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Chronicles 28 reminds me some people treat God like the enemy. They
disregard His warnings and His teaching. They reject His authority
over their life and follow selfish pleasures, and then they blame God
for their situation. But the good news is God is ever patient and He
is quick to receive our repentance. The chapter begins, “Ahaz
was twenty years old when he became king… he reigned in Jerusalem
sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right
in the eyes of the Lord“. We learn this king very quickly
turned as far from God as possible, “He made cast idols for
worshiping the Baals… sacrificed his sons in the fire, following
the detestable ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the
Israelites“. It is sobering to consider what can happen to
young people if no one is there to say “no”. All sin begins with
the sweet temptation of pleasure. Youth does not have the
perspective to recognize “tribulation
produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character,
hope” (Romans 5:3). Parents today do not want their
kids to suffer any tribulation, but we cannot overlook the value in
the struggle.
The
chapter continues, “Therefore the Lord his God handed him over
to the king of Aram [Syria]. The [Syrians] defeated him
and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to
Damascus“. Judah ended up surrounded by enemies on every side,
including Israel. “He was also given into the hands of the king
of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him… because Judah had
forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers“. Remember Israel
and Judah were in a civil war, but there were all descendents of
Jacob.
The
Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand
wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder,
which they carried back to Samaria
But
a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet
the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because
the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them
into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches
to heaven. 10
And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem
your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the LORD your
God?
Then
some of the leaders in Ephraim…”You must not bring those
prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before
the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is
already great
took
the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked.
They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and
healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they
took them back to their fellow countrymen at Jericho
King
Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. The Edomites had again
come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, while the
Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of
Judah
The
LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, <[em>b]
for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful
to the LORD. 20
Tiglath-Pileser <[em>c]
king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help
King
Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD
He
shut the doors of the LORD’s temple and set up altars at every street
corner in Jerusalem. 25
In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to
other gods and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger
These
people are often quick to notice when anyone else stumbles.