America is a nation of great prosperity. Compared to the majority of the world, the poorest of us would be considered well off. Yet, we still listen to advertisers who convince us we need something new or different. We take their bait, not because what we have doesn’t work, but because what we have isn’t new.
You see this with king Ahaz, in 2 Kings chapter 16. When his kingdom is threatened by the kings of Israel and Aram, Ahaz doesn’t turn to the One who drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea, or brought down the walls of Jericho, or drove out the people from the Promised Land. Instead, Ahaz turns to the newest superpower on the world stage…Assyria.
When Ahaz visits the King of Assyria, he sees the alter that the king uses for pagan sacrifices. And like a guy in a new car showroom, Ahaz has to have this new and different alter; despite the fact that the alter in Judah was the original alter. It was designed by God Himself and constructed with the oversight of Moses. But Ahaz wanted something new and different.
How quickly we can turn from God to something “new.”
- The latest Christian teacher or self-improvement guru.
- The latest quiet-time or Bible study technique.
- The latest way of doing church, or the latest wave in worship styles.
We’re all prone to pursue something new and lose our focus and reliance on the One who has been faithful all along. We chase after the latest change and forget the One who never changes. (Malachi 3:6)
We must stay true to the One who has been true to us. We should hold onto what He has clearly and specifically told us to do, and not veer to the right or the left, chasing the next new thing. (Deut. 5:32)