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11 Ask [sha'al] thee a sign ['owth] of the LORD [Yahovah] thy
God; ['elohiym] ask [sha'al] it either in the depth, [`amaq] or in the height [gabahh]
above. [ma`al] KJV-Interlinear
11
"Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or
high as heaven." NASB
Now, here is a question that virtually anyone should want God to ask of them.
And God asks Ahaz, to ask for anything, whether in heaven or hell. In other words, these indicate no limits and when God asks you to ask, then there is no wrong in your answer.
The Pharisees initiated their own question and asked for a sign of the proof that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. And even if Jesus gave them a phenomenal sign, they would still not believe. They lacked gratitude and they really wanted the temple and Jerusalem to drop down out of heaven so that they could take over it and rule for themselves. That was and is the prophecy for a future time.
Back in Jesus' day, the signs were for salvation and a Savior.
Gideon asked for a sign to reinforce his faith and he received it. His motives were true and honest, and with a few, he defeated thousands. Of course it was the Lords fight and victory, but still it was the faith of Gideon that shined.
And here we have Ahaz. He knew of the stories of Gideon. He knew the stories of David. He himself was a descendant of David, so if anyone knew the family line, especially the royal line, then the king, Ahaz, would know of his own lineage.
So, here is God. He has given Ahaz a promise, that the nation would not fall, and even more, that the northern nations of Israel and Syria, would no longer exist in exactly sixty-five years. Not sixty-four, not sixty-six, but sixty-five years.
And now, God is asking Ahaz to make a request, of anything. And not for someone else, not even for the nation, but for himself. So this offer was clear and Ahaz could have asked for anything.
If it were you, what would you ask for? Hummm!
And so we have a principle here. In the spiritual life, you have exactly that offer. And what is it?
Well, if you pursue your spiritual life in the proper and correct fashion, and advance to spiritual maturity together with maximum spiritual production, then you will receive a reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and that reward amounts to something beyond your imagination.
So how can you think beyond your imagination?
Well, God has already done that for you, and now leaves it up to you to answer the question. What are you prepared to do, in order to receive anything you want?
Well, most folks ignore the question and do not pursue their spiritual obligations and goals. They instead do exactly what Ahaz will do, namely nothing. Now if there was a definition for fool, would your name be in it?
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