The Idolatry of Ahaz
Ahaz turns to Assyria for help while Edomites and Philistines continue to strip Judah. The LORD humbles Judah for Ahaz's unfaithfulness, and even costly tribute to Assyria brings no rescue.
A16t that time King Ahaz sent for help from the king of Assyria. 17The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. 18The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages. 19For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. 20Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him. 21Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
In distress Ahaz grows more faithless still, sacrificing to the gods of Damascus and treating their success as proof of power. He then desecrates the house of God, closes its doors, and multiplies altars and high places throughout Judah.
22In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. 23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel. 24Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem. 25In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers.
The chapter closes Ahaz's reign briefly and coldly. He dies and is buried in Jerusalem, yet not among the royal tombs, and Hezekiah succeeds him.
26As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.