The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 278

Hrzrkiah, hie son, 1mcceeded him at the age of twenty-five (see eh. xviii.17). Accol'ding to ~bis he ~Cllme a fathe~ wh~n h~ was only eleven years of age. This is not, neces- fanly, a mistake of the histonan, smce among the Jews in 'l'iberias there are mothers of eleven years of age and fathers of thirteen. And in Abyssinia boys of ten years and twelve_ yea1:3 enter into the marriage relationship (see Keil). The account given of Ahaz rn this chapter furnishes us with an illustration of several enormous evils. 1. The dehv1rrwnizing force of fal,se religion, Ahaz was an idolater. "He walked in the way of the kings of Israel," we are told, Instead of worshipping the one true and living God, he bowed down before the idols of the heathen. This false religion of his made_ hi~ 80 inhuman that he "made his son to pass through the fire, accordiug to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel; and he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and. under every green tree." Moloch was this idol-god of fire, and the rabbins tell us "that it was made of brass, and placed on a brazen throne, and that the head was that of a calf, with a crown upon it. The throne and image were made hollow, and a furious fire was kindled within it. The flames penetrated into the body and limbs of the idol, and, when the arms were red hot, the victim was thrown into them, and was almost immediately burnt to death." 'l'he revolting cruelty of Moloch-woJ'lhip is thus described by Milton- " In .Axgob and in Be.san, to the stream Of utmost Amon. Nor content with such Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart Of Solomon he led by fraud to build His temple right against the iemple of God On that opprobrious hill ; and me.de his grove The plee.se.nt valley of Hinnom, Tophet thenoe And black Gehenna call'd., the type of hell." Thus the idolatrons religion of this Aha.z dehumanized him, by destroying within him all pa.rental affection and transforming him into a fiend. This is true, more or leRs, of all false religions. Idolatry is not the only religion that makes men cruel. A corrupt Judaism and a corrupt Christianity generate in their votaries the same dehumanizing results. False religion kindled in Paul the sa.va.ge ferocity of a. wild beast. " He breathed out sla1-1ghter." Ecclesiastical history a.bounds with illustrations. 2. The national curse of a corrupt kinghood. Then " Rezin King of Syria. and Peka.h son of Remali.a.h Kiug of Israel ea.me up to Jerusalem to war: a.nd they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin King of Syria. recovered Ela.th to Syria, and drave the Jews from Ela.th: and the Syria.as came to Ela.th, and dwelt there unto this day." These two kings, Rezin of Syria. a.nd Pekah of Israel, ha.d their eyes upon this Ahaz, saw, perhaps, how his wickedness ha.d injured his people, had taken away their heart and exhausted their resources, until they felt that this wa.s the time for striking at Jerusalem, taking JJOSsession of the metropolis, and subjugating the country. And they made the attempt. Althou~h they could not "overcome" Ahaz, and failed to strike him down personally, yet they" recovered Elath to Syria [or, 'Edom '], and drave the Jews from Ela.th." So it has ever been; corrupt kings expose their country to danger, they invite the invader and make wa.y for him. "Proudly up the regal heights they sit in pampered power, While fires smoulder underground that strengthen every hour." 3. The mischievo'II,$ issues of a temporary expediency. Ahaz, in order to extricate himself from the difficulties and trials which R::zin a.nd Pekah ha.d brought on his country, applies to the King of Assyria. "So Ahaz sent messengers to Tigla.th-pileser King of Assyria., saying, I a.m thy servant aud thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the King of Syria, and out of the hand of the King of Israel, which rise up against me. And .Aha.z took the silver a.ad gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treaauree of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the King of .A.uyria. And the King of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the King_ of Assy~ia went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to K1r, and llew Rezin." What elae could he do? To whom could he have looked for help in hie emergency? The nght thing to have done would have beeD the utter renunoia- GB. :tVI. 1-20.) THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 325