2 Chronicles 28:1 - Meaning and Application

Never had a man a greater chance to do well than Ahaz had. He came to the throne with the kingdom rich and strong, and true religion still established. Yet in these few verses we see him ruined in character and life. He had received a good education and had a good example before him, but parents cannot give grace to their children. All the instruction he had was wasted on him. He did not do what was right in the Lord’s sight (2 Chronicles 28:1). In fact, he did much that was wrong, wrong against God, against his own soul, and against his people.

He followed the ways of the rebellious Israelites and the doomed Canaanites. He made metal idols and worshiped them, breaking the second commandment. Worse still, he made them for Baal, breaking the first commandment. He abandoned the temple of the Lord and offered sacrifices and incense on the hilltops, as if those places could bring him closer to heaven. He did the same under every green tree, as if the shade and dripping branches showed the protection and blessing of heaven.

To complete his sin, and as one who had cast off all natural affection as well as all true religion, he burned his children in the fire to Molech (2 Chronicles 28:3). He did not think it enough to dedicate them to that evil power by making them pass through the fire. This shows how strong the evil one’s power is among the children of disobedience.

Ahaz was also badly spoiled and made a prey to his enemies. When he abandoned God and spent heavily to put himself under the protection of false gods, God, who alone had the right to be his God, gave him into the hands of his enemies (2 Chronicles 28:5). The Syrians mocked him and defeated him in battle, carrying off many of his people into captivity. The king of Israel, though an idolater too, became a tool of punishment against him and struck him with a great slaughter.

The people suffered under these judgments. Their blood was spilled, their land was wasted, and their families were ruined. Under the earlier good king, even though the people had acted corruptly (2 Chronicles 27:2), his faithfulness still protected them. But now that they had a bad king, all that protection was gone, and a flood of judgments broke over them. Those who had not valued their blessing in the last reign were taught its worth by the misery of this one.