The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / FALSE WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 102 of 365 FALSE WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE King Ahaz observed a pagan altar while visiting Damascus and purposed to construct a similar altar in the temple of God in Jerusalem, which would have been a further sign of submission to the Assyrians. After he commanded Uriah to construct an altar following the pattern of the one in Damascus, Ahaz offered worship upon the pagan altar in the temple of God. This act demonstrated the profound moral perversion of the nation of Judah. The king himself, who functioned as the people's leader and representative, offered false worship on the site where God was meant to be worshiped. Jesus faced a similar situation when he observed the money changers and merchants in the temple of God. Jesus drove the people from the temple because he was angered that his house was turned into a den of robbers (Mt 21:12 - 13). Judah's moral decline did not stop with King Ahaz. Repeatedly the people demonstrated an impoverished view of God by practicing false worship. The church throughout all generations must guard itself at all costs against twisting God's good gifts into a means of false worship. They must work to protect God's church from those who would lead them to worship something other than God. Jesus, protect your body from the temptations of false worship. Encourage us to dig into your Word so we will not easily be led astray. Amen. 2 Kings 16:10-16 2 Kings 16:10-16 NASB 10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. 11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made it, before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. 12 When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then the king approached the altar and went up to it, 13and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 The bronze altar, which was before the L ord , he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and the house of the L ord , and he put it on the north side of his altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king's burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by. " 16 So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.