Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 264
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IMMERSE
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KINGDOMS
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Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. He also killed King Rezin.
King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser
of Assyria. While he was there, he took special note of the altar. Then he
sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full
detail. Uriah followed the king’s instructions and built an altar just like it,
and it was ready before the king returned from Damascus. When the king
returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it. He presented a
burnt offering and a grain offering, he poured out a liquid offering, and he
sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on the altar.
Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of
the Lord’s Temple, between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it
on the north side of the new altar. He told Uriah the priest, “Use the new
altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, and the burnt offerings of
all the people, as well as their grain offerings and liquid offerings. Sprinkle
the blood from all the burnt offerings and sacrifices on the new altar. The
bronze altar will be for my personal use only.” Uriah the priest did just as
King Ahaz commanded him.
Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable
water carts. He also removed the great bronze basin called the Sea from
the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement. In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been
constructed inside the palace for use on the Sabbath day, as well as the
king’s outer entrance to the Temple of the Lord.
The rest of the events in Ahaz’s reign and everything he did are recorded
in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. When Ahaz died, he was
buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah
became the next king.
Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King
Ahaz’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years. He did what was
evil in the Lord’s sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel
who ruled before him.
King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced
to pay heavy tribute to Assyria. But Hoshea stopped paying the annual
tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of
Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria’s power. When the king of Assyria
discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison.