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beginning in verse 1 of chapter 
16. In the 17th year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, Ahaz, the 
son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaz was 20 years 
old when he became king, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right 
in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had 
done. But he walked in the way of the 
kings of Israel. Indeed, he made his son pass 
through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations 
whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel. 
And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on 
the hills, and under every green tree. Then Retzin, king of Syria, 
and Pekah, the son of Ramaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem 
to make war. And they besieged Ahaz, but could 
not overcome him. At that time, Retzin, king of 
Syria, captured Eilath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from 
Eilath. Then the Edomites went to Eilath 
and dwell there to this day. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser, 
king of Assyria, saying, I am your servant and your son. Come 
up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from 
the hand of the king of Israel who rise up against me. And Ahaz 
took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the 
Lord, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it 
as a present to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria heeded 
him, for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and 
took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Retsin. Now, King Ahaz went to Damascus 
to meet Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, and saw an altar 
that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the 
priest the design of the altar and its pattern, according to 
all its workmanship. Then Uriah the priest built an 
altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. 
So Uriah the priest made it before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. And when the king came back from 
Damascus, the king saw the altar. And the king approached the altar 
and made offerings on it. So he burned his burnt offering 
and his grain offering, and he poured his drink offering and 
sprinkled the blood of his peace offering on the altar. He also 
brought the bronze altar, which was before the Lord, from the 
front of the temple, from between the new altar and the house of 
the Lord, and put it on the north side of the new altar. And King 
Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, on the great new altar 
burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the 
king's burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, with the burnt 
offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering 
and their drink offerings. And sprinkle on it all the blood 
of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. And 
the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by. Thus did Uriah 
the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded. And 
King Ahaz cut off the panels of the carts and removed the 
lavers from them. And he took down the sea from 
the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a pavement of 
stones. Also he removed the Sabbath pavilion 
which they had built in the temple, and he removed the king's outer 
entrance from the house of the Lord, on account of the king 
of Assyria. 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? So Ahaz rested with his fathers 
and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Then Hezekiah 
his son reigned in his place. Amen. Well, as we have considered 
throughout this book of 2 Kings, it's a history, obviously, of 
the kings of the north and the kings of the south, with reference 
to Israel and Judah. We have seen, by and large, that 
they are wicked men. By and large, they are bad influences 
upon the people, and they bring down upon them and the people 
the judgment of God. We certainly see in a passage 
like this what Solomon speaks of in the Proverbs, that righteousness 
exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. In the parallel passage in 2 
Chronicles 28, it tells us that he caused a moral decline in 
all of Israel, because of his idolatry and because of his wickedness. Again, there's been other wicked 
kings in Judah. There's only been wicked kings 
in the north and Israel, but this man Ahaz stands out. He 
is certainly a benchmark in terms of wickedness up to this point. 
in the narrative concerning the Judean kings. I want to look 
at three things tonight with reference to this chapter. First, 
the idolatry of Ahaz in verses 1 to 4. Secondly, the submission 
of Ahaz, verses 5 to 9, his submission to Tiglath-Pileser, the king 
of Assyria. And then thirdly, the innovations 
of Ahaz. You see that Ahaz comes back 
from Damascus with Damascus religion. He comes back with Syrian religion 
and he institutes that in Jerusalem. So he innovates. What he is suggesting 
or what he is doing here is telling us that God's orthodox way of 
worship is deficient. You see, Ahaz thinks he has a 
better way to go about the worship of the living God. So he co-ops 
the worship of Syria and brings that into Jerusalem. So that 
is never a good thing. So we see his idolatry, his submission, 
and his innovations. But note first his idolatry. 
Again, we have seen these kinds of formulas over and over. This 
one's a little bit different in that it strengthens or heightens 
or shows just how much more wicked Ahaz was. Now, the timing involved 
is probably he did a bit of co-regency with his father Jotham. That 
would account for any disparity in terms of the numbers. The 
time frame is 735 to 715 BC. That is when Ahaz reigned in 
Judah. And then notice in verse 2, it 
says, he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, and he did not do 
what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father 
David had done. David is the standard. David 
is the benchmark in terms of godliness and faithfulness in 
terms of kingship. in Judah, in Israel as a whole. David sets the standard and all 
other kings are measured by that. Remember, David was not a perfect 
man. David sinned grievously against 
God, but David was a man after God's own heart. He loved God 
He never departed from God. He never went into idolatry or 
anything like that. So David is the one that men 
are measured by. And then notice, he imitated 
the kings of Israel. Verse 3a says, he walked in the 
way of the kings of Israel. This is also mentioned of Jehoram 
and Ahaziah in chapter 8, verses 18 and 27. Now, Jehoram and Ahaziah 
were linked to the house or family of Ahab by marriage. So it's 
not sort of outlandish that they would have walked in the way 
of the kings of Israel, but this man is not joined to the house 
of Ahab or the house of Israel by marriage. He's just a wicked 
man. He walked in the way of the kings 
of Israel. Notice then, thirdly, he made 
his son pass through the fire. In verse 3b, indeed he made his 
son pass through the fire according to the abominations of the nations 
whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel. 
You can turn back to Leviticus chapter 18 for just a moment. 
Leviticus chapter 18, where this prohibition is found in terms 
of children passing through the fire. In 1821 it says, you shall 
not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, 
nor shall you profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Now, this is a form of child 
sacrifice. This was a means by which Molech 
was worshipped. It was through the sacrifice 
of one's child or children into the fire that surrounded this 
particular idol. Obviously, Israel would be prohibited 
against such things. And intriguingly, in our text, 
it says this was the practice that was done by those whom the 
Lord had driven out of the land that had done these things before 
Israel. If you look down further in Leviticus 
chapter 18, you see that very same thing. Verse 24 says, Do 
not defile yourselves with any of these things, for by all these 
the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 
For the land is defiled, therefore I visit the punishment of its 
iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. You 
shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments and shall not 
commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation 
or any stranger who dwells among you. For all these abominations 
the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus 
the land is defiled. Lest the land vomit you out also 
when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before 
you. For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons 
who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 
Now going back to 2 Kings chapter 16. It is absolutely an abomination 
that Ahaz would engage in this sort of worship unto Molech wherein 
he would offer up his child, passing him through the fire 
in this particular manner. But also we need to appreciate 
that God's judgment is not arbitrary and it's not capricious. God 
didn't tell Israel to go in and dispossess the land of the Canaanites 
because God had a particular axe to grind against the Canaanites. They were sinners that stood 
under his judgment, so God uses Israel to be the means by which 
those wretches are driven from the land. But when Israel engages 
in the same sort of conduct that the Canaanites did, then God 
raises up Assyria, and God will raise up Babylon to drive them 
out of the land. So God's judgment is not arbitrary. It's not just at whim, but it 
is based on His standard. It is based on His law. When 
the people of Israel imbibe the conduct of the Canaanites, then 
God will deal with them severely. You'll see that next week in 
2 Kings 17, when Assyria comes and destroys the Northern Kingdom. 
We'll see it later in 2 Kings 25, when Babylon comes and destroys 
the Southern Kingdom. And you see this already back 
in the book of Judges. One of the things that Judges 
treats is how the people of Israel became like the Canaanites they 
were supposed to dispossess. They didn't dispossess the land 
completely of the Canaanites. So what happens? That Canaanite 
influence pervasively influences the people of Israel, such that 
they engage in the same sort of wickedness, and we get to 
this place of ripening, and the Lord will deal with them the 
way that he dealt with the Canaanites. So it is an abomination that 
Ahaz engages in this particular activity. It will happen later 
in Israel's history as well. Jeremiah speaks to it, Ezekiel 
speaks to it. It's something that they engaged 
in, this sacrifice of their children to Moloch. And then finally in 
verse 4, sort of rounding out this who's who of idolatry with 
reference to Ahaz. Notice verse 4, he sacrificed 
and burned incense on the high places. on the hills and under 
every green tree." Now, for most of the kings of Judah, I didn't 
have time to go and look at every single statement, but for the 
most part, the kings of Judah, under their reign, the high places 
were not removed. The high places still stood intact. But the kings themselves did 
not participate in them. The kings knew that they were 
going on, but they did not participate in them. Ahaz, however, engaged 
in it. He sacrificed and burned incense 
on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. John Gill says, which none of 
the kings of Judah before him ever did. For though they connived 
at this practice in the people, they never encouraged it by their 
own example. Even good kings during the reign, 
say of Jehoshaphat, the high places were still there, but 
nevertheless Jehoshaphat did what was right in the sight of 
the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a godly king. Though that high place 
stood and shows some inconsistency, Jehoshaphat wasn't there with 
them worshipping those idols and engaging in that act of idolatry. So Ahaz is similar to the other 
bad kings in Judah, but he's worse even. He engages in things 
that other Judaic kings did not do. Now note the submission of 
Ahaz in verses 5 to 9. We need to know a little history 
about what's happening in verses 5 and 6. We've already seen something 
of this coalition between Israel, the northern kingdom, and Syria. This was called the Syro-Ephraimite 
alliance or the Syro-Ephraimite coalition. Ephraimite means Israel. Sometimes the northern kingdom 
is called Ephraim, based on the son of Joseph. And so this Syro-Ephraimite 
coalition or alliance, these two nations got together, the 
northern kingdom and Syria, and their purpose was to withstand 
Assyria. Assyria is a growing power, it's 
going to become a world empire, and it is gobbling up people 
groups, nations, provinces, and territories. So the Syrians and 
Israel make this alliance to try and withstand the Assyrians. You see it back in chapter 15. 
Notice in verse 29, in the days of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser, 
king of Assyria, came and took Ajahn, Abel, Beth, Mechah, Jenoah, 
Kadesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and 
he carried them captive to Assyria. And then notice under the reign 
of Jotham, the king of the south, verse 37 in chapter 15. In those 
days, the Lord began to send Retsin, king of Syria, and Pekah, 
the son of Ramaliah, against Judah. So you see, you have this 
alliance of these kings, and then we see this again in verse 
5 in chapter 16. Then Retsin, king of Syria, and 
Pekah, the son of Ramaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem 
to make war, and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome 
him. Another place that deals with 
this is the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 7. Isaiah ministered 
at this particular time. In fact, Isaiah told Ahaz not 
to worry about it, that Israel and Syria would not be successful 
in capturing Jerusalem. That's even here. Notice in verse 
5, they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. Now the parallel 
in 2 Chronicles 28 tells us that Edomites are invading Judah, 
that Philistines are invading Judah, and that Israel and Syria 
are invading Judah, and nevertheless Jerusalem does not get captured. God the Lord is protecting the 
city. Isaiah told Ahaz that God the 
Lord would protect the city. It's in that context that the 
sign of the Virgin is given. It's a proof to Ahaz that God 
will protect Jerusalem from invading Assyria or from Israel and Syria. So that's what the historic background 
is. Now in Isaiah 7, and I think 
at least by implication here, it fills in for us what's going 
on here. Israel and Syria, this alliance, wanted Ahaz to join 
with them. We're stronger together. The 
king of Judah steps in with the king of Israel and the king of 
Syria, then we have even more strength to withstand Assyria. But Ahaz didn't want to. He rejected that. So they then 
attempt to seize control of Jerusalem, and they want to install a new 
king in Jerusalem. Again, this is Isaiah 7, 6. If 
you're ever reading Isaiah 7, you're wondering what's happening. 
It's the Syro-Aphromite alliance that has come against Jerusalem, 
very specifically, and Ahaz, to try to get him to join along. 
Now, the alliance was thwarted, but they did inflict heavy casualties 
on the southern kingdom. 2 Chronicles 28 records that 
for us. And then notice in verse 6, in 
chapter 16, at that time, Retsin, king of Syria, captured Alath 
for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Alath. Then the Edomites 
went to Eilath and dwell there to this day." They had just recovered 
Eilath. It was a very significant place 
in terms of trade and in terms of strategy and position. It 
was a big thing to lose in this particular instance. But nevertheless, 
Jerusalem is protected. God the Lord does make good on 
his promises. So at this time, not only you 
have this Syro-Ephraimite alliance that is plaguing Ahaz, but he's 
got Edomites, and he's got Philistines, and he's got a whole bunch of 
problems. That's going to set the stage 
for what follows in this section. To whom does he turn when he 
has all these problems? It's not to God. It's to Tiglath-Pileser. It's to the king of Assyria. See, this is what the writer 
wants you to appreciate. When there is political turmoil, 
when there is military threat, when there is invading enemies, 
the answer is not, go to the pagan king. The answer is, trust 
in Yahweh, the living and true God. House summarizes. He says, as has been mentioned, 
Ahaz inherits Jotham's problems with Israel and Syria during 
a time when Tiglath-Pileser III poses the greatest external threat 
to the small nations in the region. Syria has always fought Assyria, 
and now Pika changes Israel's policy from a pro-Assyrian stance. Remember back, well, probably 
you don't, but in chapter 15, Menahem paid tribute to Assyria. Menahem wanted Assyrian protection. Well, Pekah comes after Manahem 
and says, no more Assyria. I'm going to support or we're 
going to support Syria. He says, Pekah changes Israel's 
policy from a pro-Assyrian stance to one of hostility against the 
invaders. Judah is left as the sole appeaser 
of Assyria and endures a siege instituted by Pekah and Retsin 
in 733-732 BC. Their purpose is to seize control 
of Judah and install a new ruler. Although Judah suffers heavy 
casualties, their enemy's overall purpose is thwarted. Retsin does 
drive Judah out of Elath and captures the city. Judah is in 
desperate straits. To whom will Ahaz turn? So, just 
that little bit there in verses 5 and 6, that historical sort 
of aside, sets the stage to answer the question, to whom will Ahaz 
turn? Now, some have suggested that 
the author in chapter 16 doesn't really theologically comment 
on Ahaz's conduct. He most certainly does, through 
and through. The author doesn't have to say, 
and what he did here was a bad thing because Deuteronomy 20 
says not to do that. I mean, he expects us to pick 
up certain clues. He expects us to understand that 
any violation of God's law is obviously condemned by God. So that sets the stage. Now, 
notice his submission to the king of Assyria. In doing this, 
he rejects the prophet Isaiah. Now, you've got to have rocks for brains to reject the 
prophet. Rocks for brains to reject any 
jot and diddle of the word of God, period. But when Isaiah 
tells you, everything's going to be okay, God's going to cover 
you, God's going to protect Jerusalem, then you really should listen. 
But he didn't. He didn't listen to that. he 
submits to Tiglath-Pileser. And he does so in a way that 
is just absolutely contrary to everything we've come to expect 
in Judean kings. Notice in verse 7, so Ahaz sent 
messengers to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, saying, I am 
your servant and your son. Remember the Davidic covenant 
in 2 Samuel 7, 14. What does God say about the Davidic 
king that sits upon his throne? He will be my son. And here Ahaz calls himself the 
son of a pagan king. He calls himself the son of Tiglath-Pileser 
III. He then goes on to cry out to 
Tiglath-Pileser to be his savior. Notice, as Davis says, he wants 
him as his personal savior. Come up and save me from the 
hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of 
Israel who rise up against me. He then goes on to bribe the 
king. Notice in verse 8, Ahaz took 
the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord. 
It's a general rule when once you sin, all other sins become, 
you know, not that big of a deal. If you reject the living and 
true God, you reject the prophetic word spoken by Isaiah the prophet, 
and you turn to Diglas Pileser, and you submit to him as servant 
and son, and you trust in him as your personal savior, it's 
not a stretch to think that you're going to just take things that 
don't belong to you. like the silver and gold that 
belong in the temple, the silver and gold that are in the palace 
based on taxpayers' hard work, and then you're going to send 
that as a present to the king of Assyria. We ought not to misinterpret. This is not a good translation. 
He doesn't send it as a present. It is a bribe. Asa did that. as well in 1 Kings chapter 15. In 2 Kings chapter 15, we see 
that Menahem bribes or sends tribute to the king of Assyria 
as well. And notice in verse 9, the king 
of Assyria heeded him. For the king of Assyria went 
up against Damascus and took it, carried its people alive 
to Kir and killed Retsin. Now, just to sort of summarize 
this, I think Davis nails it. He says, Ahaz is in deep trouble 
and appeals for help to Assyria. He acts not as a covenant believer, 
but as a shrewd politician. Ahaz sells his birthright at 
the very first, I am your servant and your son. Ahaz repudiates 
the Davidic covenant as he licks Tiglath Pileser's boots. He wants 
to accept the Assyrians as his personal savior. And as usual 
in politics, a handsome bribe buys salvation. It may have been 
blatant unbelief, but it was successful policy. He may repudiate 
the Davidic covenant, but he saved his own skin. Shucked to 
the bone, the choice is between pragmatism or promise. It's very important. Now, it 
may take us a bit to sort of make the application to our own 
situation, but hopefully it may not. How often do we rely on 
the promise of God or the pragmatic approach to solving problems? 
You know what pragmatism is. Pragmatism is doing what works. It's being practical. It's figuring 
out the best course. It's not always wrong to be pragmatic. I mean, if you're digging a ditch, 
It's good to be pragmatic and use the proper tools. You don't 
dig ditches with spoons. You get shovels. Or better yet, 
you get tractors. And best yet, you have somebody 
else do it. I don't know. You're pragmatic. 
Pragmatism isn't necessarily bad in every context. But when 
it comes to a believer's life before God, are we living by 
pragmatism or by promise? You see, this is where the rubber 
meets the road for us. We're often like Ahaz. When troubles come, when distress 
hits, when trials beset us, instead of relying on the promise of 
God, we run the other way and we seek help. from Tiglath-Pileser. We seek help from whatever it 
is that may offer that form of help to us, and that is precisely 
what Ahaz is doing here. So we see his idolatry, verses 
1 to 4. We see the submission to Tiglath-Pileser, 
verses 5 to 9. Now notice his innovations with 
reference to worship in verses 10 to 20. Notice in verse 10, 
by the way, 16.9, Amos had prophesied that such would take place in 
Amos 1.5. You need to know that just because 
2 Kings is here and Amos is here, it doesn't mean that this happened 
before Amos. Amos was an earlier prophet than 
this particular instance, and Amos 1.5, he tells specifically 
that this is going to take place. Again, Isaiah chapter 7, this 
is the specific historical situation that Isaiah is dealing with, 
with Ahaz. But notice, with reference to 
verse 10, Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser, king 
of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus. So he probably 
went there to congratulate him on his victory over Damascus. 
He's there to, you know, make sure that everything's going 
well in terms of their agreement and their arrangement. Did you 
get the bribe that I sent? Are you happy with the gold? 
Are you happy with the silver? I hope it's enhanced your life 
and I'm looking forward to a great help from you in terms of resisting 
my particular enemies. But while he's there in Damascus, 
he sees an altar. And King Ahaz, verse 10, sent 
to Uriah the priest the design of the altar and its pattern 
according to all its workmanship. There is a particular view of 
this passage that everything he does here, he was forced to 
do. In other words, as a vassal now, 
or as a subject to the king of Assyria, he would have to toe 
the line in order to please the king of Assyria. I don't think 
the text reads that way. I think that everything that 
Ahaz is doing, he is doing here voluntarily. He's not forced 
into idolatry. He is just acting consistently 
with his idolatry. We already see his character 
in verses 1 to 4. When we get to this innovation 
in worship, this is just the liturgical application of a heart 
that is far from God. Now, Assyria did not make religious 
impositions on its semi-independent vassal states, like Judah, as 
they might have done on provinces. That simply means that Assyria 
didn't force their religion down the throats of every state that 
they had gobbled up. Didn't mean that they necessarily 
approved or they would participate in it, but they didn't stop you 
from worshiping Yahweh if you happen to be a Jew. So that idea 
that he was forced into it and that this was an Assyrian altar 
is probably incorrect. It was a Syrian altar, it was 
at Damascus, and King Ahaz liked it. He sends to Uriah the priest 
the design of the altar and its pattern, according to all its 
workmanship. Notice as well, 2 Chronicles 
28, tells us very specifically there of where his religious 
alliances were at this time. 2 Chronicles 28. specifically in verse 23. We'll 
notice chapter 28 a little bit later when we conclude our study 
tonight. But notice in verse 23, for he sacrificed to the 
gods of Damascus, which had defeated him. He sacrificed to the gods 
of Damascus. So this was a Syrian altar. This 
was the gods of the Syrian sort of a thing. Now you might say, 
what's the big difference between Assyria and Syria in this way? 
Well, if it was Assyria, then the case might be made that he 
was forced by Tiglath-Pileser to do this. But I don't think 
that's it. Syrian gods, and he is a willing 
worshipper and idolater of those gods. He's not forced in it. 
He's not, you know, towing the line to please Tig of Assyria. He is doing this most happily 
and most joyfully. Now, note the religion of Damascus 
in verses 11 to 18. It is brought to, imported to, 
Jerusalem. Note the complicity of Uriah. 
Verse 11, then Uriah the priest built an altar according to all 
that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. So Uriah the priest 
made it before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. Should Uriah 
have done that? We must obey God rather than 
men. You talk about a proof text against 
state churchmanship or state churches. You talk about a text 
that ought to be studied by every student of church and state. 
And you do, incidentally, should see throughout Old Covenant Israel 
a genuine separation of church and state. It may not be as distinct 
as we would like it. There's certainly interplay and 
there's overlap to some degree, but there was a distinct stately 
office and a churchly office. And in this regard, the priest 
Urijah should never have taken his orders with reference to 
the worship of the living God from Ahaz the idolater. Now this demonstrates for us 
that weakness and spinelessness can advance wickedness or evil 
just as much as blatant wickedness can. Ahaz is just a wicked idolater, 
so he's going to advance evil. Uriah is a spineless wimp, so 
he's going to advance evil. He doesn't stand up to the king, 
but rather he submits. Instead of a, we must obey God 
rather than men, he says, I must obey this man rather than God. He has his marching orders, and 
it's to the law and the prophets, he must go. But rather than that, 
he fears man. He demonstrates that he's a jellyfish, 
and he complies, and even has the altar constructed before 
the king came back from Damascus. Now note, when the king arrives 
in Jerusalem, in verses 12 and 13, he offers sacrifice. Now the way that he's described 
here is very similar to the way that Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, 
is described in 1 Kings. And it's probably the case that 
the author is saying that what Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, was 
to the north This is what Ahaz is to the south. And what is 
the result of Jeroboam the son of Nebat's religion? Well, chapter 
17 is going to tell us. It's utter destruction with reference 
to the northern kingdom. And so what our author is doing 
is foreshadowing for us that what's going to happen to Israel 
in chapter 17 isn't going to take long to happen in Judah, 
because Ahaz is functioning as a Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. 
He's making, or he's preparing the offerings, he's preparing 
the sacrifices, he's going to the altar, and he is offering 
these things up to the Syrian gods. The king then, notice in 
verses 14 and 15, for a time you've got two altars. You've 
got the new great altar, and you have the altar of the Lord. 
But slowly but surely, what happens to the altar of the Lord? It 
gets displaced. It gets further removed. Matthew 
Henry says, his superstitious invention at first, this is his 
altar, his Syrian altar, his superstitious invention at first 
jostled with God's sacred institution, but at length jostled it out. You see, this is always the calamity 
involved. Well, we're going to do this 
to enhance the worship of God. We're going to do this to help 
us worship God. Before long, you got a, you know, 
a Metallica stage up there and the pulpits nowhere to be found. 
Well, we're going to get these guitars, and we're going to get 
these drums, and we're going to get these things, and they're going to 
assist us in our worship to the living God. And then instead 
of faithful proclamation of the Word of God taking the bulk of 
the service, you've got faithful riffing by some guitarist that's 
shredding. This is not good, brethren. It 
jostles with, and then ultimately jostles it out. And then Matthew 
Henry makes this application. Note, those will soon come to 
make nothing of God that will not be content to make Him their 
all. You see, he puts this altar up, 
moves God's back, and eventually God's is, you know, off in the 
corner somewhere. And what has center stage? This 
great altar that he has innovatively put in its place. The priest, 
again, verse 16, obeys men and not God. And then notice in verses 
16, I'm sorry, verses 17 and 18. Some of this is a bit difficult, 
but he removes the labors and the bulls, and this was most 
likely preferential. He didn't need money. Some again 
say he did this because he had to pay Tiglath-Pileser. He had 
to pay him off. This stuff was bronze. He already 
paid off Tiglath-Pileser with gold and silver. He's not going 
to come up now with bronze to pay his debt. He does this out 
of preference. He is remodeling the temple. 
He doesn't like what God instituted. He doesn't like what Solomon 
built. He doesn't want things the way that they are. He wants 
to move these things out. Now, in verse 18, it says that 
he does this on account of the king of Assyria. And again, some 
interpret this and say, well, he only did all this in order 
to appease Tiglath-Pileser. No, I don't think so. I think 
Proven is right on. Proven says it has been sometimes 
suggested that it was a matter of financial necessity. This 
verse 17, 18, this cutting off the panels of the cart, the removing 
of the labors from them, the taking down the sea from the 
bronze oxen that were under it, put in a pavement of stones. 
Some say this was for financial necessity. Proven says no. There 
is certainly no evidence for this in the text. The gift described 
in verses 7 and 8 includes no bronze, and its giving obviously 
precedes in narrative time the actions of verse 17. He says, 
it is simply that travel has broadened Ahaz's mind. Ahaz had 
become a man of the world now. He had gone to Damascus, he had 
seen the way that they worshipped, and he wanted that in Jerusalem. Now, I don't think the text is 
forbidding us trips to Mexico. It is forbidding us, however, 
co-opting the religion of pagans and bringing it into the house 
of God. It's not wrong to go to Damascus necessarily, but 
it is wrong to bring their altar back and put it in the temple 
of Yahweh. It is wrong to go to Damascus 
and then come back and say, you know, I don't like what God instituted 
here. I don't like how God designed 
this. I don't like the way Solomon constructed this. Let's do some 
rearranging. Ours is not to rearrange the 
house of God. Ours is simply to obey God. Ahaz is in very dangerous waters 
at this point. He says, this is Proven again, 
he has gained some new ideas. You hear it, right? The pastor, 
the worship leader goes to this conference, he comes back and 
he says, you know, brethren, we've been doing this all wrong. 
We should move the pulpit to the side or, you know, better 
yet, just get rid of it, put an easy chair up, let our pastor 
sit there with his hands in his pocket and speak to us for 10 
minutes and tell us nice stories. And we'll fill the rest of the 
time with worship music and bands and singing and praise. I mean, 
on the one hand, there's nothing wrong with praise. Obviously, 
we should praise. It never ceases to amaze me that 
we can't praise God during preaching. I like to think that when people 
hear a a good word, they're praising God. Their hearts are beating 
saying, thank you, God, for the fact that Jesus died for my sins. How is it that we can only praise 
with a tambourine in our hand? Can't we praise when it comes 
into the ear duct and goes into the heart, and we silently say, 
thank you, God, for saving a miserable sinner like me? Why isn't that 
praise? Why doesn't that qualify? I have 
to lose my mind and bounce up and down for it to be legitimate 
praise? He goes on to say, only in the 
case of the last two innovations is it said that the motive was 
deference to or fear of the king of Assyria. Again, there is no 
hint here of requirement. He doesn't do it because Tiglath-Pileser 
forced him, only of a desire to remove a possible source of 
offense. Ahaz is presented as a king who 
is open to foreign influence in his religious policy. He is 
not presented as one who is under foreign control. So do not read 
this chapter and say, well, because of this So the relationship he 
enters into with Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, well, he had 
to do these sorts of things. No. What does Hezekiah do? He resists Assyria. He says no 
to Assyria. He just said no in verse 7 of 
chapter 18. I mean, the high point of this 
chapter is that Ahaz dies. That's the beauty of this chapter, 
is praise God Almighty the guy dies and that from his loins 
a decent human being is born. Hezekiah wasn't perfect, Hezekiah 
wasn't Jesus, but Hezekiah instituted reform and Hezekiah resisted 
Assyria. So it's not the case that Ahaz 
here is forced. He's a man who's traveled. He's 
a man who's been enamored with the religion of Syria. He has 
co-opted that. He has brought that back to Jerusalem, 
and he has innovated with reference to the worship of the living 
and true God. Well, in conclusion, I think 
we learn a couple of lessons, and then we'll close. The first 
is the apostasy of Ahaz, and there are several things that 
we ought to review and a few we ought to consider from chapter 
28 in 2 Chronicles. First, the idolatry of verses 
1 to 4 demonstrates a heart that is far from God. So by the time 
we get to his innovations with reference to worship in Jerusalem, 
we don't have to think that the king of Assyria forced him into 
this. Here's a man who caused his children 
to pass through the fire to Molech in terms of child sacrifice. 
I mean, it's chump change for a guy like that to bring an altar 
from Syria and put it in the temple of the Lord. His idolatry 
in verses 1 to 4 demonstrates already a heart that is far from 
God. Secondly, his submission to Tiglath-Pileser 
shows a heart that does not believe God. God promised to the kings 
of Judah His protection. God promised, specifically through 
Isaiah the prophet, His protection. And this man rejects that, which 
demonstrates that he does not believe God. He's got a fundamental 
problem with unbelief. When you look at the sin of apostasy, 
these sorts of things are present. A heart far from God, and a heart 
that does not believe God. Thirdly, the innovation in worship 
indicates a heart that knows better than God. You see, this 
is where we need to tread very carefully when it comes to worship. This is why the Reformed Church 
is subscribed to what is called the regulative principle of worship. 
We do what God commands. We don't add to it, and we certainly 
don't take away from it. We don't get creative, we don't 
get innovative, we don't get stylistic or stylish, but rather 
we hopefully become obedient. This is what God's looking for 
in worship. He's not looking for the best 
flags in that interpretive dance. He's not looking for the best 
drum solo on a Sunday morning. He's not looking for the guy 
that can shred on his Gibson. He is looking for obedient people 
that worship Him in spirit and what? Truth. It's the truth that 
dictates, mandates, demands, and commands how we are to approach 
our God. And so all of the innovations 
that we want to introduce into worship are things that God has 
not commanded. Now, fourthly, the conduct of 
Ahaz encouraged moral decline in Judah. 2 Chronicles 28, 19. tells us that the Lord brought 
Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel, for he had encouraged 
moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to 
the Lord. You see what happens? When a 
man rules a nation and he's a godless man, he's an idolatrous man, 
he's a wretched man, it causes this climate of moral decline 
in the entirety of the nation. No doubt the people follow his 
example. No doubt the people then open 
themselves up to the very judgment and wrath and fury of God. Now 
notice, fifthly, the presence of distress, trial, difficulty, 
furthered his unfaithfulness. Notice in 2 Chronicles 28, 22. Now in the time of his distress, 
King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. This 
is that King Ahaz. Now this, I think, underscores 
a particular principle that we ought to pay attention to. What 
do trials and sorrows and difficulties and hardships in the Christian 
life do for us? They're supposed to further conform 
us unto the Lord Jesus Christ. They're not supposed to drive 
us further from the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, our approach 
to trials, our approach to afflictions, our approach to distresses will 
be either we draw nigh unto God or we depart from God. We complain 
about him, we get angry at him, we say, why in the world would 
you do such a thing? In the time of his distress, 
King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. Now you 
read or you compare that or you contrast that with, say, 2 Corinthians 
chapter 11, when the apostle Paul went through a whole host 
of distresses, a whole host of trials, a whole host of sorrows, 
What did it do for him? It didn't cause increasing unfaithfulness, 
but rather increasing faithfulness on the part of the apostle. Our 
response to trials, they will either be a vehicle to draw us 
closer to God or to send us further from God. And then notice, paradoxically, 
Not paradoxically the statement, but paradoxically the verse. 
My statement is this. The practice of idolatry brings 
ruin, not restoration. Notice verse 23. For he sacrificed 
to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, saying, Because 
the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice 
to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him 
and of all Israel. So the practice of idolatry brings 
ruin, not restoration. That should be self-evident. 
You know, Psalm 115 says, Those who make idols become like them. 
This is why Israel is upbraided, because they have ears that can't 
hear and eyes that can't see. Well, they've imbibed the very 
characteristics of their idols. The idols, according to Psalm 
115, they have eyes, they can't see. They have ears, but they 
can't hear. All those who make them, or all those who worship 
them, will become like them. But notice, intriguingly, he 
sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, saying, 
because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them. Go back 
to 28.5. This is the paradox. the paradoxical thing that I 
mentioned. Therefore, the Lord as God delivered him into the 
hand of the king of Syria. Isn't that interesting? He thought 
the gods of the Syrians defeated him. It was Yahweh who had defeated 
him by means of judgment. And here he is ascribing this 
defeat that he suffers to the prowess of the gods of Syria. So he offers up sacrifices to 
them. The end of verse 23 says, but 
they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. So the apostasy 
of Ahaz, I think has a lot of similarities. to the sorts of 
things that you and I might encounter in our daily lives. And then 
secondly, we ought to at least appreciate, not like in a good 
way, but consider the weakness of Uriah. The weakness of Uriah. The church doesn't need spineless 
men. The church needs men with backbone 
that are going to stand up for what was right. The priest was 
responsible to obey God, not men. And his conduct here demonstrates 
that evil is advanced by weakness as much as by wickedness." That's 
what Davis says, and I heartily agree. Now, perhaps Uriah was 
the kind of guy that didn't want to make waves. You know, Ahaz 
wants an altar, Ahaz gets an altar. I don't want to ruffle 
his feathers. I don't want to make him mad. 
I mean, he's had a rough time. He's been in distress. The Syrians, 
the Israelites, Edomites, Philistines, I don't want to add to his burdens. 
I'll just do what he wants me to do and, you know, keep the 
peace. Davis shares an interesting historical 
sort of story, not story like it's false, but historical illustration 
of Benjamin B.B. Warfield. You've probably heard 
of B.B. Warfield. He wrote many, many good things 
and was a seminary professor. Well, Davis relates this story. He says, Benjamin Warfield once 
happened to meet Mrs. Stevenson, wife of the president 
of Princeton Seminary on a Princeton street. Mrs. Stevenson was worried 
about the fireworks that might erupt at the upcoming Presbyterian 
General Assembly. Dr. Warfield, she pled, I hear 
there is going to be trouble at the General Assembly. Do let 
us pray for peace. To which Warfield replied, I 
am praying that if they do not do what is right, there may be 
a mighty battle. And then Davis says, that must 
be our attitude. Not because we crave conflict, 
but because we fear spinelessness that shares in other men's sins. Uriah is a wonderful example 
of the kind of whimpery and spinelessness that goes on all over the place 
today. Well, the state said we have 
to marry these sodomites. The government says they'll take 
away our tax exam status, and we can't infringe on the rights 
of others. If it's a violation of the word 
of God, we need to stand firm. We don't need Urijahs, we need 
Benjamin Warfields. We need men that say, I am praying 
that if they do not do what is right, there may be a mighty 
battle. Praise God Almighty for Warfields 
and men like him. And then finally, I think as 
we leave this chapter, we ought to see something that I'm not 
sure is always so apparent to us. There is something appealing 
about idolatry. I mean, why do people engage 
in idolatry? Because it feels good. Why do 
people engage in sin? Because they want to and because 
they get something from it. Idolatry is a real temptation 
because it typically offers something that we want. Right? Ahaz wants relief from his present 
distress. So what does he do? He runs to 
his idols. What does he do? He submits himself 
to a pagan king. He thinks... Now, it's satanic 
rationale. I mean, idols aren't real to 
begin with. And the thought that they can 
bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places 
is an absolute lie. But because man is what man is, 
we have a tendency or a propensity or a desire to follow that which 
does at least promise good things to us. In this instance, why 
wait for Yahweh when Tiglath-Pileser, when offered silver and gold, 
will deliver the goods right away? We need to remember that 
this is in fact a reality. This is why John tells us at 
the end of his first epistle, my little children, keep yourselves 
from idols. Why do you think there's so many 
prohibitions against idolatry in the Bible? Because there's 
something in us that wants the idol. There's something in us 
that would much rather walk by sight and not by faith. It's 
difficult to live based on the promises of an unseen God. It 
takes faith. Faithlessness craves immediate 
gratification. Faithlessness craves the comfort 
that is promised to them short term. Faithlessness craves the 
easiest way possible. The faithful, however, rest upon 
their God. The faithful rest upon the living 
and true God, and they realize that He is for them, that He 
is working all things for their good, and they trust in Him, 
and they wait upon Him. We, unfortunately, I don't mean 
we, you guys are all just idolatries, but there is that tendency in 
our hearts to bend toward Baal. to bend toward Moloch, to bend 
toward Mammon, and we need to resist that and keep ourselves 
from idols. Well, let us close in a word 
of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you 
for these descriptions of these godless men in the Old Testament, 
and we see them in the New Testament as well, and forgive us if we 
miss the lessons, if we miss the teachings of passages like 
these. Help us to take heed, help us 
to guard our own hearts, help us to walk faithfully before 
You, trusting in Your promises, receiving and embracing Your 
Word, and not resisting and rejecting it. We ask that You would go 
with us, we pray that You'd bring us together on the Lord's Day, 
We pray that you would help us as a church to be obedient to 
you, and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.