2Ch 28:7 | KingComments | STEP | The unfaithfulness of Ahaz brings the discipline of God upon him ( ). God is here called “his God”. That is not because Ahaz has any connection with God, but because God does not give up His rights to His land and His representative in that land. Ahaz can deny these rights, but God does not give up His rights because of that. That is precisely why He brings discipline upon him and his people ( ). He exercises this discipline by giving him into the power of the king of Aram or Syria and the king of Israel. Syria and Ephraim have joined forces to make themselves strong against Assyria. God uses this reprehensible alliance of the ten tribes with Syria as a disciplinary rod for the two tribes. A large group of prisoners is taken by the king of Syria to Damascus. The king of Israel inflicts a heavy blow on Ahaz. Ahaz has chosen to walk in the ways of the kings of Israel ( ) and now experiences what that brings. Whoever connects with wickedness, experiences wickedness. Pekah, king of Israel, gets the opportunity to kill 120,000 men in Judah in one day ( ). That so many men, who were also “valiant men”, and that in one day, are killed, shows the speed and fierceness of this judgment of the LORD. Pekah is able to do this because Judah – that is king and people, “they” – has forsaken the LORD. This does not mean that Pekah and the ten tribes are in connection with the LORD. They are just as independent from the LORD and just as ungodly. But Judah has a greater responsibility, because the LORD still dwells in His house in Jerusalem in their midst. The departure of both kingdoms from the LORD has led to this unprecedented drama of brotherhood. One man from Pekah’s army receives a special mention. That is “Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim” ( ). Zichri is called “mighty man”, but in a different sense than for example the mighty men of David. The mighty men of David have become mighty men in a battle for David and against the enemies of Israel. Zichri is a mighty man in the eyes of the people. He kills three people who belong to God’s people. He does so from a strategic point of view. The people he kills have a close relationship with the king. It concerns a family member, a ruler of the house and the prime minister. The death of these men will have smashed Ahaz’s last hope for some support in his immediate surroundings. On that support he relies, for there is no thought with him of the LORD. In Isaiah 7 we read the purpose of the attack by Syria and Israel. That is to dethrone Ahaz and appoint a Syrian king over Judah, a certain “son of Tabeal” ( ). There it also appears that Ahaz is very much in a tight spot. It seems as if the house of David is over. Then Isaiah comes to him. Ahaz may ask for a sign. His answer is false, hypocritical ( ). He has long hoped for Assyria. There is no desire whatsoever with him to ask the LORD for help. Then comes the prophecy, not for Ahaz, but for the house of David, about the virgin who will be with child and bear a son ( ). This is what we see fulfilled in Matthew 1 ( ). In that dark history God thus lets the light of the future shine. In Christ Who according to the prophecy by Isaiah is born of the virgin, the lamp for David’s house remains lit.

‏ 2 Chronicles 28:7

The Discipline of the LORD

The unfaithfulness of Ahaz brings the discipline of God upon him (2Chr 28:5). God is here called “his God”. That is not because Ahaz has any connection with God, but because God does not give up His rights to His land and His representative in that land. Ahaz can deny these rights, but God does not give up His rights because of that. That is precisely why He brings discipline upon him and his people (Amos 3:2). He exercises this discipline by giving him into the power of the king of Aram or Syria and the king of Israel.

Syria and Ephraim have joined forces to make themselves strong against Assyria. God uses this reprehensible alliance of the ten tribes with Syria as a disciplinary rod for the two tribes. A large group of prisoners is taken by the king of Syria to Damascus. The king of Israel inflicts a heavy blow on Ahaz. Ahaz has chosen to walk in the ways of the kings of Israel (2Chr 28:2) and now experiences what that brings. Whoever connects with wickedness, experiences wickedness.

Pekah, king of Israel, gets the opportunity to kill 120,000 men in Judah in one day (2Chr 28:6). That so many men, who were also “valiant men”, and that in one day, are killed, shows the speed and fierceness of this judgment of the LORD. Pekah is able to do this because Judah – that is king and people, “they” – has forsaken the LORD. This does not mean that Pekah and the ten tribes are in connection with the LORD. They are just as independent from the LORD and just as ungodly. But Judah has a greater responsibility, because the LORD still dwells in His house in Jerusalem in their midst. The departure of both kingdoms from the LORD has led to this unprecedented drama of brotherhood.

One man from Pekah’s army receives a special mention. That is “Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim” (2Chr 28:7). Zichri is called “mighty man”, but in a different sense than for example the mighty men of David. The mighty men of David have become mighty men in a battle for David and against the enemies of Israel. Zichri is a mighty man in the eyes of the people.

He kills three people who belong to God’s people. He does so from a strategic point of view. The people he kills have a close relationship with the king. It concerns a family member, a ruler of the house and the prime minister. The death of these men will have smashed Ahaz’s last hope for some support in his immediate surroundings. On that support he relies, for there is no thought with him of the LORD.

In Isaiah 7 we read the purpose of the attack by Syria and Israel. That is to dethrone Ahaz and appoint a Syrian king over Judah, a certain “son of Tabeal” (Isa 7:6). There it also appears that Ahaz is very much in a tight spot. It seems as if the house of David is over. Then Isaiah comes to him. Ahaz may ask for a sign. His answer is false, hypocritical (Isa 7:10-13). He has long hoped for Assyria. There is no desire whatsoever with him to ask the LORD for help.

Then comes the prophecy, not for Ahaz, but for the house of David, about the virgin who will be with child and bear a son (Isa 7:14). This is what we see fulfilled in Matthew 1 (Mt 1:18-23). In that dark history God thus lets the light of the future shine. In Christ Who according to the prophecy by Isaiah is born of the virgin, the lamp for David’s house remains lit.