands under divine displeasure. To proceed with enslaving the captives would be to provoke the LORD further, turning discipline into destruction. Burning anger conveys God's wrath as already kindled. 2 Chronicles 28:14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. ISRAELI FORCES CAPITULATE So the armed men left ('azab; LXX - aphiemi - released) the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly - The soldiers, who had marched home in triumph with prisoners and plunder, now laid everything down. Their weapons had won the battle, but the Word of the Lord won their hearts. Instead of clinging to what they considered rightful rewards, they submitted to the rebuke of the Ephraimite leaders and to the voice of conscience. This moment stands as a testimony that even after wrongdoing, a nation or an individual can choose a different path. When hearts are willing to listen, the cycle of cruelty can be broken, and the burning anger of the Lord can be turned aside by acts of repentance and restoration. Iain Duguid: At a time when Israel was about to end as a nation due to her apostasy, experiencing the Lord’s “fierce wrath,” the Chronicler tells of the Ephraimites’ confession of “great guilt” and actions that demonstrated some repentance. The positive treatment of the captives is given in much detail; they could not have done more! Political reunion may not have been possible at that chaotic time (“they returned to Samaria”), but the compassionate righting of all the damage involved in taking captives is commended. Martin Selman: The Chronicler’s message, which must have been clear to his contemporaries, is that God’s mercy was freely available even to captives. The story is in fact so striking that Jesus used it twice in his teaching. Anointing of the prisoners’ wounds, the mention of donkeys and of Jericho make this an important source of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), while the provision of food and clothing to brothers who are naked and hungry prisoners clearly lied behind Matthew 25:34-46. No-one’s situation is too hopeless for God to redeem, and he reserves the right to show mercy through the most unexpected people, even one’s traditional enemies (cf. Jon. 1-4; Acts 10:1–11:18). (See 2 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary) John Walton - 28:14-15. treatment of prisoners. The Assyrian annals and wall reliefs depict the harsh conditions of those who were deported from their own territory. The males are normally naked, often with hooks in their nose or lips, and some are missing limbs. Others are carrying their worldly belongings with them. It appears that the Israelites had a similar policy, which was condemned by the prophet Oded. The extent of care and mercy described in these verses is, therefore, remarkable. (See page 450 The IVP Bible Background Commentary-Old Testament) 2 Chronicles 28:15 Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria. designated by name: 2Ch 28:12 clothed: Job 31:15-23 Isa 58:7 Mt 25:35-45 Ac 9:39 1Ti 5:10 Jas 2:15,16 1Jn 3:17,18 gave them: 2Ki 6:22 Pr 25:21,22 Lu 6:27 8:27,35 Ro 12:20,21 carried: Ro 15:1 the city: De 34:3 Judges 1:16 ISRAEL SHOWS MERCY ON JUDAHITES Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives Specific leaders were appointed to carry out this work of mercy. Their names were known, underscoring personal responsibility and deliberate action. What followed was not an impulsive gesture but an organized, compassionate ministry to those who had been wounded by war. And they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals The very plunder once intended to enrich the victors became the means of restoring the defeated. The captives, many stripped and humiliated, were treated with dignity. Clothing and sandals symbolized more than physical provision—they were signs that these people were no longer slaves but brothers to be honored. Fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys Their needs were met with tender care. Food and water revived their strength; oil soothed wounds and refreshed weary bodies. The actions resemble the ministry of a shepherd or even the later compassion of the Good Samaritan—mercy replacing hostility, healing replacing hatred. And brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers Special attention was given to the weak, the elderly, and the exhausted. Those unable to walk were carried, showing that true repentance considers the most vulnerable first. The journey home would not be a march of misery but a procession of restoration. Then they returned to Samaria. Having completed their mission, the Ephraimites went home with clean hands and softened hearts. What began as an act of war ended as an act of grace. Obedience turned potential judgment into blessing and demonstrated that repentance is most real when it is expressed through costly love. 🙏 THOUGHT - This passage stands as one of the most moving pictures of compassion in the Old Testament. It reveals the heart of God, Who desires restoration rather than revenge, and teaches that genuine repentance is measured not by words but by deeds of mercy toward those who can give nothing in return. Warren Wiersbe - This was an instance of being “good Samaritans” on a national level (Luke 10:25–37+), and it reminds us of Elisha’s kindness to the Syrian soldiers who came to capture him (2 Kings 6:15–23+). When the prisoners (with the spoils of battle) arrived back in Judah, they were living witnesses of the grace and goodness of the Lord, but there’s no record that Ahaz led the nation in a great praise service. This remarkable event carried another message to Judah: the time would come when the Babylonians would invade the land and take thousands of captives away to Babylon. This experience with the kingdom of Israel was somewhat of a “dress rehearsal” for the people of Judah, but Babylon wouldn’t treat them as the Israelites did. Most of the Jewish captives would die in Babylon, and after seventy years, only a feeble remnant would return to rebuild the temple and try to establish the nation again. Does the Lord still chasten nations today as He did in ancient days? The Jewish people, of course, belonged to a covenant nation, even though it was now divided into two kingdoms, and they were responsible to obey the covenant of the Lord. But what about the Gentile nations that have no covenant relationship with God? The prophet Amos makes it clear that God knows the sins of the Gentile nations and holds them accountable (Amos 1—2). God never gave His law to the Gentiles (Ps. 147:19–20), but the demands of that law are written in the hearts of all people (Rom. 2:12–16), so the disobedient Gentiles are guilty before the Lord. As you read the Old Testament, you find God judging Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18—19), Egypt (Ex. 1—14), the Gentile nations in and around Canaan (Num. 31–32; Joshua 1—12), and even Babylon (Jer. 50—51). However, because the Jews knew the true and living God and had the witness of His law, they were even more accountable. How tragic that apostate Israel and not enlightened Judah showed concern about obeying the message of God. Judah had the temple, the law, and the priesthood, but they didn’t have the Lord. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12). F B
2 Crônicas 28
Wiersbe - the king (AHAZ) could never have made all these changes without the cooperation of Urijah, the high priest (2Kin 16:10, 11, 15, 16+). When King Uzziah tried to rebel against the Word of the Lord and enter the temple, the high priest Azariah with eighty other priests successfully withstood him (2Ch 26:16ff.+); but Urijah and his priests compromised, disobeyed the law of Moses and gave in to their king. Once compromise begins, it continues to grow; and all that it takes for evil to triumph is for weak people like Urijah to let leaders have their way. Ahaz not only replaced the altar and removed metal from the furnishings, but he finally took all the vessels for himself, closed the doors of the temple, and set up altars in the streets of Jerusalem (2Ch 28:24–25+). “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Cor. 5:6+; see Gal. 5:9+). Once we allow worldliness to get into the church fellowship, it will quietly grow, pollute the fellowship, and eventually take over. It was not until the reign of his son Hezekiah that the temple Ahaz defiled was reopened and sanctified for ministry (2Ch 29:1–29+). Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - 2 CHRONICLES 28:24—Did Ahaz encourage or oppose worship in the Jerusalem temple? PROBLEM: In 2 Kings 16:15, Ahaz encouraged the worship of the Lord in the temple. But, in 2 Chronicles 28 he is said to have “shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem” (2Ch 28:24). SOLUTION: First of all, even in 2 Kings, during his earlier reign, Ahaz was said to be an evil king who “did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God” (2Ki 16:2). He even “took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord … and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria” (2Ki 16:8). During this period, he encouraged only a corrupt form of worship in the pilfered Jerusalem temple (2Ki 16:15). Furthermore, the 2 Chronicles passages refers to a later, even more corrupt, part of his reign. During this period of apostasy, he shut up the house of the Lord completely and set up his own centers of worship. 2 Chronicles 28:25 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. burn: 2Ch 28:3 Related Passages: Exodus 20:3-5+ (AHAZ ACTED AS IF HE HAD NEVER READ OR HEARD THESE WORDS OF GOD TO MOSES) “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, Deuteronomy 12:2-5+ (AHAZ'S ACTIONS THE ANTITHESIS OF THIS PASSAGE) “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 “You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. NATIONWIDE HIGH PLACES In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods - Ahaz did not confine his idolatry to Jerusalem but deliberately spread the "spiritual leaven" throughout the land. By establishing high places in every city, he institutionalized false worship and made rebellion accessible to the whole population. These local shrines competed with the temple and invited the people to abandon the worship prescribed by the LORD. What had once been isolated pockets of compromise became a nationwide system of pagan devotion. To burn incense to other gods was to offer honor, prayer, and allegiance that belonged to the LORD alone. Incense symbolized communion and dependence; Ahaz redirected the spiritual life of Judah away from the covenant God to lifeless idols. The king who was meant to guard true worship became its chief corrupter, leading the people not upward to God but downward to superstition. and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger The Chronicler emphasizes relationship: this was the God of Abraham, Moses, and David—the faithful Lord who had formed Judah as His own possession. Ahaz’s actions were not merely policy errors but personal affronts to a gracious Redeemer. To provoke God to anger is to awaken His righteous jealousy, for He will not share His glory with idols nor watch His people destroy themselves without response. The verse reveals how sin escalates. What began as private unbelief became public idolatry, and finally national apostasy. The king’s example normalized what the Law of Moses clearly condemned, and the land became filled with pagan altars that testified to betrayal of Yahweh. Divine anger was not sudden or arbitrary, but was the measured reaction of a holy God to persistent unfaithfulness. If you have ever seen a tomato ripening and begining to split, that's a good picture of the "ripening" of Yahweh's anger which would finally be fully unleashed in 586 BC with the Babylonian destruction of the Temple and Judah's exile to Babylon. But the "tomato" was already becoming very ripe! This passage warns that spiritual leadership carries immense influence, which can be for good or for evil. When those in authority abandon the LORD, entire communities can be led astray. Yet it also reminds us that God’s anger arises from covenant love—He is provoked because His people are precious to Him, and He will act to call them back to the worship that gives life. Iain Duguid: Ahaz’s attitude to the worship of the Lord became even more antagonistic. He not only wantonly destroyed some of the temple items but also ended temple worship (cf. 2 Chron. 29:7). Instead of worshiping the Lord according to the Mosaic law in one temple, Ahaz multiplied worship of “other gods,” the extent highlighted by repetition of “every” for both “corner of Jerusalem” and “city of Judah” (cf. Jer. 2:28). Here is the first instance in Chronicles of the Lord’s being “provoked to anger” (Hb. form of kaʻas), to be used later of Manasseh (2 Chron. 33:6) and the people (2Ch 34:25), another example of a foretaste of the Babylonian exile due to persistent failure to be faithful in worshiping the Lord alone. John Walton - 28:25. each town with a high place. The whole land of Judah was now made a center of foreign cultic practices. The Assyrians (and Arameans, for that matter) did not require any people group to switch allegiance to different gods, but a tributary group may have felt that their relationship with the conquerors would improve if they followed their deities. For information about high places see comment on 2 Kings 17:9. (See page 450 The IVP Bible Background Commentary-Old Testament) 2 Chronicles 28:26 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. the rest: 2Ch 20:34 27:7-9 2Ki 16:19,20 Parallel Passages 2 Kings 16:19+ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last The Chronicler pauses to remind the reader that what has been recorded is only a portion of Ahaz’s life. The phrase “from first to last” suggests a complete story known to God, even if not fully told here. Every decision, alliance, and act of worship formed a consistent pattern. Ahaz’s reign was not marked by a single failure but by a trajectory—choices made early that shaped the character of his rule to its bitter end. Behold (hinneh), they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. This appeal to another historical record serves several purposes. It anchors the narrative in real history, not legend. The Chronicler is not inventing a moral tale but under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is summarizing documented events familiar to his audience. It also implies accountability, that is that a king’s life is not forgotten once the throne passes to another. His deeds are preserved for future generations to examine and learn from, although these books have been lost over time. The reference highlights a sobering truth, that every human live is written somewhere. Even if earthly chronicles fade, God keeps His own record. Ahaz’s “ways” were known in detail, and their consequences continued to shape Judah long after his death. History remembers not only what a ruler accomplished but whom he trusted and whom he served. 🙏 THOUGHT - This concluding note calls for personal reflection. To be sure, a life can be summarized in a few lines, yet behind those lines stand years of choices. Ahaz’s legacy was largely one of misplaced trust and spiritual compromise. Ahaz's life challenges each of us to carry out a sober, honest self-examination (cf 2Co 13:5+). What will be written of my ways from first to last? Will my story testify to faithfulness to the LORD or to reliance on substitutes that could never save? Malachi 3:16+ Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. Revelation 22:12+ “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. 2 Chronicles 28:27 So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. they brought: 2Ch 21:20 26:23 33:20 1Sa 2:30 Pr 10:7 Parallel Passages 2 Kings 16:20+ So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place. AHAZ DESCENDS HEZEKIAH ASCENDS So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel - The kings of Israel refers to "the kings of Judah;" the name Israel being sometimes applied by the writer of this book, in a general way, to Judah. Although Ahaz was buried in Jerusalem, he was denied a place in the royal tombs, a quiet but telling judgment that reflected the nation’s disapproval of his unfaithful reign and his departure from the ways of the house of David. It is notable that Ahaz is the third king of Judah of whom the Chronicler records the loss of this burial honor, following Jehoram (2 Chr 21:20), Joash (2 Chr 24:25), and Uzziah (2 Chr 26:23; cf. 33:20). Warren Wiersbe - When Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal tombs (2Ki 16:19–20+; 2Ki 28:26–27+). In this, he joined Jehoram (2Ch 21:20+), Joash (2Ch 24:25+), and Uzziah (2Ch 26:23+), and Manasseh would join them (2Ch 33:20+). The unbelief and unfaithfulness of Ahaz did great damage to the kingdom of Judah, some of which his son Hezekiah would be able to repair. David