THE EVILS OF KING AHAZ
King Ahaz ignored the Lord's message through Isaiah.
Because of this, he did what was displeasing to the Lord.
King Ahaz was a hypocrite. He refused to put the Lord to
test upon Isaiah's request and later went on to do what the Lord hated.
King Ahaz sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering to
idols as he copied the disgusting practice of the people whom the Lord had
driven out as his people advanced.
The king built pagan places of worship on the hills and
under every shady tree of Jerusalem. In these places, King Ahaz offered
sacrifices and burnt incense.
King Ahaz entered into an alliance with the Assyrian
emperor, Tiglath Pileser despite warnings from prophet Isaiah. This made him to
give away the independence of Judah to a pagan nation.
King Ahaz paid tribute to the emperor of Assyria. He sent
to the emperor the silver and gold he had taken from the temple and the palace
treasury as a present.
King Ahaz ordered the priest of Judah, Uriah to build an
altar in the fashion of Syria in Jerusalem. He saw this model when he had gone
to meet the emperor of Assyria who had now taken over Damascus.
King Ahaz changed the position of the Lord's altar to
give way to his pagan worship. He had the bronze altar dedicated to the Lord
moved to the north side of his new temple.
King Ahaz was more interested in pleasing the Assyrian
emperor than the Lord. It was for this reason that he removed from the temple
the platform for the royal throne and closed up the king's private entrance to
the temple.
King Ahaz was involved in the practice of divination. He
ordered the bronze altar to be kept for him to use for divination. However,
this was a practice the Lord had forbidden among his people as they were on
their way to the Promised Land (Deut. 18: 1 0).
King Ahaz misled the people of Judah into pagan and
foreign religious practices. He made them to sacrifice on the pagan altar he
had built.
King Ahaz integrated the Assyrian pagan ways of worship with
that of Judah. This was religious syncretism which was forbidden.
King Ahaz lacked trust in God's power and protection.
Upon Jerusalem being attacked and besieged, he sought help from the emperor of
Assyria to rescue him from the kings of Syria and Israel.
King Ahaz was unrepentant as he continued with his sinful
ways despite warnings from prophet Isaiah.
King Ahaz abandoned theocracy for he chose to serve the
Assyrian emperor instead of serving the Lord.
King Ahab continued with his friendship with Assyria
despite Isaiah's call for him to refrain from it. This was an act of
disobedience.
King Ahaz acted cowardly for he was so terrified and
trembled as he was told that the armies of Syria were already in Israel.
Revision Questions
1.
Discuss the areas of disagreement
between prophet Isaiah and king Ahaz.
2.
Examine prophet Isaiah I s response to
the sins of king Ahaz.