attending the services on Sabbaths and feast days. Connected with it would be a private "entrance"

to this stand from, or through, the "outer" court (comp. Ezekiel 46:1, 2). We further conjecture that

in view of a possible visit of, or in deference to, the king of Assyria, Ahaz now "turned the

covered Sabbath place and the entrance of the king, the outer one, to the house of Jehovah," that

is, that he removed both into the sanctuary itself, probably within the porch. We regard it as a

further part of these alterations when, in 2 Chronicles 28:24, by the side of the notice, that Ahaz

"broke u p the vessels of the house of God," we find it stated that he "shut up the doors of the

house of Jehovah." This implies that the services within the Holy Place were now wholly

discontinued. Thus the worship would be confined to the sacrificial services at the new altar; while

the transference into the Temple porch of the king's stand and of the entry to it, would not only

bring them close to the new altar, but also assign to them a more prominent and elevated position

than that previously occupied. We can readily understand that all such changes in the worship of

Judah, and the pre -eminent position in it assigned to the king, would be in accordance with the

views, the practice, and the wishes of the king of Assyria, however contrary to the spirit and the

institutions of the Mosaic law.

After this we do not wonder to read that Ahaz "made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem," nor

yet that "in every several city of Judah he made high places [bamoth] to burn incense unto other

gods" (2 Chronicles 28:24, 25) . What influence all this must have had on a people already given to

idolatry will readily be perceived. Indeed, Holy Scripture only gives us a general indication of the

baneful changes made in the public religious institutions of the country. Of the king's private

bearing in this respect, we only catch occasional glimpses, such, for example, as in the significant

later reference to "the altars" which he had reared "on the roof" of the Aliyah* or "upper chamber"

in the Temple, no doubt for the Assyrian wors hip of the stars (Jeremiah 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5).

* It has been surmised that this Aliyah had been constructed by Ahaz on one of the buildings in

the Temple court (for the latter comp. Jeremiah 35:4). But may it not have been on the Aliyah over

the Holy and Most Holy Places (1 Kings 6:17-20), and may there not be some connection between

this also and the change in the king's Sabbath-stand, and in his entry to it?

CHAPTER 8 - AHAZ, (TWELFTH) KING OF JUDAH, PEKAH (NINETEENTH), HOSHEA,

(TWENTIETH) KING OF ISRAEL

Import of the Changes introduced by Ahaz - Purpose of the Syro -Israelitish League - Taking of

Elath, Success of Rezin, and Victory of Pekah - Siege of Jerusalem - Appeal to Assyria -Message

of Isaiah - Withdrawal of the Allies - Danger from Assy ria - The Prophet Oded and Liberation of

the Judaean Captives - Lessons of it - The Name Shear Yashub - Assyrian March upon Israel -

Capture and Annexation of Naphtali - Further Campaign - Taking of Samaria - Revolution, and

Murder of Pekah -Succession of Hoshea - Transportation of Israelites - Siege and Capture of

Damascus - Death of Rezin - Cessation of the Syrian Power. (2 KINGS 15:29, 30; 16; 2

CHRONICLES 28)

A RELIGIOUS change so complete as that which has been described might seem incredible if it

had been sudden, or we were left in ignorance of its deeper causes. In truth, it was no less than a

systematic attempt to substitute a complicated heathenism for the religion of the Old Testament. If

its institutions had any deeper spiritual import, everything in them must have been symbolic.

Hence, every alteration would necessarily destroy the symmetry, the harmony, and with them the

meaning of all. To substitute for the altar of burnt-offering one after the heathen pattern was not

only to infringe on the Divinely prescribed order, but to destroy its symbolism. More than this, it

was to interfere with, and in a sense to subvert, the institution of sacrifices, which formed the

central part in the religion of Israel. Again, to close the doors of the Holy and M ost Holy Places*