(The video is in French, with English subtitles available.)
Ahaz, the example not to follow
Uzziah and Jotham had worked to build cities in Judah, to equip the army, and to build war machines. All these things were impressive, but we see that even the best preparations, without God, are useless. There were 300,000 soldiers of the time of Amaziah, 307,500 of the time of Uzziah, and probably not less in the days of Jotham and Ahaz. But 120,000 of them, so valiant, so well equipped that they were, were killed in a single day by Pekah!
Isaiah had said, “If ye believe not, surely ye shall not be established.” (Isaiah 7: 9) When we see the state in which Judah was left after the passage of the king of Syria, of Israel, of the Edomites, and of the Philistines, the word of God came to pass. Jerusalem was not taken and their plan to overthrow royalty in Judah did not come true (Isaiah 7:7), and the king of Assyria came (7:17). And as Ahaz did not believe the word of God, he was not established. The army was greatly diminished, the wealth of the country was lost to the benefit of the Assyrian, and they lost their autonomy largely by the Assyrian. Prosperity? Peace? If we want to persuade ourselves!
When God speaks, it happens. Jeremiah said, “Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?” (Lamentations 3:37) But for us, let us take courage and receive the Word of God in full assurance of faith knowing that the promise of His coming is near! “Wherefore be of good courage, men, for I believe God that thus it shall be, as it has been said to me.” (Acts 27:25)
In this video you will find three other practical lessons learned from Ahaz’s reign.