With the help of Tiglath Pileser, King Ahaz secured a victory in the conflict he had with King Pekah of Israel and King Rezin of Aram. And as we have seen, he had to pay a great price. He went from bad to worst. he not only had Urijah the priest made an altar that he saw at Damascus, but in 2 Kings 16:14, but we are also told that he made that altar more prominent. The brazen altar constructed during Solomon’s time he ordered it shifted to the north side of the altar he had made.
In 2 Kings 16:15-16, he had ordered Urijah that all major sacrifices
be offered on the new altar he had made. He also had some of the bronze
structures built during Solomon’s time dismantled to appease the king of
Assyria. Second Chronicles 28:22-24 had this to say of Ahaz. “In the time of his distress, this Ahaz became yet more
unfaithful to the Lord. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated
him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will
sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of
him and all of Israel. Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of
the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and
he closed the doors of the house of the Lord and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.”
The rest of Ahaz's deeds were recorded in the Books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Verse 20 said that Ahaz died and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Hezekiah succeeded him and reigned in his place. One wrong move and Ahaz's life just spiraled downward rapidly. He became more compromised and unfaithful to the Lord as time progressed. Ahaz became the worst king Judah ever had. His life tells us that compromise will always lead to unfaithfulness. This is an area we must guard. Let’s be watchful and be sure not to live a compromising life.
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