Days in which Judah has abandoned God – and gone running after the gods of the surrounding nation. And because of this they were surrounded by those nations.
There was war. There was darkness. There was enslavement. There was no unity.
Brothers were fighting against brothers. But out of this dark time is born one of the greatest revivals of Israel’s history. Out of this dark time is born a unity that brings the north and south together in feasting. Out of this darkness shines the light of the gospel as it was proclaimed through the temple.
Within this seeming chaos, God reigns in perfect peace. And his covenant promises pursue his people until they repent. The future of the church and the concept of hope does not depend on man – but on God. If it was dependent on man the bible might as well have ended with this king, or in babel. But thanks be to God, he surprises us over and over and over again in the best and most beautiful way against all odds. Redemptive history marches forward as we move toward that great day of the LORD.
The day of Our Lord Jesus when he hung on that cross. A day of darkness. Blacker then any seen before and after. A day where the sun no longer shone for the sins and wickedness of humanity were poured out on him. But also, a day of darkness leading to light.
Yes, the fruit of sins brings captivity and death and darkness as we see clearly in chapter 28. And faithfulness brings blessings and the turning away of wrath through sacrifice and worship as we see in the beginning of chapter 29. A renewal and revival is born out of the darkest days in Judah’s history.
A renewal and revival is born out of the darkest days in Judah’s history.
-
The darkness: Sin leading to exile and destruction
-
The Light: A son of David brings restoration
Sin leading to Exile and Destruction
Just because your father is faithful and does right does not mean the son will follow in your footsteps. The history of the kings of Judah that we have in the Chronicles is one of disappointment, and hope. Ups and downs. With each new king the desire for a messianic king is building - A king like David and Solomon who will be devoted to God. Defeat the enemies of God, lead in temple worship. Mediating the convent between God and his people. But Ahaz is not that king.
Sin and wickedness overrun the country (28:2-4) and so they are given over to enemies on the north, south, east, and west. Aram attacks from the east (28:5), Israel from the north (28:6), Edom from the south (28:17), and Philistia from the west (28:18). By the end of chapter 28 the temple is shut, there is high places in every city in Judah, and altars in the city of God – Jerusalem. We read that Ahaz even sacrificed his own sons in the valley of the son of Hinnom. In Hebrew this place came to be known as Gehenna, and Jesus uses it as a picture of hell itself. Indeed, Judah is looking like hell – in terms of their own sin, and the wrath of God that is being poured out.
Ahaz is the only king of which it is said that “He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done, but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel.” He is his name. Ahaz means he grasps. Ahaziah, his forefather, means the Lord grasps. Ahaz grasp for help everywhere and anywhere except for the LORD. His heart goes form hard to harder.
Its like Ahaz is taking them back to the time of the judges. It says he make metal images. That phrase is used a lot in judges. And not only that he is sacrificing his son like the nations that the people of Israel destroyed. The whole reason Israel was supposed to destroy them was because of their wickedness, and now Judah was doing the exact same! They had not just become like the northern tribes but had become like the nations living there before them! It sure does not look like redemptive history is moving forward. It seems like its one step forward and 5 steps back, doesn’t it?
But as we think scan over that history, we see this is nothing new. We see this again and again in redemptive history from Adam, a high point to Noah where wickedness reigns, Then from Noah and Gods covenant tp the to the tower of babel, the time of Joshua, a high point to the judges which ends in murder, rape, and conflict within Israel. And now again from David to this! The OT is crying for a deliverer - for a faithful king! For a savior! Judah is not better than the nations. If it had not been for God’s covenant, they would have been destroyed long ago!
Yet because of his great mercy he disciplines them. God pursues his people through the ages, like a husband, who pursues his adulterous bride. Let’s see what happens. We read in v. 5 that because of his great sin “The LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus.” Did you catch that? “The LORD HIS God.” YAHWEH was his God! God is following through on his promises. He always does. To punish wickedness, and reward righteousness! His covenant curses given in Deuteronomy 28 are being poured out.
There in the time of Moses, God was clear about the results of disobedience and sin – exile away from his presence. Ahaz was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who killed 120,00 men of valor! These guys were fighters, but their valor could not stand up against the Lord’s judgement on sin. Ahaz pride was in his men, not knowing that it was the LORD that stamps out war and brings peace. The Lord would humble him by shattering his strength by his infinite power and crush him under his mighty hand. The armies of Israel got so close to Ahaz that they even killed some of his top officials.
Not only do they kill 120,000 men of valor, but they take captive 200,000! Remember this was Israel taking Israel captive. Brother against brother. This was family. The sons of Jacob fighting each other. Nothing had changed since that first generation. They were still not getting along. And who were these relatives? Women, sons, and daughters. Terrible. The weakest are being taken.
But praise be to the LORD even in the darkest of place, the word of the Lord calls out and rebukes Israel. There is a prophet here! In this darkness the Word of God brings hope for these captives. There is a prophet in Israel, and he rebukes them. He says, “because the LORD, the God of your Fathers…” yes this was still Israel’s god. Their king was illegitimate, and their places of sacrifices were illegitimate, but the people themselves where still God’s people, and the prophet reminded them off that. Just because you wander way as a covenant child, does not mean God does not hold you responsible! The prophet reminds them they were just God’s tool, but they went too far!
And guess what happens!? THEY LISTEN! Israel listened! They do what Judah should have done – hear the word of the LORD. Its amazing how they show love to their enemies in the exact same way that Jesus commands in the parable of the good Samaritan. Many think Jesus was thinking of this story when he told that parable. They clothe them, gave sandals, provide them food and drink, and anoint them with oil. Everything that the good Samaritan does, they do for Judah.
The story of the returned exiles is meant to shame the community of the faithful. Even these northern sinners, who freely acknowledge their sin, can act in accordance with the righteous dictates of God. True, they act out of self- interest, to avoid divine wrath.
And Judah returns home with spoils! Just like God would move the heart of Cyrus one day to return his captive people with the riches of the kingdom. So, they return home with the spoils of war.
After all this, you would think Ahaz would get it and repent. But you would be wrong. read verse 16. He cries for help from Assyria. The verb “help” is important to the Chronicler. God was ever available to “help” faithful kings (1 Chr 5:20; 2 Chr 14:11; 18:31; 25:8; 26:7, 15; 32:8). Such “help” (‘āzar) was not available from other sources (vv. 21, 23). Ahaz had turned to human—indeed foreign—help instead of to the God of Israel.
But at the end of the day no one can help him. Not the most power king or politician, not the richest billionaire, not the wisest guru can save you from the hand of God when his people turn their backs on him. I love how simply that paragraph ends. It begins with he went for help to Assyria. And it ends with “but it did not help him.” There is only one place to run from the wrath of God! It is in GOD! Ahaz biggest problem was not these nations it was God himself.
Ahaz heart was hard. And it got even harder. After all this you might expect to read in verse 22, “In his time of trouble King Ahaz… humbled himself before the Lord.” But Ahaz's spirit apparently was cold and dead. A list of his apostasies is given. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he regarded as his conquerors, obviously blind to the truth that it was the Lord who was responsible for his defeat. He shut the doors of the temple. He lamp did not shine. The bread was not displayed. Offerings for sin ceased. And the sins of the people piled higher and higher! O the patience and longsuffering of God with his people! Do you see it!? By this time the Jewish boy reading would have shaken his head at the absolute foolishness of this king – and his own people. He would have understood where this would end. Exile. Death. Destruction. This is the end of all those who do not seek the Lord. This wicked king gives birth to a righteous son.
…But God is not done!The Light: A Son of David brings restoration
And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. Where this son came from is anyone’s guess! The description of his reign in 29:2 is exactly the opposite of Ahaz! “And he did was was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.” Not since Jehoshaphat have we heard this.
Nothing is more central to the Chronicler’s message than the sacrificial system combined with the worship and praise of God that flows from that. The temple as God’s earthly residence must therefore be cleansed. This is in fact consistent with the wider message of the Bible, which is that every human being’s priority should be to acknowledge God’s worth.
That the inside should be cleansed. Worship of God is central to all of the Bible. We confess it in the statement “Soli de Gloria!” Worship of God is where the ten commandments begin. It is the reason that Jesus died, and it is the chief characteristic of the community in heaven (Rev. 4:1–5:14; 22:1–9). When Hezekiah, therefore, made it the first act of his reign to prepare properly for worship, he was observing a basic biblical principle, and not just indulging in some ancient ceremony.
And now more than ever they needed those sacrifices as a symbol of the forgiveness of sins! Now it was clear unless God would forgive and be gracious, they were doomed! And forgiveness, and repentance go hand in hand.
And what does that mean. He gets busy cleaning out the trash. Again, we see this is the first step in revival. Is cleaning out sin – idolatry, and the filth that it leaves behind. If you read this passage, you cannot but be struck with how many times the text uses the word “consecrate”. This is about Gods holiness. Things had to be pure.
Why? because they had forsaken the Lord and had become polluted. The light of Israel had been extinguished (v. 7). Darkness had reigned, and the burnt offerings where not longer going up. This is why Gods wrath had come.
Because of this complete rejection we read in verse 8, “Therefore the Wrath of the LORD came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes.” This is the result of sin. Not the wrath of kings, but of God himself! He is the one who makes the sinner an object of horror, of astonishment of hissing! This was the wrath of God being poured out! Yet in judgement he remembered his mercy to his people!
This reminds us of Jesus, doesn’t it? he was made an object of horror, of astonishment and hissing. We read in Isaiah 52, “his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind… he was despised and rejected by men. and as one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” He who was the sin bearer became an object of horror! All so that he might consecrate to himself a temple – holy and set apart to God.
And what does the king do before he starts the process. He makes a covenant (Verse 10) with the LORD the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger would turn away. Indeed, their only hope is in that covenant that God has made with the house of David. And it is within that covenant that Hezekiah as commits himself to obedience. But it is not just an only hope. But a sure hope for all who return. There is an expectation, and a strong confidence that God will hear them. You don’t find any doubt here. After all this sin you would think there would be doubt – but NO! Gods covenant is steadfast! He promises to forgive through the blood of the lamb.
Indeed as the book of Hebrews makes explicit, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to god, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” and later he continues, “…He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. “The filth of sin has been removed! The pollution is gone! Washed by the blood of the covenant! O what joy. Reconciliation is possible even after a life of sin! No wonder the next passages that we will read is about unity in feasting!
The church is called to live out of this holiness. Called to be consecrated. Set apart for God. Set apart for worship. Worship not just Sundays but every day! The king is cleansing us, even now with the blood of the eternal covenant. We are the kingdom of priest. Consecrated to God! He cleanses us for worship – to meet with him. the last remnant of sin has been done away with. Just like the last line our passage, where they say, “All the utensils that King Ahaz discard in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold they are before the alter of the LORD.” The last remnants of the sin of Ahaz had been cleaned. Now it was time to worship. And that is what we will look at in our next passage.
Dear Church… do you see who this is all about. It is about Christ. and in him its about us. Its about Christ. he was exiled for our sin, from the presence of the Father. He was the lamb that would wash away the sins of all who believed in him. He would consecrate and cleanse a people who were full of death and sin, exiled from God’s presence and bring them back to the light, into the kingdom of God through the sacrifice of his blood! The light had been extinguished in the world. There was no more light. But then the light of the world came and the darkness could not overcome it! He is the king who truly mediated the covenant between God and his people, of which Hezekiah is only a sign.
And in Christ this is about us! Let us not reject so a great salvation! In being made holy we have been chosen to stand in his presence! To minister to him and be his ministers, and give our life as a offering to him! As Ephesians says, “I…urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” You have been called. Live that way. Take out trash in your live of the old life of sin and consecrate yourself to God!
Amen.