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even more unfaithful

2 Chronicles 28:1-27

2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in Yahveh’s sight like his ancestor David,
2 Chronicles 28:2 for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals.
2 Chronicles 28:3 He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations Yahveh had dispossessed before the Israelites.
2 Chronicles 28:4 He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
2 Chronicles 28:5 So Yahveh his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force:
2 Chronicles 28:6 Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day– all brave men– because they had abandoned Yahveh God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 28:7 An Ephraimite warrior named Zichri killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam governor of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
2 Chronicles 28:8 Then the Israelites took two hundred thousand captives from their brothers– women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:9 A prophet of Yahveh named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, Yahveh God of your ancestors handed them over to you because of his wrath against Judah, but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven.
2 Chronicles 28:10 Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before Yahveh your God?
2 Chronicles 28:11 Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers, for Yahveh’s burning anger is on you.”
2 Chronicles 28:12 So some men who were leaders of the Ephraimites — Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai– stood in opposition to those coming from the war.
2 Chronicles 28:13 They said to them, “You must not bring the captives here, for you plan to bring guilt on us from Yahveh to add to our sins and our guilt. For we have much guilt, and burning anger is on Israel.”
2 Chronicles 28:14 The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation.
2 Chronicles 28:15 Then the men who were designated by name took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food, and drink, dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help.
2 Chronicles 28:17 The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives.
2 Chronicles 28:18 The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills and the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages.
2 Chronicles 28:19 For Yahveh humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 28:20 Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.
2 Chronicles 28:21 Although Ahaz plundered Yahveh’s temple and the palace of the king and of the rulers and gave the plunder to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
2 Chronicles 28:22 At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 28:23 He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.
2 Chronicles 28:24 Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s temple, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of Yahveh’s temple, and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 28:25 He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he angered Yahveh, the God of his ancestors.
2 Chronicles 28:26 As for the rest of his deeds and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
2 Chronicles 28:27 Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.

even more unfaithful

The Chronicler mentions three prominent leaders of the tribe of Ephraim who had the courage to stand up against the army of Israel. The horrible king Ahaz had sent his army against his own kinsmen of Judah. They had ravaged the kingdom to the south and were bringing 200,000 of their distant relatives to Israel as slaves. But these three men stood up and said that enough is enough. They said “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” The army backed down, and the captives were returned.

Ahaz was so determined to reject the LORD that when things got worse for him and his kingdom, he became yet more faithless. He had reasoned that the victors in the battles of the day must have the stronger gods, so he appealed to those gods. He probably figured that he had already cut ties with the LORD, so he would get no help there. It was foolish to utterly turn from following God.

LORD, give us wisdom to turn to you. May we realize that you will not give up on us, even if we have rebelled against you.