II Kings Chapters 15-17

15:1-5 - Azariah started ruling when he was 16 and was able to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord...that's a great challenge to Christian teenagers to know their beliefs and where they stand. Unfortunately, he didn't allow his beliefs to spur him into action...he didn't remove the idols from Judah.

15:10/14/25/30 - We see the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Israel (The end of this stage of their existence that is). Chaos - conspiracies - in fighting - murder - assassinations...over and over. They are a godless nation and they look like it. They rule by the standards of the world...the rulers seek only power and glory for themselves and ignore the greater good of the country and their relationship with God (That doesn't sound at all like the path it seems our American political system is headed down...oh wait).

15:7 - On an interesting side note...the death of Azariah/Uzziah is about the time that Isiah is called to become a prophet of God. When we get to the book of Isaiah, you will see him challenging the kings described in the next few chapters and prophesying about the destruction of Israel and Judah.

16:3ff - This could be a description of child sacrifice, or it could be a ceremony where they passed their infant children quickly through fire to offer them fully to the false god. Either way it is vile. Either they are sacrificing the life of the child, or they are promising to raise the child up as a follower of a false god. Sick! Christian parents today have to be very wary of whether or not they are offering their children up to the idols of this world, by pressuring them to offer their lives fully to things that are inconsequential in the big scheme of things.

16:7 - Instead of trusting God, Ahaz puts his trust in worldly power. He does not seek God, he seeks the help of a pagan ruler. Isaiah routinely calls out Ahaz for his lack of trust in God. Do you ever have the same problem? I know I do. Turning to myself or human strength instead of the limitless resources and strength of God.

16:10-20 - This does not necessarily mean that Ahaz turned the temple into a place of pagan worship (The high priest Uriah assists in the remodeling), but he does allow pagan values to be the driving force behind the renovations. Another king has a bigger, better altar, so Ahaz wants one for God. Other kings have personal areas where they alone can worship their gods, so Ahaz wants one for himself. His view of God is so small and disrespectful. God loves the people of Israel because He chose them, not because they built Him a beautiful temple. The worship of Israel is twisted by worldly values of wealth and power and we constantly see the same kind of thing in churches in America.

17:6ff - Israel is overrun and the people of God are exiled, just like the prophesies said. Over and over, God sent judges and prophets to call the people back to Himself, but they chose to reject Him.

17:15/17 - They consistently turn from God and become like everyone else around them. They call themselves followers of God, but look exactly like the people from the pagan cultures around them (Always a problem with Western Christians like myself). Heartbreakingly, their depravity is constant and colossal!

17:24 - Israel is repopulated with people from other cultures that bring their own false idols into Israel and try to create a universal religion where all the gods are covered, to make everybody happy. God doesn't look to kindly on this.

17:33/41 - I was reading this and thought, "This could be a description of the out "Christian Nation." The people say they fear God, but they don't change anything about the way they live their lives. They say they believe in God, but they continue to follow idols that go against everything God has called people to stand for.