Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 16:15

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 16:15
"And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.'

If you didn't read the chapter header you may think Ahaz is doing something good, he's making sacrifices.

"Ahaz reigns in wickedness in Judah—He offers his son in heathen sacrifice—He makes a new altar, destroys the brazen sea, and changes the method for sacrificing in the temple."

Ahaz saw an altar in Damascus that he sent to Urijah the priest to make for him. This type of altar was used to worship false gods. With it Ahaz and Urijah set aside the altar of God. They replaced it, and not by the will of God. I can see that being offensive to Him. They are basically turning the God of Israel aside and rejecting Him. Ahaz then makes sacrifice on this replacement altar. After that more changes are made. They alter and destroy the brazen sea, and change the sacrifices. At that point they turned God aside and are worshiping in their own image. The sins and offenses of Israel becomes so great that it leads to no heavenly protection. They are besieged and carried away into Assyria. Only Judah was left. As I reflected on this it made me ponder apostasy. It can be slippery at first. Thinking this improvement or that change needs to be made. Until you've designed yourself a different God. We are not at liberty to alter the ordinances of God. A king had no authority to change the ordinances. Urijah was appeasing a king instead of doing God's work. At that point you've lost your way.

Day 3854