Ahaz the Hazardous

1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. 3He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

5Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus..

22In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

24Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

Thoughts: Ahaz and his grandson, Manasseh were perhaps the most wicked kings in the history of Judah.  They both not only forsook the Lord, they brough pagan worship into Judah, promoting it.  They both practiced child sacrifice, a detestable thing to the Lord.  Ahaz locked the doors to the Temple and tried to destroy the furnishings of the Temple.  He was trying to make a deal with Baalzebub- the God of Ekron and Syria.  But you can't make a deal with the devil without it coming back to bite you. 
     There are people today, some near us, who will look to every other god and every other thing as a source of happiness.  But they will not find peace until they turn to the Lord.  They are "Looking for love in all the wrong places."  

Prayer: Lord, help me to look to you as my helper and my God.  Help me to remember your great love for me.  

8/2/13- Giving up in Trouble

22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.  (2 Chronicles 28:22-25)

If you falter in a time of trouble,
    how small is your strength! (Proverbs 24:10)

Thoughts: Some fall away during times of trouble.  Maybe they fall when there is an illness, or they lose their job, or wreck their car, or lose their house, or break up in a relationship, or there is a death in the family.  It is not faith to believe when things are going well.  It takes real faith to believe when things are tough- when the Lord is on the cross, or when we are on our own crosses.  But faith teaches us- and only faith teaches us- that troubles will definitely not last forever.  It is not just that trouble ends in the "peace" of death.  Trouble is blessed by God in heaven - as He was able to turn the cross into a resurrection.  

    Ahaz gave up on the Lord and followed the gods of his enemies.  In the end, even the normally vassal Edomites invaded Israel.  Ahaz never really gave the Lord a chance.  He was nominally a believer, but there is no record he really sought God at all.
    Ironically, soon after Ahaz's death, his son Hezekiah restored the kingdom. The small army of Judah defeated the Assyrian army with the Lord's help.  The Lord could have delivered Ahaz but he no longer trusted in the Lord.  When Ahaz forsook God, he forsook his strength.  Some say that because bad things happen to good people they do not need to follow a God who says He is good all the time and able to help.  Either, they say God is not good or God is good and unable to help.  But faith believes both in the goodness and the power of God.  Trouble will always come in life.  But God is there to strengthen our hearts.  Marx once said that faith is a crutch.  But the problem is we are all crippled, and those without a crutch are left helpless and hopeless. 

Prayer: Let me not forsake you on my cross, Lord.  Give me the grace, patience and hope I need.  For those who fall, use me to be an encourager that they may get back up again.