Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Throughout the book of Kings, we have seen that our author has one basic test for a king: Does he do what is right in the sight of the LORD – or not? And what it means to do what right (or evil) in the sight of the LORD is always focused on worship. Worship will have profound consequences on everything else in life! Why do you do what you do in worship? Tonight we watch Ahaz conform his worship to the standards of the nations around him. "Ah! I like that altar! We should do it that way!!" The last four kings of Judah have all been "good" kings. Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham – all worshiped Yahweh at his temple. They had their problems (often described as allowing worship at the high places) – but for more than 120 years, Jerusalem was governed by four reasonably good kings. Until Ahaz. Ahaz is the one king of Judah of whom it is said, "He did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD" There are several kings who did evil in the sight of the LORD (e.g., Jehoram and Ahaziah back in chapter 8 – or Man