Humility leads to Deliverance
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
2700ish years ago
Narratives about events in Judah (southern kingdom)
Ch 40 gets back into the classic prophetic literature.
Ch 36-39 are this story block in the middle of Isaiah that sets the backdrop for the whole book.
These two little stories
Sickness, Prayer & Deliverance
Sickness, Prayer & Deliverance
Around the same time as Deliverance from Assyria, not given exact date, but in that timeframe, Hez falls sick. Dunno what with, but in the ancient world just about any sickness could lead to deadly complications. Seems like some kind of infection.
God sends him a message through Isaiah:
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”
Seems pretty conclusive.
Make sure everything is set for your death.
This creates another opportunity for prayer.
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Hez pleads for a repreive. Turned to the wall in privacy.
Hez is not pleading perfection, but faithfulness. I’ve always been on your side.
Please remember your servant
The Lord responds
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.
The Lord provides a repreive.
Does that mean God lied? No it was a threat. Much like with Moses. This is what would have happened if Hez didn’t call out.
The Lord hears our prayers, especially because Christ is our mediator and the SPirit intercedes for us. How can we go unheard? The Lord hears!
The Lord gives Hez another 15 years - a good delay
Not only that, he will protect Jerusalem (see previous cahpters). This could mean a) he will deliver in the future (if this event happened before Assyrian invasion) or b) he will continue to keep Assyria away (if this happened after).
God also provides a sign to authenticate the message:
“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
Happened exactly as God said.
Apply
If you do not ask God, he may not give it to you.
Are you pining? Are you sick? Are you in deep trouble?
You do not have because you do not ask (Ja 4:2)
The Lord disciplines, and gives “thorns” to keep us humble, but this should not drive us away from prayer, rather to the Lord in reliance.
Sometimes the statements of finality are needed to bring us to our senses, drive us to humility and prayer. Statments of Judgment, of punishment, of wrath, of exile and being rejected, these must be preached to drive home the need for
Humility is our strength, because the Lord is our strength and He gives grace to the humble.
Humble yourself before the Lord in Jesus.
A Psalm of Deliverance
A Psalm of Deliverance
In response to the sickness Hez writes a poem.
Good response. We need more poetry. We need more reflection on God’s deliverance.
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.
Doing the maths, 39 years old at this time.
Life preferable to death.
Pre-christ the hope fore life beyond death was shadowed. They did not have a definitive hope.
My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end;
Our lives are already short, but we understand that even then it can be “cut short”
Hez reflects on his life being like a tent, a temporary structure, put up and then taken down.
The Lord is the one who presides over when it starts and ends, so he goes to Him for repreive.
The psalm then turns from refelction on death, to deliverance
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
Hez sees that in order to be right with God, his sins must be dealt with.
Same goes for us!
The Lord will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the Lord.
Proper response of praise!
This is what we do week in and week out. We gather on the Lord’s Day (resurrection day, first day of the week) to praise him with instruments!
We praise him for our deliverance, in the house of the Lord - not a temple made with human hands, but a house of people.
Psalms hymns and spiritual songs, bring your sacrifice of praise!
Proper response to deliverance, gather and praise and thanksgiving! All the days of our lives!
Pride, Foolishness & Passivity
Pride, Foolishness & Passivity
Despite all of Hez good qualities, he’s not perfect. This next story shows this:
At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.
Babylon not yest a superpower. Showing off. - look at my bank account, my precious mettals.
Trying to get on side with them, perhaps make an alliance.
Really just said “come rob me”
It was really foolish.
Isaiah found out, then brought a message from God:
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Jerusalem will fall.
Remember until this time Jerusalem had not fallen since David took the city.
Disaster!
Eunuchs - Before the days of broad voluntary Eunuchism this was seen as a curse. Eunuchs are used by God and not outside his plan or anything, the issue is that God made us to be fruitful, and so it is a curse to be made unfruitful, whether that is by choice or natural causes in a fallen world.
Hez son’s will be cursed - they will be made Eunuchs. Hez gets to father them, but they will not be fathers.
They will not be kings, they will serve a pagan king.
This ends the legacy, but this is not just a concern about not passing on a name, this threatens to end the Davidic line!
There are promises on the line here!
David’s Son shall sit on the throne forever. How is that possible if Hez’ line ends?
How does he respond?
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”
This is in stark contrast to the sickness. There Hez ran to the Lord in prayer. There he humbled himslef and cried out! There he sought the favour of GOd!
Here? He just says “well at least I won’t have to worry about living through that”
This is response is a sad blight on an otherwise faithful King. It shows that even the greatest rulers are deeply flawed, and that even Godly leaders cannot stem the effects of depravity.
Apply. Traditional wisdom says to pick one thing to apply from this section, I’m going to
Put not your trust in earthly princes, but in the Son of David who will always sit on the throne!
Do not be proud. Everything you have is a gift from God, even if you worked hard for it.
It’s ok to have “co-beligerants” but don’t give them anough rope to hang you. Don’t be tempted to show off to a) make them like you, or b) to make yourself seem important. Wise as serpents, innocent as doves.
Don’t be passive about the plight of others. It is not possible for you to care deeply about everyone everywhere all the time, but it is your duty to care for somebody and some promises. You need to care about your own family, your spiritual family, your neighbours.
So What?
So What?
Humility is the only way
Humilty expressed in Prayer
The Lord delivers the Humble
The proper response to God’s salvation is praise!
Do not put your trust in earlthy princes, foolishly expose yourself to enemies.
Don’t be passive serve God & his people.
