4th Sunday in Advent Year A
“Ask a sign. Make it as big as the heavens or deep as the underworld.” What a great promise, yet Ahaz did not want to rely on God. Though an army was coming against Israel and they were in serious trouble, Ahaz did not want to trust in God to defend them. It seems crazy but Ahaz had hired mercenaries to help him and that was his plan. When Isaiah offered him the protection of God, he refused. It is not that he didn’t want to put God to the test, he did not want to trust in God all together. Joseph gives the opposite example. He makes his plans about what to do with his pregnant betrothed wife, then when God confronts him, he follows what God wants and takes the maiden and child into his house. Ahaz did not change his plan, Joseph did. Both Ahaz and Joseph had their plans and, you would think Ahaz was a smart king getting mercenaries to defend his kingdom when he knew he could not match the advancing armies. Yet, when God revealed a better plan, he did not listen.