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PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE

Introduction

At first glance, Abi would seem to be obscure and unimportant. However, God put her name in here for a reason.

As you look at the chronicling of the Kings of Judah and Israel, the mothers of the Kings are not always mentioned, but when they are it is usually in the same type context that we have here.

Following Abi’s name and that of her son here in Scripture is the significant phrase, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” That is a phrase repeated often in Kings and Chronicles in the lists of queen-mothers, as is the opposite phrase.

Who was Abi?

She was the daughter of Zechariah, wife of the wicked Ahaz, King of Judah, and the mother of a good king, Hezekiah, King of Judah.

I.          ABI WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ZECHARIAH.

            The closest Zechariah mentioned is the one mentioned in 2 Chronicles 26:5,

“And he (King Uzziah which was King Ahaz’s grandfather) sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God:. . .”

He was also one of the faithful witnesses that Isaiah used in Isaiah 8:2 to record part of the Word of God: “And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

            Zechariah’s name meant “Jehovah remembers” or “Jehovah is renowned.”

            Abi’s name meant “My father is Jehovah” or “The will of God.”

            So we see that Abi had a godly heritage and was given a godly name.

II.       ABI WAS THE WIFE OF THE WICKED KING AHAZ. 

            Understand that her marriage to Ahaz was probably a traditional arranged marriage.

            Abi had little, if anything, to say in the matter if it was arranged by her father.

Ahaz turned out to be a wicked king who despoiled the Temple and set up altars for idol worship.

According do Dr. Herbert Lockyer’s book, “All The Men Of The Bible,” Ahaz’s name was originally Jehoahaz according to an Assyrian inscription that bore his name. Jeoahaz meant “Jehovah hath seized or sustains.” Ahaz is what was commonly used by him and is what was found on the seal ring of one of his courtiers.

It is believed that the consistent omission of the first part of the name “Jeho,” meaning “Jehovah” was deliberate because of the abhorrent apostasy of Ahaz.

            Ahaz was a Benjamite of the family of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:35-36; 9:41-42)

Ahaz was the son of Jotham, who was also a king of Judah. Ahaz became the eleventh king of Judah and reigned for sixteen years. (2 Kings 16)

He was not like his father, Jotham, who for the most part, did that which was right in the sight of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 27:2; 2 Kings 15:33-35)

Did Jotham’s compromise affect his son? I believe this is very possibly, but we are not told.

Did Ahaz’s mother not have a positive effect on her son? We are not told, but she is not mentioned. It is interesting that his father’s mother is mentioned and his son’s mother is mentioned, but his mother is not. It could be she that she did not have much of an influence or that her influence was even negative.

Was it possible that the religious vices of Ahaz stemmed from both a corrupt nation and a corruptness that was found in the temple worship? (Isaiah 1:1ff)

            Could Isaiah 1:23 be possibly speaking of Ahaz?

Isaiah’s first evangelistic announcement of the coming of Emmanuel was made to King Ahaz. The prophet sent a message to the terrified Ahaz, but he would not turn to God and trust His deliverance. In order to help restore the faith of the wavering king, Isaiah urged Ahaz to ask for a sign from Jehovah, but he refused and rejected the message of hope and paid the consequences thereof. (Isaiah 7)

            Let’s detail the wickedness of Ahaz who was 20 years old when he began to reign:

            1.         “He did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God.”

                        (2 Kings 16:2; 2 Chronicles 28:1)

            2.         He walked in the way of the kings of Israel. (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 17:2)

                        Jehoram– 2 Kings 8:18 (Who walked in the ways of Ahab)

                        Ahaziah–2 Kings 8:27

                        Joash–2 Chronicles 24:17-22 (Killed the priest Zechariah who spoke truth)

            3.         He made molten images for Baalim. (2 Chronicles 28:2)

Baal was the chief god worshiped by the people of Canaan. Baalim is the plural for Baal and shows that Baal was probably worshiped under different compounds.

The Israelites were continually tempted to worship Baal instead of the true God of Heaven. The worship of Baal was frequently connected with immorality, which is one of the reasons the Israelites were so sorely tempted in this direction. The Devil used and still uses the lust of the flesh to draw men away from God.

            4.         “He made his son to pass through the fire.” (2 Kings 16:3)

“He burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 28:3)

This was a common practice of the Ammonites and other native pagan Canaanite nations that Israel under Joshua had only partially driven out of the land.

It was a practice that God had specifically commanded against in Leviticus 18:21– “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.”

Could Abi possibly have saved Hezekiah from a similar fate at the hands of his Father? We aren’t told, but it is highly possible.

            5.         “He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.” (2 Kings 16:4; 2 Chronicles 28:4)

            6.         He robbed the house of the LORD for his own purposes.

                        (2 Kings 16:8; 2 Chronicles 28:21, 24)

            7.         He sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus. (2 Chronicles 28:22-23)

            8.         He brought Judah low. (2 Kings 28:5, 19, 23)

III.      ABI WAS THE MOTHER OF GOOD KING HEZEKIAH. (2 Chronicles 29:1-3)

The name Hezekiah means, “Strong in the Lord.” No doubt, his mother Abi had much to say in the choice of such a name reflecting, as it did, her confidence in Jehovah.

Out of this wickedness, Abi managed to raise a son who did that which was right in the sight of the LORD from the very first year of his reign. That one thing, I believe, sheds some light on Abi’s character.

Her name is mentioned by God just prior to mentioning that he did right. I don’t think that it is that way for no reason at all. I believe Abi had a hand in Hezekiah being what he was.

            Let’s look at the life of Hezekiah and see what Abi’s influence yielded:

            1.         Hezekiah “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.” (2 Kings 18:3; 2 Chronicles 29:2)

            2.         “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made.” (2 Kings 18:4)

            3.         “He. . .opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.” And he brought in the priests and the Levites to sanctify themselves and to sanctify the house of the LORD and to clean up the filthiness.(2 Chr. 29:3-4)

            4.         He restored the sacrifices and the worship. (2 Chronicles 29:21-36)

            5.         “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.” (2 Kings 18:5-6)

“And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.” (2 Chronicles 31:20)

            6.         “And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled

                         against the king of Assyria, and served him not.”(2 Kings 18:7)

“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” (2 Chronicles 31:21)

            7.         Hezekiah was not without fault.

                        a.         His Humility. (2 Kings 20:1-11)

The LORD added 15 years to his life. As a sign to Hezekiah that He was going to do this, the Lord made the shadow on the sundial go back by ten degrees.

                        b.        His Pride.       (2 Kings 20:12-219; Chronicles 32:24-26)

Conclusion

It is a credit to Abi that her son was of such character. In spite of the idolatry and wickedness of Ahaz, Abi, true to her name, clung to the Fatherhood of God and sought to do His will and sought the will of God for her son.

She undoubtedly was able to counteract any evil influence of Ahaz over the young Hezekiah.

With a heart for the God about whom he had learned a great deal from his noble mother, Hezekiah brought about a mighty, national, religious revival.

There are many mothers like Abi in the world who have godless husbands but good, Christian children.

Unfortunately, the reverse is also true for there are those women who have godly husbands but have ungodly children.

We must not minimize the importance of a godly life and influence in the lives of our children and grandchildren.

May God help us to be the parents and grandparents that we need to be for the sake of our children, our church, and our nation.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD