Bible Study

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Book: 2 Chronicles (or the Book of Records)
Bible Study – Lesson 13
Chapter 28
What lesson does King Ahaz of Judah teach us?
We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and have become His children. According to His purpose—determined even before the creation of the worlds—we have been included in His heavenly kingdom.
During the seasons of our earthly life, when we depart from His ways and fail to do His will, God at times allows discipline to come upon us. During such moments, our relationship with Him may be affected, but it is never severed.
When relationships are strained, we must handle the discipline that comes into our lives in the right way so that the relationship may be restored. At such times, we must sense His love, accept the discipline wholeheartedly, and ensure that we do not turn away from Him. During those periods, we must be careful not to rebel against God and permanently cut off our relationship with Him.
If we act contrary to the purpose of the discipline God allows, we will bring great destruction upon ourselves. The discipline permitted by God will produce no fruit in us. One such incident is what we see in this chapter.
Who was Ahaz?
His father’s name was Jotham
He belonged to the lineage of David
He reigned for 16 years
Scripture portions for meditation:
2 Kings 16
2 Chronicles 28
Isaiah 7; 8; 14:28
The paths he walked
1. He lived as a king who did not please the Lord
He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel who had turned away from the Lord.
— 2 Kings 16:3
He did not walk in the ways of David.
He promoted the worship of Baal.
He even made his own son pass through fire (Molech worship).
2. He dishonored the temple
He shut the doors of the house of the Lord.
He altered the altars and the sacred articles.
— 2 Chronicles 28:24
Therefore, the Lord delivered him into the hands of the kings of Aram. The Arameans defeated him, took many of his people captive, and brought them to Damascus.
At the same time, he was also handed over to the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy losses upon him.
— 2 Chronicles 28:5
Thus, he suffered repeatedly—alternately at the hands of the Arameans and the Israelites. The complete details of these events can be found in verses 1 to 21 of this chapter.
Yet, even though King Ahaz passed through suffering, he did not turn to God. Instead, he stood against God.
Ahaz’s response to suffering
In his distress, Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, saying:
“Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.”
But those gods became the cause of his downfall and of the downfall of all Israel.
— 2 Chronicles 28:22–23
Ahaz failed to learn lessons through the suffering God allowed in his life. He did not draw near to God. Instead, he turned away from the living God and ran after idols, provoking the Lord to anger.
Even when the prophet Isaiah warned him, he did not listen.
— Isaiah 7:10–12
In the end, he died without drawing near to God.
A warning for believers today
Even today, believers may not directly run after idols, but during times of suffering, instead of trusting God’s plans and paths, they place their confidence in worldly alternatives—cultures, systems, regulations, and ideologies—and thus deny God. They reject the foundational teachings of Scripture.
This too is a form of following the devil and worshiping Satan.
Compromising the basic doctrines, righteousness, and truths taught by the Lord is, in itself, a form of denying God.
In the end, people bring destruction upon themselves.
he events recorded in the Old Testament are not merely stories; they are lessons for our lives. Therefore, it is wise not to read the Old Testament with a focus on worldly blessings alone.