May the grace and peace of our good Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be multiplied among you.
As human beings, we often make many attempts in different areas of life, and failing at times is very normal. But can the Almighty God ever fail? Can God attempt something again and again and still face failure? Today, we are going to find answers to these questions.
2 Chronicles chapter 28 records the life history of Ahaz, the king of Jerusalem. This king continuously did evil in the sight of the Lord. He committed extremely wicked deeds, practiced abominations, and provoked the anger of the Lord.
Beloved, are we today people who truly love the Lord, or have we turned away from Him and are doing things that are evil in His sight? Shall we commit ourselves to walk in the righteous ways of the Lord?
God’s First Attempt – Syria
2 Chronicles 28:5 “Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him and carried away a great multitude of captives to Damascus.”
Why did God allow Ahaz to be handed over to the king of Syria? Why did God permit him to be defeated and a large number of his people to be taken captive?
God allowed this with an expectation—that at least in this time of crisis, Ahaz would turn back to the Lord. Generally, human beings tend to return to God sincerely during times of distress and trouble.
Ahaz lost a great number of people. Without his large army, he would have been discouraged, hopeless, and uncertain about the future. In such situations, a person has a high chance of repenting and turning back to God.
But in Ahaz’s case, instead of repenting, he continued to corrupt his ways and acted even more rebelliously against God. Thus, God’s first attempt ended in failure.
In our lives too, God may allow pressures and hardships so that we might repent and draw closer to Him. But are we fulfilling God’s expectation—or are we continuing to walk away from Him?
God’s Second Attempt – Israel
2 Chronicles 28:5 “He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great slaughter.”
Ahaz, the king of Judah, was now defeated by the king of Israel—his own brother nation. God allowed him to experience humiliation, defeat, and pressure even from his own people.
When opposition comes from one’s own brothers, there is a strong possibility that a person may humble himself and return to God. But even in such painful circumstances, Ahaz was unwilling to turn back to the Lord.
Opposition from brothers hurts more than opposition from strangers. Yet Ahaz showed no repentance. Thus, God’s second attempt also failed.
Beloved, sometimes we too may face resistance and pain from our own family or close ones. In such moments, it is good to examine ourselves and eagerly turn toward God.
God’s Third Attempt – Edom
2 Chronicles 28:17 “For the Edomites had again invaded Judah and carried away captives.”
The Edomites were not a powerful nation. They were descendants of Esau and were relatives of Judah. Yet God allowed even this weaker, related group to defeat Ahaz.
God might have expected that when Ahaz was defeated by weaker relatives, he would realize his condition and repent. But Ahaz remained stubborn in his ways and never desired to return to God.
Thus, God’s third attempt also ended in failure.
Beloved, when we face troubles even from weaker forces or close relatives, we must examine ourselves carefully and be ready to repent and return to God.
God’s Fourth Attempt – Philistines
2 Chronicles 28:18“The Philistines also invaded the cities of the lowland and the Negev of Judah… and they dwelt there.
”The Philistines, who were often defeated by Israel and Judah in the past, now conquered cities and settled there. God used even neighboring enemies against Ahaz.
When someone is defeated by neighbors or by those whom they once overcame, it creates an opportunity for self-examination and repentance. But Ahaz refused to repent.
Instead, he increased idol worship and set up altars throughout Judah. Even this fourth attempt of God failed.
Beloved, sometimes we may face shame and defeat through people who are less educated, less powerful, or less experienced than us. In such moments, do we repent—or do we continue further in sin?
God’s Fifth Attempt – Assyria
2 Chronicles 28:20 “Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he distressed him and did not help him.”
Ahaz sought help from Assyria, but instead of helping, the Assyrian king oppressed him. God allowed even the one Ahaz trusted for help to become a source of distress.
Assyria was a powerful empire in those days. God used this mighty nation to bring severe pressure upon Ahaz. Yet, despite all this, Ahaz never repented.
Here too, God’s method failed. The Lord used every possible way, yet Ahaz showed no change in his life.
Conclusion
Beloved, what about us?
Even when we face great troubles, betrayals, and pressures—have we truly repented and turned back to God?
Has God failed in our lives?
Has the Lord been disappointed with us?
When the purpose of our life changes to please God and bring joy to His heart, we will surely live as true people of God in this world. Let us strive to live such a life.
May God bless you. Amen.