Eventually pressure from a disbelieving society undermines adherence to the ways of the Lord. As Christians we battle against spiritual forces of darkness using any means at their disposal to corrode the foundations of our faith. Thankfully the Lord promises support as we struggle our way through this morass.

But at times a person just totally gives in. Ahaz, king of Judah, embraced the practices of demonic gods. We’re told he even sacrificed his son in the fire. Along with human sacrifice, Ahaz ordered a new alter built and installed in Jerusalem. The chief priest agreed, and they started offering sacrifices to pagan gods smack in the middle of Solomon’s temple.

Ahaz capitulated to the ways of the dominant powers. He updated worship and laid aside the study and application of the law of Moses. Totally unmoored, he led his people astray.

Which can happen to any of us at any time. It’s tempting to update the ways and teachings of the Lord. Many find it compelling to reinterpret thousands of years of biblical understanding to better fit our current cultural mores. We want to be liked and we want to fit in. We daily fill our minds with values caught through entertainment and social media, while spending little time in the wisdom of scripture.

All a recipe for the rise of more and more like Ahaz.

I certainly don’t have the answers to all the challenges we face as we navigate living as a Christian in an ever-hostile society. But it’s clear from scripture that the answer does not involve a continual knuckling under to the ways of the world.

It’s possible to live faithfully for the Lord in our times. It takes resolve and backbone. Some will ridicule you, and others will see your stance as unloving or even dangerous.

But with the Lord there’s always hope. The next king, Hezekiah, totally rejected the actions of his father. In fact, he held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him.

Let’s reject the ways of Ahaz and join the tribe of Hezekiah.

2 Kings16 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jakayla Toney