God's Response To Ahaz's Faith: A Divine Intervention

King Ahaz of Judah was a wicked king who did not trust God. Instead of trusting God, he chose to worship the gods of his defeated enemies. He made idols and sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree, and worshipped the false god Baal. He even burned his children in the fire.

When Syria and Israel threatened the nation of Judah and its capital Jerusalem, King Ahaz was worried. God sent his prophet Isaiah to talk to Ahaz and tell him that he didn't need to fear these two kings. Through Isaiah, God told Ahaz that he could ask for a sign to prove that God was with him and that his power was real. However, Ahaz refused, saying that he would not test God. Instead, he sought protection from Assyria and sent a large sum of money to the king of Assyria.

Ahaz's refusal to seek a sign from God

In this narrative, God urges Ahaz to "ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights". However, Ahaz refuses, stating that he will "not put the Lord to the test". This refusal is particularly significant given the context of great distress for Ahaz, with the Syro-Israelite armies encircling Jerusalem.

Ahaz's refusal has been interpreted in various ways. Some commentators suggest that Ahaz did not truly trust in God and instead relied on political alliances and military power for protection. This interpretation is supported by Ahaz's subsequent actions, where he sought protection from Assyria and sent a large sum of money to the Assyrian king. Ahaz's refusal to seek a sign from God has also been seen as a lack of faith or even as a rejection of God's invitation to prove His trustworthiness and power.

Another perspective on Ahaz's refusal is that he was concerned about putting God to the test, as he quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 in his response. However, this could be seen as a false pious excuse, as seeking help from God in times of need is not considered testing Him.

Regardless of Ahaz's motivations, his refusal to seek a sign from God had significant consequences. Despite Ahaz's lack of faith, God still provided a sign through the prophet Isaiah, foretelling the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Ahaz's idolatry

Ahaz was an evil king of Judah who ruled from 735 to 715 BC. He was only 20 when he ascended the throne and continued the idolatrous practices of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He burned his children in the fire, sacrificing them to the false god Baal. He also encouraged moral decline in Judah and was continually unfaithful to God.

When Syria and Israel threatened Judah, Ahaz was afraid. God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell Ahaz that he didn't need to fear these two kings, and that he should trust in God. God even offered to perform a sign to strengthen Ahaz's faith. However, Ahaz refused, saying, "I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord".

Instead, Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, asking for help and sending him gold and silver from God's temple. Tiglath-pileser agreed to help and attacked Damascus, killing King Rezin. Ahaz then went to Damascus, where he sacrificed to the gods of the city. He was so impressed by the altar there that he sent plans of it to the priest back in Jerusalem, telling him to make an exact copy. He then made offerings on this new altar and moved the original altar of the Lord. He also removed the royal entryway of the temple and the Sabbath canopy and cut up the temple furnishings. He placed altars at every street corner in Jerusalem and high places for worshipping false gods in every city in Judah.

Ahaz's lack of faith

Ahaz's refusal to seek a sign from God and his adoption of pagan worship practices had dire consequences for Judah. God delivered the nation into the hands of Syria and Israel, resulting in the deaths of many people and the captivity of others. Ahaz's lack of faith ultimately led to the decline of Judah and the worship of false gods.

Ahaz's rejection of God's offer

Ahaz was king of Judah, and he had not been taught to worship the true God. Instead, he followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who had neglected or refused to serve God. Ahaz made idols and sacrificed his own children, going against God's wishes.

When Syria and Israel threatened Judah, Ahaz was afraid. God sent the prophet Isaiah to assure Ahaz that he had nothing to fear, and that the two kings plotting against him would not succeed. God told Ahaz to ask for a sign to prove that He was with him and that his power was real. God emphasised that there would be no limits on the sign Ahaz could request.

However, Ahaz refused, saying, "I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!" (Isaiah 7:12). Ahaz quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, which states, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." But Ahaz was not expressing faith; he was being stubborn. He had already made up his mind to put his faith in the powerful Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser, instead of God. He did not want to be distracted by supernatural displays of God's power and wanted to produce the answer himself.

Ahaz took silver and gold from God's temple and sent it as a gift to Tiglath-Pileser, making Judah a subject nation to Assyria. He went to Damascus to meet the Assyrian king and saw an altar that he liked, so he sent the design to the priest Urijah, instructing him to build an identical one. Ahaz sacrificed on this new altar and even served as a priest himself, disregarding God's command that a king must not serve as a priest.

Ahaz's actions show a lack of faith in God and a rejection of His offer of help and protection. Instead, Ahaz put his trust in himself and in man, leading to disastrous consequences for Judah.

Ahaz's trust in Assyria

Ahaz's reign began with a coalition formed by northern Israel, under King Pekah, and Damascus (Syria), under King Rezin. These kings wanted Ahaz to join them in opposing the Assyrians, who were arming a force against the Northern Kingdom under Tiglath-pileser III (Pul).

Through the prophet Isaiah, God counselled Ahaz to trust in Him rather than foreign allies, and told him to ask for a sign to confirm that this was a true prophecy (Isaiah 7:11). Ahaz refused, saying he would not test God (Isaiah 7:12). Isaiah replied that Ahaz would have a sign whether he asked for it or not, and the sign would be the birth of a child, whose mother would call him Immanuel, meaning "God-with-us" (Isaiah 7:13-14).

Instead of trusting in God, Ahaz called on the Assyrians for help. Tiglath-pileser sacked Damascus and annexed Aram, and Ahaz furnished auxiliaries to Tiglath-pileser. This appeal to Assyria met with stern opposition from Isaiah, who continued to counsel Ahaz to rely on the Lord.

Ahaz yielded to the prestige of the Assyrians in religion as well as in politics. He went to Damascus to swear homage to Tiglath-pileser and his gods, and he was impressed by an altar he saw there. He had a similar one made in Jerusalem and made it a permanent feature of the Temple worship. He also introduced foreign religious practices into the land, including the worship of foreign gods in Solomon's temple, and he engaged in corrupt worship practices, even burning his own son as an offering (2 Kings 16:1-4).

Ahaz's government is considered by the Deuteronomistic historian as having been disastrous for the religious state of the country, and much of the reforming work of his son and successor, Hezekiah, was aimed at undoing the evil that Ahaz had done.

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