For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. Sermons
I. THE ACCUMULATING PENALTY WHICH SIN ALWAYS PAYS. 1. This often comes in the form of obvious and apparent losses. The trangressor who "fears not God, neither regards man," finds himself subjected to a series of adversities, which he regards as misfortunes, but which we recognize as penalties. He loses the confidence and esteem of his worthier neighbours; then he loses custom, trade, support, and then and thus he loses money; then he loses his substance by extravagance and, it may be, by one or more expensive vices - and vice is a very expensive thing; then he loses health and spirit and hope; then he loses the regard of his neighbours generally. So, step by step, he goes down, until "the Lord brings Judah low," until he has "made the land naked." 2. Or penalty may come in the way of inward and spiritual deterioration. We cannot pretend to say in what order this proceeds; it varies with individual souls; but blow upon blow descends; bruise upon bruise is suffered by the soul; one defence after another is taken away from the citadel until the land is "naked." It may be that the fine sense of truthfulness goes first; then, perhaps, the spirit of reverence; then the loss of thorough rectitude; then the loss of purity; then may come an indifference to the judgment of the good and wise; then the decay of self-respect; - and what then is left? Let the man who, like Ahaz, hardens himself against God understand this, that as he goes on his guilty way, even if outward prosperity remains to him, there is descending upon his spiritual nature, upon himself if not upon his circumstances, blow upon blow of righteous penalty - blows which are bruising and slaying him, beneath which he is surely perishing. II. THE MULTIPLIED SORROWS WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS SOMETIMES ENDURES. "Many are the afflictions (even) of the righteous" (Psalm 34:19). To the patient Job, to the faithful Jeremiah, to the devoted Paul, they come in large number and in great strength. Even to the purest and loveliest of the sons and daughters of God there sometimes falls a sad succession of trials; it may be in the heart and on the lips of the most worthy to say, "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me." Blow upon blow descends upon their head. What does it mean? It simply means that the branch which is bearing fruit the Lord of the vineyard is pruning, "that it may bring forth more fruit;" it means that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," in order that he may make them to be "partakers of his holiness;' it means that the Divine Master is refining and cultivating his servant, to prepare him for a far broader and nobler sphere and for higher and heavenlier,work hereafter; it means that affliction is working out an "exceeding weight of glory." - C.
For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. I. I would draw attention to SOME SPECIAL POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF AHAZ.1. The king himself was peculiarly the transgressor. 2. The people also were transgressors. 3. Mark the special sins enumerated in the history. (1) (2) (3) (4) 4. Mark the consequences of all this: national desolation and ruin. II. Let us see HOW FAR OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES AS A NATION ARE PARALLEL TO THOSE HERE PRESENTED. III. TWO PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 1. What can be done with our rulers? 2. What can be done with our people? (J. C. Goodhart, M.A.) People Ahaz, Amasa, Aram, Azariah, Azrikam, Ben, Berechiah, David, Edomites, Elkanah, Hadlai, Hezekiah, Israelites, Jehizkiah, Jehohanan, Johanan, Maaseiah, Meshillemoth, Oded, Pekah, Remaliah, Shallum, Tilgathpilneser, Timnah, ZichriPlaces Aijalon, Assyria, Beth-shemesh, Damascus, Gederoth, Gimzo, Jericho, Jerusalem, Negeb, Samaria, Shephelah, Soco, Syria, Timnah, Valley of HinnomTopics Acted, Ahaz, Cast, Commit, Dealt, Faithless, Free, Greatly, Humbled, Judah, Lack, Lawless, Low, Naked, Promoted, Restraint, Self-control, Severely, Sinning, Sore, Transgressed, Treacherously, Trespass, Trespassed, Unfaithful, Wantonly, WickednessOutline 1. Ahaz, reigning wickedly, is greatly afflicted by the Syrians.6. Judah, being captivated by the Israelites, is sent home by the counsel of Oded. 16. Ahaz sending for aid to Assyria, is not helped thereby, 22. In his distress he grows more idolatrous 26. He dying, Hezekiah succeeds him Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Chronicles 28:19Library Costly and Fatal Help'He sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.'--2 CHRON. xxviii. 23. Ahaz came to the throne when a youth of twenty. From the beginning he reversed the policy of his father, and threw himself into the arms of the heathen party. In a comparatively short reign of sixteen years he stamped out the worship of God, and … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful. The Prophet Micah. Degrees of Sin Chronicles Links 2 Chronicles 28:19 NIV2 Chronicles 28:19 NLT 2 Chronicles 28:19 ESV 2 Chronicles 28:19 NASB 2 Chronicles 28:19 KJV 2 Chronicles 28:19 Bible Apps 2 Chronicles 28:19 Parallel 2 Chronicles 28:19 Biblia Paralela 2 Chronicles 28:19 Chinese Bible 2 Chronicles 28:19 French Bible 2 Chronicles 28:19 German Bible 2 Chronicles 28:19 Commentaries Bible Hub |