2 Chronicles 28:16–27 (October 18, 2025)

28:16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. 17 For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives. 18 And the Philistines had made raids on the cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. 19 For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah act sinfully and had been very unfaithful to the Lord. 20 So Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21 For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the Lord and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

Ahaz's Idolatry

22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. 23 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. 24 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. 25 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. 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. 27 And 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.

The Folly of False Strength

Summary

In his distress, King Ahaz of Judah sought help from Tiglath-Pileser (745–727 BC), the king of Assyria (v.16). Rather than rescuing him, the Assyrian ruler exploited his weakness, taking tribute from Jerusalem’s treasury and afflicting the nation further (v.20). Desperate, Ahaz stripped the temple, the royal palace, and even the possessions of the officials to bribe Assyria, but “it did not help him” (v.21).

Sadly, instead of repenting, Ahaz grew more hardened in unbelief. The Chronicler records, “In the time of his distress, he became yet more faithless to the Lord” (v.22). Seeing that the gods of Damascus seemed to grant victory to their kings, he reasoned, “I will sacrifice to them that they may help me” (v.23). But this logic was fatal. Those very "gods" became his ruin and the ruin of his people.

Ahaz desecrated the temple, closed its doors, and built altars on every street corner of Jerusalem (vv.24–25). He died disgraced, denied burial among the kings of Israel. Yet even as his story ends in darkness, the light of grace is already flickering. God would soon raise up his son, Hezekiah, to reopen the temple and restore true worship.

Who is God

God is faithful and jealous for His glory. He had warned His people not to depend on foreign powers or false gods. God remained patient even as Ahaz defied Him. God allows His people to experience the futility of misplaced trust, not to destroy them but to call them back to Himself. His holiness demands exclusive devotion, but His mercy endures even in judgment. The closed doors of the temple were not the end of His presence. It was a divine pause, preparing for the day when true worship would be restored through a faithful Son of David.

What is our Guilt

Like Ahaz, we often seek worldly solutions when our hearts are troubled. Instead of trusting in the unseen hand of God, we often turn to visible sources of power, such as financial stability, influence, human alliances, or our own ingenuity. We call these “practical choices,” but they often reveal our unbelief.

The tragedy of Ahaz is not that he lacked a strategy but that he lacked faith. His idolatry was born from fear, and his fear grew because he refused to trust the God who had proven faithful to David and Judah for generations.

How does Grace Shine

Even in this darkness, God’s grace flickers like a hidden flame. Though Ahaz shut the temple doors, God would soon raise Hezekiah to reopen them. Though the altars of idols covered the land, God preserved a remnant who still remembered His covenant. The gospel teaches us that Christ, the true Son of David, would later open the way into the heavenly temple, not with gold or political power, but with His own blood (Hebrews 9:11–12). Where Ahaz closed the doors of grace, Jesus opened them forever. In Him, our failures and faithlessness are met not with abandonment but with redeeming love.

Prayer

Father, we confess that, like Ahaz, we have often turned to false sources of strength. We seek comfort in worldly security instead of resting in Your promises. Forgive our restless striving and teach us to trust You alone. Thank You that in Jesus Christ, the true King, You have reopened the way to Your presence. Restore in us a heart of worship and renew our faith when fear tempts us to compromise.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.