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 relative 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 Hezekia), 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)
