2 Kings 16:1

2 Kings 16:1 says, In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.  Ahaz, Jotham's son, began to reign in Judah in the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah in Israel.  Kings in both countries continued to come and go, just as rulers in the world and the church do today.  Some are good and some are bad.  This doesn't determine how long they will rule, though.  Verse two adds, Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.  Ahaz was twenty when he began to reign and was only thirty-six when his reign ended.  The sixteen years he did rule, he didn't do what was right in God's sight as David had done.  Though David is referred to as his father, Ahaz was just a descendant of David.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, God is our Heavenly Father, and not just some ancestor from long ago.  As Christians, no matter where in history we lived when we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are all brothers and sisters spiritually.  Verse three continues, But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.  Ahaz followed the practices if the people of Israel, worshipping idols and following the ways of people that God had cast out Israel.  He even made his son pass through fire to show his dedication to these idols.  We cannot allow things that are forbidden by God to come back into our lives as Christians, and we certainly should never lead our children into idolatry.  Verse four states, And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.  Ahaz made sacrifices and burnt incense not only in the high places, but on the hills and under every green tree.  There was a ritualistic devotion to worship, but there was no real worship of God.  People may devotedly worship everywhere they are today, but if they are not worshipping God, it is of no value.  Verse five adds, Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.  Rezin, the king of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel went to war against Ahaz, but they could not defeat him.  None of these kings was acting under God's guidance, even though two of them professed to be king of His people.  As Christians, we are God's people, and we must always act under His guidance through the leadership of the Holy Spirit if we are to be successful spiritually.  Verse six adds,  At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.  Rezin did retake Elath, which Amaziah had taken from the Syrians.  If we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, no one will ever take anything from us spiritually that God has given us by faith.  Verse seven says, So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.  Ahaz then appealed to the king of Assyria to come and save him from the kings of Syria and Israel.  He should have repented and looked to God for help, just as we as Christians must do today if we are going to be able to overcome the sins of this world.  Verse eight adds, And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.  Ahaz attempted to buy the help of the king of Assyria with the silver and gold from the temple, or things belonging to God, as well as from his own treasure.  We should never attempt to buy protection from the world as Christians, but we should always just look to God by faith.  We certainly should never use things belonging to God in an attempt to buy protection from the evil in the world.  Verse nine continues, And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.  The king of Assyria listened to Ahaz, and went to war with Israel and Syria, and he took Damascus, carried the people away captive, and killed Rezin.  Whenever we look to anything or anyone besides God to save us, we are going to be taken away captive by sin.  It is really bad if we as Christians align ourselves with the world and go to battle against other Christians.