2 Kings 16

2Ki 16:11 Then Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. So Urijah the priest made it before King Ahaz came back from Damascus.

Ahaz was a wicked king. He took from the Lord and gave to the world that he might have peace. We see here that he took great liberty with the holy things of the temple. God had set up the temple giving special instructions to Solomon. Now it was being changed by a king that he might waste the riches of worship in exchange for the riches of pleasure. He commands for an altar of idolatry to take place the altar of true sacrifice.

Nobody likes to sacrifice. Nobody likes to give up something of their own. We are left with two options. We can continue to die to self and therefore continue to sacrifice our hearts to the Lord. We could also exchange our place of sacrifice with idolatry.

How often do we see this happen? Somebody becomes tired of sacrifice, or becomes tired of having a Lord over them, so they set up their own god. This god is not threatening at all to their sinful life and not judgmental, because this god is not alive! Life comes through sacrifice. Do not exchange your altar for anything. God has given you a heart of gold, a wonderful altar. Do not let this world take away your heart of gold.