It's difficult to watch a kingdom die, especially one that had been as successful and wealthy as the one of David and Solomon. But that is what is happening in these chapters. Reading them, you can see the death throes beginning to sound. It makes one wonder, did the average citizen realize what was happening, or were they caught up in their bar mitzvahs, christenings, weddings and funerals. Did they begin to stockpile food because they knew the day would come when they would be without. Did they try to learn another language in case they were overrun by the Assyrians. Did they recognize that their kings were becoming more wicked and weaker with each succession to the throne.
Or were they like Ahaz, so caught up in his sin that he saw nothing wrong with sacrificing his own son in the fire, or offering sacrifices and burning incense to all of the gods they had set up in the high places.or dismantling Solomon's Temple piece by piece. Were the people behind Ahaz one hundred percent when he made the alliance with Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria in order to save their necks. Were they impressed with the altar design that Ahaz copied from the one he saw in Damascus when he went to meet Tiglath-Pileser.
Nothing is said about what the ordinary Israelite was doing as all this was going on. There is no mention of celebrations or feasts honoring God and recognizing the triumphs of the Children of Israel as they left Egypt. Were there still godly priest left who quietly celebrated with a few faithful or had all of the priests become like Uriah who did whatever Ahaz told him to do? It begs the question, how do you live in an ungodly culture growing more so every day, facing destruction at the worst and exile at the best?
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