But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." – Isaiah 7:12

Today's Scripture Reading (March 12, 2023): Isaiah 7

Most of us have heard Frank (do I really need to add Sinatra) sing the song.

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way (Paul Anka)

The tune is actually French, and Canadian Pop Icon Paul Anka wrote the lyrics. And they tell the story of a man at the end of his life who is proud that he made it through life doing things "his way." It is a powerful image. If you are a Jon Bon Jovi fan, the song appears in the chorus of "It's My Life." Frank Sinatra had a huge influence on Bon Jovi's life, so the chorus goes of that song goes -  

It's my life,

It's now or never

I ain't going to live forever

I just want to live while I'm alive

My heart is like an open highway

Like Frankie said,

"I did it my way."

I just want to live while I'm alive

It's my life (Jon Bon Jovi)

Have you ever felt that way? Most of us have. It's my life; why can't I do it my way? The problem is that we are often wrong. We think we have to make our own mistakes, but the truth is that that, too, is a lie. We can learn from the mistakes of others.

God comes to Ahaz and invites him to ask for his advice and a sign that God wants him to respond in a certain way. God's message is, "Tell me what you want me to do to convince you that what I say is right." What God wants Ahaz to do is to stand alone and not ally with Assyria. I will give you the sign you ask for, whether the sign is on the earth, above the earth, or below the earth. King, let me know what you want because I want to give you hope in the sign.

And Ahaz responds with, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test." And if the words sound familiar, they should. It alludes to Deuteronomy 6:16, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah" (Deuteronomy 6:16).

As Christians, we probably know the passage better from the Temptation of Jesus by Satan in the desert, right after his Baptism.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

"'He will command his angels concerning you,
               and they will lift you up in their hands,
               so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' (Matthew 4:5-7).

What both of these passages have in common is that they demand faith; if you keep God's commands, if you do what is right, and if you are a person of faith, you can be assured that God will take care of you. In the case of Ahab, it was exactly what his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had done. In the case of Jesus, this was the life story of Mary and Joseph, who took this child that God had given them and rejoiced over him, even though they were terrified.

The problem with Ahaz is that at the time of this conversation with God, Ahaz had no intention of placing his faith in God. He has other plans. To ask for a sign would mean that he was willing to follow God, so he puts on this pious face and says that we will not put God to the test. But what he is really saying is, "I am going to do this my way, God, so don't bother me."

Ahaz was about to choose a path he knew was wrong, but he was unwilling to bow his knee to God and do what was right. And I am betting that most of you are thinking of an incident when that is your story. It is not that you didn't know what was right; you chose not to do what God wanted because you wanted to do it your way. Maybe you even put a Christian spin on it and tried to pass off your way as God's, but deep down, you know it wasn't.

Ahaz had already decided he was going to join with Assyria, the biggest and baddest kid on the block, rather than place his faith and trust in God. He made his denial sound religious, but that wasn't really true. It was just his decision to put his faith and trust somewhere other than with God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 1