Chapter Summary

Reign of Ahaz over Judah. Assyrians take Damascus.

Discussion Questions for 2 Kings, Chapter 16

1. What makes Ahaz's reign similar/different from the kings that came before him? How did Ahaz's leadership during his reign impact the political and religious landscape of the kingdom compared to his predecessors?
2. How does Ahaz "walk in the way of the kings of Israel"? (ESV) In what specific ways did Ahaz emulate the behavior and actions of the kings of Israel, and how did this departure from the Lord's ways impact the overall spiritual and moral climate of his kingdom?
3. What situations surround Ahaz to cause him to forget the Lord? How did Ahaz's forgetting of the Lord impact the religious practices and beliefs of the people within his kingdom during his reign?
4. Why would Ahaz find comfort in calling for the Assyrians help rather than waiting on the Lord to provide? What gifts does Ahaz give the Assyrians for their help? Why do you think Ahaz chose to seek assistance from the Assyrians instead of relying on divine intervention or trusting in the Lord's provision? Additionally, what motivations or strategic considerations might have influenced Ahaz's decision to offer gifts to the Assyrians in exchange for their help, and how do these actions reflect Ahaz's priorities and alliances during his reign?
5. What are some ways that you, like Ahaz, find comfort in things other than the Lord when you are faced with trials?
6. What was the significance in the sacrifices that Ahaz gives? How does it differ from the sacrifices that come before it? What symbolic or religious significance do the sacrifices offered by Ahaz hold, and how do they differ from the sacrifices prescribed by the religious traditions preceding his reign? Additionally, how might Ahaz's alterations to these sacrifices reflect his departure from the established worship practices and his embrace of foreign influences or ideologies?
7. Ahaz merged worship of Yahweh with worship of pagan gods. Where do you see a merging of biblical worship and non-biblical worship in the church?
8. What would cause Ahaz to take the bronze altar and use it for himself? How does this defy the purpose of the bronze altar?
9. Read Isaiah 7:1-10. What should had been the response of Ahaz to what the Lord told him? In what ways do you reject the Word of God for outside advice?
10. In what ways does Ahaz fail in his divinely appointed kingship? How does Jesus succeed? How do Ahaz's failures as a king contrast with the qualities and actions of Jesus as the ideal King, and what lessons can be drawn from this comparison in understanding the qualities of effective leadership and faithfulness to God's will?

Key Words/Phrase

Abominations, v. 3.

Characters

God, Ahaz, Tiglath-pileser, Urijah, Rezin, Pekah.

Strong Verse(s)