Definition: And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire [by].

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this passage from 2 Kings 16:15. It's a pretty complex and somewhat mysterious verse, but we can understand its core meaning in simple terms. Here’s what it says: “And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burned offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire [by].” Let's unpack that a bit: “King Ahaz commanded Urijah…”: This tells us who is speaking – it’s King Ahaz, a ruler in ancient Israel. “…saying, Upon the great altar burn…”: He’s giving a specific instruction to his priest (Urijah) – to perform a ritual sacrifice on a special altar. “the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering…”: This is the core of the command. It’s outlining what kind of offerings are required. It's a specific pattern – three types of sacrifices: Morning Burned Offering: A sacrifice performed at sunrise. Evening Meat Offering: A sacrifice performed at sunset. King's Burnt Sacrifice: A special sacrifice made by the king himself, representing his authority and power. The "meat offering" is likely a portion of the people's food or livestock. “with the burned offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings;” This means he needs to include everything that people in the land offered – food, livestock, and even drinks. “and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice:” The crucial part! It's saying that every drop of blood from the sacrificial offerings must be sprinkled over the altar. This is a very important detail – it’s indicating a ritualistic cleansing and purification process. “and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire [by].” This is where it gets really intriguing. "Brasen" is a Hebrew word that means “special” or “private.” So, King Ahaz is asking Urijah to examine the altar in detail – to understand its significance and purpose. He wants to know what this altar is for and how to interpret the ritual. Overall Meaning & Context: This verse points to a troubling situation: King Ahaz was engaging in idolatry (worshipping false gods) and being plagued by evil spirits. This act of sacrifice, while seemingly formal, was likely intended as a way to appease these forces and maintain his power. The emphasis on the blood – the “blood of the burnt offering” – suggests a deep and potentially dangerous ritualistic practice. Why is this important? This passage highlights the importance of proper worship and the consequences of straying from God's path. It’s a warning about the dangers of idolatry and the need for careful religious practices. --- Do you want me to: Explain any part of the verse in more detail? Connect this passage to other biblical stories or themes (like judgment, repentance, or divine punishment)? Discuss what the "blood" might symbolize in a broader sense?