DETAILS OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF AHAZ'S REIGN AND HIS BEHAVIOUR AND ACTIONS IN THE EYES OF YHWH (2 KINGS 16:1). Ahaz was twenty years old when he commenced his co-regency with his father, and his sole reign ‘in Jerusalem' lasted for sixteen years. As his co-regency with his father was for about eight... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REIGN OF AHAZ KING OF JUDAH C. 732/1-716/15 BC. CO-REGENT FROM 744/43 BC. Ahaz came to the throne of Judah as sole ruler at a crucial time in Judah's history. Never before in that history had they faced the challenge of becoming permanently subservient to a large Empire whose requirements would... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INVASION OF JUDAH BY REZIN KING OF ARAM AND PEKAH KING OF ISRAEL. JUDAH IS DESPOILED (2 KINGS 16:4). The gathering threat from Israel and Aram to replace first Jotham, and then after his death Ahaz, with an Aramaean puppet who was ‘the son of Tabeel' (Isaiah 7:6) became a full reality in the ti... [ Continue Reading ]
THE APPEAL OF AHAZ TO TIGLATH-PILESER III, KING OF ASSYRIA, AND HIS TOTAL SUBMISSION TO HIM IN BOTH WORD AND BEHAVIOUR (2 KINGS 16:7). Having expressed his unwillingness to rely on YHWH Ahaz had no alternative but to turn to the King of Assyria as the only one powerful enough to help him. As the ser... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SUBSEQUENT BASTARDISATION OF THE TEMPLE RESULTING FROM AHAZ'S SUBMISSION. THE TEMPLE IS DESPOILED (2 KINGS 16:12). What followed was unquestionably a bastardisation of the Temple. The ‘true' altar of YHWH was replaced with one based on a foreign pattern, and the offerings made on that altar woul... [ Continue Reading ]
AHAZ'S REIGN COMES TO AN END (2 KINGS 16:19). 2 Kings 16:19 ‘Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?' The passage commenced with a description of Ahaz's apostasy and it now closes with the usual suggestion that if we... [ Continue Reading ]