Ahaz

The spineless king of Judah from c.735-715 BC who refused to trust Yahweh at a time of political crisis when His help was needed most and the only recourse that would prevail. Instead he chose to bow to the pagan ways of his neighbours and subjected himself to the Assyrians.

Open Family Tree ☰ (Generation 24)

Soon after he came to the throne, Ahaz was invited to join a coalition of unhappy Assyrian vassals to rebel against their suzerain yoke. Ahaz refused. In response the coalition members attacked Judah in what historians now call the Syro-Ephraimite War. Trembling with fear, Ahaz, however, was met by Isaiah and offered an opportunity to ask of Yahweh any sign he wished "whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights" (Isa 7:11). Recognizing that his acceptance of the offer would commit him to trust Yahweh, he turned it down with the pious excuse that he would "not put the Lord to the test" (v12). For his feckless unbelief, he received a sharp rebuke from the prophet, who then proffered the Lord's own sign, the sign of the Immanuel (vv14-17).

Instead of trusting Yahweh, Ahaz turned to the Assyria king Tiglath-pileser for help (2 Ki 16:7). In doing so, he had became an event more subject vassal, having to pay a heavy tribute as well as bowing down to the religious demands of the suzerain as well (vv10ff.), thus opening the doors to national apostasy.

The only silver lining of Ahaz life was, it seems, to have sired a son, Hezekiah, whose heart was disposed firmly towards the Lord.