When Bad Kings Make Everything Worse
What’s 2 Chronicles 28 about?
This chapter tells the brutal story of King Ahaz of Judah, whose spiritual rebellion didn’t just hurt his own relationship with God – it nearly destroyed his entire kingdom. It’s a sobering reminder that leadership decisions have consequences that ripple far beyond the leader themselves.
The Full Context
2 Chronicles 28 drops us into one of the darkest periods in Judah’s history. Written during or after the Babylonian exile, the Chronicler is addressing a community trying to rebuild their identity and understand how they ended up in captivity. King Ahaz ruled from around 735-715 BCE, during a time when the Assyrian Empire was expanding aggressively westward. The northern kingdom of Israel was already feeling the pressure, and smaller nations like Judah were caught between choosing sides or trying to stay neutral.
The Chronicler isn’t just recording history – he’s making a theological point about covenant faithfulness. Unlike the parallel account in 2 Kings 16, Chronicles emphasizes the spiritual causes and consequences of political disasters. This chapter serves as a warning: when leaders abandon God’s ways, entire communities suffer. But it also contains a surprising story of mercy that shows how God can work even through enemies to call His people back to righteousness.
What the Ancient Words Tell Us
The Hebrew text pulls no punches in describing Ahaz’s reign. The phrase “he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 28:1) uses the word yashar, which means “straight” or “upright.” Ahaz wasn’t just making mistakes – he was fundamentally crooked in his approach to leadership.
Grammar Geeks
When the text says Ahaz “made his children pass through fire” in verse 3, the Hebrew verb he’evir literally means “to cause to cross over.” This wasn’t just child sacrifice – it was a ritual where children were “passed through” Molech’s fire, possibly as dedication ceremonies. Either way, it represents the absolute corruption of what should have been sacred parental responsibility.
The word “trespass” that appears repeatedly (verses 19 and 22) is the Hebrew ma’al, which originally meant “to act unfaithfully in a marriage relationship.” The Chronicler is painting Ahaz not just as a bad king, but as an unfaithful spouse to Yahweh. This covenant language would have hit the post-exilic audience hard – they knew what unfaithfulness led to.
What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?
For Jews returning from Babylon, this chapter would have felt uncomfortably familiar. They’d just lived through the ultimate consequence of covenant unfaithfulness – exile. Reading about Ahaz’s disasters would have been like looking in a mirror.
But there’s something else here that would have caught their attention: the story of the northern Israelites showing mercy to Judean captives in verses 8-15. This isn’t just a nice humanitarian story – it’s revolutionary. The Chronicler is showing that sometimes God’s voice comes through the most unexpected people.
Did You Know?
The town of Jericho mentioned in verse 15 was actually in ruins during this period. The Israelites weren’t just releasing prisoners – they were taking them to a symbolic place of new beginnings, echoing Joshua’s conquest centuries earlier.
The original readers would have understood something we might miss: this mercy shown by “enemies” was a preview of how God would use foreign rulers like Cyrus to restore them from exile. Sometimes grace comes through the last people you’d expect.
But Wait… Why Did They…?
Here’s something that doesn’t make sense at first glance: why would the northern Israelites, who had just won a major victory over Judah, suddenly develop a conscience and release 200,000 captives? (2 Chronicles 28:8-15)
The answer lies in the prophet Oded’s message. He basically tells them: “You’ve gone too far. God let you win this battle, but now you’re about to enslave your own brothers.” The Hebrew word for “brothers” here is ’achim – not just fellow Israelites, but actual family. Despite the divided kingdom, they were still blood relatives.
What’s fascinating is that the northern leaders actually listened. In a world where victory usually meant maximum exploitation of captives, these men chose mercy. The text even names them: Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa (2 Chronicles 28:12). The Chronicler wants us to remember their names – these “enemies” who acted more righteously than Judah’s own king.
Wrestling with the Text
This chapter forces us to confront some uncomfortable truths about leadership and consequence. Ahaz’s personal rebellion didn’t stay personal – it infected his entire kingdom. His refusal to trust God led to:
- Military defeats on multiple fronts
- Economic devastation
- The loss of national independence
- The corruption of worship
- Family dysfunction (including child sacrifice)
“Sometimes the people we consider enemies show us more of God’s character than the people we expect to be righteous.”
But here’s what’s really challenging: Ahaz had every opportunity to turn back. Even in his distress, “he trespassed yet more against the LORD” (2 Chronicles 28:22). The Hebrew suggests he actually increased his unfaithfulness during the crisis. Instead of learning from consequences, he doubled down on the very behaviors that caused them.
This isn’t just ancient history – it’s a pattern that shows up in every generation. When people in authority positions abandon foundational principles, the damage spreads far beyond their own lives.
How This Changes Everything
The story of 2 Chronicles 28 doesn’t end with despair. Hidden in this dark chapter is a profound truth: God can work through anyone to accomplish His purposes. The northern Israelites, who should have been enemies, became instruments of mercy and restoration.
Wait, That’s Strange…
Notice that the Chronicler gives more detail to this mercy story (verses 8-15) than to most of Ahaz’s military defeats. For a book focused on Judah and the Davidic line, spending this much time on northern Israelites showing compassion is remarkable. The message is clear: righteousness isn’t about tribal identity – it’s about reflecting God’s character.
This changes how we think about enemies and allies. Sometimes the people we write off as opponents are the very ones God uses to show us His heart. The returning exiles reading this would have understood – their restoration came through foreign rulers who showed them more mercy than their own leaders ever had.
For us, it’s a reminder that grace often comes through unexpected channels. The question isn’t whether we deserve mercy, but whether we’ll recognize it when it comes – and whether we’ll extend it to others.
Key Takeaway
Leadership is never just about the leader – our choices create ripples that touch everyone around us. But even in the darkest moments of human failure, God can work through the most unlikely people to bring restoration and hope.
Further Reading
Internal Links:
External Scholarly Resources:
- 1 and 2 Chronicles (The NIV Application Commentary) by Andrew Hill – excellent for historical context and theological themes
- The Books of Chronicles (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by Roddy Braun – thorough scholarly treatment
- 1, 2 Chronicles (The College Press NIV Commentary) by Eugene Merrill – accessible verse-by-verse analysis
