II Kings 16:3-4

"But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from befor ethe children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on th ehills, and under every gree tree."

Let us look at Ahaz and see his wickedness. This is the path of evil and sin that leads men to practice such evil. For we have seen king and after king continue to grow worse and worse. Step by step they walk away from the Lord, and now we arrive at Ahaz and see the evil of his life. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel - word study, way; He walked which way? In the path of the kings of Israel, who had forsaken the ways of the Lord. Every person chooses which way they will go. You and I must determine how we will walk in this world. Either for the Lord or against Him? Yea, and everyone is watching your daily walk. Are you holy? Are you sinful? The way fo the kings of Israel, was only evil continually. they practiced mischief to offend the Lord God. They had heard that they were found in defiance against the Lord, yet they still chose to sin. The way of man today is no differnet, they are walking in the paths of their fathers. And is it not common to see that as the son is, so is the father? Children learn their behaviors from thsoe around them. This next genreation has seen the continued evil of 50 years and embraced. We cannot expect to be shocked by what we see, for it has been before us all these years. The church has allowed it. Their walk in evil has been consistently before us. Yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen - word study, made; How evil? As evil as the heathen that God judges and destoryed before Israel came into the promised land. So evil that they could send their chidlren through the fire. Anytime in the Bible this practice is mentioned, it is assoicated with the worst of beings. to sacrifice the children for their false religion shows the depths of evil that men are possessed with. Nothing else but Satan encourages such works that lose any sight of decency and enters utter evil. Oh, the depths of evil that men practice, not knowing their eternity is based on these evils. Abominations, heathens, pagan practices all show the evil of the heart that has slowly and over time crept away from the Lord and His ways. It is a spiral downward away from goodness and wholeness. It is before us in this generation, they continue to become more vile an devil all the time. Healines, entertainment is more perverted and sadistic in their ways. Children are now passed through the fire for the sake of their wicked hearts. Innocent children are rare to find, that have not been scarred by the evil of abuse, pagnism and indulgences of evil. God sees all this and allows it for a paticular purpose. After all these kings of evil, Ahaz is the worst and in the darkness of evil, God shines forth His light of redemtpion and hope. For after Ahaz we have Hezekiah who leads them back to God and perfect worship.