Deciding what kind of a...
Illustration
Deciding what kind of a sign to ask for from God is a very tricky proposition. Jacob once asked God for a sign: "O Lord, if you will be in this battle with us, and it is your will that I should engage the enemy, then give me a sign.
"This is what I'll do. I'll lay down a sheepskin here on the desert floor, and in the morning, the fleece will be wet, but the ground will be dry." He did, and the next morning found all as he had asked.
But then he got to thinking. The fleece is not the same as the arid ground around him. Perhaps the wool would naturally collect more moisture than the baked earth. So, back he goes to God.
"Okay, Lord, this is what I'll do this time. I'll lay out the sheepskin again, and this time, leave the sheepskin dry and the ground moist with dew. Then I'll know for certain that you intend for us to go into this battle." The next morning, it was as he had asked. His doubts were removed, and the battle engaged and won.
Ahaz, on the other hand, really doesn't want a sign from God. If he gets a sign, he will have to act. He uses a pious excuse to escape the situation, but God insists: "Then I myself will name you a sign, that you may know that I am God, and you must obey."
Many today refuse to ask for a sign, quoting Jesus' comment that "a wicked generation seeks for a sign." Might it be, that like Ahaz, they are afraid they will receive a sign?
"This is what I'll do. I'll lay down a sheepskin here on the desert floor, and in the morning, the fleece will be wet, but the ground will be dry." He did, and the next morning found all as he had asked.
But then he got to thinking. The fleece is not the same as the arid ground around him. Perhaps the wool would naturally collect more moisture than the baked earth. So, back he goes to God.
"Okay, Lord, this is what I'll do this time. I'll lay out the sheepskin again, and this time, leave the sheepskin dry and the ground moist with dew. Then I'll know for certain that you intend for us to go into this battle." The next morning, it was as he had asked. His doubts were removed, and the battle engaged and won.
Ahaz, on the other hand, really doesn't want a sign from God. If he gets a sign, he will have to act. He uses a pious excuse to escape the situation, but God insists: "Then I myself will name you a sign, that you may know that I am God, and you must obey."
Many today refuse to ask for a sign, quoting Jesus' comment that "a wicked generation seeks for a sign." Might it be, that like Ahaz, they are afraid they will receive a sign?
