New International Version
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
Isaiah the prophet is sent to the king. The message from Isaiah is "Ask a sign form the Lord your God. Make it as deep as the grave or as high as the heaven.'
First of all I am not sure I understand inside what it means to have a prophet ask me that.
I don't know what I might think or say or hope for. The God that Isaiah writes about is overwhelming, almighty power-filled. I don't know how Isaiah said this to the king or how the king heard it. The dimension of the request from the depths of the grave to the heights of heaven. At a recent grave side service the children of the deceased were all there. The hole didn't seem deep but death and the grave do seem deeper than I can imagine.
So I am not surprised or offended by the King saying he won't test God.
I don't want to test God although I am sure I often do.
Bottom line God responds giving salvation to the world, a promise that will come to being
long after the king and the prophet are deep in the grave soaring in the heavens.
Stu