2 Chronicles 28:1-15

content/bible_journal/2chronicles/28:1-15.md

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+title = "2 Chronicles 28:1–15"
+date = "2025-05-22"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2Chronicles28.1-15)
+
+An uncareful reading of the history of Israel and Judah is likely to confuse the kings Ahab and Ahaz.
+They were both wicked kings who had famous prophets speak against them in multiple books of the Old Testament.
+Ahab ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel, married the idolatrous Jezebel, and endured the castigation of Elijah.
+Ahaz ruled over Judah several generations later and was given the sign of Immanuel by the prophet Isaiah ([_Isaiah 7_](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah7))
+
+As mentioned before, Ahaz did not follow in the faith of his father and grandfather, but was perhaps influenced by the idolatry of his subjects.
+Regardless of the reasons, he went deeper than any other king before him and performed child sacrifice like the Canaanites did from so long before.
+Because of this, the Lord raised up Syria and Israel against Judah.
+Each country defeated Judah and took many people captive.
+
+But the Lord was faithful to His promises and did not let Judah be utterly defeated and wiped off the maps.
+He sent the prophet Oded to Samaria, the capital of Israel, and he instructed them to send back the captive Judahites they had fairly taken.
+The reasoning is that Judah was chastised for their sin as a nation, but Israel is not innocent before the Lord either.
+Furthermore, keeping these captives as slaves would violate the Law of Moses, which said captured Israelites must be allowed to return to their own inheritance.
+Certain chiefs of Israel obeyed the voice of the Lord and took the captives from the army.
+They fed them, clothed them, cared for their wounds, and escorted them back to Jericho.
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+* * *
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+You are faithful even when we are not.