2 Kings 16:1-4 – Choose wisely

Second Kings 16:1-4, tell us that Ahaz succeeded his father Jotham on the throne in the 16^th year of Pekah’s reign in Israel. He was 20 years old when he became king and ruled Judah for 16 years in Jerusalem. Unlike his grandfather Uzziah and his father Jotham, he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God. And he did not measure up to God’s required standard set by King David, his forefather.

It was bad enough for him not to follow the way of David, but what was worst was that he adopted the stuns of the kings of Israel. He committed the abomination of making his son pass through the fire, something which the Lord had removed from the sons of Israel. He was said to have sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and every green tree. This is what 2 Chronicles 28:2-4 also said of him. “But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.”

Ahaz was idolatrous through and through. He was considered a terrible king of Judah, outdone only by two other kings namely, Menasseh and Ammon who came to the throne later. He had no regard for God by choosing to follow bad practices instead of good ones. Choices have consequences. Like him, our choices in life have much to do with what would become of us. We are free to choose what we want but we are never free to choose our outcome. Hence, there is a need for us to make decisions wisely. Remember that in every choice we make, we must choose to honor God and do what is right in His sight. Always put Him into the equation of the choices we make. Only then will we be able to choose what will have eternal value.