PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD - Part II

“Thus says the Lord: Cursed
[with great evil] is the strong man who
trusts in and relies on frail man,
making weak [human] flesh his arm,
and whose mind and heart turn
aside from the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:5
The Amplified Bible

King Ahaz was a king of Judah. The Bible says that he did wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He encouraged the moral decline in Judah and was continually unfaithful to the Lord. He was so evil that he even burned his children in the fire to false gods. He committed idolatry by sacrificing and burning incense in the high places, on the hills and ‘under every green tree’ (II Chronicles 28:4). If that were not enough, he also trusted in the arm of flesh (man) more than he trusted in God.
Because of his wickedness, the Lord was against his entire sixteen year administration. He suffered constant military invasions by the surrounding nations. They even fought against their own brethren and the king of Israel took them captive. The king of Israel captured 200,000 of their women, sons and daughters to make them their slaves. Yet, God was gracious to send a prophet to warn the Israelites not to enslave their brethren and gave Ahaz an opportunity to repent and trust in Him. Again, Ahaz refused.
Later, when he was being attacked by Syria and Israel, the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to encourage Ahaz that the he would not allow the attack to be successful. The Lord told Ahaz that he could even ask for a sign to bolster his faith. Hypocritically he said, “I will not ask a sign or tempt the Lord” because he made an alliance with the king of Assyria to help him. Ahaz took treasures from the house of the Lord, his own house and from the leader’s homes to pay the king. But, II Chronicles 28:20 says, Assyria attacked Ahaz instead of helping him! Even during this time of trouble, Ahaz chose to worship the idols he had seen in Damascus the nation that had defeated him. He said “since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them” (II Chronicles 28:23). Ahaz went from bad to worse. He continually trusted in the arm of the flesh so much so that he closed the temple of the Lord. When Ahaz died the kingdom was in one of the worst states of moral decline. Ahaz was such an evil king, the people would not even bury him in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah but in a commoner’s grave.
Ahaz chose the weak, frail arm of the flesh. Where have you put your trust and confidence? Do not follow the poor example of Ahaz. Put your trust in God. Psalm 20:7 says, “some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Trust in no other source than the one true and living God.