SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 28
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors. [2 Chronicles 28:24-25]
Ahaz is filled with zeal… for the immoral practices of Baal worship.
He even sacrifices his sons in the valley of Ben-Hinnom (where Jesus got the word “Gehenna”).
Like the kings of Israel, Ahaz is zealous for cruelty, lust, greed, immorality – and they are heaping God’s wrath upon their own heads.
“We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the Lord’s fierce anger is already turned against Israel.” [2 Chronicles 28:13]
And in this verse, his “zeal” leads him to desecrate God’s temple.

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” [John 2:13-17]
In this passage, we see the “zeal” of the religious leaders for greed, power, worldly prosperity and success leading them to desecrate God’s temple, turning it into a marketplace, or a den of robbers.
But we also see the “zeal” or passion of Jesus for God and for truth and morality and goodness.
Jesus does the opposite of Ahaz who desecrates the temple; He cleans out the temple.
His passion for God and for God’s purpose leads Him to risk danger, violence, rejection!
Even though it does not make Him popular, His passion for God and His kingdom purpose drives Him.

What am I passionate about? What “fire” in my belly drives me?
The kings of Israel and Ahaz were passionate about the wrong things, and it was ruining them and the nation, and arousing the anger of the Lord!
The religious leaders in Jesus’ were passionate about the wrong things, and it was ruining them and the nation, and arousing the anger of the Lord!
Consumed by a passion for the things that burn in the Lord’s heart.
As one person prayed, ‘Lord, break my heart with the things that break Yours!’
Ignite my heart for the things that ignite Yours!
To get angry at the children being sacrificed today on the altars of inconvenience, self-interest, lust, abuse.
To become passionate about the suffering and neglect and spiritual/emotional damage inflicted on the children in our community, i.e. Falby Court where the Lord has called our church.
To become committed to helping them find freedom, blessing, healing, forgiveness, love, help.

PRAYER:
Lord, may Your passion burn in me, not just for a church building, but for the many people and children enslaved or oppressed by the violence and misery of sin. Make me zealous for bringing Your good news to my neighbours!