Pondering Today & Looking Ahead
King David was a great king who loved God and faithfully followed Him. Note, I am not saying that David never made any mistakes. The Bible does not hide the fact that David sinned and succumbed to temptation. What made King David special was his love for God and his willingness to walk in God’s ways. David’s faithfulness and devotion are great qualities that we would do well to develop in our lives. These qualities are often hard to find in this world. With this in mind, let me share a Bible story that is not very well known.
We all have heard of David’s famous son, Solomon, being a great king. It was David’s grandson, Rehoboam, who fractured the monarchy in Israel. Due to foolish decision-making by Rehoboam, the Israelite nation split. Rehoboam became king of the southern half of Israel. The northern half of Israel made a man named Jeroboam their king. The northern faction would have many different dynasties sit on the throne. All of these northern kings were faithless and led the people in the worship of pagan idols. The southern half of Israel continued to have kings who were of the Davidic dynasty. Some of these kings were righteous in following God, but many were faithless and worshipped pagan idols.
Around the year 725 B.C., Ahaz was the king of the southern half of Israel. He was the 9th in the line of Davidic kings, and he was one of those worthless kings. In today’s story, he was facing difficult times. After the death of King Solomon, the relationship between Northern Israel and Southern Israel was up and down. Sometimes they were allies. Sometimes they were enemies. During the days of King Ahaz, things were antagonistic. The king of Northern Israel, Pekah, had allied himself with the king of a neighboring country, Aram. Together, Northern Israel and the hated Arameans were attacking Southern Israel. They attempted to capture King Ahaz and destroy his capital city of Jerusalem. While this attack was not successful, King Ahaz faced dire times. King Ahaz and the people were afraid. It is here that the Book of Isaiah gives us insight. God had been protecting King Ahaz and the southern kingdom of Israel. Now God tells Isaiah to go and remind Ahaz that things would be alright.
Let me pause this story and remind you that King Ahaz was a terrible King. He lived in open rebellion against God. Could King Ahaz’s paranoia and fear be related to the fact that he was afraid of God’s judgment and punishment? Most likely. Remember, just because someone ignores God and disregards His commands, they can still be afraid of His wrath. Despite Ahaz being a rebellious king, God showed mercy. God sent Isaiah to encourage King Ahaz. God’s message was that the enemies of King Ahaz would fail.
To further bolster the king’s faith, God offered to give him a sign. Consider God’s words in Isaiah 7:10-11>>Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” (NIV). I don’t know about you, but if God made that offer to me, I’d jump at the opportunity. I’d be ecstatic to see God show me a sign of His help and blessing. Yet, this was not the case for King Ahaz. He refused God’s offer. King Ahaz was so hardened against God that he said, "No, thanks!" While this foolish and sinful reply surprises me, it did not surprise God. After all, God knows everything! God told King Ahaz that a sign was coming anyway. This sign would not be something that blessed the evil king; it would be a sign that blessed all mankind. Here is what God said through the prophet in Isaiah 7:13-14>> “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”
As we draw towards the end of 2025, what is on the horizon? What issues are you facing? Sometimes, it can seem like we are facing overwhelming odds. The truth is that we are. By ourselves, we do not have the strength to weather the trials this world throws our way. But the real question is: How are you and God doing? Are you bowing before Jesus and making Him your King and Savior? Don’t be stubborn like the foolish King Ahaz. Remember that we have been made for fellowship with God. God greatly desires to bless you and me. God has shown His great love to lost mankind in the Christmas story. Jesus is the promised “Immanuel," the Savior of the world. In 2026, what will you do? Will you learn the lesson King Ahaz refused to learn? Let 2026 be a great year, a year where we give God our lives and worship Him. Keep looking up!