In reading the account of Ahaz we see that their worship was flagrantly against the Lord. First of all, He went to Damsacus to seek after their gods because Damascus had defeated Israel. Ahaz thought this was because their god was greater than the God of Israel. When Ahaz saw the altar built to their Gods, he sent the pattern back to the high priest with an order to build a replica. The high priest should have known better, but he built it anyway at the command of the king. When the king returned, he broke in pieces the instruments of worship to the one true God, and worshipped at his new altar instead. He not only disobeyed God, but completely turned his back on God. What a tragedy!
How often do I turn my back on God? How often do I put my trust in something other than God to supply my needs and give me victory in life? This is a question I have to ask myself on a regular basis because I have failed so often to put Him first. I lost a lot of money trying to make money in bitcoin several years ago. I would have been much better off to give that money to God’s purpose, but I trusted in men who were wicked, and they took me for more than I care to share here. Instead of trusting in God to supply my needs, I trusted something else, and I was ashamed of my decision. I should have known better, just like Ahaz should have known better, but I made the mistake of believing a lie, just like Ahaz did.
Then we read of the reforms Hezekiah put in place and we see that he cast out the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people were still burning incense to it. This was in the temple and yet was an idol to the people all these years – almost 700 years by my recollection. Even during David’s great reign, it was there. And during the reign of Jeroboam and Joash, who the Bible says did good in the eyes of the lord. It had become such a tradition that no one even thought it was an idol, but it was.
Do we have traditions in our church or in our lives, that are really idols and not honoring God? I have been in churches where heaven forbid we should move the piano, or change the color of the carpet, or disrupt the order of worship. Some things have become so ingrained into us that we do not even see them as an idol or displeasing to God. We have to get back to the heart of worship, which is lifting up the name of Jesus. He said if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself. But many of the songs the church sings are songs that lift me up instead of Jesus. They are songs that talk of all the blessings we receive from God, and do not exalt the name of the Lord at all.
Please don’t get me wrong here. These songs are beautiful songs, and I love to listen to them as much as the next person. But they are not songs of worship. They are songs of victory maybe, or songs of blessing, but not of worship;. Worship is lifting up God and His name. listen to the words of the song and you will quickly see that they are not about God, but are more about me and my life and blessings. Are we missing the heart of worship, just as the Israelites were? I think so in some instances. I think we have become like the image that Hosea was given, which is also a part of our reading today. He was told, by God, to marry a harlot as a symbol of Israel’s harlotry with other gods. May we, and may I in particular, make sure we are worshiping the one true God, because it should be all about Him!
God's Maintenance Man 