2 Kings Chapter 16 – Would we walk in the way of our LORD?
If we set out on a journey, from the starting point to our destination, there are likely more than one path we can take. Based on the existing infrastructure, prevailing conditions and constraints we face e.g. time, budget, physical limitations, we may choose one route over another route.
On this Christian journey to our heavenly home, we too have to work with existing conditions, choose a good path with good routing (without many detours) and keep our faith. Enoch kept up his walk with God for the entire duration of his life of faith (Gen 5:22). Conversely, we read of the many kings of Israel and a number of the kings of Judah who did not. Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and king of Israel did not walk with God.
“He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.” (1 Kgs 22:52)
Which way would you choose?
In this chapter, we read of Judah king Ahaz’s choice. Despite his father, grandfather and great-grandfather being good kings, Ahaz took to the evil ways of the kings of Israel (v2-4).
“But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel.” (2 Kgs 16:3)
This was despite the fact that God was gracious to him in the beginning. When the kings of Syria and Israel joint forces to make war against Judah, they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him (v5). God’s mercy to king Ahaz was evident (Isa 7:1-9).
“… in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham…, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.” (Isa 7:1)
Through the prophets Isaiah and Micah, God promised help and grace toward the land of Judah and its people – house of David (Isa 7:14-16)
“For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.” (Isa 7:16)
Interestingly, or rather unfortunately, although Ahaz could not be overcome by the two kings who wanted to conquer him (through God’s promised protection), he went on to seek an audience with the super power king Assyria of those times (v7). He even went so far as to say to the king of Assyria, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me….”. Ahaz seem to have sold himself to another human being completely.
Was Ahaz afraid of the words of the prophecy? (Isa 7:17) Was he already strategizing how to secure favour with the king of Assyria, thinking of ‘getting ahead of God’, hoping to turn the prophecy around by his own means, so that Judah would not fall under the hands of the Assyrians?
In many ways, pressured by our circumstances and environment today, we have to make difficult decisions either for our families, for various church ministries, or at our workplaces. It is during these times that we must make reference to the (bad) choices of king Ahaz and learn from his mistakes. The prophet Isaiah had shared with him a great prophecy, yet Ahaz chose to take matters into his own hands. Instead of surrendering himself to God, Ahaz pandered to the ways of the wicked and ‘powerful’. Through the word of God today, we have been promised grace and protection, only if we follow His commandments and walk in His way.
Even if we are not sure of the way in life, or occasionally lose our way, we can come before our God in prayer. If we seek the right path (that leads to our heavenly home), He will set our feet on it.
Ahab had sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD. But when he heard the words of prophet Elijah, he humbled himself before God. This caused the LORD to spare him during his lifetime (1 kings 21:25-29).
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
May God guide us.