The Story of Ahaz and Today’s Pastor
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In Isaiah 7, King Ahaz is still a young dude. Many place him in his early twenties at this point. He is leading the nation of Judah during a tumultuous time. The global politics around him are contentious. Assyria is the major world power at this point. Egypt still holds some sway over the world scene, but Assyria is the new kid on the block, and they are expanding their empire. And they are going westward.
This move by the Assyrian army causes Judah’s neighbors to the north, like Israel and Syria, to grow uncomfortable. And fear often makes us do things we wouldn’t in saner moments. Israel and Syria decide to move their troops to the border, flex their muscles, and say to young Ahaz, “join us, or you’re going to have problems.”
Let’s connect the dots here. The world is frightening and unstable. It’s not hard to make that connection with our day. And in all of this anxiety, other leaders rise up and attempt to draw us into their anxiety. Ever hear, “This is the most important election we will have in our lifetime. You must…”? Those “other leaders” are flexing on talk radio, social media, and YouTube content. “Join us or else…”
We read in Isaiah 7:3, “The heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” Your congregation has been drawn into the anxiety; they demand your attention. Just as with Ahaz, in a contentious election season the pastor is being told by frantic parishioners that something must be done.
Enter Isaiah. The prophet comes to Ahaz with a quieting word from the Lord. “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands.” What God is saying to him is, “Trust me. Don’t join in this anxious moment. Follow me.”
Do you realize how difficult this counsel is for Ahaz? He’s afraid for his life. He’s worried that his legacy will be tarnished. He doesn’t want to be known as the guy who was defeated by Syria and Israel. He likely wants to be loved, accepted, respected, safe, comfortable, and not suffering. In other words, all of those overwhelming thoughts pressed in on him as he weighed Isaiah’s words.
Ahaz did not heed the counsel of Isaiah. Instead, he ran to Assyria for help. He paid hefty tributes to them and in ended up restricting the temple. Ahaz paid homage to the Assyrian gods and even ended up sacrificing children to the gods of the Assyrians. In his desire to preserve Judah (and his own legacy) his fear led him to abandon his post.
Pastors can follow the path of Ahaz in turbulent election seasons. Thankfully, there are a few lessons we can learn from Ahaz to help us respond better than he did.
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