Grasping at Straws
A Sermon From 2 Chronicles 28
Three elderly ladies were discussing the trials of getting older.
One said, “Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand, standing in front of the refrigerator, and I can’t remember if I need to put it away or start making a sandwich.”
The second lady chimed in, “Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can’t remember whether I was going up or down.”
“Well,” the third one said, “I’m glad I don’t have that problem – knock on wood.”
As she rapped her knuckles on the table she added, “That must be the door. I’ll get it!”
Whether it is our memory, our health, our finances, our relationships, our school or work situation, or whatever, we all face various struggles in life. Sometimes when things go badly, those trials can test our faith.
Have you ever faced a time when you were tempted to turn your back on God? Or maybe a time when you did turn your back on God? There is no doubt that trials come to us in this life. But how are we going to respond to them? And what does God have to do with it anyway?
I hope we can find some answers today as we look at the life of king Ahaz. As we conclude our tour of the kings of Judah today, I invite you to turn to the 28th chapter of 2nd Chronicles.
What’s in a Name?
Ahaz’s reign is book-ended on either side by a godly king. His father, Jotham, followed the Lord, and it is said that he “became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God” (27:6). Ahaz’s son was the great reformer, Hezekiah. But Ahaz was a wicked king.
Often the names of people in the Bible are very revealing of their character.
• Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, which means ‘father of many nations,’ when God told him that he would be exactly that.
• Jacob was a man who lied and tricked his way through life – and his name means ‘the deceiver.’
• Ahaz – the man we will look at today – means ‘he grasped.’
As any king does, Ahaz wanted to strengthen his kingdom and defend his borders. But he grasped at straws to achieve his goal. He would make any sacrifice, any compromise, any alliance, if it would give him the power he grasped for. Anything, that is, except serve the God of Israel with an uncompromising heart.
‘To grasp’
We often think of grasping at straws as being willing to try anything in our desperation (www.allwords.com [see clutch]). But I really liked the definition I found at thefreedictionary.com. There, grasping at straws is defined as grasping at “something with too little substance to provide support in a crisis.” It isn’t just trying anything and maybe getting something that works. It’s reaching for something that won’t solve your problem.
When we are convinced in our mind that we are right, and we want to succeed very badly, we will often grasp at straws that have too little substance to accomplish our goal, rather than grasping the One who can truly help us. This is what Ahaz did. And the straws he grasped at couldn’t save him.
Seeking Substitutes
What straws did Ahaz grasp at? He began by grasping at false gods, as many of the kings did – that seems to be a common theme. His heart was hostile to God and he sought a substitute for the real thing.
He worshipped the Baals, which had become in many ways the gods of the northern kingdom of Israel. The northern kingdom was not prospering under their care, and there was too little substance to these gods to provide any assistance, but Ahaz grasped anyway. And he went all out in this endeavor. Beginning in verse 2, we are told that:
…he … made molten images for the Baals. 3 … 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. 4 He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree. (2 Chronicles 28:2-4, NAU)
No mere sideline idol-worship for this king. He decided to worship the baals and refused to stop halfway. Too bad he didn’t have that kind of commitment to the God of Israel.
Sometimes when we grasp at straws, it is because we don’t stop to realize that the things we are trying don’t work. And so we keep trying them, thinking that we need to just be more diligent.
Alternative Spirituality
Many people in our world today experiment with alternative spirituality. They look to the east and wonder if there is a more suitable religion that can serve them. They might even mix it in with some brand of Christian faith – and use it all to try to fill the emptiness and restlessness within them.
But they don’t stop to notice that the peoples in Asia who have long trusted in these religions are now turning to Christ in the tens of thousands because they have seen the moral bankruptcy of these religions.
There are plenty of churches in our nation that silence the Scriptures and replace them with works-based salvation, or a feel-good religion, or even ritualism. Religion becomes something to make me feel good instead of to help me be faithful.
What are your substitutes?
Maybe you’ve been seeking spirituality in all the wrong places like Ahaz did. But by God’s grace, your heart can be renewed, and you can find true faith in Christ behind the religious façade that we so often see in our world.
The Heart of Worship
This morning we sang the song “The Heart of Worship.” The song goes: “I’ll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself is not what You have required.” Sometimes our worship can be like that – just a trip to church or just a song. We don’t have to follow other gods to find substitutes for seeking the Lord. But the song goes on to say, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it, it’s all about You, Jesus.”
Is your life all about Jesus? Is your worship all about Jesus? There is power in Christ alone. There is hope in Him alone. There is life and provision in Him. And yes, there is discipline. And if that isn’t the Jesus that you have known, then you might be following a substitute. If so, it’s time to come back to the heart of worship, and focus on Christ once again.
Seeking Substitutes Leads to Suffering
When we grasp after substitutes for God, one thing that happens is we don’t find the help we are looking for. Maybe we think we do for a time, but in the end, we don’t. In all his days, Ahaz never managed to secure his borders.
Ahaz is held accountable for the fact that he knew what was right to do and didn’t do it. And that led to suffering. Because Ahaz sought the gods of other nations, God punished Judah. We read that:
… the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted him with heavy casualties. (2 Chronicles 28:5, NAU)
Isaiah’s Prophecy
Israel had made a pact with Aram to fight against the growing threat of Assyria. And together they came against Ahaz. Even as God handed them over, he sent the prophet Isaiah to king Ahaz with the encouraging news. In Isaiah Chapter 7, we read that through the prophet, the Lord told Ahaz:
’Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5 ’Because [they have] planned evil against you, saying, 6 "Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," 7 thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. (Isaiah 7:4-7)
Even though God is punishing Judah, God tells Ahaz that Aram and Israel will not succeed against him.
It is worth noting that God has commanded Isaiah to bring his son, Shear-jashub, with him to this meeting with the king. Why would he tell him to do that? Shear-jashub is another interesting name – it means, “a remnant shall return.” If you’ve ever had a young child with you at a business meeting, you know that you say their name often to keep them in line. I imagine I’ve said Anna’s name a time or two at one of our board meetings when she escaped from the nursery.
But Isaiah brought Shear-jashub. “A remnant shall return, sit down.” “A remnant shall return, please be quiet.” “A remnant shall return. A remnant shall return.” It peppered his prophecy. Not only will they not conquer Judah, but whatever happens, Ahaz, a remnant shall return.
Despite Ahaz’s heart, God was still faithful to Judah. Despite the discipline necessary, God would not forsake them.
Casualties of Sin
While Aram and Israel did not conquer Judah, they did inflict great casualties, killing 120,000 Judean soldiers in one day. 200,000 captives were taken.
Our sins may not lead to so many deaths and so much suffering, at least we hope not, but sin is a bondage that will destroy us and leave casualties in its wake. When we refuse to trust in God - whether now or later, suffering will come. We may bear scars from a sinful relationship, we may destroy our health with a sinful lifestyle, we may have penalties to pay for breaking the law, we may find that our sins have caused a lasting offense that destroys a relationship. Yes, sin leads to suffering.
And when we are God’s people, and we turn away from faithfulness, it is ever so much worse. As we read in 2 Peter:
it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. (2 Peter 2:21)
Yes we will all fail from time to time, and lack in our faith. But if we are diligent in our hearts to seek God and serve Him, we will not turn away. God is always there calling us closer. God wants us to know that whatever comes against us, it will not prevail against His people.
When we grasp at straws and try to find an answer outside of God – it will only lead to suffering.
Seeking Substitutes …Doesn’t Negate God’s Mercy
Now it is troublesome that Israel, who were also God’s people, inflicted such horrible casualties on Judah – their brothers. Even God was angered by their cruelties. And he sent a prophet to Israel, saying:
"Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven. 10 "Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the LORD your God? 11 "Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is against you [Israel]." (2 Chronicles 28:9-11)
The people of Israel had lost their fear of God and their own sense of sinfulness which could have moderated their treatment of their brothers. God reminds them now who is really in charge.
Slaves were only allowed in Israel if they were from pagan nations. But we read in Leviticus that God’s own people were not allowed to be slaves (Lev 25:42-43). But these captives from Judah were going to be made into slaves for the people of Israel – in direct disobedience to God’s law. God was not happy – and He put a stop to it.
God is merciful
When we look for substitutes for God, when we are faithless, that doesn’t negate God’s mercy. If we are faithless, He remains faithful – even when Judah turned elsewhere help. (2 Timothy 2:13)
Even in conflicts between the people of God, there are limits to what is allowed. And thankfully, we read that Israel listened and gave the captives clothing, medical attention, and freedom.
Sometimes we need to correct a brother or sister – just as Judah needed correction for her evil practices. But if we are the agent of correction, as Israel was, we need to remember that we too are sinners in need of God’s mercy.
Now not all trials are punishment from God. But if we forsake God, we can expect a rebuke because He loves us. He doesn’t want us to continue in sin. But with our trials, God does extend His mercy. Though God was angry with Judah because they had forsaken Him, He did not forsake them. Punishment came, but with it, mercy.
Perspective
A college student supposedly once wrote this letter to her parents:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I have so much to tell you. Because of the fire in my room set by rioting students, I suffered lung damage and had to go to the hospital. While there, I fell in love with an orderly. Then I got arrested for my part in the riots. Anyway, I’m dropping out of school, getting married and moving to Alaska.
Your loving daughter.
P.S. None of this really happened, but I did flunk a chemistry class, and I wanted you to keep it in perspective.
Perspective is very important when we look at our trials and struggles. Sometimes it is not until we realize how good we really have it that we get the right perspective. It may not be immediately clear, but God’s mercy is in the midst of all we do. Sometimes we need to stop running headlong into trouble, long enough to see things in a new light. This is something Ahaz did not do.
Despite the mercy of God, Ahaz did not learn his lesson. Sometimes once we get going in the wrong direction it gets increasingly difficult to admit that we are out of control.
Crash Report
One Air Force military science professor was reviewing pilot crash reports when he ran across one that read as follows:
“After catastrophic engine failure, I landed long. As I had no power, the landing gear failed to deploy and no braking was available. I bounced over the stone wall at the end of the runway, struck the trailer of a truck while crossing the perimeter road, crashed through the guardrail, grazed a large pine tree, ran over a tractor parked in the adjacent field, and hit another tree. Then I lost control.”
Ahaz and Judah had been rebuked by God for their faithlessness, but they didn’t want to admit that they were on the wrong path and headed for a crash landing. Even after their crash, Ahaz did not want to admit he’d lost control. And he did not want to give control to God.
‘Help’ from Assyria – Man as Substitute
Edom and Philistia attacked again and Ahaz sought help from man instead of God. He went to Assyria for help. (2 Chronicles 28:16-18) And when the Assyrian forces came, they afflicted Judah, rather than strengthening her.
Even from a human perspective, turning to Assyria for help was a terribly foolish move. Tilgath-Pileser III was the ruler of Assyria. And he had the ambition to expand his kingdom – as might be expected of any king. Philistia, Edom, and even Judah were desirable goals. Judah was sandwiched right between Philistia and Edom – why not take it all? And now he had an excuse to go to war – he’d been invited! It was only a matter of time before he would conquer Judah, rather than helping her.
In the end, Assyria won the day. Ahaz became a vassal of the Assyrian king. When we refuse continually to turn to the Lord for help, all that we truly achieve is to cut ourselves off from the only help there is.
As the song says:
Oh! What peace we often forfeit
Oh! What needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
Seeking Substitutes Leads to Shutting God Out
But Ahaz is a blind man. He follows this failure up with sacrifice to the God’s of Damascus – who hadn’t been much help against Assyria. And while he was grasping this straw, Ahaz once again went all out. We read:
… when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. (2 Chronicles 28:24-25)
Sometimes when God chastises us, we misunderstand, and turn away from Him, instead of repenting and turning toward Him. I believe this is what happened to Ahaz.
“God hasn’t done anything for me lately. All He does is send me trouble. I’m going to shut Him out of my life.”
Maybe you’ve said such things. Maybe you know people who do.
Ask the What Questions
When we focus on finding a substitute for God, we may ultimately shut Him out. Ahaz literally shut the doors of the house of the Lord. If that’s where you are, try asking God what you can learn from the troubles that come your way. Dr. David Jeremiah suggests that instead of asking Why questions, we should try asking What questions.
Instead of: ‘why did this happen?’ ‘Why me?’ ‘Why now?’
Try: ‘What would You have me do?’ ‘What are You trying to teach me?’ ‘What do You want my response to be?’
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon, a famous and successful preacher in the mid-1800’s, suffered terribly from physical pain due to gout, rheumatism, and Bright’s disease, which is an inflammation of the kidneys. His pain was so bad that about 1/3 of his last 22 years of ministry was spent out of the pulpit either suffering, recuperating, or trying to prevent the return of his illness.
In addition to his physical pain, Spurgeon suffered from public ridicule and slander. He was said to have been “destitute of intellectual benevolence” and his conversion was doubted by his fellow ministers.
Probably as a result of all of this, he also had recurring battles with depression. He would find himself weeping like a child for hours at a time, not knowing why he wept.
Despite all of this, Charles Spurgeon saw his depression as part of God’s design for his ministry and Christ’s glory. He asked the ‘what’ questions, and this is how he answered them:
First, his depression functioned to keep him humble, lest he lift himself up. Second, it gave power to his ministry, for he could speak from experience. Because of this, God used him once to save a man from suicide. And lastly, for him, his depression became a prophetic signal for the future, and thus, strangely enough, an encouragement. He found that when the Lord brought the depression, He was preparing Spurgeon for a blessing in his ministry.
Charles Spurgeon was able to turn depression into blessing because he understood that God is sovereign over all. He said, “it would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.”
How different from modern thought. Yet through his trials, his faith was tested, and produced not only endurance, but a man that God could use to touch the hearts of many people and draw them to Himself.
Conclusion
James writes that we should consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, because the testing of our faith will produce endurance (James 1:2-4). God gives us trials to correct us (as in Ahaz’ case), but also to strengthen us, and to prepare us for what the future holds (as in Spurgeon’s case).
Judah continued to cycle through times of faithlessness and falling away. After Ahaz, there were reforms and setbacks until ultimately Judah was carried away into captivity in Babylon. But even then, God did not forsake His people, for a remnant did return.
Sometimes our lives follow a similar pattern. We cycle back and forth between well intentioned reform and faithless living. And whether we see it or not, God remains faithful to us too.
There are very few kings of which the Chronicler had absolutely nothing good to say. Ahaz was one of them. I think if Ahaz had been willing to ask the ‘what’ questions, or even to wait for an answer to the ‘why’ questions, he would have been a much different man, who left a very different legacy. He might have found the joy of following God through his trials, leaning on God’s strength, and being prepared for a great ministry.
What kind of a legacy do you want to leave? Over the last 8 weeks, we have looked at the lives of many kings – some good, some bad, some a little of each. When your troubles come, will you walk away and shut the doors of the house of the Lord, or will you learn from God when He sends you trials – whether it be for correction, endurance of faith, or preparation for a task. Will you trust the One who can bless you and bring you success in the midst of them? It won’t be an easy journey, but I promise you, it will be well worth it.
© Susan Blader, 6-29-08
Sources:
1) Bible Works 5, Revision 2, (Bigfork, Montana: Hermeneutika Computer Bible Research Software, 2001).
2) David Jeremiah, A Bend in the Road: Experiencing God When Your World Caves In, (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing), 2000, p.25
3) John Piper, Charles Spurgeon: Preaching Through Adversity, [Adapted from a paper delivered at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors, January 31, 1995.], http://www.founders.org/FJ23/article1.html (accessed 6-19-06)
4) Readers Digest, July 2006, Humor in Uniform, p. 60
5) Haddon Robinson, “A Little Perspective”, Our Daily Bread, Saturday, June 17, 2006
6) Andrew Stewart, Welwyn Commentary Series: A House of Prayer, The Message of 2 Chronicles, (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press), 2001.
7) www.allwords.com
8) www.thefreedictionary.com
