2 Kings 16:15

_AND KING AHAZ COMMANDED URIJAH THE PRIEST, SAYING, UPON THE GREAT ALTAR BURN THE MORNING BURNT OFFERING, AND THE EVENING MEAT OFFERING, AND THE KING'S BURNT SACRIFICE, AND HIS MEAT OFFERING, WITH THE BURNT OFFERING OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, AND THEIR MEAT OFFERING, AND THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS; AND SPRINKLE UPON IT ALL THE BLOOD OF THE BURNT OFFERING, AND ALL THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICE: AND THE BRASEN ALTAR SHALL BE FOR ME TO INQUIRE BY._ The brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by. Urijah, with culpable complaisance, acted according to his instructions (2 Kings 16:16). The sin in this affair consisted in meddling with, and improving, according to human taste and fancy, the altars of the temple, the patterns of which had been furnished by divine authority (Exodus 25:40;...

10-16 God's altar had hitherto been kept in its place, and in use; but Ahaz put another in the room of it. The natural regard of the mind of man to some sort of religion, is not easily extinguished; but except it be regulated by the word, and by the Spirit of God, it produces absurd superstitions, or detestable idolatries. Or, at best, it quiets the sinner's conscience with unmeaning ceremonies. Infidels have often been remarkable for believing ridiculous falsehoods....

THE BRASEN ALTAR SHALL BE FOR ME TO INQUIRE BY - The bulk of modern commentators translate - “As for the Brasen altar, it will be for me to inquire (or consider) what I shall do with it.”...

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 16:1 REIGN OF AHAZ OVER JUDAH. WAR OF AHAZ WITH PEKAH AND REZIN. EXPEDITION OF TIGLATH-PILESER AGAINST THEM. RELIGIOUS CHANGES MADE BY AHAZ. HIS DEATH. 2 KINGS 16:1 _General character of the reign of Ahaz_._ _Ahaz was the most wicked king that had as yet reigned in Judah. The author, the

AND KING AHAZ COMMANDED URIJAH THE PRIEST, SAYING,.... Who was not to be commanded by the king in matters of worship, but to attend to the laws and institutions of God: SAYING, UPON THE GREAT ALTAR; meaning the new one, which either was of a larger size than the altar of God, or was greater in the esteem of Ahaz: BURN THE MORNING BURNT OFFERING, AND THE EVENING MEAT OFFERING; the daily sacrifice, morning and evening: AND THE KING'S BURNT SACRIFICE, AND HIS MEAT OFFERING, WITH THE BURNT OFFERING OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, AND THEIR MEAT OFFERING, AND THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS; such as were offered up at any time on the account of the rulers of the land in particular, or of the whole congregation of Israel, see Leviticus 4:1 AND SPRINKLE UPON IT ALL THE BLOOD OF THE BURNT OFFERING, AND ALL THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICE

7. KING AHAZ AND ASSYRIA CHAPTER 16 _ 1. King Ahaz and his reign (2 Kings 16:1; 2 Chronicles 28)_ 2. The invasion by the two kings (2 Kings 16:5) 3. Ahaz appeals to Assyria (2 Kings 16:7) 4. Ahaz in Damascus and the idolatrous altar (2 Kings 16:9) 5. Death of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:19; 2 Chronicles 28:26) Righteou

2 KINGS 16. REIGN OF AHAZ. This chapter is assigned to different sources, and deals mainly with the king's alteration of the Temple, though it alludes to his apostasy and his wars. The Temple record (2 Kings 16:10) may be compared to similar passages in 2 K._ e.g._ 2 Kings 11, 2 Kings 12:4 ff. The verdict on Ahaz is more unfavourable than on any king of Judah except Manasseh. 2 KINGS 16:1. AHAZ. The full name was _Yehoahaz,_ and it appears in almost this form in an inscription of Tiglath-pileser. The king mentioned in 2 Kings 23:31 is properly Jehoahaz II....

GREAT ALTAR: i.e. the new altar. TO ENQUIRE. to consider further [what shall he done with it]. Figure of speech _Ellipsis._ Hebrew. _bakar._ Occurs seven times (2 Kings 16:15.Leviticus 13:36; Leviticus 27:33.Psalms 27:4.Proverbs 20:25.Ezekiel 34:11; Ezekiel 34:12)....

_Upon the great altar_ By this name he distinguishes his own altar. We know nothing of its dimensions but we need not refer the adjective -great" to the size of the structure. The king calls it so, because he means it to be the -principal" altar. The same adjective is used for the -eldest" among sons, and for the -chief" among priests. For an account of the burnt offering, which was accompanied also by a meal offering and a drink offering, see Exodus 29:38-42. These burnt offerings were offered, according to the original ordinance, every morning and every evening, and double as much on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10). It would almost appear that in the time of Ahaz the Mosaic ritual was relaxed, and the burnt offering made in the morning and the meal offering in the evening. But this is no

B. THE REIGN OF AHAZ 16:1-20 Considerable attention is devoted to Ahaz because of the religious significance of his reign. For the first time since the bloody reign of Athaliah, the Davidic dynasty faced the threat of removal from the throne in Jerusalem. To preserve himself on the throne, Ahaz appealed for aid from Assyria. He thus brought Judah under the political influence andwhat is worsethe religious influence of the Mesopotamian superpower. After a brief introduction to the reign of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:1-4), the author discusses the Syro-Ephraimitic invasion of Judah (2 Kings 16:5-9), and the Temple alterations made by Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10-18). _1. INTRODUCTION TO THE REIGN OF AHAZ_ ...