Syncretism: That Ever-Present Danger
(Image courtesy of heritagebooks.org.) An Age-Old Threat When Jotham’s son Ahaz became king of Judah, the kingdom entered a dark period of spiritual decline. Ahaz was twenty years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. Unlike David, his forefather, Ahaz did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God. Instead, he followed the wicked practices of the kings of Israel, even going so far as to make his own son pass through the fire, imitating the detestable customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before Israel. Ahaz did not merely tolerate the idolatry of the surrounding nations; he embraced their practices. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hills, and beneath every green tree. The king of Judah, who should have led his people in the worship of the LORD, instead led them further into rebellion.