So Ahaz
sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant
and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from
the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” (v.7)
In our last chapter, two kings ruled Judah in relatively
stability for sixty-eight years. Now, with the rise of Ahaz, things take a turn
for the worse, and the impending danger for Judah can be seen on the horizon.
Scripture tells us that the kings of Aram and Israel marched
against Judah. Aram had already captured the important town of Elath, and now
Jerusalem was under siege. What did Ahaz do? Instead of turning to God for
help, Ahaz looked to the Assyrian king. Then he emptied the temple’s treasuries
in order to secure his “salvation” from “Father” Assyria. The ploy worked (for
the moment), but Ahaz’s actions clearly indicated a rejection of the true God
who saves.
When
the chips are down, in whom will you trust? The sin of Ahaz, and later repeated
by his son Hezekiah, was to place his trust in an alliance with an alien power
over the living God.
May our trust always be in the name of the Lord our God.
The
Truth
“Some
trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the
Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)
