2 Kings 16:1 - Meaning and Application

Here we have a general picture of Ahaz’s reign. It was short and evil. His days were few, because he died at the age of thirty-six, and they were evil because he turned away from the Lord.

First, he did not do what was right like David (2 Kings 16:2). That means he had none of David’s concern and love for the worship God had established. He had no love for the temple, no real care for his duty to God, and no respect for God’s law. This made his sin worse, because he came from David’s line, and he sat on the throne because of God’s old promise to David. He had the honor of David’s family, but he brought shame on that name. A good family is a disgrace to the one who turns away from it, and Ahaz enjoyed the fruit of David’s faith without following David’s example.

Second, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel (2 Kings 16:3), the northern kings who worshiped the calves. He was not pushed into this by marriage or alliance, as some other kings had been. He chose it on his own, without excuse or pressure. The kings of Israel had at least tried to defend their idolatry as wise policy, though it was really sinful. Ahaz had no such excuse. Their gods were false, and their way had already ruined them, yet he still copied them.

Third, he made his sons pass through the fire, to honor his worthless idols. Scripture says plainly that he burned some of them (2 Chronicles 28:3). He may also have made others pass between two fires or through a flame as a sign that they belonged to the idol. Even his own children were given to this terrible worship, and Hezekiah himself was not excepted, though God later spared him.

Fourth, he did the same abominations as the heathen the Lord had driven out. This shows both his foolishness and his sin. It was foolish to follow people who had already fallen into judgment. It was far worse to copy the very practices God had called hateful and unclean. He was walking straight against God, taking as his pattern the nations God had cast out.

Fifth, he sacrificed in the high places (2 Kings 16:4). If his father had taken those places away, as he should have done, he might have kept his sons from this corruption. Those who let sin continue often leave dangerous traps for the next generation. Ahaz left God’s house and grew tired of worshiping there. He chose high hills, where he could see farther, and green trees, where he could enjoy more shade. It was a poor kind of religion, shaped by personal liking instead of faith.