Trusting an Unchanging God

Trusting an Unchanging God - Part 1


For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith. -Romans 1:17

God never changes. That's as comforting as it is sobering.

When we read 2 Chronicles 28, we discover the tragic life of one of Judah's kings, King Ahaz. Ahaz should have known God doesn't change. God proved it to two significant people in his life-his father and grandfather. Read 2 Chronicles, chapter 26. Ahaz ruled jointly with his father Jotham for a while. And earlier, Jotham ruled jointly for a while during the time of his father, Uzziah. So the lives of son, father, and grandfather were connected close enough for there to be a remarkable influence.

According to 26:5, Uzziah continued to "seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him." Ahaz had opportunity to learn this precept. He should have recalled that God prospered Grandpa because Grandpa sought Him.

A generation later according to 2 Chronicles 27:5, Ahaz's father Jotham fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed. In verse 6 we see that Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways according to God's ways. This was Ahaz's second opportunity to learn about God's immutable character.

With these repeated blessings on his father's and grandfather's obedience, you'd think Ahaz would walk obediently before God himself. But he didn't.

Ahaz learned about God's unchanging attitude toward sin the hard way, just like his grandfather. Although Uzziah started out well, once he became strong, he too forgot that God does not change. In his pride, Uzziah thought he could offer incense in the holy place. Uzziah forgot the day Nadad and Abihu were killed by God for offering strange incense to the Lord. What made Uzziah think a holy God would not judge him for going where only a Levite could go?

Uzziah forgot God doesn't change. That prideful lapse of memory brought leprosy from God. (2 Chronicles 26:18, 19). He died in this condition, unable to return to the palace for the rest of his life. Ahaz also had this example to remind him that God does not change! If God judged Uzziah who started out great but ended presumptuously in sin, shouldn't Ahaz have known he couldn't get away with it? Shouldn't he have believed it?

Before the two armies invaded, God gave Ahaz a fresh opportunity to repent and renew his faith. We learn this from the prophet Isaiah, so let's review through his eyes. In Isaiah 7:1, we read: "Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it."

Rezin decided to attack the holy city, the city of Mount Zion, where God had put His name and temple. But as hard as his armies fought, they couldn't take it. When the report reached Ahaz that the Arameans were camping just to the north, his heart and the hearts of his people shook like trees under a strong wind.