For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel.
The sin of Ahaz
I. I would draw attention to some special points in the history of ahaz.
1. The king himself was peculiarly the transgressor.
2. The people also were transgressors.
3. Mark the special sins enumerated in the history.
(1) There was idolatry.
(2) He substituted an altar of a strange pattern for the altar of the Lord God of hosts.
(3) He trusted in an arm of flesh (verses 16 and 21).
(4) He attempted to gain his object by conciliating the false gods and disparaging the true God.
4. Mark the consequences of all this: national desolation and ruin.
II. Let us see how far our present circumstances as a nation are parallel to those here presented.
III. Two practical questions.
1. What can be done with our rulers?
2. What can be done with our people? (J. C. Goodhart, M.A.)