II Chronicles 28:23:”For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damacus, which smote him, and he said: Because the gods of the kings of Assyria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me, but they were the ruin of him and all Israel.”

King Ahaz ruled Judah for 16 years.  In that time he turned the nation to idolatry.  He even defiled the temple of God bringing in pagan idols.  He was under constant threat from Assyria and Israel.  At one time Israel came in and took captive 200,000 wives and children of the Judean army to be slaves.  God sent a prophet to meet the conquering army and waved his finger at them say: “Shame, shame on you for stealing the wives and children of your brothers.”   I would love to have been there to hear this prophet, because he not only convinced the entire army of Israel that they were wrong, the army even escorted the wives and children back to Judah and provided necessary supplies and medical care. Talk about revival, yet Ahaz was unmoved.  God was showing his loving care and kindness on every side and Ahaz was still seeking other Gods, why?

The reason seems to be found in II Chronicles 28:23.  He sacrificed to the gods of Assyria because he felt their gods helped them.    The word help is  azar which carries the idea of giving assistance.  This is a help where you still maintain some control.  God Jehovah would have helped Ahaz and in fact did on a number of occasions, but God wanted to take complete control and Ahaz did not want to let go of  his control.   Sure, he wanted God’s help but he wanted it on his own terms.  At least with the pagan gods he could get this help on his own terms.

If we were to speak with Ahaz today he might say what so many people in our culture say today: “I tried God, but it didn’t work.”  “I prayed to be healed, but I wasn’t.”  I prayed that God would restore my marriage, but He didn’t”   We sacrifice for God, we do all the right things, we make all the right sacrifices.  The word sacrifice that is used here in the Hebrew is zavach.  This is sort of like a payment. You are making this sacrifice with the expectation of something in return.   If I sacrifice 6-8 hours a day in study of the Word of God, I should get something in return –right?   Well, to be honest, quite frankly, I am still waiting for my pay check. I haven’t had much of a return for my hours of study.  So many times I hear a little voice saying: “Why you waste your time studying the Bible so much?  Look at you, you’re still struggling, you still have your same problems.  Your life is still a mess.  So where did all that study get you anyways?”  There are times I sit there and scratch my head and say: “You know, you’re right.”   And that voice is right. I am no better off financially, physically and socially, in fact if anything I am worse off.  I have so isolated myself and buried myself in the study of God’s Word that I have little to no social life  I have given hundreds of hours to God in Bible study and prayer, made numerous sacrifices in His name and  here I am,  I have nothing  to show for it.

Preachers be warned, don’t ever put me on your platform to give a testimony because I can’t testify to financial gains, health gains, or domestic betterments.   You put me on your platform the only testimony you will hear is that I give many hours a day in the study of the Word of God in the Biblical languages, I spend hours every day seeking His face, and praying.  I have sacrificed many things and I have gotten nothing in return, zero, blank, zip.  That will empty your church pretty quick. Most people will say like Ahaz, “I’m gonna get me one of them gods like that Bill Gates has and be rich. If you’re god isn’t gonna get that for me, I’m out of here. I will just go find myself a god who appreciates my sacrifice and devotion.”

I mean I am really a poor role model for any would be Bible students.  Surely if you sacrifice and give of your time to God He will richly reward you.  Well, I am still waiting for those rewards.  Actually, I don’t want much, a couple answers to prayers would do me just fine, but I don’t even get that.

I once had a student who grew up under the old Soviet Union. He came to America to study under a program called Perestroika under Gorbachev’s glasnost (open) policy of reform in the late 80’s just before the collapse of communism. He grew up a Christian and suffered persecution under the old Soviet Union. He told me that he could not understand American Christianity.  All they talk about is getting, getting, getting from God.  He said that when his parents became Christians in Russia, they lost everything, their jobs, their homes and were barely able to survive. Not only that were always under constant watch by the Secret Police who sometimes would take his father away and beat him for just being a Christian.  I asked him why he remained a Christian through all of this if he was getting nothing in return.  He replied: “Because I love Jesus.”

You see, spending all these hours, making all these sacrifices to study the Word of God I get nothing in return – except Jesus. If you were to show me a god that could make me rich, uncomplicated my life, restore things that I have lost, I would show you to my door very quickly because I’ve got me a God that I am happy with.   Those other gods can dangle all the wealth they want in front of my face, but I can truthfully say, “No thanks,  His grace is sufficient for me.”   Oh yes, one other thing, I love Jesus.