In 2 Chronicles 28:4-5; 22-27, you will see what happened to a king who believed that he could do better in his life by cutting God out of the picture. We’ve all been there before. There are times where we have neglected God and wanted to do things our way instead of His way. And when things went wrong, instead of repenting and going to God for help, we dig our heels in, and continue forging our own destiny with a distorted mindset.
King Ahaz’s Mistake
King Ahaz was a ruler who inherited a wealthy and strong nation that his godly father, Jotham, established. However, Ahaz decided to forsake the God of his forefathers and committed various atrocities during his reign over Judah (v.4). Because of Ahaz’s sins and sacrifices to other gods, God not only decided to give him over to the Syrians, but also to the king of Israel who captured many of his people (v.5). In addition to all that ensued because of Ahaz’s sin, the Edomites (v.17) and Philistines (v.18) attacked his cities.
Now, Ahaz really needed help, so who became his source of aid? None other than the King of Assyria. And in order to afford this help, Ahaz’s abused the house of God by misusing it as his financial source for this vain endeavor (v.21). Just when Ahaz thought he was going to find some relief due to his craftiness, more despair came.
The Assyrian king took advantage of Ahaz’s distraught nation and attacked him instead of supporting him (v.20). In his distress, Ahaz became more faithless to God (v.22). And after seeing his nation crumble due to his injudicious and evil decisions, Ahaz believed he had found another source of hope.
Instead of humbling himself and asking for forgiveness by turning back to God, Ahaz turns to a different source. He decides worship the other gods that he believed helped the Syrians who overcame him originally, when in actuality, these fictitious creations had nothing to do with the battle! Rather, it was God who used the Syrians as a tool of judgement (v.23-25). You see what’s happened here?
Ahaz created a greater catastrophe for himself and his people, and he attempts to rectify it by appealing to the wrong sources. He is searching for a solution to his own self-inflicted maladies. His sin not only ravaged his own life, but it ruined the lives of others around him. Our sin is a ripple effect that penetrates those we may never have intended to harm. You not only hurt yourself, but you hurt others in the process.
How could a man who started out with everything, end with nothing? We see Ahaz didn’t even earn a place of burial in the tombs with the rest of the Kings of Israel (v.27). Somewhere along the way, Ahaz believed he could ultimately find value and hope from sources apart from God.
The Wrong Source
Oftentimes, we look only to ourselves as a primary source of strength during our distresses. We rest on our own wisdom, completely reliant upon our inner strength to get us through the difficulties of life and some of the struggles we encounter daily. Our culture has become inundated with self-help books/podcasts, and the power of positivity to provide meaning to enrich our lives. We are consumed with ourselves—for ourselves.
We also look to ourselves as a primary source for gratification and fulfillment. We see more people becoming infatuated with their physique and appearance, compiling an impressive array of selfies to share with the world. Narcissists indeed.
In Greek mythology, Narcissus was known for his beauty, who at one point was lured to a pool by a goddess where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it. He ended up staring at himself until he finally died.
We continuously see celebrities, athletes, and musicians who addict themselves to drugs and alcohol, while many others are ending their own lives. They have millions of dollars, plenty of relationships with the most beautiful people, and they are idolized and adored by millions. Yet, it’s not enough.
Why are they doing this? If they have reached the pinnacle of material wealth and success, why is it not enough? Suicide rates have increased 25% since 1999.[1] Why??? We have only progressed in modern medicine, technology, diversity, you name it…so why are we seeing more depressed and anxious people today than we did 100 years ago when life was much more difficult?
It’s because people are seeking the wrong sources for their help and fulfilment. The temporal pleasures that one encounters, whatever that may be, quickly dissipates after the experience is over. This requires them to go back to the same source to experience that temporary pleasure again.
This becomes vicious and perennial cycle forcing the individual to become reliant upon a temporary feeling that doesn’t extend beyond themselves, and ultimately, they are trapped with themselves for their primary source of satisfaction and pleasure. And that is a miserable state to be in.
Solomon warns us of temporal pleasures, and who better to remind us of its emptiness and disillusionment? He was the wealthiest man in the world, had everything anyone could ever desire at the time, and he assured us it was ALL vanity without God. Solomon tells us,
“And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecc. 2:4-11, ESV).[2]
I once had a wealthy client who was a believer, and he was telling me about his recent trip to the Caribbean. As he stood on a yacht during a party, watching the sunset across the beautiful water, he thought to himself, “This is not where my joy comes from. This cannot be my source of happiness.”
He’s right. I know too many people whose ultimate source of happiness hinges on sources outside of God. Sorrow was only the beginning for Ahaz when he began investing himself in godless things. He was trusting in a lifeless source to bring victory and value to his life. With all that said, ask yourself: what is my ultimate source of happiness, strength and fulfillment?
Have you idolized something? Instead of trusting in God, are you trusting more in another source to bring you a greater sense of purpose, satisfaction, or strength? You may say, “well of course not, it’s not like I’ve chiseled out a stone image or something. I don’t have an idol in my life.”
Idols come in many different forms. Idolatry is simply anything that comes between you and God. What is keeping you from spending more time with God or making him your primary source of strength and fulfillment?
The Right Source
Ahaz neglected to utilize the right source and the only source that could provide blessings to his people and nation. He forged his own path; a way that seemed right in the eyes of someone who had taken them off of the only source that could truly help him. I want to briefly remind us of what kind of source God is to us.
First, God is our ultimate source for meaning and purpose in life. Ahaz’s idols could not provide him with meaning or purpose. If there is no God, then there is no meaning or purpose for any of us. Bertrand Russell, a renowned atheistic philosopher in the 20th century poignantly described our state of affairs in the absence of God’s existence when he said,
“That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms.”[3]
What Russell is saying here, is that we are nothing more than gradually developed cerebral matter—a brain that accidentally evolved by sheer chance through a random process. That’s it; you have no soul. Everything is going to end in the heat death of the universe, and ultimately nothing will matter.
Therefore, we have no purpose since we and our universe evolved by a random, unguided process. Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist biologist said,
“There is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”[4]
Solomon recognized the implications for a world without a source of ultimate meaning, declaring, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecc. 1:14). Ultimately, nothing really matters if there is no God. This is called the human predicament. C. S. Lewis said,
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”[5]
Human beings were made to spend eternity in the next life with their Creator, however, many will reject this Ultimate Source and choose a lesser one. Jesus Christ is the only one that can ultimately satisfy the relentless cravings of a soul.
Second, God is our source for fruitful living. Ahaz’s idols could not produce valuable, godly character traits that Christians ought to demonstrate. Ahaz had sources that only produced forms of chaos in his life. I can’t think of anyone who enjoys being depressed, impatient, angry, bitter, anxious, etc. No, as Christians, we want to experience greater degrees of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness, i.e., the fruits of the Spirit! (see Galatians 5).
Not only does it feel great to exemplify these attributes, but just think of how you could impact the people around you, which is what God desires these qualities to be used for! Lifeless idols cannot generate these spiritual qualities, only the Living God can.
Look at what Jesus has to say about these fruits that we often attempt to produce ourselves, saying,
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
Are you seeking true peace, joy, love from worldly pleasures? If so, then you’re neglecting the only source that can provide it to a maximal degree.
Third, God is our source for strength. Ahaz sought strength from his lifeless idols and the Syrian gods. The self-help books and positive thinking podcasts can only take you so far in life. Your internal strength and independence force you to rely solely upon your own self-efforts to overcome your obstacles. But remember, many of the obstacles we face in life are too large for us to battle on our own.
It’s paradoxical to say the least, for it is when we become weak and dependent that we truly become strong. Rely upon a source of strength greater than yourself! The apostle Paul demonstrated this better than anyone.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says,
“And he [God] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
What a beautiful truth that Scripture reveals here. A concept that has become utterly foreign to our secular culture. Which would I rather possess? The power of Christ, or the power of limited human nature? (Philippians 4:13). Maybe we should thank God for our weaknesses as it pushes us to lean upon Him rather than ourselves.
Every Goliath that is slayed in the Christian life is slayed by God. David didn’t have magical stones; it was God who was his source of strength and He provided David the victory.
We see this source of strength in the life of Jesus. The very name “El” which some scholars believe Elohim is derived from, means “to be strong.” We see El used in El Shaddai, El Elyon, etc. El is frequently used in circumstances that indicate the great power of God. In Psalm 22, Christ appeals to El in His agony. In the Gospel of Mark when Christ is crucified, Jesus cries out “Eloi Eloi.” In His human weakness He prayed: “My Strength My Strength.” If Jesus’s human nature appeals to this source of strength, how much more should we?
Fourth, God is our source of Hope. Ahaz’s idols could not save him from his temporary dilemmas, and they surely couldn’t save him from his eternal one. Can you imagine an eternity of anguish and darkness apart from God? Christ is our only hope for salvation. Our eternal condition is utterly hopeless without Him. Jesus said,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Moreover, it is through Jesus alone that we find true emancipation. Ahaz was enslaved to sin and lifeless pleasures that his world had to offer. Please note that true freedom is not being free to do whatever you want, rather, it is being free from doing what you don’t want. While so many unbelievers live enslaved to sin, it is disconcerting to see many Christians doing the same thing.
Do you have anything in your life that is preventing you from getting to know God in a deeper way? Many do not appreciate the Christian life, because many haven’t truly experienced it the way Christ intended. And therefore, they are left wanting and looking to earthly elements to fill their hearts and minds. That is when idols begin to be crafted; and then, after we discover those idols are not fulfilling enough, like Ahaz, we seek after other lifeless sources to receive help and fulfilment.
In 2 Chronicles 28:22 it says,
“In the time of his [Ahaz] distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD.”
Ahaz was making matters worse for himself by neglecting God. When things go wrong in our relationships, or job, or school, or whatever it may be; are you looking for comfort and relief from sources outside of God?
Instead of repenting and turning from one idol, Ahaz jumped to the next. God wants your heart and mind. His first and foremost commandment is to love Him with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30).
Maybe you’re not even sure you have idols in your life. Here is one way that you can tell. Tonight, or anytime this week when you are home, try setting aside 30-60 minutes of prayer and Bible reading. If you find that you keep pushing it off because you’re too busy or can’t finish it because you’re too bored, then you very well may have idols in your life that are spiritually suffocating you.
Maybe you’ve forgotten what it’s like to have yourself completely surrendered to the living God. Maybe you’ve distanced yourself from Him unintentionally. To remind us of what it is like to have an intimate encounter with the living God, I would like to share a story of someone who has.
When I was in banking, I opened an account for a college student who was from the middle east. He was with a middle-aged gentleman who was obviously not related to him. When I asked him the purpose behind opening the account, the gentleman that was with him explained that the young man was seeking asylum and that he was letting the young man live with him and his family.
This young man was a foreign exchange student who accepted Christ as his Savior after being invited to church. After he told his Muslim family what had happened, who were still living in the Middle East, the young man received death threats by several individuals within his family and community. If he went back home, he most certainly would have lost his life. He chose to give up his father, mother, brothers, sisters, friends—his life. All because he encountered our Living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
What he had to lose was worth trading for what he had gained. Paul said,
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).
There are tens of thousands of stories out there like this. The fastest growing church in the world right now is happening underground in atheist communist China, where Christians are suffering immense persecution. Christians are literally being slaughtered or imprisoned every day in North Korea, Africa, and the Middle East.[6] These are people who have encountered the living Christ; the same Christ that we have allegedly encountered.
Time for Introspection
Ahaz’s idols provided a false sense of security and peace of mind but could not deliver him from his troubles; rather, they only created larger ones while pulling him further away from God. Think about the source that you find yourself going back to when you’re in trouble, bored, or depressed.
Are you putting a Band-Aid on a spiritual wound that can only be healed by Christ? If so, you’re not only going back to the wrong source, but you’re increasing your affliction and missing out on a beautiful experience that God desires for you. Ahaz’s sources were a detriment to him, and he didn’t even realize it!
That’s why he sought help from the lifeless gods of Syria that gave his enemies victory over him to begin with. Are we like Ahaz? Do we recognize that we have idols in our lives? Are we jumping from one idol to another to fix or alleviate our problems? If any come to your mind after reading this, I implore you…demolish them.
I am not sure of what could be more disgraceful than to experience the living God, and then trade His presence and power for a lifeless idol. Once you remove those barriers, you can experience a much more meaningful, beautiful, and robust spiritual life that God is waiting to give you. Thanks for reading.
Blessings,
Andrew Drinkard
[1] Sally C. Curtin, Margaret Warner and Holly Hedegaard, “Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999-2014,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 241, April 2016, Accessed August 11, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db241.htm.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version.
[3] Bertrand Russell, A Free Man’s Worship (United States: T.B. Mosher, 1923), 6.
[4] Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (New York: Harper Collins, 1995), 133.
[5] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 2002) 76.
[6] See this website for a global ranking of the greatest levels of persecution toward Christians. Accessed August 12, 2021, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/.
