Human Response 437: Weak and Compromising

2 Kings 16:10-11 And king Ahaziah went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaziah sent to Uriah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. And Uriah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaziah had sent from Damascus: so Urijah made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

The weak and wicked Ahaz had gone to Damascus and saw there an altar that he liked. He sent the blueprint to Urijah the priest to have him build this altar in Jerusalem at the temple complex. When Ahaz returned he had sacrifices made on this pagan altar next to the Lord’s altar. Building and using an idol altar near the true altar of the Lord was about as blatant and brazen a sin against the Lord as one can imagine.

The weak and compromising priest obeyed the king and took part in this evil. The priest followed pagan customs only to please those in power. Of course, the priest should have known better than to assist the king in breaking the First Commandment and leading the people into gross idolatry.

When our primary focus is to avoid offending others by agreeing with everything they say and do, we risk making them more important than God in our lives and adopting a worldview that conflicts with God’s Word. Nothing good ever comes from compromise with the world and its evil ways. But God’s Love compels us to give exclusive worship to God alone and live in pure faith in Jesus.