A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 2
2 Kings CHAP. XVI. and 2 Chron. CHAP. XXVIII.
THE Holy Penmen of both thoſe Books, now return to the Hiſtory of the Kings of Judah, the Kingdom of Iſrael or Samaria, coming now to and going upon its laſt Leg; namely, Hoſhea mentioned barely before, 2 Kings 15.30. but largely deſcribed in Chap. 17. where that Kingdom was extinguiſhed, and the ten Tribes were carried into a final Captivity.
Theſe two Chapters, 2 Kings 16. 2 Chron. 28. are a Narrative jointly of one of the moſt impious Kings that Judah had, to wit, an Hiſtory of the Life of King Ahaz the eleventh from the Diviſion.
Remark the Firſt, This Ahaz was a bad Son of a good Father Jotham. N.B. And though Ahaz was a bad Father, yet had he a good Son, Hezekiah, which ſhews, that Grace is not entail'd. The Wickedneſs of this King is deſcribed in General; firſt, Negatively [He walked not in the ways of David] and then Poſitively [But in all that was not right] which are deſcribed in Particular, 2 Kings 16.1, 2, 3, 4. and 2 Chron. 28 1, 2, 3, 4.
Mark 1. He was a worſhipper of Baal, accounting that Dumb and Deaf Idol at Elijah's Sacrifice, 1 Kings 18.26, 27, 28, 29. to be his Lord, as Baal, Hebr. ſignifies, utterly rejecting a Prayer-hearing God.
Mark 2. He ſacrificed his Sons to Moloch in Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom. N.B. 'Twas call'd Topheth from Toph, Hebr. a Drum, becauſe the Pagans uſed to beat a Drum, while they were ſacrificing their Children, that the cry of the burning Child might not be heard: From this Valley Gehinnon (ſaith Sir Walter Rawleigh) comes the Word Gehenna, for Hell, Matth. 5.22, 29. and Tophet alſo is uſed in the ſame Senſe and Signification, Iſa. 30.33.
Mark 3. He ſacrificed and burnt incenſe in High Places, after the manner of the Heathen, and expreſly againſt the Command of God: Thus did he evil with both Hands earneſtly, Mic. 7.3. as if afraid to be outdone by others, taking long ſtrides towards Hell.
Mark 4. This black branded Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28.22. ſtands here in the Hiſtory (ſaith Learned Paraeus upon his Life) like a filthy Thorn betwixt two fair Lillies, or like a black beſmeared Collier betwixt two neat and fine Fullers; namely, his godly Father Jotham and his godly Son Hezekiah, himſelf being ſo much the worſe and more wicked, by how much better the Father and Son were, and more vertuous and truly Godly.
Remark the Second, God ſuffers not this none-ſuch Sinner to paſs unpuniſhed: 'Tis ſaid expreſly [Wherefore the Lord (which would have been his God, had he been docible) did deliver him into the hand of the King of Syria, and He ſmote him, &c. and carried away a great Multitude of Captives to Damaſcus, 2 Chron. 28.5. he becoming no better by this, God lets looſe, Pekah the King of Iſrael upon him, who ſlew an hundred and twenty thouſand of his valianteſt Men in one Day [Becauſe they had forſaken the Lord God of their Fathers] ver. 6. and then it was that Zichri (one of Pekah's Champions) ſlew Maaſeiah Ahaz's Son, &c. ver. 7. this was to Plague him for ſacrificing his Sons to the Devil: yet God takes care to preſerve his good Son Hezekiah by a ſpecial Providence, both from being ſacrificed by his Idolatrous Father, and ſlaughtered by this Champion of Pekah. God had Work for him to work in the World.
Remark the Third, Nor muſt Ahaz's ſuppoſed Eldeſt Son be ſlain alone here, but two of his principal Courtiers are ſlain with him to bear him Company into another World, ver. 7. nor was this all the miſchief done him by Pekah, but two hundred thouſand Women, Sons and Daughters were carried away Captive with much ſpoil toward Samaria, ver. 8. theſe alſo were Sinners againſt their own Souls, Numb. 16.38. for the Children gathered Wood, and the Fathers kindled the Fire, the Women kneaded Dough to make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven, &c. Jer. 7.18. probably the Husbands of thoſe Women, and the Fathers of thoſe Children were ſlain among the hundred and twenty thouſand Men. N.B. This aggravtes Iſrael's cruelty to Judah.
Remark the Fourth, Here God's repentings are kindled together, and he would not execute the fierceneſs of his wrath, Hoſ. 11.8, 9. God ſends the Prophet Oded to mitigate Judah's Miſery, ver. 9, 10, &c.
Mark 1. This Oded might deſcend of that Oded in Aſa's time, which was two hundred Years before this: He put his Life in his hand, and met this bloody Hoſt in the Face (ſaith Piſcator) before they reach'd Samaria. This was a bold attempt, but God who call him, kept him alſo.
Mark 2. He boldly reproves them for their Barbarity to their Brethren, uſing an Hyperbole to them (ſaith Vatablus) to ſhew their Rage had known neither Mean nor Meaſure, but had been ſo great, that the one end of it did reach up to Heaven. N.B. Brethren's Blood cries ſo high, Gen. 4.10.
Mark 3. Then he ſweetly inſinuates, reminding them of their own Sins, ſaying (ſaith Vatablus) 'Tis true the Jews have ſinned, and therefore are they conquered, but do not ye Sin too, both in arrogating this Conqueſt to your ſelves and not to God, and alſo in making your Brethren Slaves, ver. 10. which is a Sin againſt God's Law, Lev. 25.42, 43. and 39.40. beſide other Sins, which if not repented of, will bring the like Vengeance upon you.
Mark 4. After he had (like the good Samaritan, Luke 10.34) poured in Wine to ſearch their wounds, he uſeth Oyl alſo to ſupple them; he here with ſoft Words adviſeth them to ſhew Mercy to their Brethren, with whom they had dealt unmercifully, ver. 11. N.B. 1. This Prophet is the Picture of a good Preacher, here turning himſelf into all ſhapes of Speech and Spirit to work upon his hearers, according to the Task preſcribed to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4.2, 3. N.B. 2. Oded's laſt Argument was Clinching and Cogent, telling them they could not give a better Evidence of their Repentance, than to break every Yoke, and to let the oppreſſed go free, Iſa. 58.6.7, &c. but if they ſhewed no Mercy, they ſhould meet with Judgment without Mercy, James 2.13. [The Wrath of God hangs over your Heads] ſaith he, if you add cruelty to cruelty againſt God's Law (ſaith Grotius) Deut. 12.5. If you forgive not your Brethren, God will not forgive you, Math. 6.12.
Remark the Fourth, The Prophet gains the deſired Point, for preſently four of the chief Commanders of the Army or Governours of the City, ſtood up to withſtand the bringing of the Captives into Samariae, &c. ver. 12, 13. ſaying [Ye ſhall not add this heinous Sin to the vaſt heap of all our other Sins, for the Idolatry of the whole Land is too well known, and we have cauſe enough to fear the Wrath of God will fall down upon us ſome way or other, &c. N.B. Here behold and wonder, how mightily did the Word of God in the Mouth of this one Prophet work upon them, though he came not with the common Phraſe of all other Prophets [Thus ſaith the Lord] in his moving Oration to them. Hierom renders this Reaſon, why Oded omitted that uſual Phraſe, becauſe (ſaith he) the Prophet thought Iſrael unworthy of it, for their abominable Idolatries: However, though he uſed not the Lord's Name, he ſo ſpake the Lord's Truth, that the Lord bleſt it, and made it effectual to bring over thoſe four great Commanders to comply with it, yea and many of the common People to accompany them in this good work, yea the armed Men laid down their Arms, ver. 14, 15. and yielded to the Arguments preſſed thus upon them.
Mark 1. Behold here what a few may do againſt many, againſt a Multitude in a good Cauſe when God is with them, and when ſet about it in good Earneſt, and in God's Strength, Pſalm 71.16. John 7.35.
Mark 2. Then doth Reformation and redreſſing of Grievances proſper, &c. when Princes do take part with the Prophets of the Lord, to beat down the Tranſgreſſions of the People, &c.
Mark 3. Grotius well obſerves, upon ver. 14, 15. that as an evidence of their Repentance upon the Prophet's Preaching to them, they did more than they were deſired, for they did not only diſmiſs their Captives, but they reſtor'd all the ſpoils taken in Battel, cloath'd thoſe they had ſtripp'd, fed thoſe they had almoſt ſtarv'd, anointed thoſe they had wounded, and ſet upon Aſſes ſuch as were weak, weary and wax'd feeble with their wounds.
Mark 4. Dr. Lightfoot likewiſe well obſerves, that this Act of Mercy in Iſrael to Judah, was the only good Act that we read of acted in Samaria for a long Seaſon: This their ſhewing Mercy to the Poor Captives (carrying the feeble upon Aſſes, being unable to go back on Foot, as far as Jericho near Judah) was a likely way for lenghthening their Tranquillity, Dan. 4.27.
Remark the Fifth, After all this (ſaith Piſcator) Ahaz's wickedneſs brings Rezin the King of Syria and Pekah the King of Iſrael joining both their Armies to beſiege Jeruſalem; then Ahaz ſent to Tiglathpileſer King of Aſſyria for Relief, 2 Chron. 28.16. 2 Kings 16.5, 6, 7. Theſe two Kings in Confederacy, came up againſt the Capital City (which they had already ſwallowed up in their ambitious Deſires and Expectations) reſolving to take Ahaz out of the way, and to ſet up the Son of Tabeal (whom ſome ſuppoſe to be ſome great Man of Syria) or, as Dr. Lightfoot thinks, one of the Poſterity of Tabrimmon, 1 Kings 15.18. which ſignifies (a good Rimmonite) ſuch as worſhips well the Syrian God Rimmon, 2 Kings 5.18. as Tabeel ſignifies (a good God.). Others ſay, they deſigned to ſet up Zichri the Iſraelite for his meritorious Act in ſlaying Ahaz's Son, 2 Chron. 28.7. to be King in his ſtead, but they could not accompliſh their deſign (ſaith Joſephus) becauſe they could not Conquer Jeruſalem, though they came with ſuch formidable Forces, as wherewith to march through the whole Land of Judah to the very Walls of their chiefeſt City without the leaſt Obſtruction or Oppoſition. The Reaſon of their Diſappointment is Recorded by Iſaiah the Prophet, Iſa. 7.6, 7. who aſſures Ahaz from the Lord, that he ſhould be delivered from thoſe two firebrands, which were but two Tails, now become ſuch, and now ready to ſmoak out their Laſt: The Prophet offers Ahaz a ſign of his deliverance, which Ahaz ſcornfully rejected, Iſa. 7.11, 12. but his Son Hezekiah was of a better Mind, 2 Kings 20.8. he there deſpiſed not to try his Jehovah, as his Father had done: And becauſe Ahaz did ſo, the Lord voluntarily of himſelf gave this Sign, that the Lord would not quite caſt off the Houſe of David [Ʋntil a Virgin have born a son, and that Son be God in our Nature] Iſa. 7. ver. 13, 14, &c. N.B. Both theſe are two great Wonders indeed, importing hereby that though the preſent Conſpiracy of the Confederate Kings againſt Ahaz ſhould be confounded, ver. 7, 8. of Iſa. 7. yet was it not for the ſake of ſuch a curſed King as Ahaz was, but for the ſake of God's Promiſe to David's Houſe, for continuing a Lamp to him ſtill in Jeruſalem, 1 King 11.36. and 15.4. It was a wonderful Condeſcenſion in God to make ſo fair an offer to ſo foul a Sinner, as to bid him ask a Sign, either above or below, but he moſt Refractorily Anſwers. [I will ask no askings, let God keep his Signs to himſelf, I know a Trick worth two of that, I can otherwiſe relieve my ſelf, &c.]
Remark the Sixth; This brave Trick, for his own Relief, (when he and his People were grievouſly affrighted with the two Confederate Kings coming to beſiege him in Jeruſalem) was his ſending to the King of Aſſyria for help, 2 Kings 16.7.2 Chron. 28.16. where Tiglath-pileſer is call'd [Kings] to expreſs his great Grandeur, eſteeming his Princes to be ſo many Kings, Iſa. 10.8. ſo he was a King of Kings, and therefore to him did Ahaz ſend for help, even then when Iſaiah bade him truſt only in God, and offer'd him a moſt ſatisfying ſign for confirming his Aſſurance of Deliverance, &c. Notwithſtanding, this faithleſs Ahaz (ſcorning to crave any ſuch courteſie from God's Divine Hand) ſeeks for Humane Help from this Aſſyrian King, to whom Ahaz ſends a parcel of Compliments [I am thy Servant] therefore I put my ſelf in ſubjection under thee; [and thy Son] therefore as thou art my Maſter and Father, let me have protection by thee [Come and ſave me] from theſe two Confederate Kings that are come to beſiege me, 2 Kings 16.7. and he ſent a vaſt ſumm of Caſh along with his Compliments, as a Preſent alſo, ver. 8. which moſtly gained the Aſſyrian King, ver. 8. who, tho' he went not to Jeruſalem, as Ahaz deſired, yet ſet upon Damaſcus deſignedly to divert Rezin from his Siege in Judah, as indeed it proved; for Tiglath-pileſer takes Damaſcus, Rezin marches off from the Siege to defend his own Kingdom, as Saul had the like Avocation, 1 Sam. 23.28. Rezin hereby falls into the hands of the Aſſyrians, who ſlew him; ſo dearly did he pay for his conſpiring with Pekah King of Iſrael againſt Judah; nor did Pekah fare better, for he was after this ſlain alſo by Hoſhea, 2 Kings 15.30. ſo Revenge is rendred for all his Cruelties to Judah. N.B. How compleatly was Iſaiah's Prophecy accompliſhed in the ſlaughter of thoſe two Kings, Rezin and Pekah, whom the Prophet thought not worth naming, tho' two great Potentates, but calls them in contempt [the two Tails of thoſe ſmoaking fire-brands] Iſa. 7, 4, 5. which is a moſt elegant Metaphor, whereby he encourages Ahaz not to fear them; for tho' they come with formidable Forces, and with ſuch fury and fierceneſs, as if by Fire and Sword they reſolved to deſtroy all before them without Reſiſtance, yet are they but ſmoaking (not flaming or burning) fire-brands, fuming out their Phrenzy at their Noſes; and they are not two whole fire-brands, but only two Tails or Ends, that were now ſmoaking out their laſt, and ſhould ſhortly be quite extinguiſhed: Hence the Prophet bids him fret not, faint not, ſend not to the Aſſyrian, aſſuring him, they had more Pride than Power, a meer flaſh, but evaporating ſmoak, which the higher it riſeth, the ſooner it vanquiſheth: Tho' they would do miſchief, yet they could not do it, becauſe but ſmoaking, and not burning; and tho' they have indeed done much miſchief to Judah ſeverally heretofore, and now think to do much more joyntly in this Confederacy, yet the Counſel of Heaven hath otherwiſe ordered it, which daſhes in pieces all the contrary Counſels on Earth, Prov. 21.30. Pſal. 2.4. N.B. 2. How tranſcendently gracious and ineffably merciful is the great and good God even to bad Men, in giving an Elijah to Ahab, and an Iſaiah to Ahaz, tho' both of them were notoriouſly wicked! As Elijah had been a faithful Monitor unto faithleſs Ahab from the Lord (as is to be ſeen in the foregoing Hiſtory of that King and Prophet) ſo was Iſaiah no leſs, but much more to Ahaz from the Lord likewiſe. For,
Mark 1. By a wonderful Divine Condeſcenſion Ahaz is offered a ſatisfactory ſign, &c. whereas our Lord would not gratifie the Incredulous Phariſees, but calls them a Baſtardly Brood for asking a ſign from Heaven, Matth. 12.38.39. N.B. But ſo lewd a Lozel was Ahaz, that he rejected this motion of Mercy, not out of Modeſty (as Ambroſe miſtaketh) but rather out of Madneſs, whereof all ſuch are guilty (ſaith good Oecolampadius) who ſlight the Holy Sacraments, thoſe Signs and Seals of Righteouſneſs by Faith. So mad was Ahaz, as to think God could not help him, becauſe he had ſuffered Pekah to ſlay 120000 of his Subjects, 2 Chron. 28.6.
Mark 2. Iſaiah foretells Ahaz from the Lord, that both thoſe two Kings, whom he ſo much feared, ſhould be cut off by a ſeaſonable Vengeance, ſoon after fulfilled, 2 Kings 15.30. and 16.9. which was about a year after this Prophecy, Iſa. 7.16. This Prophet was not ſent with a promiſe of Deliverance for the ſake of wicked Ahaz, but becauſe a Godly Party was ſtill in Judah reſpected of God.
Mark 3. The Prophet likewiſe predicts to Ahaz, that if he would not rely upon the Lord, but hire help from the Aſſyrian, God would ſhave him with his Hired Razor, ſhaving Head and Hair, that is, high and low, Prince and Peaſant, yea and Beard too, that is, the Prieſts, as ſome ſenſe it, from Pſal. 133.2. See Iſa. 7.17, 18, 19, 20. where God by his Prophet tells Ahaz his own, that notwithſtanding this preſent Deliverance, he and all his ſhall periſh by him whom he calls in for his help, and in whom he truſted, and not in God, &c.
Remark the Seventh; The Returns this wicked wretch Ahaz makes unto God for vouchſafing him all thoſe Mercies.
Mark 1. No ſooner had Tiglath-pileſer taken Damaſcus, but away haſtens Ahaz thither to congratulate his Victory, and to ingratiate himſelf farther with his great Deliverer, 2 Kings 16.10. but God croſs'd him of his Expectation of a farther continuance of Aſſyrian Favour, for that King diſtreſſed him, but ſtrengthened him not, 2 Chron. 28.20. N.B. This Aſſyrian Beaſt obſerving the Hedge to be now low, went over it, and though he had help'd Ahaz againſt the Syrians, yet hereby he ſmoothed his own way into Canaan, for Syria laying between them, had hitherto been a Bulwark againſt the Aſſyrians. So that though the Syrians had been troubleſome, the Aſſyrians became much more, invading the Land in the very next Reign.
Mark 2. Ahaz ſeeing an Altar of an excellent ſtructure in Damaſcus, ſends the pattern of it to Ʋrijah the Temporizing High Prieſt, who complying with the King's Command contrary to God's Command, and the Light of his own Conſcience, if he were the ſame mentioned, Iſa. 8.1, 2. This new Altar he made ready for Ahaz's returning from Complimenting Tiglath pileſer, a Kings 16.11, 12.
Mark 3. Ahaz himſelf offers upon this new Altar, the Apoſtate Ʋrijah ſuffering him to do ſo, whereas zealous Azariah would not ſuffer Ahaz's his Grandfather Ʋzziah, a far better man to do it; and though Ʋzziah was ſmitten with Leproſie for ſo doing, yet Ahaz was ſmitten with a far worſe Plague, to wit, with an incurable Obduration, 2 Chron. 28.22. as appears in the fifth Mark, and here he ſacrifices to the Syrian Gods, ver. 13. that could not ſave themſelves.
Mark 4. Inſtead of a Reformer, he turns Deformer of God's Temple, thruſting God's Altar out of it's Place and Uſe, to make room for his Syrian and finer one, ver. 14, 15. And of the Brazen Altar (Lyra ſaith) he made his famous Dyal mentioned, Chap. 20.11. He alſo removed [Muſach Sabbati] the Covert wherein the Prieſts repoſed themſelves, and the Gallery 'twixt his Palace and the Temple, and all this he did to ingratiate himſelf with Tiglath-pilezer, by all this publick contempt caſt on God's worſhip; Ʋrijah having once Debauch'd his Conſcience, conforms to all, ver. 16, 17, 18.
Mark 5. Though God plagued him with many Adverſaries, as Edomites, Philiſtines, and Aſſyrians, 2 Chron. 28.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. yet ſo ſtubborn and ſtiffnecked was Ahaz, that his Diſtreſs made him worſe, ver. 22. reſolving rather to break than bend, ſo that this Monſter of Mankind became a branded Belialiſt [This is that King Ahaz] ſtigmatiz'd to make up a Triumvirate. 1. Cain, Gen. 4, 15. 2. Dathan, Numb. 26.9. And 3. Ahaz here, who ſhut up the Houſe of God, &c. ver. 23, 24, 25. yet dy'd a natural Death, though a deteſtable Wretch, All changing their Temporal into Eternal Woe, &c. God puts off puniſhing ſome Wicked Men here for hereafter.