by 2 Chronicles 28:1-27, Ahaz
This interpretive Commentary contains an outline that I created. To follow along, I highly suggest that you follow along in your Bible to read the verses that I am interpreting. Enjoy!
28:1-4, Ahaz overview, his lack of righteousness, and his sins
Wilcock states, “No previous southern king has been as bad as Ahaz. . . . the first four verses list his sins in increasing order of infidelity.”[1] Refer to 2 Kings 16 and Isaiah 7 to get the full story of Ahaz. Even though his father was very successful and a follower of the Lord, he betrayed all that his father represented and plunged into idolatry and the ways of the evil kings of Israel. MacDonald explains, “Ahaz revived the abominable ritual of child sacrifice in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, outside Jerusalem. The worship of Molech, of which this was a part, had not been practiced since the days of Solomon (1 Kings 11:7), but now all forms of idolatry and abominations were widely practiced and encouraged.”[2] Ahaz is following rituals of the wicked northern kings of Israel and even sacrifices his own son (2 Kings 16:3).
28:5-8, God’s punishment with defeats, slavery, and royal murders
When there is unfaithfulness or disobedience from a king, there is normally harsh punishment. Ahaz was defeated multiple times, his people taken into slavery, and members of the royal courts were murdered.
28:9-11, Prophet requests captives to be released
God sent a prophet from within the northern territory, the same territory Ahaz was trying to emulate with idolatry, to stop what they were doing. Israel intended to enslave their brethren from Judah, which was not allowed under the commands of the Torah (Law of Moses). Oded informed them that they won because God was upset with Ahaz’s sin but there are restrictions as to what God would allow, and they were exceeding those limits. Oded also reminded them that God was upset with them and their sins as well.
28:12-15, Captives are released and given provisions
The names of the men who rose up were probably members of the royal court or sons of them. Wilcock states, “Verse 13 seems to show regret not just for this incident, but for the general guilt of the north. Finally, the good deed of verse 15, involving people from Samaria and Jericho, foreshadows Jesus’ parable in Luke 10:25–37. Both incidents show how the working of God’s grace may startle and confound his people.”[3] Not only did they release the prisoners, but they were also kind to them in an exceptional way. Matthews explains, “The males are normally naked, often with hooks in their nose or lips, and some are missing limbs. . . 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.”[4]
28:16, Ahaz asks for help
Instead of asking God for help, Ahaz pleaded to Assyria.
28:17-19, The Edomites and Philistines defeat Judah and lowlands as God’s punishment
God punished Ahaz and ensured that Judah was decimated in his name as the king of Israel (Judah).[5] Brannan states, “some Hebrew manuscripts have ‘Judah’ in place of ‘Israel.’”[6]
28:20-21, Assyria declines to help
Assyria did help eliminate some of the enemies, but it was a temporary peace with a high financial and spiritual cost. Ahaz continued to breach faith with God by giving away sacred items from the temple and giving them to Assyria which brought humiliation to the kingdom of Judah.[7]
28:22-25, Ahaz increasingly unfaithful to God and increases idolatrous ways
The gods of Damascus included Hadad (the storm deity), which was the proper name of Baal, known from Canaanite sources. According to 2 Kings 16:17–18, Ahaz was required to send very precise items, including the “Sabbath canopy,” to satisfy a metal tribute obligation. The whole land of Judah was now made a center of foreign cultic practices.[8]
28:26-27, Ahaz summary, burial, and successor
Hezekiah probably had influence in the decision that Ahaz, his father, would not be placed in the tombs with the other kings of Israel. Coggins gives a very different perception of Ahaz, “It is not the purpose of this commentary to engage in historical reconstruction, but it should be noted that it would be easy to make a case for Ahaz as an extremely skillful king, who preserved his kingdom in the face of the Assyrian threat when neighboring kingdoms collapsed.”[9] Most scholars agree that God punished Ahaz for his unfaithfulness which is why he and his people had such a hard life.
[1] Michael J. Wilcock, “1 and 2 Chronicles” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 414.
[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 460.
[3] Wilcock, “1 and 2 Chronicles”, 414.
[4] Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, et al., The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 2 Ch 28:14–15.
[5] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, et al., Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 280.
[6] Rick Brannan and Israel Loken, The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), 2 Ch 28:19.
[7] Jamieson, Commentary Critical, 280.
[8] Matthews, The IVP, 2 Ch 28:23–25.
[9] Richard J. Coggins, “1 and 2 Chronicles,” in Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), 308.