Hold Fast: Lessons From a King
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God’s Word is alive. And one of the ways that this truth is most evident, is through application. What do I mean? When we look into God’s word, we can see truths that are relevant for our lives and our walk today, despite the fact that scripture was written hundreds and even thousands of years before we picked it up and read it this morning. God’s word never grows old, it never ages, it never loses its relevancy. There is a word of truth for every situation you may encounter. Tonight, we’re going to read a few verses about the life of a king who reigned in Judah. And when we read it, as we dig, we will come to find that we can apply much of what we see to our lives today.
Before we begin, let me show you that what I’m saying is biblical. It can be easy for someone on the outside to say, “Are you reading into the text? Do you really think the story of an old king can show us truths that we can apply to our life today?” Absolutely. Let me prove it to you.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
ALL SCRIPTURE is breathed out by God. ALL SCRIPTURE profits us, because it teaches us, it reproves us, it corrects us, and it trains us in righteousness. Scripture was not just written for the people alive in the time of its authorship; scripture was written for us.
But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,
but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
Paul here shows us that back in Genesis 14, all those years ago, when Moses wrote that Abraham was righteous by faith, it wasn’t just written for his sake, but for US! That we would know that we are also righteous by faith.
The point is, all scripture, old and new, is written for a purpose in our lives today. Now, good bible study does not create new theology out of the old testament. We can’t just make up new interpretations. But if what we see in the stories of the old testament is theology that’s true, something we see elsewhere in scripture, then we know that it is a truth that was purposely put there for us.
2 Kings 18:1–7 (ESV)
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered...
So the first thing we see is that Hezekiah was reigning in Judah, (the kingdoms were divided) and he was the son of Ahaz. And despite the fact that Ahaz was a wicked, wicked king; scripture tells us that Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. (Didn’t matter his upbringing).
WE CAN BE GENERATIONAL CURSE BREAKERS
What is clear and obvious from the text, is that our past is no excuse. Our upbringing, our environment, the culture we were raised in, these things are not excuses to stay trapped in bondage. (My siblings, different choices) - Let’s look at what Hezekiah saw his father do as king before him.
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done,
but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
Ahaz did evil before God. He walked in the ways of Israel, in blatant idolatry and disregard for the Word of the Lord. HE EVEN BURNED HIS SON AS AN OFFERING! Imagine that, he sacrificed his son, Hezekiah’s brother, in a pagan ritual for a false god.
He was so into idol worship that scripture says he made offerings on the high places, and on the hills, and under EVERY GREEN TREE.
And as if this wasn’t enough, Ahaz saw a pagan altar in Damascus, he came back to Judah and built an exact replica. Then he removed the altar that God commanded to be made, with it’s exact measurements, he removed that altar of the Lord where the priest would offer sacrifices and offerings to God, and there he replaced it with his new pagan altar. And he commanded that the daily sacrifices that were to be offered to God daily according to the law, be made on his new altar.
Let me ask you this. Does this at all sound like a man who’s son would be a good person, let alone a good king? Does this sound like a man who would have a son who would be faithful to the One true God? Absolutely not.
Yet scripture says he did right before God. What we need to see is that you do not have to be a product of your environment. You are a product of your choices, of your decisions. Despite the sin he saw, and was raised in. Hezekiah made a choice as king to honor the Lord.
So today if you’re here and you’re using the past as an excuse, I want you to be reproved, yet encouraged. There is hope. You do not have to be a slave to the past. There’s no one to blame, it’s not your parents fault, it’s not your families fault, there’s no one to blame but the man in the mirror and sin itself. WE CAN OVERCOME!
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
If you are born again, there’s nothing you can’t overcome. There’s no enemy in hell that can succeed against you. (This doesn’t mean that bad things wont happen) But even if you die, you overcome death, hell and the grave. There’s nothing hold you back! Especially not your past.
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
WE MUST KNOCK DOWN ALL OF OUR IDOLS
Hezekiah wanted to live right before the Lord. He made a commitment to walk before the Lord in purity, and to lead the kingdom of Judah in the ways of God. Notice the first step towards doing that, was removing all of the stumbling blocks in the land.
This stands true in our personal walks. We cannot leave idols standing. Hezekiah didn’t just say, “I won’t affiliate with the idols of the land” Hezekiah decided to DESTROY every thing in his way that wasn’t of God. - If we want to live holy before the Lord, we’ve got to do the same.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
We’re not just told to put on the Lord Jesus; we are also told to make NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH. Let there be NO OPPORTUNITY to gratify the desires of the flesh.
You can’t leave idols left standing and just think you won’t bow at their altars. If the idols are left standing, you will bring your worship. We MUST destroy every object of pagan worship, we must destroy every opportunity of the flesh. Every stumbling block, we must eradicate. How do we do that? Practically;
ANYTHING THAT STIRS UP TEMPTATION, SINFUL THOUGHTS OR DESIRES, MUST BE CUT OUT OF OUR LIVES
We can take zero chances in this world. Especially if you’ve come out of addiction. We have no room for error. There is no time to play with any sort of opportunity that could even remotely bring sin into our lives. We’re fallen, we’re inclined to sin, so we must protect ourselves at all costs. Destroy the idols in your life, or become empty just like them. It can be your pride, your desire for wealth and to be comfortable. It can be lust, it can be wordly desires, material things. What is it? Even if you’re walking in victory in 99 areas, what’s that one place in your life that can cause you to turn astray? Or to drift? That’s the idol that needs to be destroyed.
He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
Here we see scripture showing us what set apart King Hezekiah from all kings before and after him in Judah. He trusted in the Lord. What does this look like in our life today?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
We cannot rely on our reasoning, or our understanding. We have to trust God, and we have to trust in His word. Even when things don’t make sense. Even when the big picture isn’t clear; you have to trust God. You have to trust in His character, that He is good. And when you realize you can trust God for WHO HE IS, you will find that you don’t have to see the plan. You don’t have to know every little detail. But you’ll never trust God for WHO He is, unless you know His character, and you’ll never know His character unless you’re in the word! That’s what caused me to trust in God. The power of His word!
Verse 6 shows exactly how Hezekiah was set apart by his trust in God. ACKNOWLEDGE GOD IN ALL YOUR WAYS, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT. Are you sick of stumbling and staggering down a crooked road? God can make your paths straight.
Acknowledge Him daily with your time. Acknowledge Him in your behavior. Acknowledge Him in your speech. Acknowledge Him in the midst of this crooked generation. Let all things be done with Him, through Him and for Him.
Don’t trust in the strength of man. Don’t trust in riches. Don’t trust in circumstance. Don’t trust in government. These things will all fail. Trust in God. Who’s never failed and won’t start with you.
For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
WE MUST HOLD FAST TO THE LORD
If we are not clinging to God, we will depart from Him. How can I say that? In Numbers God told the Israelites to make tassels, to look upon daily on their garments so that they would remember His commands and follow Him. Why did He say this?
And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
This is the way of the flesh. This is the wickedness of man. We are inclined to sin. Prone to sin. So what’s the remedy? HOLD FAST TO GOD! Before we discuss what this looks like; I want to show you what the Bible says about “Holding Fast”. As I went through the word, looking for this term, “Hold fast” I only saw this phrase in relation to a few things. -
Now this phrase, “Hold fast” means to BE DILIGENT, CLING TO, OR TAKE A FIRM GRASP OF! We must be diligent in our seeking. We must cling to the Lord, and take a firm grasp of His word, His ways, and His presence.
You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
How do we hold fast to God? By FEARING HIM! This means to revere Him, to Honor Him, to respect to Him. To keep Him in His proper place in our life. When we fear the Lord, we will cling to Him, and to His commands.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
This is so vital. We have to GRASP the confession of our hope WITHOUT WAVERING! This means we cannot allow doubt, fear, anxiety, tragedy or circumstance to overthrow the hope that anchors our soul. How do we do that?
MEDITATE ON WHO GOD IS
Hebrews tells us to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Why? What is our motivation, what gives us the ability to not waver in the confession of our hope? BECAUSE HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL! What’s the confession of our hope? OUR BELIEF IN JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR! This beliefs trumps everything!
IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BIG THE MOUNTAIN IS! IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW HEAVY THE CHAINS ARE! IT DOESN’T MATTER THE CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST YOU! IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY, IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MESSY THE SITUATION! HE IS BIGGER! HE IS GREATER! HE PROMISED AND HE IS FAITHFUL!
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
This is God speaking about the one who holds fast to Him! Look at this promise! I WILL DELIVER HIM! I WILL PROTECT HIM! Why? Because you’re good enough? Because you’ve done everything right? NO! BUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW HIS NAME!
It doesn’t matter what you’re facing, HE WILL DELIVER YOU! It doesn’t matter the addiction, it doesn’t matter what sort of bondage it is, Cling to Him in LOVE and HE WILL DELIVER YOU! And even if you face death, He will deliver you from this life to true life everlasting!
It doesn’t matter what evil comes against you. He promised to protect you! HE PROMISED! AND HE’S NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE!
You know what’s interesting though about this phrase, “Hold fast”? The only time it’s used and it’s not about clinging to God, His promises, or good things or our faith, do you know how it’s used? In fact, it’s the FIRST TIME it’s used!
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
This is the essence of Holding Fast. This is what it means to hold fast to God. - Marriage. Think about it. When you take a vow of marriage, you are vowing to be WHOLY FAITHFUL, FOREVER! You are vowing for better or for worse, til death do you part. It’s a promise to be intimate with NO ONE ELSE!
To hold fast to God requires the same commitment. It’s saying, God, i will serve you with my life. I will be faithful to you. Until the day i die, it’s all for you. And you know what happens when we make that commitment? We never truly die, and we get fellowship with Him. Forever. - Think about it. Would your spouse be willing to put up with even just a little unfaithfulness? Perhaps they wouldn’t leave you, but wouldn’t that hinder your intimacy?
Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us. But when we allow ourselves to drift, to wander, we are hindering our intimacy with God. Not because He turns and leaves us, but because our HEARTS have left HIM!
Another thing that’s interesting about Holding fast in this verse, is that when a man holds fast to his wife, they become ONE FLESH! We understand that there is a physical aspect to this, but also a spiritual aspect. Look what Paul says about this:
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
The reason that the way a man is to cling to his spouse gives us a perfect example of how we are to hold fast to God, is because MARRIAGE ITSELF REPRESENTS WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US! His church! We have been joined to Him, becoming one with Him! Paul says in Corinthians that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him!
The Church is the bride of Christ. We are intimately united with Him. For a marriage to work, it requires commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, endurance, and intimacy. Our walk with Christ is no different. We must commit our lives to Him. To be loyal to His Word. To be faithful (not perfect) in all that we do, to endure til the end. And most importantly, we must maintain intimacy. Daily.
King Hezekiah held fast to God. And this is what scripture says:
2 Kings 18:7 (ESV)
And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered…
Hezekiah prospered. He was successful. THE LORD WAS WITH HIM! - Now this doesn’t mean that every person who holds fast to the Lord will be rich. This isn’t a prosperity gospel. But when the Lord is on your side, what could be more prosperous? When the Spirit of the living God is on the inside of you, what greater riches could be obtained? There is nothing greater than the mystery that is Christ in us!
We can walk in our calling, in our purpose, we can prosper in life.
Another lesson we draw from the life of Hezekiah is how to
HAVE FAITH IN THE MIDST OF DISASTER
So many times, things come against us in our life, and people are so quick to panic, to meltdown and freak out. And we say things like, “that’s just how my brain works”. When the truth is, we are just so focused on the problem, we forget that there is a solution. YOU CAN HAVE SELF CONTROL IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY AND DISASTER! YOU CAN HAVE FAITH IN THE FACE OF THE BIGGEST GIANTS OR THE TALLEST MOUNTAINS! IT’S A CHOICE! Let me show you.
So the king of Assyria comes out against Hezekiah in Judah, and he begins to tax Judah. So Hezekiah took all of the money, the silver and gold from the Lords temple and gives it to the king of Assyria. Assyria was a great and mighty nation. In fact, Assyria is the nation that first exiles the northern tribes of Isreal, taking them into captivity.
So the king of Assyria comes out and speaks in the hearing of the men of Jerusalem and listen to what he says.
And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.” ’ ”
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?”
Rabshakeh says to the people, “Hiring Egypt to help fight me cannot save you, your God cannot save you, what nation that we have attacked has successfully withstood me?” “YOU’RE DOOMED TO EAT YOUR OWN DUNG AND DRINK YOUR OWN URINE”!
Imagine one of the most powerful nations in the world, coming to your city and proclaiming these things. Hezekiah could have given in. Rabshakeh tells the people to willingly come into exile, to willingly be taken captive and surrender, and he would give them good land in Assyria. And then, as they depart, promising to return for war, they send King Hezekiah a letter, saying
“Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?
But Hezekiah doesn’t surrender. He doesn’t give in.
You know what Hezekiah does instead? He runs to God.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”
Look what Hezekiah does. And when he prays. He reminds himself of who God is, how mighty He is. How He created everything. How He is enthroned on high.
In the midst of fiery trials, we need to remind ourselves of Who we serve, and how big He is.
Hezekiah says, “Yeah, they succeeded in dispossessing other nations. But those nations served gods who were not gods at all. They were idols. They could not save”.
See Hezekiah focused on God and allowed things to be put in their proper perspective. It’s easy to focus on all the wrong things in the midst of trials. But when we meditate on God, and not the things we’re facing, it’s much easier to remember who is greater.
In the midst of our trials we need to remember that God is the God of possible. There’s nothing too great for Him.
With all of that said, Hezekiah finishes with, “God, please save us, that all the earth may know that YOU ALONE ARE GOD!”. And guess what happens?
And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD
FIGHTING IN OUR OWN STRENGTH WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO FAILURE!
There’s so much more we could discuss. But the life of Hezekiah has taught us that
We can break generational curses
We must knock down our idols to truly serve God
We can trust in God
When we hold fast to Him, we prosper
And we can have faith in the midst of disaster, because God fights for His people
Every day we have a choice to make. We can believe the words of others. We can believe what we see. Or we can believe in the God who saves.