2Ki 16:9 | KingComments | STEP | While Ahaz was so immersed in idolatry, enemies approached him: “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah.” They came “to Jerusalem to [wage] war”. As always, enemies attack God’s people when they depart from God. Without God they are always weaker than the weakest enemy. At the same time, a hostile people is a means in God’s hand to bring His people back to Him. And what an abhorrent role did Pekah play in his covenant with Syria: he, the king of Israel, wanted to help put an end to the house of David. In Isaiah 7 we read more details about Rezin and Pekah coming up to Jerusalem. There we see that God wanted to act in grace with Ahaz. In His grace God did not allow these enemies to take Jerusalem ( ). Then through Isaiah He had a message for Ahaz “at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field” ( ). It was a symbolic place, a place that speaks of purifying and refreshment, offered to him if he would be willing to listen to the voice of the LORD. Isaiah presented the enemies, “Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah” ( ), as completely trivial. He prophesied about their end by the power of Assyria, from whom Ahaz expected help. Isaiah encouraged Ahaz that there was a solution, if he would quietly trust in the LORD. Ahaz was even offered to ask for a sign from the LORD, so he could be sure that the LORD would deliver him from those enemies. But Ahaz refused this offer with pretended piety ( ). He had his own agenda. Then the LORD Himself gave a sign, not to Ahaz, but to the house of David. He promised the Messiah ( ). He is the answer to all political questions. He also let Ahaz know that he himself would perish by the ally on whom he had placed his hope, because he refused to trust in the LORD ( ). Ahaz was one of those figures who only trusted in their own mind and perception. It was too vague for him to Trust in the LORD, Someone you cannot see, on Whom you just have to wait and believe what He says will happen. Then look at Assyria. He was nearby, you could see him and he helped immediately. Isn’t that a challenging situation that we recognize, in which we too can find ourselves? Don’t we often choose a direct solution instead of submitting to what God says? Do I choose what I think works, or do I wait for what God has offered? For example, let us think of tensions in a marriage. In a marriage disappointments can occur. Is the husband then looking for conversation with his wife, perhaps also with the help of someone else, so that they can pray together again for their need? Or is he seeking refuge with another woman, someone from his work, with whom he can tell his story, someone ‘who understands me so well’? The request to Assyria for help may also cost some money. The costs for help were paid with silver and gold from the temple, “the house of the LORD”. Every covenant a Christian enters into with the enemy of God, the world, is at the expense of the truth of reconciliation, of which the silver speaks, and at the expense of the glory of God, of which the gold speaks. Again and again the temple was looted for the benefit of the world. God and His interests no longer mattered. The covenant seemed to work and to be worth the price. The king of Assyria did what was asked of him. He went up against Damascus, defeated the Syrians and thus took away the threat to Ahaz from these enemies. This made Ahaz all the more caught in the snare of the devil. His next steps made it clear that he settled with the LORD. He would replace Him by what was attractive to him.

‏ 2 Kings 16:9

Ahaz Makes an Alliance with Assyria

While Ahaz was so immersed in idolatry, enemies approached him: “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah.” They came “to Jerusalem to [wage] war”. As always, enemies attack God’s people when they depart from God. Without God they are always weaker than the weakest enemy. At the same time, a hostile people is a means in God’s hand to bring His people back to Him. And what an abhorrent role did Pekah play in his covenant with Syria: he, the king of Israel, wanted to help put an end to the house of David.

In Isaiah 7 we read more details about Rezin and Pekah coming up to Jerusalem. There we see that God wanted to act in grace with Ahaz. In His grace God did not allow these enemies to take Jerusalem (Isa 7:1). Then through Isaiah He had a message for Ahaz “at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field” (Isa 7:3). It was a symbolic place, a place that speaks of purifying and refreshment, offered to him if he would be willing to listen to the voice of the LORD.

Isaiah presented the enemies, “Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah” (Isa 7:4), as completely trivial. He prophesied about their end by the power of Assyria, from whom Ahaz expected help. Isaiah encouraged Ahaz that there was a solution, if he would quietly trust in the LORD. Ahaz was even offered to ask for a sign from the LORD, so he could be sure that the LORD would deliver him from those enemies. But Ahaz refused this offer with pretended piety (Isa 7:10-12). He had his own agenda.

Then the LORD Himself gave a sign, not to Ahaz, but to the house of David. He promised the Messiah (Isa 7:13). He is the answer to all political questions. He also let Ahaz know that he himself would perish by the ally on whom he had placed his hope, because he refused to trust in the LORD (Isa 7:17).

Ahaz was one of those figures who only trusted in their own mind and perception. It was too vague for him to Trust in the LORD, Someone you cannot see, on Whom you just have to wait and believe what He says will happen. Then look at Assyria. He was nearby, you could see him and he helped immediately.

Isn’t that a challenging situation that we recognize, in which we too can find ourselves? Don’t we often choose a direct solution instead of submitting to what God says? Do I choose what I think works, or do I wait for what God has offered? For example, let us think of tensions in a marriage. In a marriage disappointments can occur. Is the husband then looking for conversation with his wife, perhaps also with the help of someone else, so that they can pray together again for their need? Or is he seeking refuge with another woman, someone from his work, with whom he can tell his story, someone ‘who understands me so well’?

The request to Assyria for help may also cost some money. The costs for help were paid with silver and gold from the temple, “the house of the LORD”. Every covenant a Christian enters into with the enemy of God, the world, is at the expense of the truth of reconciliation, of which the silver speaks, and at the expense of the glory of God, of which the gold speaks. Again and again the temple was looted for the benefit of the world. God and His interests no longer mattered.

The covenant seemed to work and to be worth the price. The king of Assyria did what was asked of him. He went up against Damascus, defeated the Syrians and thus took away the threat to Ahaz from these enemies. This made Ahaz all the more caught in the snare of the devil. His next steps made it clear that he settled with the LORD. He would replace Him by what was attractive to him.