2 Chronicles 28:22,23
‘Now during the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.’
The very thing the king was seeking had the opposite effect. He was trying to seek a god and to get his help. Unfortunately it was the wrong god. That very thing became his downfall and for the nation as well.
One could ask how he could be so clueless. He was Israel’s king. He should have had advisors to counsel him. We are not told that. Verse 19 says, “For the LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD.” He was strong in ungodliness. The more we go into darkness the more blind we become. Ephesians 4:18 says, “They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.”
They harden their hearts to God and their thinking is off. That’s what we see in king Ahaz. He thinks that sacrificing to the god of the victor would benefit him. The more we harden our hearts the more off our thinking gets. It reminds me of Pharaoh. He was pitted against an unbeatable foe, yet he continued down the road to destruction.
This will happen to a child of God as well. Fortunately we have the Holy Spirit who will try to get our attention to turn us around. Thank You Lord for that.
Lord, keep us from temptation and evil. Thank You for fighting for us.