Pleasing God

Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah’s reign in Israel. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. [2 Kings 16.1-4]

If we understand the most basic principle about what pleases God, everything else about the history of Israel becomes quite clear. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament sheds light on this:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

There it is: faith is the only way to please God. The history of Israel is simplified by this understanding. The measure of Israel's and Judah's relationship with God had everything to do with faith or the lack thereof. When God's people trusted Him, He was pleased. When God's people trusted other gods (evidenced in "pagan" practices), God was not pleased.

As a matter of record, Israel and Judah both had times they pleased God and times they did not please God. We simply must understand that their "pleasing God" was when they believed Him and trusted Him. But, when they trusted in other gods, nations, or practices, God was not pleased.

We can also see that there were varying degrees of pleasing God. If we follow the understanding here, this would indicate that there were varying degrees of faith. We see this all through the history of Israel in descriptions like the following:

Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. He rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD. [2 Kings 15.34-35]

So, Jotham had some faith, but evidently not enough to get rid of the pagan shrines (that symbolized faith in other gods). Herein lies tremendous revelation for the Church today. While there may be some faith evident in the Church today, there remain pagan practices - rituals that indicate faith and trust in other gods...

How can this be? How can I say this? Like every truth of God, it is simple really: anything or anyone we trust instead, or even alongside, of God is a dilution of undivided faith in God. No, of course we don't have carved idols or trinkets we claim dependence upon, but we do have medicine and insurance that we rely heavily upon. Did not God say He is our Healer? Did not God say He would care for our needs and preserve our well-being?

I completely "get it" that we justify our medicine and insurance as "wisdom" in the modern culture in which we live. But what if the modern culture in which we live is rife with idolatrous substitutions that dilute our faith in God alone (as He demands)? As in the case of Israel, perhaps we only partially please God or worse, we are looked at by our Father as doing that which does not please Him at all (trusting wholeheartedly in sources other than Him for our well-being). Let's back up and look at what Jeroboam did (he was often the benchmark for describing how far Israel or Judah went in displeasing God).

Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel. Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.” So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there. [1 Kings 12.25-30]

There is far more to this story than I can commit to discuss here, but suffice it to say that Jeroboam diluted pure faith in God with the idea that the two gold calves were worthy of worship. But understand this: Jeroboam's presentation of the gold calves was a ruse from the beginning - all he we doing was using Israel's wayward-faith nature to secure his own political power! The gold calves however were just the beginning of Israel's idolatry - it grew from there.

I think it is no coincidence that there were two gold calves then and there are two major lifelong considerations for every human being now: medicine and insurance.

What am I saying? Oh, nothing... I'm just suggesting we take a hard look at what we trust and believe in...

Father, forgive me for diluted faith. Forgive me for the pretense of 'wanting more faith' while firmly holding on to ...idols???