Topic: Sinful Imitation [Tuesday July 11, 2017]
Text: 2 Kings 16:10-18
Key Verse: “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof” (2 Kings 16:1)
On his visit to meet with Tiglathpileser in Damascus, King Ahaz admired an altar that had been built there for sacrifice to pagan gods. He had a copy of this altar built on the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem.
Since the worship of a foreign god was politicaI practice that manifested one’s allegiance to the nation of the god, it could be assumed that at this time, Ahaz was showing his allegiance to the Assyrians by building a copy of the Assyrians altar.
It could also have been for political reasons that Ahaz introduced the religious influence of Assyrians into Judean religious ceremonies. This could have been very easy for king Ahaz to do since he had gone to the extremity of honouring the detestable god of Molech. The passage today dwells on the dangerous and sinful imitation of King Ahaz. Many countries today are in disarray as a result of their sinful alliance with pagan nations. Alien cultures that are injurious to the moral fabric of their home countries have been imported. By so doing, they have destroyed the true worship of God in their countries. Many believers have had their once-flourishing Christian experiences destroyed by copying harmful practices of others.
Usually, it begins with secret admiration and longing for satanic elements and artifacts; then it graduates to acquiring such objects and habits and allowing them to rule the life of such a believer. Before long, the conscience is deadened, as those concerned now pattern their lives in accordance with the dictates of such strange allegiances. Some have even abandoned the worship of God for idol worship. They now do all manner of blood sacrifices in order to align with the requirements of some influential political and business lords. But like Ahaz, any attempt to abandon the true worship of God will always end tragically in total bewilderment of those irredeemably yoked.
Thought for the day: True worship of God is in “Forward ever and backward never”.
Bible Reading in one Year: Genesis 32-34
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
