Our pleasant vices whips for our own backs.
Ahaz has made up his mind to "hire" the keen razor that lies beyond the far waters of the Euphrates, in Mesopotamia and Assyria Proper. He means to meet the danger which he sees to be impending, by his own wisdom and in his own strength. His ally, Tigiath-Pileser, "the great king, the King of Assyria" (2 Kings 18:28), shall crush the hosts of Pekah and Rezin, save Judah and Jerusalem from harm, nay, perhaps exalt Judah to the position which was his before Israel revolted under Jeroboam. But God has decreed otherwise. He will endorse Abaz's scheme to a certain extent; he will employ the sword of Tiglath-Pileser to destroy Rezin (2 Kings 16:9) and chastise Pekah; but he will then make him a scourge to chastise Ahaz himself. The razor hired by Ahaz shall shave Judaea as clean as Samaria, exhausting the land utterly, and leaving it with comparatively few inhabitants. Ahaz shall find that he is not really "helped" by his ally, but only "distressed" and injured (2 Chronicles 28:20, 2 Chronicles 28:21). In all this we have a specimen of one of the ordinary modes in which God works out his will. He "hoists us with our own petard," scourges us with the whip which we have ourselves made for another purpose. Ambition brings men into places where they are fain to cry, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Avarice indulged makes them grudge themselves the slightest enjoyment. Successful plotting deprives them of all feeling of security, putting their lives and liberties into the power of those who may at any time betray them. The attainment of the highest position at which they have ever aimed leaves them a prey to ennui and disappointment. Rebekah's plan for the advancement of her favorite son succeeds; but it deprives her of her son's society for a great part of her life. Absalom's rebellion against David raises him to the throne, but brings him to an untimely end within a few months. Judas carries out his scheme of betrayal with complete success, and in consequence of his success hangs himself, In our youth we forge those fetters of habit which make us miserable in our old age. We plan, and scheme, and build castles, and laboriously achieve the accomplishment of our plans to a certain extent, with the result that we are Utterly dissatisfied, and would like to pull all down and begin again. "Our mischief falls on our own head, and our wickedness on our own pate" (Psalms 7:16). God turns our wisdom into foolishness, and crushes us beneath the structures that our own hands have erected.
HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON