In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 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. 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. 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
Day 182 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my study of the prophecies of Isaiah. God continues to use Isaiah to judge all nations - see also my post yesterday; this morning we see God judging Edom (Isaiah 21, 34), Arabia (Isaiah 21), and Tyre (Isaiah 23) - see map.
We also see Ahaz's downfall in Judah and Hezekiah assumes the throne. Ahaz does not trust and depend on the Lord but instead has allowed himself and Judah to become dependent on Assyria and this leads to worship of foreign Gods.
In contrast we see Hezekiah's rule as a return to love of the Lord:
[Hezekiah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan). Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. 2 Kings 18:3-7, 2 Chronicles 29:2
I am reminded this morning how dangerous it can be to depend on others more than I depend on God.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me and gives me life to the full! Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such love. I worry and I have other sins. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
