Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law

There Is A Price To Pay For Forsaking God

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2017-01-12

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver preaches from 2 Chronicles 28, using the reign of King Ahaz to illustrate the severe consequences of forsaking God. He draws parallels to modern America, warning that political solutions cannot replace national repentance and return to God's law. The sermon outlines Ahaz's perverted religion, military defeat, political shame, failed diplomacy, and economic destruction as judgments from God, and calls believers to personal faithfulness regardless of national trends.

[John Weaver] All right, I want you to open your Bible today to 2nd Chronicles chapter 28 2nd Chronicles 28 We're going to read the entire chapter 2nd Chronicles 28 There are 27 verses there. The title of the message is A Price to Pay for Forsaking God. Notice 2 Chronicles 28 and verse 1. Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which is right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.

[John Weaver] For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Balaam. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

[John Weaver] Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. And Zechariah, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maseiah the king's son in Azaricum, the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. And the children of Israel carried away, captive of their brethren, two hundred thousand women, sons and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, you delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reacheth up

[John Weaver] to heaven. And now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?

[John Weaver] Now hear me, therefore, deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johannan, Berechiah the son of Meshalamoth, Jehizakiah the son of Shalem, and Amasa the son of Hedli, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives hither, for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass. For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

[John Weaver] And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat, and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria.

[John Weaver] At that time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh, with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there. For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD. And Tiglath the poliser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not. In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD, This is that King Ahaz.

[John Weaver] For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord.

[John Weaver] And he made to him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, you know they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem. But they brought him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead."

[John Weaver] So in light of of the new year that is approaching us. Here's the question. Where are we and where will we go as a nation? Shall we continue down the path of destruction or will we return to our Christian foundations? There has been a glimmer of hope since Trump was elected. However, he continues to fill his cabinet with the very ones that have been leading us down the wrong path for decades. A few good choices have elicited a small glimmer of hope, but overall it looks like it's going to be the same as always.

[John Weaver] Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to give you just a couple of articles in light of what I'm going to be teaching from 2 Chronicles chapter 28. The first one was written by Susan Duclos of the All News Pipeline, and the title of her article is this, We are facing the most important battle of all at the most dangerous moment in history. The article goes on to show what we are up against and cautions against optimism in the magic fix of Trump's victory over Clinton. And here's what she says, and I'm just quoting one paragraph.

[John Weaver] We at ANP are noting a lot of optimism from investors, with stocks soaring, to economic confidence reaching new highs, to small business owners, to household spending, and even prepping has hit a multi-year low all the articles I am reading are crediting the election of Donald Trump as reason for all this optimism. But as much as I hate to rain on everyone's parade, now is the most dangerous time in history, not a time to assume just because one man was elected, all the wrongs will be made right. The failing economy will automatically just magically fix itself.

[John Weaver] And then Jeremiah Johnson also went on and he wrote this. Listen carefully. This is very perceptive. The globalists need the illusion of the two-party system to enable a reprieve in the minds of the people with the rise of a Bush or a Trump. But the reprieve is merely an illusion. If these Marxist traitors force their agenda on the people all at once, there would have been a revolution in its inception. They alternate.

[John Weaver] Destroy the society and the culture to the maximum under a Democrat administration, and then scale back a bit under a Republican administration, while still nipping away at the edges with an act here or a piece of legislation there. Isn't that amazing?

[John Weaver] Now, with that understanding, we must also consider that there are many today in our country that are absolutely opposed, not just simply to Christianity, and not just simply to the Constitution, but they are basically opposed to truth. And they are dead set on overthrowing all of the recent changes. If you have not read the piece that Mike Adams wrote, Mike Adams is known as the health ranger, The title of his article was, The Next American Revolution Begins January the 20th. Listen carefully. This is just a portion of it. The anti-American, communist-leaning website DisruptJ20.org, that means Disrupt January the 20th, which is the inauguration day, is openly organizing a popular uprising against the legitimate new administration of the United States of America. January the 20th, 2017, Inauguration Day, is being targeted as a day for people to block, obstruct, disrupt, and do whatever they can to prevent the onslaught that is going to happen with Donald Trump," said alt-left organizer Michael Moore. The Disrupt J20 website calls on all people of good conscience to join in disrupting the ceremonies.

[John Weaver] A Disrupt J tweet relishing in the kind of delusional paranoia that now typifies the mentally ill left in America says the effort is being waged to confront white supremacy and other forms of oppression. Disrupt J20 is a thinly veiled call for a communist uprising and the overthrow of the Trump administration. The Disrupt J20 effort is, in reality, a communist uprising and a coup attempt being disguised as a peaceful protest. Yet even the website describes the effort in military terms, characterizing it as a bold mobilization against the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017. Here's what the website says.

[John Weaver] If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, the organization encourages you to join the communist uprising wherever you might live. If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, take to the streets wherever you are, says the site, which is clearly inciting mob violence everywhere across America. Which, of course, It's totally against the law, but nothing is being done.

[John Weaver] So the question is, will the American people sit idly by and allow the Communists to overthrow the Constitution, Christianity, and the states? And you also have to ask yourself this question. Will it really, genuinely take another revolution to really awaken the American people? And the truth of the matter is, we have really and truly already forsaken God. But if this thing comes down the way the left really wants it to come down, that means we're going to be driven further from God and further from His law. So the title of the message is, there is a price to pay in forsaking God. America, like Israel of old, has forsaken our God. We left the Mayflower compact. We've left the Constitution. We've mocked and ridiculed the Word of God.

[John Weaver] We've turned our backs upon the founding fathers of this country and the principles for which they have stayed and stood. We've also rebelled against biblical Christianity. And anything and everything that resembles a covenant, especially a covenant in relationship to God and His Christ, we have broken and have done so willingly and readily. It's like Hosea said concerning Israel in Hosea 8 and verse 7, they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind.

[John Weaver] So as you are going to be able to tell from the life and the reign of King Ahaz, and I might add the politician Ahaz, if Trump turns out to be another demagogue and we sit back and allow further deterioration, then you might as well batten down the hatches for our whirlwind is going to come in power and strength. Now, the sins of King Ahaz are outlined specifically in 2 Kings chapter 16. When you get to 2 Chronicles chapter 28, it does not necessarily rehash all of those sins in detail. But what 2 Chronicles 28 does is it details the punishment of Ahaz for his sins. So the depiction in 2 Chronicles chapter 28 is one of holy indignation against Ahaz and the punishment that God inflicts upon him and upon his people because they have forsaken God and His covenant. Now it is true that Ahaz was humiliated and that he suffered. But the sad truth is that his people suffered far more than he did. Matthew Henry in making a comment on 2 Chronicles 28 said this, listen carefully, the people suffered by these judgments.

[John Weaver] Their blood was shed their country wasted, their families ruined. For when they had a good king, though they did corruptly, yet then his goodness sheltered them. But now that they had a bad one, all the defense has departed from them, and an inundation of judgments broke in upon them. Those that knew not their happiness in the foregoing reign were taught to value it by the miseries of this reign."

[John Weaver] Now, when you consider King Ahaz, And the opportunity that he had before him, and what he did with that opportunity, it is absolutely astounding. You may not understand what was bequeathed to King Ahaz. Everything that was bequeathed unto him, he squandered and he wasted. So you're going to have to ask, will Trump turn out to be another Ahaz or a Jeroboam? Trump does now have the opportunity to drain the swamp and overthrow the money changers.

[John Weaver] But will he do so? Let me tell you about 2 Chronicles chapter 28. King Ahaz was the son of King Jotham. And he was also the grandson of Uzziah. Uzziah and Jotham as a whole were godly kings and they built their reigns upon God and obedience to His covenant and obedience to His law. If you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 28, I'm sorry not 28 but 27 and verse 6 you will find out a statement here concerning Ahaz's father Jotham. Look at it. 2nd Chronicles 27 verse 6, so Jotham became mighty. Why? Because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. This was the father of Ahaz. His grandfather was Uzziah. Uzziah lived for 52 years. Jotham reigned, well Uzziah reigned for 52 years. Jotham reigned for 16 years. And Ahaz reigned for 16 years. So in 16 years, Ahaz overthrew and destroyed everything that his father and his grandfather had built in 68 years. Ahaz had an excellent example to follow, but he turned out to be an idolater, a tyrant, and an imbecile.

[John Weaver] and you are going to say an imbecile? Yes. So if you follow with me you can bring and draw your own conclusion as to whether or not he was an imbecile. First of all I want you to note that Ahaz followed a perverted religion. You will find that in the first four verses. Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord like David his father.

[John Weaver] For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Balaam. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel." He sacrificed also, and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree." So we start out with a negative in verse 1 where the Bible tells us that he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord like David his father.

[John Weaver] So let me just spell it out for you. He was a transgressor. He was disobedient. He was rebellious. He was sinful. He violated not only the covenant, but the commandments of God as well.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point something out. All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some God. It may not be the one true and the living God. It may be the God of money, the God of prosperity, the God of pleasure, the God of self, but all will worship a God. And when someone turns from the one true and the living God, it does not mean that they cease to be religious. It just means that they've turned to another God.

[John Weaver] So you begin with a negative and now you come to a positive in verse 2, for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten images for Balaam. So Ahaz was positively an idolater. It is important to understand that the test that God lays out as to whether or not we are faithful to God is in relationship to his law. So when an individual refuses to obey God's law, it means he's refusing to obey God. When he turns from God's law, he's turning from God himself. In 2 Kings, chapter 17, verses 7 and 8, let me just quote it. The Bible says there, For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them forth up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods. Now, let me stop. So the Bible says in 2nd Kings 17 verse 7 that the children of Israel feared other gods. Well, how do we know that they feared other gods?

[John Weaver] What was the evidence? Not just that God said so, that would certainly be sufficient. But verse 8 gives you the evidence when he said, and walked in the statutes or in the laws of the heathen whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and the kings of Israel which they had made. So God says here is the evidence that they were idolaters, they rejected My law and they walked in the laws of the heathen and in the laws of the kings of Israel. So when you look at Ahaz the God of Israel meant nothing to him. He rejected God, and he rejected God's law.

[John Weaver] However, notice he did worship Baal, and he did worship Moloch. He worshipped all of these false gods. In fact, if you will look in verse 3, moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. you will find the same thing Sylvais has in 2 Kings 16 verses 3 and 4. But note if you would, he burnt his children in the fire.

[John Weaver] Now I've told you in time past actually there were two ways to do that. One way was that they actually sacrificed the children. Okay? Moloch was a huge hollow solid brass statue with his arms like this. He was hollow because the priest would go in and build a roaring fire which means the brass and all now is actually red hot, glowing. They would then take a baby and lay that baby in the palms of his hands, and since it was up like this, the baby would roll down the arms into the fire and be consumed. That was a sacrifice to Moloch. Moloch worship was a state religion. The other way that you offered your children to Moloch was priest of Moloch would build a fire, they would take the baby in their hands and they would just pass him over the fire which would be called purification. Or they were now dedicating that baby to the service of Moloch. So here King Ahaz now takes his children and burns them in the fire. So the very first thing you find is that Ahaz was perverted in his religion.

[John Weaver] He followed a perverse religion. Christianity is a true religion. All others are perversions. If you will not follow God and His Word, then the truth is you will follow anything or anyone. We reject God and His Word at our peril. 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 11 and 12 the Bible says this, and for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. So if you will not believe the truth obviously you are going to believe a lie. And if you're not going to follow righteousness, then you're going to follow unrighteousness. So the rejection of God and His law basically carries in its own punishment. Men who reject God and His law believe a lie and they're going to be damned.

[John Weaver] You have to understand that for a covenant people, there is always a judgment in time and history as well. Illustration. remember when Elijah said, there is not going to be rain or dew these years but lo according to my word. For three and a half years God sent a drought upon Israel. And when Elijah came back into the country and he faced Ahab, Ahab asked, art thou the troubler of Israel? To which in I Kings 18 and verse 8 Elijah responded, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balaam." In other words, you know who the trouble of Israel is? It's you. It's certainly not me. Idolatry troubles a nation. Idolatry angers God. Why? Because God is a jealous God. Do you remember that passage in Exodus 34, verse 14, where God says, For thou shalt worship no other god, for the Lord God, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. So one of God's names is Jealous.

[John Weaver] And that is why he said in Isaiah 42 and verse 8, I am the Lord and beside me there is no other. I will not give my glory to another, neither my praise to graven images. So then when a nation denies God and forsakes His law and turns from His righteous standards there is going to be judgment. Because Deuteronomy 4 and verse 2 says, For our God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. And God judges a people when they forsake Him. There is always a price to pay in forsaking God.

[John Weaver] And the very first thing you find out about Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28 was he followed a perverse religion. Secondly, I want you to note, and I'm not going to take time to read all of it, but I'm going to point it out. Ahaz was militarily defeated. You will find that in verses 5-15. Look, if you would, in verse 5, wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them unto Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter."

[John Weaver] Before I go further, let me just make the statement, might does not make right. Military armaments, Military preparation military skill or absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and his law Our true protection and our true defense is in God alone One of my favorite passages is Proverbs 21 in verse 31 The Bible says the horse is prepared against the day of battle But safety is of the Lord and then in Psalm 33 and verse 17, a horse is a vain thing for safety, neither will he deliver any by his great strength. So you could paraphrase that and say a tank by its great strength is not going to deliver anyone. It's vain to trust in your bombers and anything militarily. And everybody in this room probably could quote Psalm 127 and verse 1.

[John Weaver] Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it and except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain So what you have in verses 5 through 15 Is it his military is defeated Do you understand that part and parcel of God's judgment upon not only a civil ruler but upon a nation is the fact that they are defeated militarily. And if you look back at verse 5, I need to cover this. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. God purposely, deliberately handed him over to the king of Syria and the king of Israel.

[John Weaver] Now first let me try to answer this question. Because if you look in verse 5 it says, Wherefore the Lord his God. How could the Lord be called his God when we've just pointed out that he was an idolater and he rejected God? Well, the answer is this. First of all, God was his God by right. in the sense that God still had dominion over him. He was a creature and God has absolute control over every one of his creatures. Secondly, the nation was still in a covenant relationship with God and he was the king of that nation. And so therefore God is rightly referred to as his God. Moreover, Ahaz probably confess God to be his God, although in a hypocritical manner it is just like when Jeroboam built those two golden calves. They profess to worship God but only worship him through the calves. So that is why it is referred to, here is the Lord his God. But secondly I want to point out that here are two military defeats. One by Rezan who is the king of Syria, and one by Pekah who is the king of Israel.

[John Weaver] When you get to 2 Kings 16 and verse 6 it names these two kings, Rezan king of Syria recovered Elath from Ahaz during this particular war. And Pekah the king of Israel defeated him dramatically as well. Now look in verse 6 to show you the defeat, for Pekah the son of Remaliah who was king of Israel slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, which were all valiant men."

[John Weaver] Now, you know, it does not surprise us when we hear 120,000 people were killed by dropping an atomic bomb on them or by a carpet bombing a city. That doesn't surprise us. But when you think about 120,000 men who were killed with a sword, and with archery, and with spears, you're talking about something that's up close and personal. 120,000 in one day. What was it all the time that we were in Vietnam? 58,000?

[John Weaver] 120,000 in one day. Why? Well, go back to verse 6, look at it. For Pecah the son of Amalia slew in Judah 120,000 in one day which were all valued men because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Wow! I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 24, verse 20. I want you to see that there is a price to pay for forsaking God. Here is what Zechariah the son of Jehoiada said to the king and to his princes. 2 Chronicles 24 verse 20, And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you."

[John Weaver] Now, let me point something out. I'm saying that Ahaz was perverse in his religion, and Ahaz, secondly, was defeated militarily. You can hear people all the time speaking about Russia and and how powerful they are, and how many people they are, and everybody is afraid Russia is going to attack us, or China is going to attack us. When you forsake God, it does not take a great nation.

[John Weaver] Little Cuba could wipe us off the face of the map. I want to show you. Look in verses 17 and 18. 2 Chronicles 28 verse 17. again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah and carried away captives. Verse 18, the Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, nor the south of Judah, and taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Sharko, and the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, and Gemezo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there." So a little tiny Edom. And the Philistines who had been defeated many, many times, now just simply walk in and conquer and do whatever they want to do.

[John Weaver] Individuals, families, churches, men in general, nations cannot prosper when they forsake God and God's law. His judgment rests against them in every way, including military defeat. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 12, let me show you several verses. 2 Chronicles chapter 12, look if you would please at verse 5. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 5, Then came Shemiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem, because of Shishak who happened to be the king of Egypt. said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, you have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak." Wow! We forsake God, God forsakes us, turns us over to some country that will militarily defeat us. Look in 2 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 10.

[John Weaver] show you how helpless Judah was. So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah under this day. The same time also did Lydna revolt from under his hand. Why? Because he'd forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. You know, that's interesting, isn't it? The revolutions and rebellions often arise because We have forsaken God. Look in 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. This should tell you exactly what I'm talking about when I said it doesn't take a great country when we forsake God. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, Lord delivered a very great host into their hand." Why? Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, so they executed judgment against Joash. So the Syrians came with a very small company, but God delivered a very great host into their hands. Do you know what happened in 2 Chronicles 28? Here is what happened, Ahaz lost his son, He lost his counselors, and he lost 200,000 people in one day, not counting the 120,000 men that were killed.

[John Weaver] These 200,000 were captured and taken captive to Samaria. So stop and think about this. 320,000 people.

[John Weaver] 120,000 dead and 200,000 captured. Here's my point. It is impossible to stand militarily when you forsake God. I don't care your technology. I don't care what armaments you have. Once you forsake God, you are going to be defeated militarily. The third thing about Ahaz that is revealed here as part of his punishment is this, Ahaz was politically shamed. Look if you would, 2 Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 16. At the same time did King Ahaz send the kings of Syria to help him. Why?

[John Weaver] Well, we just read verses 17 and 18 That's because the Edomites were coming in and smiting them and the Philistines were walking all over him. Ahaz had no control over his own kingdom. He could not function. He could not even stop the smallest kingdoms from attacking him and simply taking what they wanted. He was powerless. He was impotent. He was incompetent. And no one feared him, and no one respected him, much like our modern day Obama.

[John Weaver] And I told you this, I still think it's absolutely hilarious. Some time ago, Obama kind of halfway threatened Putin. And Putin's response was this. Should I be afraid of such a skinny man? I wrestle bears. So, I mean, what kind of respect? That's Ahas. That's Ahas. I mean, no one respected him. I mean, and here, he's sending off for help. Why does he want help? Because all these little countries are coming in and just walking all over him. It's amazing.

[John Weaver] It was God that brought Judah low for their rebellion against him. Look at verse 19. I'm going to come back to verse 19. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, if you want a real understanding, all you have to do is read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28. Those two passages or the blessings and the curses. And in those passages God promises nations and people, if we obey He will make us the head, if we disobey He will make us the tail. And so Ahaz and Judah were disobeying and God is making them the tail. And the Bible says in Deuteronomy 29 in verse 9, keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them that you may prosper in all that you do. So if we want to prosper we obey God, if we do not want to prosper we disobey God. There is a price to pay in forsaking God, it's just that simple. 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 22 says this, And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath He brought this evil upon them.

[John Weaver] So obviously Ahaz not only followed a perverted religion, he was militarily defeated, he was also politically shamed. I want to point something else out.

[John Weaver] Fourthly, he was a failure in foreign diplomacy. Look in verse 20 and 21. And Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came unto him and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not." Now his alliance with the king of Assyria came to absolutely nothing.

[John Weaver] He wanted help, but all he got was trouble and heartache. God had forbidden alliances with the heathen. God had commanded we are to make no covenants with them. Deuteronomy chapter 7, Exodus chapter 34. The Assyrians were known for their ruthlessness as well as their wickedness. And Ahaz believed that he could use them and that they would help him, but all it did was cost him, and it cost him his kingdom as well.

[John Weaver] So Tiglath-Pileser came, but he helped him not. Let me show you something. Look, if you would please, at verse 21. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not. Interestingly, the very first place from which Ahaz stole was the house of the Lord.

[John Weaver] government that is unafraid to steal from God will have no compunction against stealing from their people. Think about it like this, Malachi 3.8 asks this question, will a man rob God? And God answers, yea, you have robbed me. But you say wherein have we robbed you? And then God answers, in tithes and offerings. Now if God considers it theft, if God considers it robbery to not give him his tithes in his offerings, how much more is it theft and robbery to take that which has already been given to God and dedicated to Him and steal that? And if you want to exaggerate that a little bit more, How much worse is it to take that which has already been given to him and dedicated him to steal it and to give it to an ungodly king?

[John Weaver] And that's exactly what he did. He stole it and gave it to the king of Assyria. He stole it from the house of God. He stole it from the princes. A government that steals from God and his people will face the judgment of God. because such actions are denial of God and His sovereignty and His right. And there is a price to pay for forsaking God. No man, no nation will ever prosper that continually violates the law of God.

[John Weaver] Fifthly, I want to point this out, and then I'm going to tie it together, hopefully. Ahaz was economically destroyed. Look if you would in verse 22. And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me.

[John Weaver] But they were the ruin of him and all Israel. And he hath gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and to provoke the anger of the Lord God of his fathers."

[John Weaver] And of course in the last two verses he dies. Please remember what God said to Joshua and the people in Joshua 1 and verse 7. He said, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant hath commanded you, turn not from it to the right hand or from the left, that thou mayest prosper, whithersoever thou goest. want to prosper it is through obedience. David encouraged Solomon in 1 Kings 2 and verse 3 by saying this, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, whether so ever thou turnest thyself. So what did Ahazdo? Instead of obeying God and obeying God's law He turned from God in his distress now look at that verse 22 and in the time of his distress Did he trespass yet more against the Lord I Mean here's a man that's in trouble.

[John Weaver] His kingdom is in trouble His family is in trouble everything about him is in trouble and Instead of stopping and thinking, why am I in trouble? Could it be that I've forsaken God? Could it be that I'm not obeying God? Instead of reasoning, he turns more and more to idolatry. He takes the vessels of the house of God and cuts them in pieces. And of course, He gives them to Tiglath Pileser.

[John Weaver] Look what else he did. Look at verse 24, And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. That is he closed down the temple. Nobody could get in. And by the way the temple was closed until his son Hezekiah took control and later on there was a great revival under Hezekiah and the doors were open and all the trash was cleaned out of the Temple. But he actually closed it down. And notice what else he did in verse 25, in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord his God. His economic distress drove him to steal even more from the house of God. It is impossible to prosper when you're dishonoring God. It is impossible to prosper when you're doing that which is contrary to God and His Word. And by the way, this imbecilic king, when he closed down the house of God, reserved a room in it, though, for the king of Assyria to stay in.

[John Weaver] You're talking about an imbecile. He was indeed an imbecile.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to verse 19. I want you to look at this verse and think about what happened. What happened then? What is happening now? Look at verse 19. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop right there. This verse sums up everything about Ahaz and his kingdom. It is true the people were wicked, but Ahaz was extremely wicked and God brought Judah low because of Ahaz. What did Ahaz do? Watch. For he made Judah naked and transgressed, sore, against the Lord. So God brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, yet the leading cause of her demise was King Ahaz. And the phrase is that King Ahaz made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. So God then brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, but the leading cause was King Ahaz. He made Judah naked. That phrase is important. When one is stripped naked publicly, it is a time of shame, humiliation, contempt, helplessness, and danger. Ahaz made Judah naked as his sin debased the people, so it also exposed the people. It made them naked to their shame, exposed them to contempt as a man is unclothed. It made them naked to their danger, for it exposed them to assaults as a man is unarmed."

[John Weaver] Why could the people not fight against the Edomites or the Philistines? Because they were made naked. They were ashamed. They were helpless. Wow. You remember, it was Aaron who made the people of Israel naked to their shame as well. When he made the golden calf there in Exodus 32 and verse 35, the Bible said, And when Moses saw that the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked to their shame among their enemies.

[John Weaver] So sin then strips men. It disturbs and degrades and destroys. And it does not matter if it's done by an individual or a president or a king or government. It still does exactly the same thing. What is happening in our country is that we're being made naked. We're being humiliated. And once they try to take our weapons, unarmed, helpless. Two passages. I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 29 and verse 8.

[John Weaver] This ought to really explain what I've been trying to say. 2 Chronicles 29 verse 8. look at it, wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem and he that is the Lord had delivered them to trouble to astonishment and to hissing as you see with your eyes. God delivered them to the trouble they were in. Now if you look in 2 Chronicles 34 and verse 25, 2 Chronicles 34 and verse 25.

[John Weaver] Here's what God says, here's why the judgment was coming, because they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched. Do you understand that God is on the throne. He is absolutely sovereign, yet man is responsible. And when our leaders lead us into idolatry, and we follow willingly, we will be judged along with our leaders.

[John Weaver] So basically it comes to this. If you understand the Bible and if you understand history, it all boils down to one simple thing. We must either repent or perish. So the question is, where are we going? What road are we going to take? Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill. And if everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly. You won't have to stand, but no one else will stand. And you'll have to do what's right, but no one else will do what's right. Because we will not only be a witness against the enemies of God, we will be a witness to the people of God for that which is right and holy. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We do pray that you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Give us grace that we might serve thee acceptably with reverence in God. Do fear and courage to stand and do that which is right. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.

[John Weaver] so

There Is A Price To Pay For Forsaking God

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	eRcPU5uC3_A
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-01-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 042: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: God's Answer to America's Problems — Chapter 26
Source Timed Segments	72

Formatted Transcript

Opening

All right, I want you to open your Bible today to 2 Chronicles chapter 28. 2 Chronicles 28. We're going to read the entire chapter, 2 Chronicles 28. There are 27 verses there. The title of the message is "A Price to Pay for Forsaking God." Notice 2 Chronicles 28 and verse 1:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 28:1-27

"Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father." "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree." "Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. And Zechariah, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven. And now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God? Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives hither, for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass. For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria. At that time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not. In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord, this is that King Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem. But they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

Introduction: The Question for the Nation

Weaver poses the question of where America is headed, noting a glimmer of hope with Trump's election but cautioning that salvation is not in politics or politicians, only in Jesus Christ.

So in light of the new year that is approaching us, here's the question: Where are we and where will we go as a nation? Shall we continue down the path of destruction, or will we return to our Christian foundations? There has been a glimmer of hope since Trump was elected. However, he continues to fill his cabinet with the very ones that have been leading us down the wrong path for decades. A few good choices have elicited a small glimmer of hope, but overall it looks like it's going to be the same as always. Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to give you just a couple of articles in light of what I'm going to be teaching from 2 Chronicles chapter 28. The first one was written by Susan Duclos of the All News Pipeline, and the title of her article is this: "We are facing the most important battle of all at the most dangerous moment in history." The article goes on to show what we are up against and cautions against optimism in the magic fix of Trump's victory over Clinton. And here's what she says, and I'm just quoting one paragraph.

The Illusion of Political Salvation

Citing articles by Susan Duclos and Jeremiah Johnson, Weaver argues that optimism in Trump is misplaced; the two-party system provides an illusion of reprieve while the nation continues to decline.

"We at ANP are noting a lot of optimism from investors, with stocks soaring, to economic confidence reaching new highs, to small business owners, to household spending, and even prepping has hit a multi-year low. All the articles I am reading are crediting the election of Donald Trump as reason for all this optimism. But as much as I hate to rain on everyone's parade, now is the most dangerous time in history, not a time to assume just because one man was elected, all the wrongs will be made right. The failing economy will automatically just magically fix itself." And then Jeremiah Johnson also went on and he wrote this. Listen carefully. This is very perceptive. "The globalists need the illusion of the two-party system to enable a reprieve in the minds of the people with the rise of a Bush or a Trump. But the reprieve is merely an illusion. If these Marxist traitors force their agenda on the people all at once, there would have been a revolution in its inception. They alternate.

Destroy the society and the culture to the maximum under a Democrat administration, and then scale back a bit under a Republican administration, while still nipping away at the edges with an act here or a piece of legislation there." Isn't that amazing?

Opposition to Truth and the Threat of Revolution

Weaver warns of organized efforts to disrupt the inauguration and overthrow the Trump administration, framing it as a communist uprising against Christianity and the Constitution.

Now, with that understanding, we must also consider that there are many today in our country that are absolutely opposed, not just simply to Christianity, and not just simply to the Constitution, but they are basically opposed to truth. And they are dead set on overthrowing all of the recent changes. If you have not read the piece that Mike Adams wrote—Mike Adams is known as the Health Ranger—the title of his article was, "The Next American Revolution Begins January the 20th." Listen carefully. This is just a portion of it. "The anti-American, communist-leaning website DisruptJ20.org—that means Disrupt January the 20th, which is the inauguration day—is openly organizing a popular uprising against the legitimate new administration of the United States of America. January the 20th, 2017, Inauguration Day, is being targeted as a day for people to block, obstruct, disrupt, and do whatever they can to prevent the onslaught that is going to happen with Donald Trump," said alt-left organizer Michael Moore. The Disrupt J20 website calls on all people of good conscience to join in disrupting the ceremonies.

A Disrupt J20 tweet, relishing in the kind of delusional paranoia that now typifies the mentally ill left in America, says the effort is being waged to confront white supremacy and other forms of oppression. Disrupt J20 is a thinly veiled call for a communist uprising and the overthrow of the Trump administration. The Disrupt J20 effort is, in reality, a communist uprising and a coup attempt being disguised as a peaceful protest. Yet even the website describes the effort in military terms, characterizing it as a bold mobilization against the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017. Here's what the website says. "If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, the organization encourages you to join the communist uprising wherever you might live. If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, take to the streets wherever you are," says the site, which is clearly inciting mob violence everywhere across America. Which, of course, is totally against the law, but nothing is being done.

So the question is, will the American people sit idly by and allow the Communists to overthrow the Constitution, Christianity, and the states? And you also have to ask yourself this question: Will it really, genuinely take another revolution to really awaken the American people? And the truth of the matter is, we have really and truly already forsaken God. But if this thing comes down the way the left really wants it to come down, that means we're going to be driven further from God and further from His law. So the title of the message is, "There Is a Price to Pay in Forsaking God." America, like Israel of old, has forsaken our God. We left the Mayflower Compact. We've left the Constitution. We've mocked and ridiculed the Word of God.

America Has Forsaken God

America is compared to Israel of old, having forsaken God by abandoning the Mayflower Compact, the Constitution, and biblical Christianity, and will reap the whirlwind.

We've turned our backs upon the founding fathers of this country and the principles for which they have stayed and stood. We've also rebelled against biblical Christianity. And anything and everything that resembles a covenant, especially a covenant in relationship to God and His Christ, we have broken and have done so willingly and readily. It's like Hosea said concerning Israel in Hosea 8 and verse 7, "They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."

So as you are going to be able to tell from the life and the reign of King Ahaz—and I might add the politician Ahaz—if Trump turns out to be another demagogue and we sit back and allow further deterioration, then you might as well batten down the hatches, for our whirlwind is going to come in power and strength. Now, the sins of King Ahaz are outlined specifically in 2 Kings chapter 16. When you get to 2 Chronicles chapter 28, it does not necessarily rehash all of those sins in detail. But what 2 Chronicles 28 does is it details the punishment of Ahaz for his sins. So the depiction in 2 Chronicles chapter 28 is one of holy indignation against Ahaz and the punishment that God inflicts upon him and upon his people because they have forsaken God and His covenant. Now it is true that Ahaz was humiliated and that he suffered. But the sad truth is that his people suffered far more than he did. Matthew Henry, in making a comment on 2 Chronicles 28, said this—listen carefully—"The people suffered by these judgments.

Ahaz's Perverse Religion

Ahaz rejected God's law and embraced idolatry, including child sacrifice to Molech, demonstrating that turning from the true God leads to perverted religion.

And you are going to say, an imbecile? Yes. So if you follow with me, you can bring and draw your own conclusion as to whether or not he was an imbecile. First of all, I want you to note that Ahaz followed a perverted religion. You will find that in the first four verses. "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.

For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also, and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree." So we start out with a negative in verse 1, where the Bible tells us that he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father. So let me just spell it out for you. He was a transgressor. He was disobedient. He was rebellious. He was sinful. He violated not only the covenant, but the commandments of God as well.

Now, let me point something out. All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some god. It may not be the one true and the living God. It may be the god of money, the god of prosperity, the god of pleasure, the god of self, but all will worship a god. And when someone turns from the one true and the living God, it does not mean that they cease to be religious. It just means that they've turned to another god.

So you begin with a negative, and now you come to a positive in verse 2: "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim." So Ahaz was positively an idolater. It is important to understand that the test that God lays out as to whether or not we are faithful to God is in relationship to His law. So when an individual refuses to obey God's law, it means he's refusing to obey God. When he turns from God's law, he's turning from God himself. In 2 Kings chapter 17, verses 7 and 8, let me just quote it. The Bible says there, "For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Now, let me stop. So the Bible says in 2 Kings 17 verse 7 that the children of Israel feared other gods. Well, how do we know that they feared other gods?

What was the evidence? Not just that God said so—that would certainly be sufficient—but verse 8 gives you the evidence when he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-8

"And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel, and in the statutes of the kings of Israel, which they had made."

So God says here is the evidence that they were idolaters: they rejected My law and they walked in the laws of the heathen and in the laws of the kings of Israel. So when you look at Ahaz, the God of Israel meant nothing to him. He rejected God, and he rejected God's law. However, notice he did worship Baal, and he did worship Molech. He worshipped all of these false gods. In fact, if you will look in verse 3,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-8

"Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel."

You will find the same thing says in 2 Kings 16 verses 3 and 4. But note if you would, he burnt his children in the fire.

Now I've told you in time past, actually there were two ways to do that. One way was that they actually sacrificed the children. Okay? Molech was a huge hollow solid brass statue with his arms like this. He was hollow because the priest would go in and build a roaring fire, which means the brass and all now is actually red hot, glowing. They would then take a baby and lay that baby in the palms of his hands, and since it was up like this, the baby would roll down the arms into the fire and be consumed. That was a sacrifice to Molech. Molech worship was a state religion. The other way that you offered your children to Molech was the priest of Molech would build a fire, they would take the baby in their hands and they would just pass him over the fire, which would be called purification. Or they were now dedicating that baby to the service of Molech. So here King Ahaz now takes his children and burns them in the fire. So the very first thing you find is that Ahaz was perverted in his religion.

He followed a perverse religion. Christianity is a true religion. All others are perversions. If you will not follow God and His Word, then the truth is you will follow anything or anyone. We reject God and His Word at our peril. 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 11 and 12, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

"And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

So if you will not believe the truth, obviously you are going to believe a lie. And if you're not going to follow righteousness, then you're going to follow unrighteousness. So the rejection of God and His law basically carries in its own punishment. Men who reject God and His law believe a lie and they're going to be damned.

Ahaz's Military Defeat

Because Ahaz forsook God, Judah suffered devastating military losses, including 120,000 valiant men killed in one day and 200,000 taken captive, proving that military might is worthless without God.

Before I go further, let me just make the statement: might does not make right. Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law. Our true protection and our true defense is in God alone. One of my favorite passages is Proverbs 21 and verse 31. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 21:31

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord."

And then in Psalm 33 and verse 17, "A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength." So you could paraphrase that and say a tank by its great strength is not going to deliver anyone. It's vain to trust in your bombers and anything militarily. And everybody in this room probably could quote Psalm 127 and verse 1.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." So what you have in verses 5 through 15 is his military is defeated. Do you understand that part and parcel of God's judgment upon not only a civil ruler but upon a nation is the fact that they are defeated militarily? And if you look back at verse 5, I need to cover this. "Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria." God purposely, deliberately handed him over to the king of Syria and the king of Israel.

Now first let me try to answer this question. Because if you look in verse 5 it says, "Wherefore the Lord his God." How could the Lord be called his God when we've just pointed out that he was an idolater and he rejected God? Well, the answer is this. First of all, God was his God by right, in the sense that God still had dominion over him. He was a creature and God has absolute control over every one of His creatures. Secondly, the nation was still in a covenant relationship with God and he was the king of that nation. And so therefore God is rightly referred to as his God. Moreover, Ahaz probably confessed God to be his God, although in a hypocritical manner. It is just like when Jeroboam built those two golden calves. They professed to worship God but only worshiped Him through the calves. So that is why it is referred to, here is the Lord his God. But secondly I want to point out that here are two military defeats. One by Rezin who is the king of Syria, and one by Pekah who is the king of Israel.

When you get to 2 Kings 16 and verse 6 it names these two kings: Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath from Ahaz during this particular war. And Pekah the king of Israel defeated him dramatically as well. Now look in verse 6 to show you the defeat: "For Pekah the son of Remaliah, who was king of Israel, slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men." Now, you know, it does not surprise us when we hear 120,000 people were killed by dropping an atomic bomb on them or by a carpet bombing a city. That doesn't surprise us. But when you think about 120,000 men who were killed with a sword, and with archery, and with spears, you're talking about something that's up close and personal. 120,000 in one day. What was it all the time that we were in Vietnam? 58,000?

120,000 in one day. Why? Well, go back to verse 6, look at it. "For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers." Wow! I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 24, verse 20. I want you to see that there is a price to pay for forsaking God. Here is what Zechariah the son of Jehoiada said to the king and to his princes. 2 Chronicles 24 verse 20:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 24:20

"And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you."

Now, let me point something out. I'm saying that Ahaz was perverse in his religion, and Ahaz, secondly, was defeated militarily. You can hear people all the time speaking about Russia and how powerful they are, and how many people they are, and everybody is afraid Russia is going to attack us, or China is going to attack us. When you forsake God, it does not take a great nation. Little Cuba could wipe us off the face of the map. I want to show you. Look in verses 17 and 18. 2 Chronicles 28 verse 17: "And again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives." Verse 18: "The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, and Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there." So a little tiny Edom. And the Philistines who had been defeated many, many times, now just simply walk in and conquer and do whatever they want to do.

Individuals, families, churches, men in general, nations cannot prosper when they forsake God and God's law. His judgment rests against them in every way, including military defeat. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 12, let me show you several verses. 2 Chronicles chapter 12, look if you would please at verse 5. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 5:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 12:5

"Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, who happened to be the king of Egypt, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak."

Wow! We forsake God, God forsakes us, turns us over to some country that will militarily defeat us. Look in 2 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 10.

Show you how helpless Judah was.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand."

Why?

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"Because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers."

You know, that's interesting, isn't it? The revolutions and rebellions often arise because we have forsaken God. Look in 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. This should tell you exactly what I'm talking about when I said it doesn't take a great country when we forsake God. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24: "For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand." Why?

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, so they executed judgment against Joash."

So the Syrians came with a very small company, but God delivered a very great host into their hands. Do you know what happened in 2 Chronicles 28? Here is what happened: Ahaz lost his son, he lost his counselors, and he lost 200,000 people in one day, not counting the 120,000 men that were killed.

These 200,000 were captured and taken captive to Samaria. So stop and think about this. 320,000 people.

120,000 dead and 200,000 captured. Here's my point: It is impossible to stand militarily when you forsake God. I don't care your technology. I don't care what armaments you have. Once you forsake God, you are going to be defeated militarily. The third thing about Ahaz that is revealed here as part of his punishment is this: Ahaz was politically shamed. Look if you would, 2 Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 16. "At the same time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him." Why?

Ahaz's Political Shame and Failed Diplomacy

Ahaz was politically impotent, unable to stop even small nations from invading; his alliance with Assyria brought only distress and cost him treasures from the temple, yet provided no help.

Well, we just read verses 17 and 18. That's because the Edomites were coming in and smiting them and the Philistines were walking all over him. Ahaz had no control over his own kingdom. He could not function. He could not even stop the smallest kingdoms from attacking him and simply taking what they wanted. He was powerless. He was impotent. He was incompetent. And no one feared him, and no one respected him, much like our modern day Obama.

And I told you this, I still think it's absolutely hilarious. Some time ago, Obama kind of halfway threatened Putin. And Putin's response was this: "Should I be afraid of such a skinny man? I wrestle bears." So, I mean, what kind of respect? That's Ahaz. That's Ahaz. I mean, no one respected him. I mean, and here, he's sending off for help. Why does he want help? Because all these little countries are coming in and just walking all over him. It's amazing.

It was God that brought Judah low for their rebellion against him. Look at verse 19. I'm going to come back to verse 19. "For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord."

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26

Now, if you want a real understanding, all you have to do is read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28. Those two passages are the blessings and the curses. And in those passages God promises nations and people, if we obey He will make us the head, if we disobey He will make us the tail. And so Ahaz and Judah were disobeying and God is making them the tail. And the Bible says in Deuteronomy 29 and verse 9, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." So if we want to prosper we obey God, if we do not want to prosper we disobey God. There is a price to pay in forsaking God, it's just that simple. 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 22 says this: "And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them."

So obviously Ahaz not only followed a perverted religion, he was militarily defeated, he was also politically shamed. I want to point something else out. Fourthly, he was a failure in foreign diplomacy. Look in verse 20 and 21. "And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not." Now his alliance with the king of Assyria came to absolutely nothing.

He wanted help, but all he got was trouble and heartache. God had forbidden alliances with the heathen. God had commanded we are to make no covenants with them. Deuteronomy chapter 7, Exodus chapter 34. The Assyrians were known for their ruthlessness as well as their wickedness. And Ahaz believed that he could use them and that they would help him, but all it did was cost him, and it cost him his kingdom as well.

So Tiglath-Pileser came, but he helped him not. Let me show you something. Look, if you would please, at verse 21. "For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not." Interestingly, the very first place from which Ahaz stole was the house of the Lord. A government that is unafraid to steal from God will have no compunction against stealing from their people. Think about it like this: Malachi 3:8 asks this question, "Will a man rob God?" And God answers, "Yea, ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?" And then God answers, "In tithes and offerings." Now if God considers it theft, if God considers it robbery to not give Him His tithes and His offerings, how much more is it theft and robbery to take that which has already been given to God and dedicated to Him and steal that? And if you want to exaggerate that a little bit more, how much worse is it to take that which has already been given to Him and dedicated to Him, to steal it and to give it to an ungodly king?

Ahaz's Economic Destruction and Further Sin

In his distress, Ahaz trespassed even more, stealing from the temple, shutting its doors, and building altars to false gods, leading to economic ruin and provoking God's anger.

Fifthly, I want to point this out, and then I'm going to tie it together, hopefully. Ahaz was economically destroyed. Look if you would in verse 22. "And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.

But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers." And of course in the last two verses he dies. Please remember what God said to Joshua and the people in Joshua 1 and verse 7. He said, "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." Want to prosper? It is through obedience. David encouraged Solomon in 1 Kings 2 and verse 3 by saying this: "And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself." So what did Ahaz do? Instead of obeying God and obeying God's law, he turned from God. In his distress—now look at that verse 22—"And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord." I mean, here's a man that's in trouble.

His kingdom is in trouble. His family is in trouble. Everything about him is in trouble. And instead of stopping and thinking, "Why am I in trouble? Could it be that I've forsaken God? Could it be that I'm not obeying God?" Instead of reasoning, he turns more and more to idolatry. He takes the vessels of the house of God and cuts them in pieces. And of course, he gives them to Tiglath-Pileser.

Look what else he did. Look at verse 24: "And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord." That is, he closed down the temple. Nobody could get in. And by the way, the temple was closed until his son Hezekiah took control, and later on there was a great revival under Hezekiah and the doors were open and all the trash was cleaned out of the temple. But he actually closed it down. And notice what else he did in verse 25: "And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers." His economic distress drove him to steal even more from the house of God. It is impossible to prosper when you're dishonoring God. It is impossible to prosper when you're doing that which is contrary to God and His Word. And by the way, this imbecilic king, when he closed down the house of God, reserved a room in it, though, for the king of Assyria to stay in.

Ahaz Made Judah Naked

Verse 19 summarizes Ahaz's reign: he made Judah naked—exposed to shame, contempt, and danger—by his sin, illustrating how leaders' wickedness debases and endangers a nation.

Now, let me just stop right there. This verse sums up everything about Ahaz and his kingdom. It is true the people were wicked, but Ahaz was extremely wicked and God brought Judah low because of Ahaz. What did Ahaz do? Watch. "For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord." So God brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, yet the leading cause of her demise was King Ahaz. And the phrase is that King Ahaz made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. So God then brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, but the leading cause was King Ahaz. He made Judah naked. That phrase is important. When one is stripped naked publicly, it is a time of shame, humiliation, contempt, helplessness, and danger. Ahaz made Judah naked as his sin debased the people, so it also exposed the people. It made them naked to their shame, exposed them to contempt as a man is unclothed. It made them naked to their danger, for it exposed them to assaults as a man is unarmed.

Why could the people not fight against the Edomites or the Philistines? Because they were made naked. They were ashamed. They were helpless. Wow. You remember, it was Aaron who made the people of Israel naked to their shame as well. When he made the golden calf there in Exodus 32 and verse 25, the Bible said, "And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies)."

Conclusion: Repent or Perish

Weaver concludes that regardless of who is in the White House, the nation must repent or face judgment; believers must personally commit to doing what is right and holy.

So basically it comes to this. If you understand the Bible and if you understand history, it all boils down to one simple thing. We must either repent or perish. So the question is, where are we going? What road are we going to take? Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill. And if everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly. You won't have to stand, but no one else will stand. And you'll have to do what's right, but no one else will do what's right. Because we will not only be a witness against the enemies of God, we will be a witness to the people of God for that which is right and holy. Let's pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We do pray that you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Give us grace that we might serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, and courage to stand and do that which is right. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Forsaking God brings judgment

Summary: The central message is that abandoning God and His law inevitably leads to divine punishment in various forms—military, political, economic—as seen in Ahaz's reign.

Evidence: Weaver repeatedly states, 'There is a price to pay for forsaking God,' and cites 2 Chronicles 28:6: 'because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.'

Salvation is not in politics

Summary: Weaver emphasizes that no political leader or system can save America; only Jesus Christ is Savior, and national hope must be in returning to God, not in elections.

Evidence: He says, 'Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ.'

Idolatry as spiritual adultery

Summary: Ahaz's worship of Baal and Molech is presented as a perversion of true religion; all men are religious, but turning from God leads to serving false gods.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some god... when someone turns from the one true and the living God, it does not mean that they cease to be religious. It just means that they've turned to another god.'

God's jealousy and judgment in history

Summary: God is a jealous God who will not share His glory with idols; He judges covenant-breaking nations in time and history, not just eternally.

Evidence: Weaver cites Exodus 34:14 and Isaiah 42:8, and says, 'For a covenant people, there is always a judgment in time and history as well.'

The danger of wicked leadership

Summary: Ahaz's personal wickedness brought disaster on the entire nation; leaders who forsake God make their people 'naked'—exposed to shame, contempt, and danger.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God brought Judah low because of Ahaz... he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.'

Personal faithfulness amid national apostasy

Summary: Even if the nation continues to rebel, believers must determine to do what is right and biblical, standing as witnesses against evil and for God's truth.

Evidence: Weaver exhorts, 'If everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly.'

Key Arguments

Ahaz's reign demonstrates the consequences of forsaking God

Summary: Weaver argues that the detailed punishments in 2 Chronicles 28—military defeat, political shame, economic ruin—are direct results of Ahaz's idolatry and covenant-breaking.

Evidence: He says, 'What 2 Chronicles 28 does is it details the punishment of Ahaz for his sins... because they have forsaken God and His covenant.'

Military might is useless without God

Summary: Weaver contends that no amount of military technology or preparation can protect a nation that has forsaken God, citing Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 127:1.

Evidence: He states, 'Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law.'

Political alliances with the ungodly fail

Summary: Ahaz's appeal to Assyria brought distress, not help, and cost him the temple treasures; God forbids such alliances, and they lead to further judgment.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not... his alliance with the king of Assyria came to absolutely nothing.'

Sin strips and exposes a nation

Summary: The phrase 'made Judah naked' signifies that sin debases, shames, and leaves a people helpless before enemies, as Aaron's golden calf did to Israel.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'When one is stripped naked publicly, it is a time of shame, humiliation, contempt, helplessness, and danger.'

Repentance is the only solution

Summary: Weaver concludes that America must repent or perish; no political change can avert judgment if the nation continues in idolatry and lawlessness.

Evidence: He says, 'Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill.'

Scripture References

2 Chronicles 28:1-27

Context: The entire chapter is read as the primary text, detailing Ahaz's reign and God's judgments.

2 Chronicles 27:6

Context: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord, contrasting with Ahaz.

2 Kings 17:7-8

Context: Evidence that Israel feared other gods by walking in the statutes of the heathen.

2 Kings 16:3-4

Context: Parallel account of Ahaz's idolatry and child sacrifice.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Context: God sends strong delusion to those who reject truth, causing them to believe a lie.

1 Kings 18:8

Context: Elijah tells Ahab that he, not Elijah, troubled Israel by forsaking God's commandments.

Exodus 34:14

Context: God's name is Jealous; He is a jealous God.

Isaiah 42:8

Context: God will not give His glory to another or praise to graven images.

Deuteronomy 4:24

Context: God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Proverbs 21:31

Context: The horse is prepared for battle, but safety is of the Lord.

Psalm 33:17

Context: A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

Psalm 127:1

Context: Except the Lord build the house and keep the city, human efforts are in vain.

2 Chronicles 24:20

Context: Zechariah warns that forsaking the Lord leads to being forsaken by Him.

2 Chronicles 12:5

Context: God tells Rehoboam that because they forsook Him, He left them in the hand of Shishak.

2 Chronicles 21:10

Context: Edom and Libnah revolted because Jehoram forsook the Lord.

2 Chronicles 24:24

Context: A small Syrian army defeated a great host because they had forsaken the Lord.

Leviticus 26

Context: Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Deuteronomy 28

Context: Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Deuteronomy 29:9

Context: Keep the words of the covenant to prosper in all you do.

2 Chronicles 7:22

Context: Evil comes because they forsook the Lord and served other gods.

Historical References

King Ahaz of Judah

Context: The primary subject; his 16-year reign of idolatry and the resulting judgments are detailed from 2 Chronicles 28.

King Jotham (father of Ahaz)

Context: A godly king who prepared his ways before the Lord, contrasting with Ahaz.

King Uzziah (grandfather of Ahaz)

Context: Reigned 52 years as a godly king; Ahaz destroyed in 16 years what Uzziah and Jotham built in 68.

Molech worship and child sacrifice

Context: Ahaz burned his children in the fire to Molech, a practice involving a heated brass statue.

Pekah king of Israel

Context: Defeated Ahaz, killing 120,000 valiant men of Judah in one day.

Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria

Context: Ahaz sought his help but was distressed and not strengthened; Ahaz gave him temple treasures.

Edomites and Philistines

Context: Small nations that invaded and plundered Judah because God had brought Judah low.

Matthew Henry's commentary

Context: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry on how the people suffered more than Ahaz, and how a good king's goodness sheltered the people.

Susan Duclos article 'We are facing the most important battle of all'

Context: Cited to caution against optimism in Trump's victory as a magic fix.

Jeremiah Johnson's commentary on the two-party illusion

Context: Cited to argue that the globalists use the two-party system to give an illusion of reprieve while continuing to destroy society.

Important Quotes

Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ.

Significance: Core thesis that political solutions cannot replace spiritual repentance and faith in Christ alone.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

Significance: Key verse demonstrating the direct link between forsaking God and devastating military defeat.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

Significance: Summarizes the entire chapter: the king's sin exposed and debased the nation, leading to judgment.

All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some god. It may not be the one true and the living God. It may be the god of money, the god of prosperity, the god of pleasure, the god of self, but all will worship a god.

Significance: Explains that turning from God does not make one irreligious but leads to idolatry.

Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law. Our true protection and our true defense is in God alone.

Significance: Emphasizes that national security depends on God, not military might.

A government that is unafraid to steal from God will have no compunction against stealing from their people.

Significance: Highlights the moral corruption of Ahaz's theft from the temple as a pattern for tyranny.

Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill.

Significance: Concluding application that national repentance is the only hope, not political change.

If everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly.

Significance: Call to personal faithfulness and courage in the face of national apostasy.

Discussion Questions

In what ways does the reign of Ahaz parallel the spiritual and moral condition of modern America?

Context: Weaver draws explicit parallels between Ahaz's idolatry and America's forsaking of its Christian foundations.

Why does Weaver insist that 'salvation is not in politics'? How should this affect a Christian's engagement with political issues?

Context: He argues that no political leader can save the nation; only Christ can.

What does it mean for a nation to be 'made naked' by its leaders' sins? Can you think of contemporary examples?

Context: Weaver explains that sin exposes a nation to shame, contempt, and danger, as Ahaz did to Judah.

How does the concept of God's jealousy (Exodus 34:14) challenge common views of God's character?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that God is a jealous God who will not share His glory with idols.

Ahaz responded to distress by sinning even more (2 Chronicles 28:22). Why do people often harden their hearts in times of trouble instead of repenting?

Context: Weaver points out Ahaz's irrational escalation of idolatry when under judgment.

What does it look like for Christians to 'do what is right and biblical and holy and godly' when the surrounding culture is increasingly hostile?

Context: Weaver's concluding exhortation to personal faithfulness regardless of national trends.

Applications

Trust in God, not political leaders

Summary: Believers must place their ultimate hope in Jesus Christ alone, not in any political figure or party, recognizing that national salvation requires spiritual repentance.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ.'

Examine personal and national idolatry

Summary: Identify and turn from any 'gods'—money, pleasure, self—that have replaced the true God, both individually and corporately as a nation.

Evidence: Weaver explains that all men serve some god; turning from God leads to idolatry.

Recognize that sin brings shame and vulnerability

Summary: Understand that forsaking God's law strips individuals and nations of protection, leaving them exposed to moral and physical dangers.

Evidence: Weaver says Ahaz 'made Judah naked'—a state of shame, contempt, and helplessness.

Do not rely on military or economic strength

Summary: National security and prosperity depend on obedience to God, not on armaments or wealth; trust in these is vain without God's blessing.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 127:1 to show that safety is of the Lord.

Respond to distress with repentance, not more sin

Summary: In times of trouble, instead of hardening one's heart or seeking ungodly alliances, turn to God in repentance and obedience.

Evidence: Ahaz in his distress trespassed yet more against the Lord, which led to further ruin.

Commit to personal righteousness regardless of culture

Summary: Even if the nation continues in rebellion, individual believers must determine to do what is right, serving as witnesses to God's truth.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:08:08Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T04:09:51Z

Clean Transcript

There Is A Price To Pay For Forsaking God

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

All right, I want you to open your Bible today to 2 Chronicles chapter 28. 2 Chronicles 28. We're going to read the entire chapter, 2 Chronicles 28. There are 27 verses there. The title of the message is "A Price to Pay for Forsaking God." Notice 2 Chronicles 28 and verse 1: "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father."
#1 | 0:00 to 0:56 | cleaned
"For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree."
#2 | 0:57 to 1:21 | cleaned
"Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. And Zechariah, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reacheth up
#3 | 1:22 to 2:25 | cleaned
to heaven. And now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?
#4 | 2:25 to 2:36 | cleaned
Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives hither, for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass. For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
#5 | 2:37 to 3:18 | cleaned
And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria.
#6 | 3:18 to 3:39 | cleaned
At that time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not. In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord, this is that King Ahaz.
#7 | 3:40 to 4:37 | cleaned
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord.
#8 | 4:38 to 5:00 | cleaned
And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem. But they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
#9 | 5:00 to 5:30 | cleaned
So in light of the new year that is approaching us, here's the question: Where are we and where will we go as a nation? Shall we continue down the path of destruction, or will we return to our Christian foundations? There has been a glimmer of hope since Trump was elected. However, he continues to fill his cabinet with the very ones that have been leading us down the wrong path for decades. A few good choices have elicited a small glimmer of hope, but overall it looks like it's going to be the same as always.
#10 | 5:31 to 6:13 | cleaned
Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to give you just a couple of articles in light of what I'm going to be teaching from 2 Chronicles chapter 28. The first one was written by Susan Duclos of the All News Pipeline, and the title of her article is this: "We are facing the most important battle of all at the most dangerous moment in history." The article goes on to show what we are up against and cautions against optimism in the magic fix of Trump's victory over Clinton. And here's what she says, and I'm just quoting one paragraph.
#11 | 6:14 to 7:11 | cleaned
"We at ANP are noting a lot of optimism from investors, with stocks soaring, to economic confidence reaching new highs, to small business owners, to household spending, and even prepping has hit a multi-year low. All the articles I am reading are crediting the election of Donald Trump as reason for all this optimism. But as much as I hate to rain on everyone's parade, now is the most dangerous time in history, not a time to assume just because one man was elected, all the wrongs will be made right. The failing economy will automatically just magically fix itself."
#12 | 7:12 to 7:57 | cleaned
And then Jeremiah Johnson also went on and he wrote this. Listen carefully. This is very perceptive. "The globalists need the illusion of the two-party system to enable a reprieve in the minds of the people with the rise of a Bush or a Trump. But the reprieve is merely an illusion. If these Marxist traitors force their agenda on the people all at once, there would have been a revolution in its inception. They alternate.
#13 | 8:00 to 8:31 | cleaned
Destroy the society and the culture to the maximum under a Democrat administration, and then scale back a bit under a Republican administration, while still nipping away at the edges with an act here or a piece of legislation there." Isn't that amazing?
#14 | 8:32 to 8:50 | cleaned
Now, with that understanding, we must also consider that there are many today in our country that are absolutely opposed, not just simply to Christianity, and not just simply to the Constitution, but they are basically opposed to truth. And they are dead set on overthrowing all of the recent changes. If you have not read the piece that Mike Adams wrote—Mike Adams is known as the Health Ranger—the title of his article was, "The Next American Revolution Begins January the 20th." Listen carefully. This is just a portion of it. "The anti-American, communist-leaning website DisruptJ20.org—that means Disrupt January the 20th, which is the inauguration day—is openly organizing a popular uprising against the legitimate new administration of the United States of America. January the 20th, 2017, Inauguration Day, is being targeted as a day for people to block, obstruct, disrupt, and do whatever they can to prevent the onslaught that is going to happen with Donald Trump," said alt-left organizer Michael Moore. The Disrupt J20 website calls on all people of good conscience to join in disrupting the ceremonies.
#15 | 8:52 to 10:21 | cleaned
A Disrupt J20 tweet, relishing in the kind of delusional paranoia that now typifies the mentally ill left in America, says the effort is being waged to confront white supremacy and other forms of oppression. Disrupt J20 is a thinly veiled call for a communist uprising and the overthrow of the Trump administration. The Disrupt J20 effort is, in reality, a communist uprising and a coup attempt being disguised as a peaceful protest. Yet even the website describes the effort in military terms, characterizing it as a bold mobilization against the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017. Here's what the website says.
#16 | 10:22 to 11:09 | cleaned
"If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, the organization encourages you to join the communist uprising wherever you might live. If you can't make it to Washington, D.C. on January the 20th, take to the streets wherever you are," says the site, which is clearly inciting mob violence everywhere across America. Which, of course, is totally against the law, but nothing is being done.
#17 | 11:09 to 11:41 | cleaned
So the question is, will the American people sit idly by and allow the Communists to overthrow the Constitution, Christianity, and the states? And you also have to ask yourself this question: Will it really, genuinely take another revolution to really awaken the American people? And the truth of the matter is, we have really and truly already forsaken God. But if this thing comes down the way the left really wants it to come down, that means we're going to be driven further from God and further from His law. So the title of the message is, "There Is a Price to Pay in Forsaking God." America, like Israel of old, has forsaken our God. We left the Mayflower Compact. We've left the Constitution. We've mocked and ridiculed the Word of God.
#18 | 11:42 to 12:36 | cleaned
We've turned our backs upon the founding fathers of this country and the principles for which they have stayed and stood. We've also rebelled against biblical Christianity. And anything and everything that resembles a covenant, especially a covenant in relationship to God and His Christ, we have broken and have done so willingly and readily. It's like Hosea said concerning Israel in Hosea 8 and verse 7, "They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."
#19 | 12:37 to 13:10 | cleaned
So as you are going to be able to tell from the life and the reign of King Ahaz—and I might add the politician Ahaz—if Trump turns out to be another demagogue and we sit back and allow further deterioration, then you might as well batten down the hatches, for our whirlwind is going to come in power and strength. Now, the sins of King Ahaz are outlined specifically in 2 Kings chapter 16. When you get to 2 Chronicles chapter 28, it does not necessarily rehash all of those sins in detail. But what 2 Chronicles 28 does is it details the punishment of Ahaz for his sins. So the depiction in 2 Chronicles chapter 28 is one of holy indignation against Ahaz and the punishment that God inflicts upon him and upon his people because they have forsaken God and His covenant. Now it is true that Ahaz was humiliated and that he suffered. But the sad truth is that his people suffered far more than he did. Matthew Henry, in making a comment on 2 Chronicles 28, said this—listen carefully—"The people suffered by these judgments.
#20 | 13:11 to 14:49 | cleaned
Their blood was shed, their country wasted, their families ruined. For when they had a good king, though they did corruptly, yet then his goodness sheltered them. But now that they had a bad one, all the defense has departed from them, and an inundation of judgments broke in upon them. Those that knew not their happiness in the foregoing reign were taught to value it by the miseries of this reign."
#21 | 14:50 to 15:17 | cleaned
Now, when you consider King Ahaz, and the opportunity that he had before him, and what he did with that opportunity, it is absolutely astounding. You may not understand what was bequeathed to King Ahaz. Everything that was bequeathed unto him, he squandered and he wasted. So you're going to have to ask, will Trump turn out to be another Ahaz or a Jeroboam? Trump does now have the opportunity to drain the swamp and overthrow the money changers.
#22 | 15:18 to 15:59 | cleaned
But will he do so? Let me tell you about 2 Chronicles chapter 28. King Ahaz was the son of King Jotham. And he was also the grandson of Uzziah. Uzziah and Jotham as a whole were godly kings, and they built their reigns upon God and obedience to His covenant and obedience to His law. If you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 27—I'm sorry, not 28 but 27—and verse 6, you will find out a statement here concerning Ahaz's father Jotham. Look at it. 2 Chronicles 27 verse 6: "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." This was the father of Ahaz. His grandfather was Uzziah. Uzziah reigned for 52 years. Jotham reigned for 16 years. And Ahaz reigned for 16 years. So in 16 years, Ahaz overthrew and destroyed everything that his father and his grandfather had built in 68 years. Ahaz had an excellent example to follow, but he turned out to be an idolater, a tyrant, and an imbecile.
#23 | 16:01 to 17:42 | cleaned
And you are going to say, an imbecile? Yes. So if you follow with me, you can bring and draw your own conclusion as to whether or not he was an imbecile. First of all, I want you to note that Ahaz followed a perverted religion. You will find that in the first four verses. "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.
#24 | 17:44 to 18:12 | cleaned
For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also, and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree." So we start out with a negative in verse 1, where the Bible tells us that he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.
#25 | 18:12 to 18:44 | cleaned
So let me just spell it out for you. He was a transgressor. He was disobedient. He was rebellious. He was sinful. He violated not only the covenant, but the commandments of God as well.
#26 | 18:44 to 18:55 | cleaned
Now, let me point something out. All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some god. It may not be the one true and the living God. It may be the god of money, the god of prosperity, the god of pleasure, the god of self, but all will worship a god. And when someone turns from the one true and the living God, it does not mean that they cease to be religious. It just means that they've turned to another god.
#27 | 18:56 to 19:24 | cleaned
So you begin with a negative, and now you come to a positive in verse 2: "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim." So Ahaz was positively an idolater. It is important to understand that the test that God lays out as to whether or not we are faithful to God is in relationship to His law. So when an individual refuses to obey God's law, it means he's refusing to obey God. When he turns from God's law, he's turning from God himself. In 2 Kings chapter 17, verses 7 and 8, let me just quote it. The Bible says there, "For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Now, let me stop. So the Bible says in 2 Kings 17 verse 7 that the children of Israel feared other gods. Well, how do we know that they feared other gods?
#28 | 19:25 to 20:35 | cleaned
What was the evidence? Not just that God said so—that would certainly be sufficient—but verse 8 gives you the evidence when he said, "And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel, and in the statutes of the kings of Israel, which they had made." So God says here is the evidence that they were idolaters: they rejected My law and they walked in the laws of the heathen and in the laws of the kings of Israel. So when you look at Ahaz, the God of Israel meant nothing to him. He rejected God, and he rejected God's law.
#29 | 20:35 to 21:12 | cleaned
However, notice he did worship Baal, and he did worship Molech. He worshipped all of these false gods. In fact, if you will look in verse 3, "Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel." You will find the same thing says in 2 Kings 16 verses 3 and 4. But note if you would, he burnt his children in the fire.
#30 | 21:13 to 21:46 | cleaned
Now I've told you in time past, actually there were two ways to do that. One way was that they actually sacrificed the children. Okay? Molech was a huge hollow solid brass statue with his arms like this. He was hollow because the priest would go in and build a roaring fire, which means the brass and all now is actually red hot, glowing. They would then take a baby and lay that baby in the palms of his hands, and since it was up like this, the baby would roll down the arms into the fire and be consumed. That was a sacrifice to Molech. Molech worship was a state religion. The other way that you offered your children to Molech was the priest of Molech would build a fire, they would take the baby in their hands and they would just pass him over the fire, which would be called purification. Or they were now dedicating that baby to the service of Molech. So here King Ahaz now takes his children and burns them in the fire. So the very first thing you find is that Ahaz was perverted in his religion.
#31 | 21:46 to 23:12 | cleaned
He followed a perverse religion. Christianity is a true religion. All others are perversions. If you will not follow God and His Word, then the truth is you will follow anything or anyone. We reject God and His Word at our peril. 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 11 and 12, the Bible says this: "And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." So if you will not believe the truth, obviously you are going to believe a lie. And if you're not going to follow righteousness, then you're going to follow unrighteousness. So the rejection of God and His law basically carries in its own punishment. Men who reject God and His law believe a lie and they're going to be damned.
#32 | 23:12 to 24:11 | cleaned
You have to understand that for a covenant people, there is always a judgment in time and history as well. Illustration: remember when Elijah said, "There is not going to be rain or dew these years but according to my word." For three and a half years God sent a drought upon Israel. And when Elijah came back into the country and he faced Ahab, Ahab asked, "Art thou the troubler of Israel?" To which in 1 Kings 18 and verse 8 Elijah responded, "I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim." In other words, you know who the troubler of Israel is? It's you. It's certainly not me. Idolatry troubles a nation. Idolatry angers God. Why? Because God is a jealous God. Do you remember that passage in Exodus 34, verse 14, where God says, "For thou shalt worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." So one of God's names is Jealous.
#33 | 24:12 to 25:33 | cleaned
And that is why He said in Isaiah 42 and verse 8, "I am the Lord, and beside me there is no other. I will not give my glory to another, neither my praise to graven images." So then when a nation denies God and forsakes His law and turns from His righteous standards, there is going to be judgment. Because Deuteronomy 4 and verse 24 says, "For our God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." And God judges a people when they forsake Him. There is always a price to pay in forsaking God.
#34 | 25:34 to 26:08 | cleaned
And the very first thing you find out about Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28 was he followed a perverse religion. Secondly, I want you to note—and I'm not going to take time to read all of it, but I'm going to point it out—Ahaz was militarily defeated. You will find that in verses 5-15. Look, if you would, in verse 5: "Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them unto Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter."
#35 | 26:08 to 26:47 | cleaned
Before I go further, let me just make the statement: might does not make right. Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law. Our true protection and our true defense is in God alone. One of my favorite passages is Proverbs 21 and verse 31. The Bible says, "The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord." And then in Psalm 33 and verse 17, "A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength." So you could paraphrase that and say a tank by its great strength is not going to deliver anyone. It's vain to trust in your bombers and anything militarily. And everybody in this room probably could quote Psalm 127 and verse 1.
#36 | 26:48 to 27:54 | cleaned
"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." So what you have in verses 5 through 15 is his military is defeated. Do you understand that part and parcel of God's judgment upon not only a civil ruler but upon a nation is the fact that they are defeated militarily? And if you look back at verse 5, I need to cover this. "Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria." God purposely, deliberately handed him over to the king of Syria and the king of Israel.
#37 | 27:56 to 28:50 | cleaned
Now first let me try to answer this question. Because if you look in verse 5 it says, "Wherefore the Lord his God." How could the Lord be called his God when we've just pointed out that he was an idolater and he rejected God? Well, the answer is this. First of all, God was his God by right, in the sense that God still had dominion over him. He was a creature and God has absolute control over every one of His creatures. Secondly, the nation was still in a covenant relationship with God and he was the king of that nation. And so therefore God is rightly referred to as his God. Moreover, Ahaz probably confessed God to be his God, although in a hypocritical manner. It is just like when Jeroboam built those two golden calves. They professed to worship God but only worshiped Him through the calves. So that is why it is referred to, here is the Lord his God. But secondly I want to point out that here are two military defeats. One by Rezin who is the king of Syria, and one by Pekah who is the king of Israel.
#38 | 28:50 to 30:10 | cleaned
When you get to 2 Kings 16 and verse 6 it names these two kings: Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath from Ahaz during this particular war. And Pekah the king of Israel defeated him dramatically as well. Now look in verse 6 to show you the defeat: "For Pekah the son of Remaliah, who was king of Israel, slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men."
#39 | 30:11 to 30:47 | cleaned
Now, you know, it does not surprise us when we hear 120,000 people were killed by dropping an atomic bomb on them or by a carpet bombing a city. That doesn't surprise us. But when you think about 120,000 men who were killed with a sword, and with archery, and with spears, you're talking about something that's up close and personal. 120,000 in one day. What was it all the time that we were in Vietnam? 58,000?
#40 | 30:47 to 31:26 | cleaned
120,000 in one day. Why? Well, go back to verse 6, look at it. "For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers." Wow! I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 24, verse 20. I want you to see that there is a price to pay for forsaking God. Here is what Zechariah the son of Jehoiada said to the king and to his princes. 2 Chronicles 24 verse 20: "And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you."
#41 | 31:36 to 32:42 | cleaned
Now, let me point something out. I'm saying that Ahaz was perverse in his religion, and Ahaz, secondly, was defeated militarily. You can hear people all the time speaking about Russia and how powerful they are, and how many people they are, and everybody is afraid Russia is going to attack us, or China is going to attack us. When you forsake God, it does not take a great nation.
#42 | 32:44 to 33:18 | cleaned
Little Cuba could wipe us off the face of the map. I want to show you. Look in verses 17 and 18. 2 Chronicles 28 verse 17: "And again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives." Verse 18: "The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, and Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there." So a little tiny Edom. And the Philistines who had been defeated many, many times, now just simply walk in and conquer and do whatever they want to do.
#43 | 33:20 to 34:09 | cleaned
Individuals, families, churches, men in general, nations cannot prosper when they forsake God and God's law. His judgment rests against them in every way, including military defeat. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 12, let me show you several verses. 2 Chronicles chapter 12, look if you would please at verse 5. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 5: "Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, who happened to be the king of Egypt, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak." Wow! We forsake God, God forsakes us, turns us over to some country that will militarily defeat us. Look in 2 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 10.
#44 | 34:11 to 35:20 | cleaned
Show you how helpless Judah was. "So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand." Why? "Because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers." You know, that's interesting, isn't it? The revolutions and rebellions often arise because we have forsaken God. Look in 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24. This should tell you exactly what I'm talking about when I said it doesn't take a great country when we forsake God. 2 Chronicles 24 and verse 24: "For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand." Why? "Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, so they executed judgment against Joash." So the Syrians came with a very small company, but God delivered a very great host into their hands. Do you know what happened in 2 Chronicles 28? Here is what happened: Ahaz lost his son, he lost his counselors, and he lost 200,000 people in one day, not counting the 120,000 men that were killed.
#45 | 35:28 to 37:05 | cleaned
These 200,000 were captured and taken captive to Samaria. So stop and think about this. 320,000 people.
#46 | 37:05 to 37:12 | cleaned
120,000 dead and 200,000 captured. Here's my point: It is impossible to stand militarily when you forsake God. I don't care your technology. I don't care what armaments you have. Once you forsake God, you are going to be defeated militarily. The third thing about Ahaz that is revealed here as part of his punishment is this: Ahaz was politically shamed. Look if you would, 2 Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 16. "At the same time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him." Why?
#47 | 37:27 to 38:19 | cleaned
Well, we just read verses 17 and 18. That's because the Edomites were coming in and smiting them and the Philistines were walking all over him. Ahaz had no control over his own kingdom. He could not function. He could not even stop the smallest kingdoms from attacking him and simply taking what they wanted. He was powerless. He was impotent. He was incompetent. And no one feared him, and no one respected him, much like our modern day Obama.
#48 | 38:20 to 38:58 | cleaned
And I told you this, I still think it's absolutely hilarious. Some time ago, Obama kind of halfway threatened Putin. And Putin's response was this: "Should I be afraid of such a skinny man? I wrestle bears." So, I mean, what kind of respect? That's Ahaz. That's Ahaz. I mean, no one respected him. I mean, and here, he's sending off for help. Why does he want help? Because all these little countries are coming in and just walking all over him. It's amazing.
#49 | 39:01 to 39:51 | cleaned
It was God that brought Judah low for their rebellion against him. Look at verse 19. I'm going to come back to verse 19. "For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord."
#50 | 39:53 to 40:12 | cleaned
Now, if you want a real understanding, all you have to do is read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28. Those two passages are the blessings and the curses. And in those passages God promises nations and people, if we obey He will make us the head, if we disobey He will make us the tail. And so Ahaz and Judah were disobeying and God is making them the tail. And the Bible says in Deuteronomy 29 and verse 9, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." So if we want to prosper we obey God, if we do not want to prosper we disobey God. There is a price to pay in forsaking God, it's just that simple. 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 22 says this: "And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them."
#51 | 40:14 to 41:21 | cleaned
So obviously Ahaz not only followed a perverted religion, he was militarily defeated, he was also politically shamed. I want to point something else out.
#52 | 41:22 to 41:37 | cleaned
Fourthly, he was a failure in foreign diplomacy. Look in verse 20 and 21. "And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not." Now his alliance with the king of Assyria came to absolutely nothing.
#53 | 41:37 to 42:08 | cleaned
He wanted help, but all he got was trouble and heartache. God had forbidden alliances with the heathen. God had commanded we are to make no covenants with them. Deuteronomy chapter 7, Exodus chapter 34. The Assyrians were known for their ruthlessness as well as their wickedness. And Ahaz believed that he could use them and that they would help him, but all it did was cost him, and it cost him his kingdom as well.
#54 | 42:09 to 42:45 | cleaned
So Tiglath-Pileser came, but he helped him not. Let me show you something. Look, if you would please, at verse 21. "For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria. But he helped him not." Interestingly, the very first place from which Ahaz stole was the house of the Lord.
#55 | 42:46 to 43:15 | cleaned
A government that is unafraid to steal from God will have no compunction against stealing from their people. Think about it like this: Malachi 3:8 asks this question, "Will a man rob God?" And God answers, "Yea, ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?" And then God answers, "In tithes and offerings." Now if God considers it theft, if God considers it robbery to not give Him His tithes and His offerings, how much more is it theft and robbery to take that which has already been given to God and dedicated to Him and steal that? And if you want to exaggerate that a little bit more, how much worse is it to take that which has already been given to Him and dedicated to Him, to steal it and to give it to an ungodly king?
#56 | 43:17 to 44:25 | cleaned
And that's exactly what he did. He stole it and gave it to the king of Assyria. He stole it from the house of God. He stole it from the princes. A government that steals from God and His people will face the judgment of God, because such actions are denial of God and His sovereignty and His right. And there is a price to pay for forsaking God. No man, no nation will ever prosper that continually violates the law of God.
#57 | 44:27 to 45:02 | cleaned
Fifthly, I want to point this out, and then I'm going to tie it together, hopefully. Ahaz was economically destroyed. Look if you would in verse 22. "And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.
#58 | 45:04 to 45:37 | cleaned
But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers."
#59 | 45:37 to 46:03 | cleaned
And of course in the last two verses he dies. Please remember what God said to Joshua and the people in Joshua 1 and verse 7. He said, "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." Want to prosper? It is through obedience. David encouraged Solomon in 1 Kings 2 and verse 3 by saying this: "And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself." So what did Ahaz do? Instead of obeying God and obeying God's law, he turned from God. In his distress—now look at that verse 22—"And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord." I mean, here's a man that's in trouble.
#60 | 46:03 to 47:32 | cleaned
His kingdom is in trouble. His family is in trouble. Everything about him is in trouble. And instead of stopping and thinking, "Why am I in trouble? Could it be that I've forsaken God? Could it be that I'm not obeying God?" Instead of reasoning, he turns more and more to idolatry. He takes the vessels of the house of God and cuts them in pieces. And of course, he gives them to Tiglath-Pileser.
#61 | 47:32 to 48:11 | cleaned
Look what else he did. Look at verse 24: "And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord." That is, he closed down the temple. Nobody could get in. And by the way, the temple was closed until his son Hezekiah took control, and later on there was a great revival under Hezekiah and the doors were open and all the trash was cleaned out of the temple. But he actually closed it down. And notice what else he did in verse 25: "And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers." His economic distress drove him to steal even more from the house of God. It is impossible to prosper when you're dishonoring God. It is impossible to prosper when you're doing that which is contrary to God and His Word. And by the way, this imbecilic king, when he closed down the house of God, reserved a room in it, though, for the king of Assyria to stay in.
#62 | 48:15 to 49:30 | cleaned
You're talking about an imbecile. He was indeed an imbecile.
#63 | 49:32 to 49:37 | cleaned
Now, I want you to go back to verse 19. I want you to look at this verse and think about what happened. What happened then? What is happening now? Look at verse 19: "For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel."
#64 | 49:38 to 50:02 | cleaned
Now, let me just stop right there. This verse sums up everything about Ahaz and his kingdom. It is true the people were wicked, but Ahaz was extremely wicked and God brought Judah low because of Ahaz. What did Ahaz do? Watch. "For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord." So God brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, yet the leading cause of her demise was King Ahaz. And the phrase is that King Ahaz made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. So God then brought Judah low because of her sin and rebellion, but the leading cause was King Ahaz. He made Judah naked. That phrase is important. When one is stripped naked publicly, it is a time of shame, humiliation, contempt, helplessness, and danger. Ahaz made Judah naked as his sin debased the people, so it also exposed the people. It made them naked to their shame, exposed them to contempt as a man is unclothed. It made them naked to their danger, for it exposed them to assaults as a man is unarmed.
#65 | 50:02 to 51:47 | cleaned
Why could the people not fight against the Edomites or the Philistines? Because they were made naked. They were ashamed. They were helpless. Wow. You remember, it was Aaron who made the people of Israel naked to their shame as well. When he made the golden calf there in Exodus 32 and verse 25, the Bible said, "And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies)."
#66 | 51:51 to 52:20 | cleaned
So sin then strips men. It disturbs and degrades and destroys. And it does not matter if it's done by an individual or a president or a king or government. It still does exactly the same thing. What is happening in our country is that we're being made naked. We're being humiliated. And once they try to take our weapons, unarmed, helpless. Two passages. I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 29 and verse 8.
#67 | 52:21 to 53:12 | cleaned
This ought to really explain what I've been trying to say. 2 Chronicles 29 verse 8. Look at it: "Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes." God delivered them to the trouble they were in. Now if you look in 2 Chronicles 34 and verse 25, 2 Chronicles 34 and verse 25.
#68 | 53:12 to 53:56 | cleaned
Here's what God says, here's why the judgment was coming: "Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched." Do you understand that God is on the throne? He is absolutely sovereign, yet man is responsible. And when our leaders lead us into idolatry, and we follow willingly, we will be judged along with our leaders.
#69 | 53:56 to 54:47 | cleaned
So basically it comes to this. If you understand the Bible and if you understand history, it all boils down to one simple thing. We must either repent or perish. So the question is, where are we going? What road are we going to take? Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill. And if everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly. You won't have to stand, but no one else will stand. And you'll have to do what's right, but no one else will do what's right. Because we will not only be a witness against the enemies of God, we will be a witness to the people of God for that which is right and holy. Let's pray.
#70 | 54:49 to 56:01 | cleaned
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We do pray that you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Give us grace that we might serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, and courage to stand and do that which is right. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, amen.
#71 | 56:01 to 56:22 | cleaned
So.
#72 | 56:52 to 56:53 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:08:08Z

There Is A Price To Pay For Forsaking God

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver preaches from 2 Chronicles 28, using the reign of King Ahaz to illustrate the severe consequences of forsaking God. He draws parallels to modern America, warning that political solutions cannot replace national repentance and return to God's law. The sermon outlines Ahaz's perverted religion, military defeat, political shame, failed diplomacy, and economic destruction as judgments from God, and calls believers to personal faithfulness regardless of national trends.

Opening

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 28:1-27

"Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father." "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree." "Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. And Zechariah, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven. And now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God? Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives hither, for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass. For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria. At that time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shokoh with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also with the villages thereof, and they dwelt there. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and out of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not. In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord, this is that King Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem. But they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

Introduction: The Question for the Nation

Weaver poses the question of where America is headed, noting a glimmer of hope with Trump's election but cautioning that salvation is not in politics or politicians, only in Jesus Christ.

The Illusion of Political Salvation

Citing articles by Susan Duclos and Jeremiah Johnson, Weaver argues that optimism in Trump is misplaced; the two-party system provides an illusion of reprieve while the nation continues to decline.

Opposition to Truth and the Threat of Revolution

Weaver warns of organized efforts to disrupt the inauguration and overthrow the Trump administration, framing it as a communist uprising against Christianity and the Constitution.

America Has Forsaken God

America is compared to Israel of old, having forsaken God by abandoning the Mayflower Compact, the Constitution, and biblical Christianity, and will reap the whirlwind.

Ahaz's Perverse Religion

Ahaz rejected God's law and embraced idolatry, including child sacrifice to Molech, demonstrating that turning from the true God leads to perverted religion.

What was the evidence? Not just that God said so—that would certainly be sufficient—but verse 8 gives you the evidence when he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-8

"And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel, and in the statutes of the kings of Israel, which they had made."

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 17:7-8

"Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel."

You will find the same thing says in 2 Kings 16 verses 3 and 4. But note if you would, he burnt his children in the fire.

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

"And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Ahaz's Military Defeat

Because Ahaz forsook God, Judah suffered devastating military losses, including 120,000 valiant men killed in one day and 200,000 taken captive, proving that military might is worthless without God.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 21:31

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord."

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 24:20

"And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you."

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 12:5

"Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, who happened to be the king of Egypt, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak."

Wow! We forsake God, God forsakes us, turns us over to some country that will militarily defeat us. Look in 2 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 10.

Show you how helpless Judah was.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand."

Why?

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"Because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers."

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 21:10

"Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, so they executed judgment against Joash."

These 200,000 were captured and taken captive to Samaria. So stop and think about this. 320,000 people.

Ahaz's Political Shame and Failed Diplomacy

Ahaz was politically impotent, unable to stop even small nations from invading; his alliance with Assyria brought only distress and cost him treasures from the temple, yet provided no help.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26

Now, if you want a real understanding, all you have to do is read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28. Those two passages are the blessings and the curses. And in those passages God promises nations and people, if we obey He will make us the head, if we disobey He will make us the tail. And so Ahaz and Judah were disobeying and God is making them the tail. And the Bible says in Deuteronomy 29 and verse 9, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." So if we want to prosper we obey God, if we do not want to prosper we disobey God. There is a price to pay in forsaking God, it's just that simple. 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 22 says this: "And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them."

Ahaz's Economic Destruction and Further Sin

In his distress, Ahaz trespassed even more, stealing from the temple, shutting its doors, and building altars to false gods, leading to economic ruin and provoking God's anger.

Ahaz Made Judah Naked

Verse 19 summarizes Ahaz's reign: he made Judah naked—exposed to shame, contempt, and danger—by his sin, illustrating how leaders' wickedness debases and endangers a nation.

Conclusion: Repent or Perish

Weaver concludes that regardless of who is in the White House, the nation must repent or face judgment; believers must personally commit to doing what is right and holy.

There Is A Price To Pay For Forsaking God

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	eRcPU5uC3_A
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-01-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 042: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: God's Answer to America's Problems — Chapter 26
Source Timed Segments	72

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Question for the Nation: Weaver poses the question of where America is headed, noting a glimmer of hope with Trump's election but cautioning that salvation is not in politics or politicians, only in Jesus Christ.
The Illusion of Political Salvation: Citing articles by Susan Duclos and Jeremiah Johnson, Weaver argues that optimism in Trump is misplaced; the two-party system provides an illusion of reprieve while the nation continues to decline.
Opposition to Truth and the Threat of Revolution: Weaver warns of organized efforts to disrupt the inauguration and overthrow the Trump administration, framing it as a communist uprising against Christianity and the Constitution.
America Has Forsaken God: America is compared to Israel of old, having forsaken God by abandoning the Mayflower Compact, the Constitution, and biblical Christianity, and will reap the whirlwind.
Ahaz's Perverse Religion: Ahaz rejected God's law and embraced idolatry, including child sacrifice to Molech, demonstrating that turning from the true God leads to perverted religion.
Ahaz's Military Defeat: Because Ahaz forsook God, Judah suffered devastating military losses, including 120,000 valiant men killed in one day and 200,000 taken captive, proving that military might is worthless without God.
Ahaz's Political Shame and Failed Diplomacy: Ahaz was politically impotent, unable to stop even small nations from invading; his alliance with Assyria brought only distress and cost him treasures from the temple, yet provided no help.
Ahaz's Economic Destruction and Further Sin: In his distress, Ahaz trespassed even more, stealing from the temple, shutting its doors, and building altars to false gods, leading to economic ruin and provoking God's anger.
Ahaz Made Judah Naked: Verse 19 summarizes Ahaz's reign: he made Judah naked—exposed to shame, contempt, and danger—by his sin, illustrating how leaders' wickedness debases and endangers a nation.
Conclusion: Repent or Perish: Weaver concludes that regardless of who is in the White House, the nation must repent or face judgment; believers must personally commit to doing what is right and holy.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Ahaz's reign demonstrates the consequences of forsaking God

Weaver argues that the detailed punishments in 2 Chronicles 28—military defeat, political shame, economic ruin—are direct results of Ahaz's idolatry and covenant-breaking.

He says, 'What 2 Chronicles 28 does is it details the punishment of Ahaz for his sins... because they have forsaken God and His covenant.'

Military might is useless without God

Weaver contends that no amount of military technology or preparation can protect a nation that has forsaken God, citing Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 127:1.

He states, 'Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law.'

Political alliances with the ungodly fail

Ahaz's appeal to Assyria brought distress, not help, and cost him the temple treasures; God forbids such alliances, and they lead to further judgment.

Weaver notes, 'Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not... his alliance with the king of Assyria came to absolutely nothing.'

Sin strips and exposes a nation

The phrase 'made Judah naked' signifies that sin debases, shames, and leaves a people helpless before enemies, as Aaron's golden calf did to Israel.

Weaver explains, 'When one is stripped naked publicly, it is a time of shame, humiliation, contempt, helplessness, and danger.'

Repentance is the only solution

Weaver concludes that America must repent or perish; no political change can avert judgment if the nation continues in idolatry and lawlessness.

He says, 'Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill.'

Scripture References

2 Chronicles 28:1-27: The entire chapter is read as the primary text, detailing Ahaz's reign and God's judgments.
2 Chronicles 27:6: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord, contrasting with Ahaz.
2 Kings 17:7-8: Evidence that Israel feared other gods by walking in the statutes of the heathen.
2 Kings 16:3-4: Parallel account of Ahaz's idolatry and child sacrifice.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12: God sends strong delusion to those who reject truth, causing them to believe a lie.
1 Kings 18:8: Elijah tells Ahab that he, not Elijah, troubled Israel by forsaking God's commandments.
Exodus 34:14: God's name is Jealous; He is a jealous God.
Isaiah 42:8: God will not give His glory to another or praise to graven images.
Deuteronomy 4:24: God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Proverbs 21:31: The horse is prepared for battle, but safety is of the Lord.
Psalm 33:17: A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
Psalm 127:1: Except the Lord build the house and keep the city, human efforts are in vain.
2 Chronicles 24:20: Zechariah warns that forsaking the Lord leads to being forsaken by Him.
2 Chronicles 12:5: God tells Rehoboam that because they forsook Him, He left them in the hand of Shishak.
2 Chronicles 21:10: Edom and Libnah revolted because Jehoram forsook the Lord.
2 Chronicles 24:24: A small Syrian army defeated a great host because they had forsaken the Lord.
Leviticus 26: Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 28: Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 29:9: Keep the words of the covenant to prosper in all you do.
2 Chronicles 7:22: Evil comes because they forsook the Lord and served other gods.

Historical References

King Ahaz of Judah: The primary subject; his 16-year reign of idolatry and the resulting judgments are detailed from 2 Chronicles 28.
King Jotham (father of Ahaz): A godly king who prepared his ways before the Lord, contrasting with Ahaz.
King Uzziah (grandfather of Ahaz): Reigned 52 years as a godly king; Ahaz destroyed in 16 years what Uzziah and Jotham built in 68.
Molech worship and child sacrifice: Ahaz burned his children in the fire to Molech, a practice involving a heated brass statue.
Pekah king of Israel: Defeated Ahaz, killing 120,000 valiant men of Judah in one day.
Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria: Ahaz sought his help but was distressed and not strengthened; Ahaz gave him temple treasures.
Edomites and Philistines: Small nations that invaded and plundered Judah because God had brought Judah low.
Matthew Henry's commentary: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry on how the people suffered more than Ahaz, and how a good king's goodness sheltered the people.
Susan Duclos article 'We are facing the most important battle of all': Cited to caution against optimism in Trump's victory as a magic fix.
Jeremiah Johnson's commentary on the two-party illusion: Cited to argue that the globalists use the two-party system to give an illusion of reprieve while continuing to destroy society.

Important Quotes

Each of us should understand by now that salvation is not in politics. Salvation is not in politicians. And there is no man that is a Savior except the Lord Jesus Christ.

Core thesis that political solutions cannot replace spiritual repentance and faith in Christ alone.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

Key verse demonstrating the direct link between forsaking God and devastating military defeat.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. For he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

Summarizes the entire chapter: the king's sin exposed and debased the nation, leading to judgment.

All men are religious in nature. Every man serves some god. It may not be the one true and the living God. It may be the god of money, the god of prosperity, the god of pleasure, the god of self, but all will worship a god.

Explains that turning from God does not make one irreligious but leads to idolatry.

Military armaments, military preparation, military skill are absolutely worthless when one forsakes God and His law. Our true protection and our true defense is in God alone.

Emphasizes that national security depends on God, not military might.

A government that is unafraid to steal from God will have no compunction against stealing from their people.

Highlights the moral corruption of Ahaz's theft from the temple as a pattern for tyranny.

Unless we turn back to God, no matter who's in the White House, it's still going downhill.

Concluding application that national repentance is the only hope, not political change.

If everybody else in this country does what is wrong and wicked, you ought to determine in your heart that you're going to do what is right and biblical and holy and godly.

Call to personal faithfulness and courage in the face of national apostasy.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways does the reign of Ahaz parallel the spiritual and moral condition of modern America?

[Context]

Weaver draws explicit parallels between Ahaz's idolatry and America's forsaking of its Christian foundations.

[Question]

Why does Weaver insist that 'salvation is not in politics'? How should this affect a Christian's engagement with political issues?

[Context]

He argues that no political leader can save the nation; only Christ can.

[Question]

What does it mean for a nation to be 'made naked' by its leaders' sins? Can you think of contemporary examples?

[Context]

Weaver explains that sin exposes a nation to shame, contempt, and danger, as Ahaz did to Judah.

[Question]

How does the concept of God's jealousy (Exodus 34:14) challenge common views of God's character?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that God is a jealous God who will not share His glory with idols.

[Question]

Ahaz responded to distress by sinning even more (2 Chronicles 28:22). Why do people often harden their hearts in times of trouble instead of repenting?

[Context]

Weaver points out Ahaz's irrational escalation of idolatry when under judgment.

[Question]

What does it look like for Christians to 'do what is right and biblical and holy and godly' when the surrounding culture is increasingly hostile?

[Context]

Weaver's concluding exhortation to personal faithfulness regardless of national trends.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T04:09:51Z