Day 30 – Obedience

2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of JEHOVAH, as his father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made molded images for the Baals. 3 He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom JEHOVAH had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

 5 Therefore, JEHOVAH his Elohiym delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him and carried away a great multitude of them as captives and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter. 6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, valiant men, because they had forsaken JEHOVAH Elohiym of their fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king. 8 The children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and took away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.

 9 However, a prophet of JEHOVAH was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Look, because JEHOVAH Elohiym of your fathers was angry with Judah, He delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10 Now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before JEHOVAH your Elohiym? 11 Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of JEHOVAH is upon you.”

 12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13 and said to them, “You will not bring the captives here, for we already have offended JEHOVAH. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

 14 Thus, the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly.

 15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed the naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let the feeble one’s ride on donkeys. Then they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

 16 At the same time King Ahaz asked the kings of Assyria for help. 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 JEHOVAH brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to JEHOVAH. 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 JEHOVAH, 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 JEHOVAH. This is King Ahaz.

 23 For he sacrificed to elohiym of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, “Because the elohiym of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” However, they were the ruin of him and of Israel.

 24 Then Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of Elohiym, cut in pieces the articles of the house of Elohiym, shut up the doors of the house of JEHOVAH, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other elohiym and provoked to anger JEHOVAH Elohiym of his fathers.

 26 Now the rest of his acts and his ways, from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Then 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.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

Iesous – Jesus

Theos – Supreme Divinity

Kurios – Supreme Authority

God’s character:

Judge

How many people do you know personally, whom you consider the worst person ever born? Not many. However, you can point to various people in history as the worst person ever born.

Ahaz would fall into the category of worst ever born. He did not obey JEHOVAH. Instead, he did every abomination against Elohiym and brought JEHOVAH’S wrath against him. When he died, the people buried him in the city of the kings but not in the tombs of the kings.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, did you expect to continue to live as you always did? Most Christians, when they accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord lived a decadent lifestyle in total opposition to Yeshuwa. They saw the decadence of their lifestyle and how it hurt those around them along with themselves and wanted to change, to become what Yeshuwa offered them.

Paul addressed the matter to the Romans when he said:

Romans 6:1 What will we say then? Will we continue in sin that grace may abound?

 2 Certainly not! How will we who died to sin live any longer in it?

 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christos Iesous were baptized into His death?

 4 Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christos was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 5 For if we have been united in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

 8 Now if we died with Christos, we believe we will also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christos, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to Theos.

 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to Theos in Christos Iesous our Kurios.

 12 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to Theos as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to Theos.

You are dead to sin because you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord. Don’t let Satan deceive you and cause you to sin against Him. Ahaz disobeyed Elohiym in every abomination He told Israel not to commit because the nations He sent Israel against did those things.

Look at your life, consider your ways. Do you see trouble because you live contrary to Yeshuwa’s Word, or do you see His blessings in your life because of your obedience to Him?

Let’s pray: Father, You know my heart. Search it to find every evil desire and strip it from me. Let my life be one of obedience to You in everything I say and do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 17 February 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux