After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom kept the name Israel and comprised ten tribes. The southern kingdom was named Judah and comprised the remaining two tribes. Each kingdom had its own king. In those days, kings fell into one of two categories. Some did what was pleasing in God’s sight, and some did not. Sadly, most of the kings of both nations did not do what pleased God. As you will soon see, Ahaz was no different.
Which Country Did Ahaz Rule as King?
Ahaz was the king of Judah. He became king at twenty and he reigned for sixteen years. If you want to read the full story about his life and his rule, you can find it in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28.
Who Was King Before Ahaz Took the Throne?
Before Ahaz became king, four generations of kings did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. This started with Joash, then Amaziah, then Uzziah, and on to Jotham, Ahaz’s father. One thing that plagued these kings is they never removed the high places dedicated to idol worship. Even though the kings did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, they still allowed people to burn incense and sacrifice to idols in these places.
Ahaz saw a lineage of men who sought to please God. They just did not do it completely. Still, you would think Ahaz would desire to follow God because that was his heritage. Instead, he followed pagan practice. Here is how Chronicles tells it.
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals.” (2 Chronicles 28:1-2 NIV)
Ahaz was the outlier in the lineage of kings who came before (and after) him. He had no desire to follow God at all. In six generations of kings, starting with Joash and ending with his son Hezekiah, Ahaz was the one who wanted nothing to do with following God.
What Did Ahaz Do During His Reign?
Ahaz followed followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations around him. He was an idolator who built idols to worship Baal and also sacrificed to those idols. He even did some unthinkable things, like sacrificing his children in the fire.
Because of Ahaz’s behavior, God brought judgment upon Judah. You would think that judgment would be the wake-up call. That was not the case. It seems like the judgment turned him further away from God and towards the gods of the surrounding nations.
During his reign, the Arameans, the Edomites, the Philistines, and even his Israelite neighbors to the north defeated Ahaz. His attitude during this time was not one of repentance. Instead, it became if you can’t beat them, then join them.
“In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, ‘Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.’ But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.” (2 Chronicles 28:22-23 NIV)
What Can We Learn from the Life of Ahaz?
As you consider the life of Ahaz, here are three lessons you can glean from his life.
1 - Each person is responsible for their own relationship with the Lord
While faith is something that is often passed down from one generation to the next, it is not something that is inherited. Every person must come to know and receive Jesus as their Savior individually. It may seem that those raised in a godly home have an advantage in this area, and they do. However, there are no guarantees that just because you believe your children will, too. I know we want them to and pray they will, but it is not automatic.
It is common to assume that just because someone grew up in church and their parents were firm believers, the kids will be that way, too. Time and recent events have shown us something different. We live in an age where people have attempted to deconstruct their faith, while some have even denounced their faith altogether. With your relationship with Jesus and passing it down, let’s make no assumptions. As parents, do your best to raise them the right way and pray much for them. Let it be that your love of Jesus is so strong and contagious that they would also want to know this Jesus.
2 - Judgment does not always lead to repentance
Here is an interesting truth about judgment. It does not always lead to positive change. You would think being confronted with judgment from God would automatically cause someone to look at their condition and be quick to repent. Unfortunately, that is not always the result. When God judged him, Ahaz did not run toward God. He moved further away from him.
However, sometimes judgment can lead to repentance. When the Israelites did not have a king but lived under the rule of judges, they would follow a pattern. They would fall into sin. God would send judgment. After being oppressed long enough, they would repent and ask God for forgiveness. God would then raise a judge who would deliver them. In these moments, the judgment worked. But it was short-lived. Usually, after that judge died, people started the sinful cycle all over again.
That’s why the Bible says something eye-opening in Romans.
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4 NLT)
While judgment has its place, God’s kindness often melts our hearts and leads us to lasting repentance. There is something about God’s mercy and grace shown to us when we know we don’t deserve it that draws us closer to him. This endears our hearts to him and becomes the catalyst for a relationship with him, producing a repentance that will last.
3 - Sin doesn’t make you progressively better but progressively worse
If you have looked at the lives of people who live in sin, they are never better off for it. Sin works progressively. The more you indulge, the further away it will take you from the things of God. It can lead you to places and have you doing things you never imagined you would do. When Ahaz’s children were born, I don’t believe he thought he would sacrifice some of them in the fire one day. However, this is the progression of sin that can happen in a person’s life. For Ahaz, sin led him to this place. Because sin was his master, he did what his master wanted.
There is an old quote that sums up Ahaz’s life.
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.”
We see this in Ahaz’s life, but this is true of everyone who lives a life filled with sin.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Liudmila Chernetska
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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