II Kings Chapter 16

Exposé | Moral

“When Your Fear Is Greater On Others Than On G-d

Experience tells us that most fear fellow men either of rank and file or deranged/insane men more than they fear G-d.

One rather do things to find favor with fellow men, than having faith and confidence in G-d in times of distress.

King Ahaz, king of Judah is one clear example.

Melachim | Kings

“Ahaz, King Of Judah”

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah, became king.
16:1
… He did not do what is proper in the eyes of Hashem, his God, as David his father [had done].
16:2
He went the way of the kings of Israel; he even passed his son through the fire, like the abominations of the nations whom Hashem had driven out before the Children of Israel.
16:3
He [also] sacrificed and burned incense at the high places and upon the hilltops and under every leafy tree.
:4
Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “Your servant and your son am I, Come up and save me from the clutches of the king of Aram and from the clutches of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”
:7
Ahaz took whatever silver or gold was found in the Temple of Hashem and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent a bribe to the king of Assyria.
:8
King Ahaz went to greet Tiglath-pileser in Damascus; he saw the altar that was in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent a model of the altar and its plans, according to all its workings, to Urijah the Kohen.
:10
King Ahaz commanded Urijah the Kohen, saying, “Upon the great altar you shall burn the elevation-offering of the morning and the meal-offering of the evening, the elevation-offering of the king and his meal-offering, the elevation offering of the general populace and their meal-offerings and libations, and the blood of all elevation-offerings and the blood of any sacrifice you shall sprinkle upon it; the Copper Altar will be for me to visit.”
:15
King Ahaz cut off the stands of the lavers and removed the laver from them; he also took down the sea from upon the copper oxen that were under it and placed it upon a stone floor.
:17
He removed the Sabbath awning that they had build in the Temple. He routed the king’s outer entrance to go directly to the Temple of Hashem, out of fear of the king of Assyria.
:18
Ahaz lay with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David; his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
:20

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham the king of Judah became king.
2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the Lord his God like David his father.
3 He went in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also he passed his son through fire in the abominable manner of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.
4 And he slaughtered sacrifices and burnt incense on the high places and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Then Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war, and they besieged Ahaz, but could not wage war [with him].
6 At that time, Rezin the king of Aram restored Elath to Aram, and drove out the Judeans from Eloth, and Edomites came to Elath and dwelt there until this day.
7 And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel who have risen up against me.”
8 And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and sent them to the king of Assyria as a bribe.
9 And the king of Assyria heeded him, and the king of Assyria went up to Damascus and seized it, and exiled [its inhabitants] to Kir, and he slew Rezin.
10 And King Ahaz went toward Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria to Damascus, and he saw the altar that was in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest the likeness of the altar and its pattern, according to all its workmanship.
11 And Uriah the priest built the altar, according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus, so did Uriah the priest make it until King Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And the king came from Damascus, and the king saw the altar, and the king approached the altar and offered up [sacrifices] thereon.
13 And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meal-offering, and he poured his libation, and he sprinkled the blood of his peace-offering on the altar.
14 And the copper altar that was before the Lord, he brought near from before the Temple, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and he placed it on the side of the altar to the north.
15 And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the the morning burnt-offering and the evening meal-offering and the king’s burnt-offering and his meal-offering and the burnt-offering of the entire people of the land, and their meal- offering and their libations and the blood of every burnt-offering and the blood of every sacrifice you shall sprinkle on it, and the copper altar shall be for me to visit.
16 And Uriah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz had commanded.
17 And King Ahaz cut off the insets of the laver stands, and he removed the lavers from upon them, and he took the tank off the copper cattle that were under it, and put it on a stone floor.
18 And the Sabbath canopy that they built in the house and the king’s outside entrance he switched to the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.
19 And the rest of Ahaz’s deeds that he did are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Judah.
20 And Ahaz slept with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.