2 Chronicles 28:23–24: “For [King Ahaz] sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.’ But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.”

October 15th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

According to 2 Kings 16, King Ahaz sacrificed on an altar designed to look like the altar to the false god Hadad that he had seen in Damascus. His words revealed his motive: “the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them.” Ahaz was willing to serve any god he felt would be advantageous to him. He was such an egoistical person that he really believed life was all about him, and he was only interested in what would bring him immediate, beneficial results. Selfishness starts early in every person’s life, and if not corrected, will become a life-long, habitual way of thinking. Ahaz so completely replaced the worship of the one true God with idol worship that he even closed the doors to the temple of God.

When we are faced with life’s difficulties, we all run the risk of being tempted to act like King Ahaz. When he saw the strength of the Assyrians coming against him, he decided it was impossible for him to defeat them. Fear tossed his heart like wind through the tops of trees in a wood, and it caused him to go to the wrong source for help. When fear and difficulties come rushing in on us today, we need to remember Peter’s words to Jesus: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

“LORD, where else can we go when You alone can save.”