Ahaz's end

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2 Kings 16:17–20, “And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria. 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? And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”

Ahaz was so dedicated to following the false gods of the other nations that he vandalised the Temple of the Lord. Ahaz died after sixteen years. The official archivists made a correct record of his reign and it was stored in the Temple. Hezekiah, his son, succeeded him as king.

An altar from Damascus

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2 Kings 16:10–16, “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar. And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar. And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by. Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.”

After the Assyrians defeated the Syrians and took they city of Damascus, Ahaz went to meet Tiglath Pileser. Ahaz saw an altar in one of the Temples in Damascus and decided that he really liked that altar so he sent to his priest, Urijah, after he had discovered the details of that altar to make a copy of it. Urijah wasn’t of the same faithful character as some earlier priests and did what the king asked him to do. Ahaz made offerings on that altar rather than on the altar that had been dedicated to the Lord. The king actually made the offerings himself, it seems he didn’t remember his grandfather’s folly and wasn’t afraid to blaspheme against the Lord. Ahaz was impressed with that altar that he moved the other altar over to one side and placed the idolatrous altar in its place. After that, during Ahaz’s reign they continued to use the Syrian style altar rather the the one they had been commanded to use in the Temple.

Ahaz's folly

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2 Kings 16:5–9, “Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.”

They Syrians and the Israelis joined together to defeat Judah in battle. Ahaz was a king who, to that stage, refused to trust the Lord and obey Him. They set a siege around Jerusalem but were unable take the city. However, the Syrians were able to take control of some territory that Judah had taken from them before. Elath was at the top of the Red Sea, below the Dead Sea but there was not water route connecting the two places. Uzziah had previously built this city. Ahaz preferred not to trust the Lord by paid a large amount of money to Tiglath Pileser of Assyria to attack the Syrians and save him. Ahaz plundered the Temple and the palaces in Jerusalem to get the gold and silver he needed to pay the Assyrians. However, Ahaz also let the Assyrians know that there was treasure in Judah for their future reference.

Ahaz

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2 Kings 16:1–4, “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.”

Ahaz followed his father on the throne of Judah in Jerusalem. He began his reign when he was twenty years old. Once he took the power associated with the throne he forgot the training his father had given and followed the practices of the former inhabitants of the Land. He chose to make the habits that many local people followed in an informal way into the formal religion of the Land. He even went so far as the burn his own son as a sacrifice to the heathen gods like the Moabites(see 2 Kings 3: 27). Before long, everyone was worshipping the heathen gods and no longer worshipped their own true God.

Jotham

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2 Kings 15:32–38, “In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.  Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.”

Even though Jotham’s acted as regent for his father after his father was stricken with leprosy, he didn’t become king in his own right until he was twenty five years old. He was a good king, insofar as he obeyed the Lord, kept the Law and ensured that the Temple ceremonies were followed. However, he still didn’t remove all the informal heathen practices from the Land. He acted to improve the Temple structure showing that he believed the Temple was integral to the life of Judah. During Jotham’s reign the kingdom of Israel began to unravel irretrievably. Jotham was succeeded by Ahaz, his son.

A turbulent period

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2 Kings 15:8–31, “In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.”

The Lord promised Jehu that his family would remain on the throne of Israel for four generations because he cleansed the nation of the Baal worship introduced by Ahab and Jezebel. After Jeroboam’s longs reign his son lasted six months as king before he was assassinated. This was the last dynasty in Israel’s (that is, the northern kingdom) history. This began a period of short reigns and frequent assassinations. Shallum reigned for one month before Menahem assassinated him and then reigned for ten years. Menahem was particularly brutal and did nothing to stop the false religion that Jeroboam instigated. During his reign Pul (This was the name that the Israelis gave to Tiglath Pileser, the king of Assyria at that time) came down to attack Israel. Menahem saved himself by giving Pul a large amount of money, which he took from the people of Israel. Menahem died and was replaced by his son, Pekahiah, who was assassinated after two years and Pekah replaced him. Tiglath Pileser came back from Assyria and began to take territory away from Israel during this reign. He took the Golan Heights region from Israel and forced the people to move elsewhere. Hoshea conspired against Pekah and assassinated him. Even during this turbulent period the archivists kept an accurate record of the kingdom’s history.

Azariah

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2 Kings 15:1–7, “In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land. And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.”

After Jeroboam II began his reign, in Samaria, Azariah (Uzziah) began his reign in Jerusalem. Azariah was quite young when he began to reign in Judah but he was able to remain on the throne for a very long time. His reign was spoilt by the fact that he contracted leprosy while he was king and had to spend his time outside the city, isolated from other people. His son, Jotham acted as regent during that period. There is no evidence to suggest when he became a leper. Jotham became king in his own right when he was twenty five years old so that would place some restrictions on the time he acted as regent. We know from elsewhere that Azariah tried to offer incense in the Temple but he was not priest and, therefore, not qualified to do so. The priests tried to stop him and, then, he was afflicted with leprosy. (2 Chron 26: 16-21) We also know that there was a significant earthquake during Uzziah’s reign (Amos 1: 1) Perhaps the earthquake was associated with Azariah’s attempt to offer incense on the altar but there is no concrete evidence. Never the less, we can assume that Azariah thought he was more important than he really was and was a victim of his own pride. Even though Azariah had a long and peaceful reign he still died at the end of it was succeeded by his son.