2 Kings 20:1-6 When Your Back is Against the Wall

Text: 2 Kings 20:1-6

Title: When Your Back Is Against the Wall

Introduction: Has anyone ever heard of the phrase “my back is against the wall?” This is a phrase that could cause great depression.

It means things are not going so well. In reality, when things are at their worst. This seems inevitable. But, there is a way a Christian should act when our back is against the wall.

The central idea of the text demonstrates the sovereignty of God, as well as the power of prayer.

The main idea of the sermon today is encourage us to submit to the sovereignty of God, and at the same time seek God for what we desire from God.

Listen to God (1)

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

The Situation (1) (Sickness)

Hezekiah was sick unto death. He was dangerously ill. He was deathly sick. He was deathly ill. (could have been a large boil or ulcer.) This was hard to live with.

Then here comes the preacher with some more bad news. It looks like Isaiah who had been the herald of hope, has now become the propagator of pessimism and doom. (It’s like that with the preacher: all our news is not good news; we have to carry bad news too.) (The harsh reality of life…be it due to sickness or not, we will make a transition from this present life!)

He’s sick, and now he is told to set his house in order because he is going to die. He was in a tight spot!

Getting his house in order meant getting someone for the throne. It was a grievous thing to a Jew to leave no male offspring. It was viewed as a mark of the Divine displeasure to be cut off in the midst of one’s days.

WHAT DOES THE KING DO? He does not go to fortune tellers or soothsayers…He…

Pray to God (passionately prays to God) (2-3) – Hezekiah’s response to bad news! (Supplication) 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

“In a [prayer of] SUPPLICATION (a request), the requester asks God for something from a place of humility and desperation—from an acute awareness of inferiority and need.”

(2) “Then” At the point of the bad news, he “turns his face toward the wall”

Prayer can cause you to change your position!

The wall represented protection or strength. The potency of prayer is powerful.

The prayer does not have to be long – according to the KJV there were only about 30 words in his prayer.

(3) Sounds like some divine arm-twisting took place in this prayer

2 Samuel 22:21, “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.”

He wept sore (profusely, bitterly, broke down with a great sob)

Reminded God of his (Hezekiah’s) past, previous record of living

The LORD looks in favor on those who faithfully serve him (Wiseman, D. J. (1993). 1 and 2 Kings: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 9, p. 305). InterVarsity Press.)

Wait on God (4-7) – patiently wait on God. (Salvation)

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. (read these verses)

God changed His mind! God reserves the RIGHT to change His mind!

Conclusion – Sometimes God changes His mind!

Like He did with the Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace.

Like He did with Daniel in the lion’s den.

Like He did with Moses and Israel at the Red Sea.

Like He did with Abraham in the mountain.

But, what if God decides not to change His mind!

Like He did with Paul who sought God out 3 times because of his illness. (Paul, heard the Lord say, “My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength is made perfect in weakness.”)

Like He did with Jesus: Jesus requested in the Garden, “Let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.”

Like He did with our foreparents - “Whatever the Lord says about it.”

GOD IS STILL GOOD!

Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” (Job 13:15a)