II Chronicles 27-28; II Kings 17:1-4
As mentioned yesterday, Micah alludes to child sacrifice:
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
Micah 6:7
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
With King Ahaz we see that Micah’s question is not just hypothetical. Micah is not expressing some abstract notion using a generous dose of hyperbole. No, human sacrifice is all too real, but it does nothing to expunge the sin of [one’s] soul, it just makes it much worse.
[Ahaz] walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
II Chronicles 28:2-4
Ahaz is not on a good path. As we know, Ahaz is attacked by the combined forces of Israel and Syria. Failing to understand (or accept) Isaiah’s message to him (Isaiah 7), Ahaz does not put his trust in the LORD, so he is largely defeated. Even so, the LORD fulfills His promise and uses Assyria to crush Ahaz’s enemies, Israel and Syria, saving Jerusalem, but instead of turning to the LORD in gratitude, Ahaz furthers his apostasy. He desecrates the Temple with a pagan altar copied from Damascus (II Kings 16:10-16), destroys various implements of worship, and effectively shuts the Temple. (II Kings 16:17-18; II Ch. 28:24)
As we walk through the history of Israel and Judah, seeing all the kings of Israel persisting in idolatry and seeing some of the kings of Judah (like Ahaz) following suit, one has to wonder what’s going on in their heads. They have the prophets speaking out against their practices, yet they persist in rebelling against the LORD. Do they know what they are doing? How do sons so radically depart from their fathers? Are they really that blind and deluded? Do they really believe that Baal or Asherah or Molech or Chemosh or whatever other false god is better or stronger than the LORD? Or are they cynically just using “religion” (of whatever form) to manipulate the people for their own political purposes (without truly buying in to any of it themselves)?
Of course, we cannot actually answer these questions because we cannot get inside their heads or know their hearts. But we can each look at our own hearts and ask similar questions there. What delusions might I be under? What lies do I believe? What worldly practices do I unthinkingly follow? What worldly practices do I knowingly follow? Do I persist in some sin? Why? Is that sin more desirable than the Lord? Why do I think so?
One more thing…
Because of the practice of human sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom, righteous King Josiah later defiles it (II Kings 23:10), and it becomes a trash pit. In New Testament times, it is known as Gehenna. With fires burning there continually, Jesus uses it to represent hell. See, for example, Matthew 23:15 or Mark 9:43.
I meant to comment a few days back (but Carol and I were traveling) when we first read about Ahaz copying the pagan altar (II Kings 16:10-16) and setting aside the altar that was built according to the LORD’s instructions. I had thought how outrageous that was for Ahaz. I mean, worshiping foreign gods and establishing shrines and Asherah poles – that’s one thing. But fully replacing a God-ordained altar with a pagan substitute – that goes above and beyond!
And then there’s everything else that Ahaz did…!!