2-Kings 16: Morals? Morals? Wherefore art thou morals?
2-Kings Part 16 of 25
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn’t do that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh his God, like David his father.
And so it goes…
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel.
It would be more correct to say ‘according to the abomination of Yahweh’. He caused all this.
4 He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 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.
Why are we forever hearing abour wars, killing, plagues, famines and hatred instead of people helping others and how to best accomplish that? Does this book know about anything other than negative examples? Where is the positive?
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and lived there, to this day.
No, not to this day at all. To your day maybe. That is one of the things about this idiot book. It is not meant for anyone other than the people of ‘that’ day. It doesn’t translate well to modern times.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your 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, who rise up against me.”
8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
That treasure sure gets around.
9 The king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.
10 King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and its pattern, according to all its workmanship.
An altar for which god?
11 Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Urijah the priest made it for the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus.
12 When the king had come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near to the altar, and offered on it.
13 He burnt his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, on the altar.
Must be Yahweh. Burnt offerings and blood are his trademark. 
14 The bronze altar, which was before Yahweh, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of Yahweh, and put it on the north side of his altar.
Yep, it’s him alright.
15 King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king’s burnt offering, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.”
Gross. Bloodthirsty. Barbaric. Delusional.
16 Urijah the priest did so, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17 King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the basin from off them, and took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stone.
18 The covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry outside, turned he to the house of Yahweh, because of the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20 Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
Sigh…