“God never gave His law to the Gentiles (Psalm 147:19, 20), but the demands of that law are written in the hearts of all people (Romans 2:12–16), so disobedient Gentiles (anyone not a Hebrew of Jewish ancestry) are also guilty before the Lord. As you read the Old Testament, you find God judging Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16—19:29), Egypt (Exodus 7:1—11:10; 12:28–51; 14:1–31), the Gentile nations in and around Canaan (Numbers 31–32; Joshua 5:13—12:24), and even Babylon (Jeremiah 50–51). Because the Jews knew the true and living God and had the witness of His law, however, they were even more accountable. How tragic that enlightened Judah showed no concern about obeying God’s message. Judah had the temple, the law, and the priesthood, but they didn’t have the Lord. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance” (Ps. 33:12).”    —Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

King Ahaz, like everyone God has created, wants to worship. Who he chooses to worship affects the entire nation of Judah.  Created to worship. we often fall for the closest idols and distracting riches of others who seem to be more powerful, engaging, and even, dare I say, entertaining.  This thinking leads to ungodly behaviors which are indeed testable to God and grieves His Spirit.  King Ahaz essentially prostituted himself and the nation of Judah to the King of Assyria in his worship of their idols. The king of Judah essentially bonded them as slaves to the nation of Assyria. Ah, but that’s not all…read on!

2 Kings 16

Ahaz King of Judah

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. ² Ahaz 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 his God. ³ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵ Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. ⁶ At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

⁷ Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” ⁸ And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. ⁹ The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

¹⁰ Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. ¹¹ So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. ¹² When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it. ¹³ He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar. ¹⁴ As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

¹⁵ King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” ¹⁶ And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

¹⁷ King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. ¹⁸ He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁰ Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN, HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Over and over, we are repeatedly warned throughout God’s Word, His Story, to “guard our hearts”. God’s prophets and then His Son, Jesus tell us to watch out!  Don’t be distracted by the Deceiver whose goal is destroy our faith and capture our souls! 

We are created to worship so we must worship. Who or what we choose to worship can make us or break us.  Take a minute and think about what happens daily in our lives. We are bombarded with messages of what to buy, who to follow and be like among famous people who are trending currently, what to acquire and invest our time and efforts in, how to dress for success, how to feel and behave so we will be acceptable in the community.  If we need help; there are medications to help us be who the world wants us to be!  (Some do need medications in severe circumstances but most take pills to escape realty.)  When we do what the world tells us to be and do; we are basically conforming to all this world has to offer!  This is worship of the world.

God’s number one commandment says, “Worship God only.”  Do not conform to this world but to His ways.  There IS a difference!  Jesus came to demonstrate that difference and teach His followers and devoted disciples how to live the difference while passing the difference on to others! The difference is living as citizens in and of the Kingdom of our Most Holy God! (See Luke 4:8, Romans 12:1-2; 2, 2 Timothy 2:22 for a few references, there are more!) Surrender to God is the key to living the difference for God as a form of worship to God.

Ahaz was not devoted to the faithful worship of Jehovah, so this altar probably was copied simply to satisfy his pride. Imagine him saying, “Oh, I love that, let’s do that in our temple in Judah!”  Oh church, we are so easily distracted by shiny, seemingly effect programs of other churches and miss the ministry God is doing in us! We try to copy what God has called others to do without asking God what he wants us to be and do in His Name, for His glory! It’s all about God!  Trust and obey God!

Ahaz vowed to have a royal altar like the one in Damascus! Consequently, the God-designed altar of the Lord was shoved to one side. Ahaz took wealth from the temple, the palace, and the princes. King Ahaz made Judah a bonded nation as slaves under the control and protection of Assyria. Ahaz had no living faith in the Lord and put his trust in the army of Assyria instead, and this cost him dearly.

Ahaz thought that the Lord would be pleased with sacrifices offered on this magnificent new altar, but he was wrong. The Lord doesn’t want sacrifice. He wants obedience (1 Sam. 15:22, 23), and Ahaz worshiped the gods of the heathen nations (2 Chronicles 28:23).

Once we allow worldliness to get into the church fellowship, it will quietly grow, pollute the fellowship, and eventually take over. Ahaz defiled the temple with his “new and improved altar of sacrifice which included a floor show.  It was not until the reign of his son Hezekiah that the Temple was reopened and sanctified for ministry (2 Chronicles 29:1–36).

Therefore, King Ahaz left a legacy of evil.  The unbelief and unfaithfulness of this king did great damage to the kingdom of Judah.  But, his son Hezekiah would be able to repair this damage because he “did good in the eyes of the Lord”!

There are two choices of worship: God or Evil. Choose wisely today—A difference will be made when we choose God to worship, love, trust, and obey!  It is not the good things we do but who we love and serve as we worship the One, True Living God!

Lord,

I choose you because you first chose me.  I worship you this morning with all that is in me. I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  In you, alone, is real Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen