2 Kings 16 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

In this chapter, the author continues to tell what the kings were like who ruled over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. 1. King Ahaz of Judah (16:1–20)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Why did King Ahaz remove many of the fixtures of the temple courtyard?

The author describes in 16:17–18 how King Ahaz cut off the panels and removed the basins from the bronze stands (carts) in the temple courtyard, removed the sea (the giant water basin) from the oxen that supported it, took down a canopy that people walked under to reach the temple courtyard on the Sabbath, and closed up a special entrance to the courtyard for the royal family. Ahaz did this after witnessing Assyrian worship practices in the city of Damascus, which the Assyrians had just conquered and occupied. Ahaz had made an alliance with the powerful king of Assyria, and he wanted to appease him. So he removed many features of the temple courtyard that were crafted specifically for the worship of Yahweh or that showed how devoted the king and people (supposedly) were to Yahweh. The panels and basins on the carts and the large bronze sea were beautifully decorated with symbols such as lions, oxen, and cherubim that showed they were crafted for the worship of Yahweh. They thereby marked the Judeans as God’s people. Similarly, the Sabbath canopy showed that the Judeans worshiped Yahweh each week on a special day that he had chosen, and the special royal entrance showed that the king and his family were personally devoted to Yahweh. Even though Ahaz had a godly father in Jotham and a godly grandfather in Azariah (Uzziah), he chose not to follow their example and instead relied on foreign gods and an alliance with a pagan king. Such actions by Israelite and Judean kings ultimately led to the conquest and exile of both kingdoms.