2 Kings 16 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Kings 16 Short Summary:

2 Kings 16 is about Ahaz, King of Judah. He was not a very godly king. He promoted idol worship and even sacrificed his own son to a pagan god. After the kings of Syria and Israel attacked Jerusalem, Ahaz sent an SOS to Tiglath-Pilesar of Assyria who eventually saved him by defeating the Syrians. The end of the chapter documents Ahaz’s  new altar in the Jerusalem Temple. It was based on an altar he saw when in Damascus, and he replaced God’s bronze altar with his new altar without God’s permission. Ahaz ruled Judah 16 years. His son Hezekiah followed him on the throne.

2 Kings 16 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• The reign of King Ahaz probably fits somewhere between 745-725 B.C.

• He reigned over Judah for 16 years.

CHARACTERS:

• Ahaz – He became king of Judah after his father Jotham. He reigned 16 years.

• Pekah – King of Israel.

• Rezin – King of Syria.

• Tiglath-pileser – King of the Assyrian Empire.

WHERE:

• The capital of Judah was Jerusalem. Jerusalem was home to the Temple of God.

• Ahaz travelled to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser.

OUTLINE:

• AHAZ’S REIGN IN JUDAH (16:1-9):

  • Azariah, the son of Jotham, became king of Judah at 20 years old.  

  • He “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” He was like the kings of Israel.

  • He even participated in the pagan practice of sacrificing his children. This was a Canaanite practice and done in honor of the god Molech (2 Kings 23:10).

  • The king of Syria and the king of Israel allied together and besieged Jerusalem but weren’t able to conquer it.

  • Ahaz sent a messenger to Tiglath-pileser, king of Syria, asking for aid. He sent the messenger with a gift of gold and silver, much of which had been taken from the Temple.

  • Tiglath-pileser agreed to help. He sent an army to Damascus, defeated the Syrians, and killed Rezin.

• AHAZ DISRESPECTS THE TEMPLE (16:10-18):

  • When Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, he saw an altar that he really admired.

  • He sent a detailed description back to Jerusalem and ordered Uriah the priest to recreate it.

  • When the king returned, he replaced God’s altar in the Temple with his new altar.

  • Ahaz also took apart and redesigned the large bronze basin which held water for the priests to wash. In other words, he rejected God’s design for the Temple and made it his own.

• THE DEATH OF AHAZ (16:19-20):

  • Ahaz died after ruling over Judah for 16 years.

  • He was replaced by his son Hezekiah.

APPLICATION:

• You are not going to improve on God’s pattern for worship and the Church by adding fashionable, attractive, and trendy features borrowed from the godless world.

• Ahaz bringing foreign items into the Temple certainly wasn’t what Judah needed to flourish as a nation. They were already in decline due to their disobedience to God, Ahaz just made it worse.

• Unfortunately, many churches and church leaders think the path to success is found in embracing whatever is trendy in the world and bringing it into the Church.

• Let’s be clear, the Church doesn’t need what the world is offering. The world needs what the Church is offering.

• Rather than the Church trying to pattern itself off the secular world, the Church needs to be holding firm to the pattern God put forth. Its when we start changing things, like Ahaz, that we get into trouble.