Ahaz, the evil king of Judah, "Took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord", and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria, to hire him to fight against Judah's enemies. How little he regarded the things of the Lord!  Ahaz also desecrated the holy Temple, with his import of an altar built to a pattern seen in Damascus. He even converted a part of the temple to become a place for the king of Assyria.

V.2 Ahaz did not do right in the sight of God and his subsequent evil acts are catalogued. 

V.5 Yahweh prophesied, through Isaiah, that Rezin and Pekah would not overcome Ahaz in war (Isa 7:4-7). 

The sign that Ahaz was given contains duel prophecies (Isa 7:14-16).  In the more immediate historical setting, we are told that before this child is old enough to reason morally, the two offending kings, Rezin and Pekah would be destroyed (Isa 7:16).  The child, here, is Isaiah's son Shear-jashub (Isa 7:3).

Pekah reigned 752-732 BC and then was assassinated (2Kin 15:27,30); Rezin died when Damascus was destroyed.  Tilgath-pileser attacked both their kingdoms (Aram and Israel; and Damascus, which was destroyed in 732 BC). 

Both of these events occurred within 12 years of the prophecy's being given.  In Judaism, one is considered to have reached moral understanding at 12 years of age.  This complies with Isa 7:16 cf. Luke 2:42. 

The second reference, in Isaiah's prophecy, belongs to the future when Jesus will, ultimately, save His nation Israel (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23).

16:3  Whereas Ahaz’s sons were made to pass through the fire Ahaz should hav ebeen teaching them the law of God – Deut 6:7 – but as Ahaz was not learning from God but rather from the kings of Israel’s behaviour it was not surprising that he was teaching his sons error. We must guard to ensure that we are being instructed by God for if we are not then we will be unable to instruct our sons and daughters.

16:2-3 Ahaz, a son of David, is presented as using another as his role model – the kings of Israel. We need to watch carefully who is our role model. So often the things that those in the world do see so attractive. If we think we are not affected just think how easily we remember the catch phrases of those in the entertainment industry.

V.11 Ahaz had Urijah (Uriah), the priest, build an altar, of Syrian design, on which to sacrifice to the gods of Syria.  He also sacrificed to the same pagan gods on the altar of Yahweh (v.15). 

Ahaz was a wicked king, but, the attitude of Urijah was more disappointing.  He complied with Ahaz rather than challenging him on the wrongness of his actions. 

As apprentice priests, of Christ, we have to challenge error when we see it, even in our own house (Rev 1:6; 5:10).

16:1 The conjunction of the ‘seventieth year of Pekah’ with the beginning of the reign of Ahaz provides us with a fixed point which we can use when developing our own list of the kings of Israel and Judah. This detail helps us to see which king was reigning in Judah when certain kings were reigning in Israel.

V.1 Ahaz means possessor.

V.3 Scripture condemns Ahaz (Lev 18:21; 20:2).

V.4 Ahaz is condemned again by scripture (Deut 12:2).

We should remember, that if one rejects God’s Word, he/she shall be judged by that Word (John 12:48).

V.9 Amos prophesied that the Arameans would be taken captive by the Assyrians and moved to Kir (Amos 1:5; 9:7).  Kir was a region between the Black and Caspian Seas (present-day Armenia, Kurgistan, or Georgia).

16:6 This ‘Rezin’ king of Syria is the ‘Rezin’ mentioned in Isa 7:1-8, 8:6, 9:11

v.4 - 5 The promise that the dead one would be laid down before the idols was to demonstrate that the idols could not save. You might get the kids to look for other places where this sort of thing happens. For example the way that Dagon fell down before the ark of the covenant.

v.8 The 'remnant' are those who sighed and cried for Jerusalem, in chapter 9.

v.12 the pestilence and the sword catch the curses of Deuteronomy 28.

v.13 And all the punishment is to show that Yahweh is the Lord. Again the kids might enjoy searching out other times when this sort of thing is said.

V.2 There is a close connection between the land and the people. In Lev 26 it is made plain that if the people were obedient, then the land would be blessed(v.4), whereas if the people were unfaithful to God the land would be made desolate(v.33). Judgement pronounced upon the land is an indication of the wicked state of the people in it.

V.14 Yahweh promises that Israel will be laid waste from north to south. 

The town Diblah should read Riblah which is a northern Syrian town bordering Babylon.  The Vulgate helps this understanding, and it was probably a copyist who made a mistake by putting D instead than R. And so the expression the wilderness toward Riblath literally means from the wilderness in the south to the border of Babylon in the north.  It is equivalent to the saying, in the time of Judges and Samuel, which described the extent of Israel as from Dan even to Beersheba (Judg 20:1).

6:7  Amidst all the words of warning about judgment we learn the reason for it all. God was concerned that Israel would recognise that He was Yahweh – their God. This was their problem. They would not recognise Him in their lives but He was concerned that they might worship Him so that they might be blessed.

6:3 ‘I will destroy your high places’ utilises the punishment that God said would come – Lev 26:30 – if Israel were faithless.

6:5 Laying ‘the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols’ is a fulfilment of Lev 26:30. The repeated use of the curses of Leviticus 26 should have alerted Israel to the fact that they were sinful and had chosen the curses that would come upon them if they were unfaithful.

V.5 Often found on tombstones, in the west, is the expression: Rest in Peace (R.I.P.).  In the ancient Near East, however, conquering armies were not so considerate of their enemy's dead.  The final insult, to the vanquished foe, was to break open their sepulchres and scatter the bones of the deceased on the ground.  Yahweh promised this treatment for His people because of their idolatry.

6:11-12 The ‘sword’ ‘famine’ an ‘pestilence’ catches what Ezekiel has already spoken – 5:12. So Ezekiel continues with the same warning against Israel. The objective? Not simply to warn them that they will be punished but rather to encourage them to repentance

V.8 Yahweh has, and always will, keep a remnant of His people because they bear witness to His being (Isa 44:8).

V.13 This pagan practice of worship amongst the trees continued right up to the modern era.  In fact, the Christmas tree is an offshoot (literally) of this practice. More will be said in December on this matter.

Notice the emphasis: "in every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak" (v13). Idolatry had completely permeated society. It's worth noticing that God would not have brought this terrible judgement on Israel and Judah if there was significant good left in it. That's not the way God works (see for example Gen 18:20-33). So we're being told here that idolatry had spread everywhere, like a cancer that couldn't be chopped out any more. God's comment on it is simply: "there was no remedy" (2Chron 36:14-21).

6:4 The breaking of Israel’s ‘images’ is a fulfilment of Lev 26:30

2:8 Shepherds abiding see                Micah 4:8
2:19 all these things and pondered       Genesis 37:11
2:29 let thy servant depart in peace     Genesis 46:30
2:30 I have seen thy salvation           Isaiah 52:10
2:32 A light to lighten the gentiles     Isaiah 42:6 etc:
2:40 and the child grew                  Judges 13:24
2:40 in spirit wisdom                    Isaiah 11:2
2:43 and his mother knew not             Judges 14:6
2:52 in favour with God and Man          Proverbs 3:4 1 Samuel 2:26

A point worth thinking about on this one is that Luke presents a number of events which are designed to show that the revelation of God is not to the mighty. On this occasion, when the high priest and all the priests are busying themselves about the Passover the Lord reveals His purpose to 'mere' farmers.
Notice, incidentally, that Luke does not record the visit of the wise men - this would not fit into the theme of God being manifest to the lowly.
Notice the way that language from the life of Samson is introduced. Whatever we think about Samson he was a man of faith - Hebrews 11 tells us this.

• What was the significance of Jesus being born in the place where animals were born, and being laid in a feeding trough?
• Why are the shepherds the only Israelites that are informed of the birth?
• In v23, the law is quoted for the firstborn who was to be wholy given over to the Lord. In Exodus 13v2 we find that God required the firstborn of every animal to be His, including humans. In v15 we find the additional information that it actually meant killing them! The chapter gives a facility for redeeming a valuable ass with a less valuable lamb - but not for redeeming a man child! Why is this?

V.1 Caesar Augustus was originally Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus, the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar. When Augustus' father died, he was adopted by Julius Caesar.  Augustus was simply a title meaning reverend one which was given to Octavianus by the Roman senate.

V.14 Every Christmas the apostate churches go gaga over the birth of Christ with their crèche displays of the nativity scene.  They love to cite and sing about this verse without understanding its meaning.  They naïvely believe that somehow this baby has brought peace to the world.  The Lord, himself, denies this: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matt 10:34 NIV). 

Much bloodshed has been wrought over the centuries, in the name of Jesus, by the apostasy. The Lord will ultimately bring peace when he returns, puts down His enemies, and reigns in His kingdom (Isa 9:6,7; 1Cor 15:25,26). 

However, most churches deny the scripture because they do not believe in the kingdom on earth, but rather have given themselves over to the pagan notion of immortal souls.

A corner stone of the true Gospel is the kingdom (Acts 8:12), and true believers should hold on tenaciously to its hope.  Therefore, true believers should never engage in any pagan rituals associated with Christmas, as their significance runs counter to the tenets of the Truth.  More will be said on this topic in December.

2:7  Various pieces of language used around the time of Jesus' birth are also used around the time of his death.

wrapped him Matt 27:59

laid him Luke 23:53

inn Luke 22:11 guestchamber - same word

2:46 The way that Jesus is seen amazing the doctors of the law is a demonstration of the truth of Psa 119:100

V.8 indicates that the time of year was spring (lambing season, Feb./Mar.).  That is the reason the shepherds were in the field at night, protecting their flock.  This refutes the nonsense that Dec. 25th. (The pagan Roman feast day of Saturnalia) was the birth date of Jesus.

V.42 Twelve was the age of moral understanding in Judaism (see my note on today's 2 Kings 16 reading).

2:14   The angels saying ‘Glory to God in the highest’ is echoed by the common people – Luke 19:38 – at the time of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

2:9-10 We have already seen in verse 7 similar language to that which is fund around the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. Here are some more similarities in this verse.

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V.4 It is not likely that Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem very long before Jesus was born.  After the birth, Mary would have had to perform her days of purification according to the Law. The sequence would have run:

-eight days after birth, Jesus was circumcised (v.21 cf. Lev 12:3).

-Mary had thirty-three days of purification (v.22 cf. Lev 12:4).

After the days of purification, a burnt offering had to be made at the tabernacle (Lev 12:6-8).  In the case of Mary, that meant at the temple in Jerusalem (v.22).  Note that her offering of two birds, rather than a lamb, signified her state of poverty.

And so, from the time of Jesus' birth to the time of the departure to Jerusalem was 41 days.  During that time, Jesus was visited by the shepherds (vs.15,16) and the wise men (after Herod tried to recruit them for the young child's destruction) (Matt 2:1-9). Herod's attempts to kill Jesus, of course, were thwarted (Matt 2:12).

V.4 fulfils Mic 5:2

V.25 The consolation of Israel is a phrase that meant the redemption of Israel through its Messiah, which was long awaited by pious Jews. Simeon is derived from the Hebrew word shama which means hear.  The message about the Messiah had been heard and understood (vs.30-32).

V.32 See Isa 60:3.

V.36 Anna is a contraction of Hannah which means grace.

2:30 In recognising that he had ‘seen thy salvation’ Simeon, echoing Isa 52:10, is speaking of the fulfilment of Scripture.