At the beginning of Ahaz’s reign we see Isaiah going out with his son at the Lord’s command to meet the king. The hearts of the people were shaking in fear because of the Syrian king and the king of Israel who were jointly coming against Jerusalem. Isaiah had words of comfort from the Lord, suited to make Ahaz trust in God. He was told that he would be kept, and what would happen to his enemies. But a serious warning also came with it: “If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”

Unfortunately, Ahaz did not believe. Isaiah even told him to ask for a sign as a proof that all these things would happen. But he answered, “I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!” (7:12). It seems pious, but in fact he had no faith and no interest at all. He already had his own plan and had decided to follow it. As a result, it did not go well for them, just as the Lord said, “You certainly shall not last.” Ahaz had no faith at all and did not believe God’s word to him.

This is a lesson of great importance. When we hear the Word of God, we also must, so to speak, add faith to it; we must believe it. It is the only way we are going to make spiritual progress in our lives. It is not just a matter of knowing something, or having an intellectual knowledge of God’s Word, but of believing what God tells us. Doing so will change our thoughts and ways practically. Had Ahaz believed and walked according to God’s word, things would have been quite different: there would have been peace and blessing for him and his people. How many troubles we give ourselves because we do not believe God’s Word and walk by it, trusting God.

May we learn from Ahaz’s mistake and add faith to God’s Word and walk by it. By this we will grow and make progress in the Lord.