Being a leper, Uzziah had to live in seclusion from his kingdom and his people. His son Jotham performed the duties of the king in his place. When Uzziah died, Jotham was crowned king.
II Chronicles 27:1-2- Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.
Jotham was a good king, but the punishment that the Lord placed on his father seemed to scare him so badly that he never went to the temple of the Lord.
But, just because a ruler is good, doesn't mean his subjects will be. There were people in his kingdom who were wicked. And because of their wickedness, God allowed war to come.
II Kings 15:37- In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
God was trying to get the attention of the people of the land of Judah. King Jotham was listening, and because of this God would make him a mighty king!
II Chronicles 27:3-6- 3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third. So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
Jotham accomplished much in his 16 years on the throne. He built up his kingdom, and made it strong. He also won many battles. Do you know why he was so successful? The Bible tells us. It was because he prepared his ways before the Lord. That means he looked to do what was right in God's sight.
II Chronicles 27:7-9- Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
Good King Jotham died, and his son Ahaz was crowned the next king of Judah. But, Ahaz was not a good king like his dad.
II Kings 16:1-2- In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 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.
II Chronicles 28:2-4- For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
How could such a good man as Jotham have such an evil son? Could it be because Jotham never went to the temple?
Hebrews 10:25- Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Paul says that we should come together as believers. He warns against not doing this. Why? Can we worship God by ourselves? Yes. But, getting together with other believers not only encourages us, but also sets a good example for our children.
Another reason Ahaz turned out so wickedly could have been that he was hanging out with some of those wicked people who lived in his father's kingdom.
Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
You become like the people you choose to hang out with. If your friends are evil, you will be a wicked person. If your friends are wise, you will become a smart person. If your friends are silly, you will become a goofy person.
Ahaz may have become a wicked person because he never went to the temple and learned to love God, but instead he hung out with wicked people who worshiped false idols. We don't know. But, we do know that God wasn't going to let him get away with it!
II Kings 16:5-6- 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. 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.
II Chronicles 28:5-6- Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.
God allowed the king of Syria and the King of Israel to wage war against Jerusalem; Many died, and many more became slaves.
II Chronicles 28:9-11, 14-15- But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God? Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
God was sending his prophet to try and show the Jewish people that He was still there! That He could still hear their prayers and help them! If King Ahaz had turned to God and asked for mercy, and humbled himself, God would've helped him. But, he didn't.
Isaiah 7:3, 11-12- Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
God sent Isaiah to talk to King Ahaz. He told Ahaz that God was going to destroy the king of Syria. He also told Ahaz that in 65 years Israel would be destroyed as a nation. He told Ahaz to ask for a sign and that God would make it happen to prove to Ahaz that He was the powerful God, the Creator of the world. But, Ahaz wouldn't ask for a sign.
So, Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Son of God- the Lord Jesus Christ. He told Ahaz that Christ would be born from a virgin- a woman who hadn't been married. And that both Israel and Judah would not have a king when it happened.
Isaiah spoke of both the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. He foretold of the birth of Jesus Christ! And many other prophecies in the book of Isaiah.
But, Ahaz would rather trust man than God.
II Kings 16:7-9- 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. 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. 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.
King Ahaz sent a lot of money to the king of Assyria. This man was just as wicked, and served evil false idols. He came and fought against the Syrians and the Israelites, and won. But, he didn't do this to help Judah.
II Chronicles 28:20-21- And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.
King Ahaz was trying so hard to make friends with evil men. He even went to the capitol city of Assyria in an attempt to strengthen his alliance.
II Kings 16:10-12, 15-16- 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. 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. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. 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. Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
Now, a long time ago God showed Moses how He wanted everything in the tabernacle to look. When the temple was built, God gave Solomon direction on how to do it. God has a certain way that he expects us to worship Him.
Wicked King Ahaz not only went about worshiping false idols, but he went into God's temple and made an altar that looked like one used to sacrifice to false idols. And, he commanded the priest of the Lord to go against God's commands and use this new altar.
Do you think God was pleased with this? No!
But, that wasn't all the evil that Ahaz caused in the temple of the Lord.
II Kings 16:17-18- 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. 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.
King Ahaz took other items out of the temple that the Lord wanted int here. And then, he invited the wicked King of Assyria to enter.
This was God's house. This was suppose to be a holy place where the Jews could go to get forgiveness for their sins. This was suppose to be a place where their prayers would be heard and answered by God.
And, King Ahaz and the king of Assyria had ruined it! And, after he ruined it, he closed it up so that those who really wanted to serve the Lord couldn't.
II Chronicles 28:22-25- And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.
This wicked King Ahaz seemed to want to seal Judah's fate. He closed up the temple, and then made places of worship to all different sorts of false idols throughout Jerusalem.
II Chronicles 28:26-27- Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
Ahaz had made God angry! God's wrath would soon come against the Kingdom of Judah.
Would Hezekiah be able to obtain God's mercy for his people? Would he be a good king like his grandfather, or would he be a terrible person like his dad?
