Fri.’s Devo - The Futility of Worshiping Idols

Read: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:11 Amaziah’s son, Uzziah became king when he died. Uzziah was 16 and followed the Lord as long as Zechariah was alive. Zechariah was the high priest who taught him to fear God. He had great success as long as he asked the Lord for his wisdom. He won many battles against the Philistines and captured parts of their lands. The Meunites paid him tribute and he became powerful in the land. He built up the army and fortifications in Jerusalem. He loved the soil so he had much farmland and vineyards. Then he became proud and entered he Temple to offer incense at the altar, something only the priests were to do. The priests were able to stop him but not before leprosy broke out on his body. He spent the rest of his life secluded in a separate house and was never able to enter the Temple again. His son Jotham became king when he died. He was 25 and reigned 16 years. He followed the Lord, but the people did not. He built up Judah and rebuilt most of the wall of Jerusalem that Israel had broken down. He received tribute from the Ammonites of silver, wheat and barley. He became powerful because he followed after the Lord. When he died, his son, Ahaz became king. Ahaz was 20 when he became king and reigned 16 years. He did not do what was pleasing to the Lord. He cast metal images to worship Baal and offered his own sons as sacrifices to Molech in the valley of Hinnom. He burned incense at the pagan shrines. Because of his sins, God allowed the king of Aram to defeat him and take many people to Damascus. Israel also fought them and killed many of them. They killed his son, his palace commander and his second in command of his army. They took great amount of plunder and captured 200,000 some and children from Judah. God sent Odeb, a prophet to meet the men coming back to Israel who told them that God was angry with them. God had let Israel defeat Judah because of how Judah had turned away from him but he they had gone too far. They had killed the men of Judah without mercy and now all heaven was disturbed. And now they were planning to make the women and children their slaves. When the leaders heard the word from the Lord, they agreed that they should have mercy. They released the prisoners, clothed them and nursed their wounds then sent them back home. To add to King Ahah’s sins, he asked the king of Assyria for help. The armies of Edom had invaded Judah and taken captives and the Philistines had raided their towns in the Negev. When the king of Aram came “to help,” he attacked instead. He took valuable items from the Temple and the palace and from the homes of the officials. None of what was happening caused King Ahaz to turn to the Lord. He just offered more sacrifices to his idols. He took articles from the Temple to use in sacrificing to idols and shut the Temple doors so no one could worship the Lord. He set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah. When he died, he was not buried in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. His son Hezekiah became the next king. In Romans, the law teaches that God places people in authority to uphold righteousness. Their job is to punish the people who do not follow the law. They are not a threat to those who pay their taxes and respect those in authority. Our greatest law is love. Love does no wrong so God’s laws are fulfilled when we love. We are to stay awake to God and his plan, and to clothe ourselves in the presence of the Lord. Lord, help us to see the joy of following you and the stupidity of following Satan. Thank you that you are our Shepherd who loves us and cares for us.