King Ahaz 2Chronicles 28

Over and over again throughout the Old Testament we read of how mostly the Kings of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But occasionally we read how they also sinned according to the ways of their brothers the Israelites, that is those who separated themselves from the house of Judah. In this chapter of 2Chronicles 28 we have such a king, his name was Ahaz and scripture tells us in verse V1 "....Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. V2 He walked in the way of the Kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshipping the Baals."

Whilst it is wonderful to think that mostly the Kings of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, it is also fair to say that occasionally they were led astray by their brothers the Israelites. This I believe is an example of how those we call brothers can cause us to stray from what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Today we might simply see this as peer pressure, but what was true in the Old Testament is true today, for just as the Israelites were led astray by their worship of other gods and therefore influenced by these gods, we too can be influenced by various spirits that are at work in our brothers lives. John speaks also about this in the book of Revelation where he refers the Nicolations in chapter 2:6.

Who were the Nicolations and what can we learn from their wickedness? Got Answers gives this response. The exact origin of the Nicolaitans is unclear. Some Bible commentators believe they were a heretical sect who followed the teachings of Nicolas—whose name means “one who conquers the people”—who was possibly one of the deacons of the early church mentioned in Acts 6:5. It is possible that Nicolas became an apostate, denying the true faith and became part of a group holding "the doctrine of Balaam," who taught Israel "to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality." Clement of Alexandria says, “They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence.” Their teaching perverted grace and replaced liberty with license.

Other commentators believe that these Nicolaitans were not so called from any man, but from the Greek word Nicolah, meaning "let us eat," as they often encouraged each other to eat things offered to idols. Whichever theory is true, it is certain that the deeds of the Nicolaitans were an abomination to Christ. They, like the Gnostics and other false teachers, abused the doctrine of grace and tried to introduce licentiousness in its place (2 Peter 2:15, 19; Jude 1:4).

Yet this is not the end of this story, for just as one man does what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, God raises up others to counter act this wickedness. In 2 Chronicles 29 reveals it would be the son of Ahaz, namely King Hezekiah, who would do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and not only did he did what was right but also ordered the cleansing of the Temple and re-instated the priesthood that had been abandoned.


This is of cause a picture of the very thing that King Jesus does when he arrives in Jerusalem and begins to make whips and throw the money changers from the Temple, see Matthew 21:12.

Today it is you and I who are the Temple of God and where God's Spirit truly dwells. This then begs of us, what are we allowing to infiltrate or influence our thinking and our lives. How do we keep ourselves sanctified in the eyes of our God?

The real question is what generation do we want to be, the one that does what is evil or the one that does what is right in the eyes of our God?