2 Kings 16
Abominations Under Ahab

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Text
Explanation
Nearly all of the information in this chapter plus some that is not is included in 2 Chronicles 28 go
 1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
.2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
.3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. 
.4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
  3 - Ahaz made his son to ... What a solemn responsibilities fathers and mothers have for the direction their children take.
  3 - Abominations Actions particularly contrary to the plan of happiness provided by the creator God of the universe.
   4 - More abominations (Development of the concept of "abominations" below.
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
   7 - Thy servant King Ahaz shows that He does not depend on God.
  9 - King of Assyria hearkened "It is said, 2Ch 28:20, that Tilgath-pilneser distressed him, but strengthened him not. Though he came against the Syrians, and took Damascus, and slew Rezin, yet he did not help Ahaz against the Philistines, nor did he lend him any forces to assist against Israel; and he distressed him by taking the royal treasures, and the treasures of the temple, and did him little service for so great a sacrifice. He helped him a little, but distressed him on the whole. 
   It appears that, about this time, Pekah king of Israel nearly ruined Judea: it is said, 2Ch 28:6, that he slew one hundred thousand valiant men in one day; and that he carried away captive to Samaria two hundred thousand women and children, and much spoil; but, at the instance of the prophet Oded, these were all sent back, fed and clothed, 2Ch 28:8-16." (Clarke)
 10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
 11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
 12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
 13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
.14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar. 
 15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by. 
 16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
  11 - Urijah The one appointed priest here bowed to the authority of the civil leadership and followed the worship system of pagan Damascus. This is further development of the concept of abominations as it relates to the uniting of church and sate during the tribulation of 1260 years re1305a and the end-time setting up of the image to the beast by the civil power under the symbol of the beast from the earth.
 17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
 18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
 19 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? 
.20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
20 - Ahaz slept One of many reference where death is seen as sleep. This is because all the dead will be raised as if awakened from sleep, some at the first resurrection 1th0416f, and some at the end of the thousand years jn0528. re2005. There will be no awakening from the death after the second resurrection.
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