Moral Decline to Apostasy

2 Chronicles 28:16-27

   16 At the same time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there. 19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD. 20 Also Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him. 21 For Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of the LORD, from the house of the king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did not help him.

   22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD. This is that King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

    26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Assyria refused to listen to the pleading for help from king Ahaz to protect against the continuing attacks of the Edomites and Philistines.  This was God’s work against Judah because of the support for immortality of the people by Ahaz, as well as his continuing unfaithfulness to the LORD God of His people.  Ahaz even dishonored God No desecrated His house by attempting to use the holy utensils as payment for Assyrian mercenaries to help.  The king of Assyria took the valuables, but did not help because the LORD had arranged the defeat of Judah for their worship of other gods which their king began worshiping when the LORD no longer answered him.  Instead of seeing his sin and repenting, he turned further from God to idolatry, bringing down all Israel with him.  He went so far as to destroy the articles of God’s house which he had not given away, then sealing it up to keep others from worshiping as well.  This led to him erecting many high places of idol worship all throughout Jerusalem to provoke God’s wrath and retribution.  He eventually died without hope or even a distinguished burial with the kings of Israel.  He was dishonored for dishonoring the LORD (1 Samuel 2:30).  We can learn from this negative example to always trust in the Lord for deliverance and not to turn elsewhere for help.  Faith relies on the only God who delivers from the wrath to come, and does not allow immortality and unfaithfulness to enter into our lives through cracks in our trust in Him.  We find confession and repentance of sin to be essential (1 John 1:9) to avoid such an ignominious end; such shame does not bode well for eternal rewards (1 Corinthians 3:14-15, 2 John 1:8), only regret for dishonoring the Lord Jesus Christ who bought us at at such a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), suffering humiliation and death in our stead.  How can we not then be singleminded in worship to honor Him alone?  Disobedience and trusting in ourselves or society’s sources of wisdom and strength, and encouraging moral decline by not standing for the right ways of God according to His word - these ways only lead to ruin (Romans 1:32) and apostasy.  Do we trust God and rely on Him or on ourselves, and do we encourage or tacitly agree with immortality to His dishonor?   Remember Ahaz.