God Strengthens - Part 1

Introduction

Hezekiah is one of the kings that Isaiah spoke to during his ministry in Judah. Before we meet King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36, we will take a small detour to look at his back story. His name means "The Lord Strengthens." In the next sermons, we will examine how God not only strengthens Hezekiah but the people of Judah.

A Good Apple

2 Chronicles 29:1–2 ESV

1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

An old saying goes, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Sayings like this are used to describe children that act like their parents. When we look at the kings of Judah, the same could be said of some kings. But at other times, we see that God's grace surprises us. Some kings don't act like their immediate sinful fathers but more like Israel's ideal king who once reigned in Jerusalem, King David. Hezekiah is such a king who walked in King David's ways, and God used him to reform Judah's people.

A Bad Tree

Hezekiah was born into an evil household of King Ahaz. Ahaz was the same king that was privileged to receive the promise sign of Immanuel in Isaiah 7. God promised Ahaz that Syria and Israel's threatening power (Northern Kingdom) would not be around to be a problem for Judah. But this king did not receive the honorable assessment of being a good king.

2 Chronicles 28:1–4 ESV

1 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, as his father David had done, 2 but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, 3 and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

He walked in the Kings of Israel's ways, who were primarily rebellious to God and characterized by idolatry. Scripture remembers him with three sinful actions:

He made metal images for Baal, breaking the primary command of Exodus 20:3-5.

He offered his children as a burnt offering to his idols.

He promoted idol worship to other gods all over the land.

Imagine what kind of childhood Hezekiah had. Hezekiah did not have a godly example of what it meant to follow God. His father devoted much of his life to promoting the worship of other gods. He may have lived in fear of losing his life as other siblings had been killed in sacrifices.

He felt the constant threat of invasion. During his childhood, he witnessed Assyria invade and kill 120,000 people in one day. He also witnessed an invasion by Israel in which 200,000 people were taken as captives but later returned. His father was deceived by Assyria when he sought help. Assyria eventually invaded Judah instead of helping, and Ahaz ended up paying tribute to them. Listen to the description of King Ahaz's reign.

2 Chronicles 28:22–25 ESV

22 In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, provoking to anger the Lord, the God of his fathers.

Do you get the picture that Hezekiah's childhood and teenage years were pretty messed up? Should we not expect him to repeat the patterns of his dysfunctional family? But instead, we see him act like his father, King David. How does such a thing happen? How does a good son come from an evil family? How can Hezekiah be the king that reformed Judah? Well, we should ask, "How can anything transformation come about?" The answer is only by God's grace.

God's grace breaks the power of the curse of sin

Hezekiah responded to God's grace and committed himself to follow God. God's grace transformed Hezekiah into a man after God's own heart.

2 Kings 18:5–6 ESV

5 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. 6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.

We can see the elements of the Gospel in the life of Hezekiah. God was gracious to be faithful to the covenant. God was willing to receive the repentant heart. God lifted up the soul that responded in faith. The above scripture reveals two keywords: trust and held fast.

Trust is the word that is used to describe when a person places faith in God's promises and plans. This person entrusts their whole selves unto God and leans only upon Him. Hezekiah saw the failure of a lack of faith and rebellion toward God's revelation and grace. He purposed in his heart to receive by faith covenant God of Israel.

Held fast is the term that describes a clinging motion so that one is not moved from a position. Isaiah repeatedly gave the message that there is no hope or future outside of following God. What appears to be life outside of God's grace will quickly disappear. God is the only sure foundation.

Like Hezekiah, we too have the opportunity to respond to God's grace through Jesus Christ. In Him, we receive the promises of new life. In Him, our past is forgiven. In Him, we are set free to live as He has purposed for us. We are set free from our past.

A Word of Warning

Generational Curses is a popular teaching among some Christians that needs to be examined in light of scripture. Although the term is not found in scripture, the concept is primarily found in the Old Testament in verses like Exodus 20:4-6.

Exodus 20:4–6 ESV

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

In these verses, God gives Israel consequences for idolatry and faithfulness. Idolatry brings the consequence of sin that affects the future generations, but faithfulness to God's commands likewise affects the future descendants. The consequences are meant to be a warning and motivation for parents to live in covenant faithfulness. They must do so for their own lives and the sake of their posterity. These verses also remind us that our children are very likely to follow our footsteps, habits, and lifestyle.

But some have taken this concept and turned it into something that negates the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some teach that a Christian's lack of success with sinful issues can be the result of inheriting the lingering consequences of a parent's sin. The solution they propose is some form of cleansing from this curse through prayer, ritual, and confession of their parent's sin. Only after doing this will the believer be free from these issues.

While this sounds interesting, it does not fit within the gospel's message and denies the efficacy of Christ's work upon the cross. Jesus' death conquered sin and death. His work completed God's plan for restoring us to God and making us alive and free. To insist that we may still have some lingering curses that need some special attention is to deny that Christ has canceled the curse of sin. The only cure for the curse of sin is to be in Christ. Galatians 3:13-14.

Scripture teaches us that we are positionally righteous and free from the curse of sin, but we will struggle with our patterns of behavior, habits, and sinful desires. The solution for this is our submission and cooperation with the Holy Spirit so that we live dead to sin and alive to God. We received freedom from any curse, and now we must be active in dying to our old sin nature. We must remind ourselves that we are dead to sin if we are in Christ.

Romans 6:8–11 ESV

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

God’s Grace restores us

Those who experience God's grace are filled with a variety of feelings that include regret and remorse but also excitement to do the will of God. They have a renewed heart to build something different from their past sinful life. Scripture records Hezekiah's response to God's mercy and grace.

He removed the sinful tools. 2 Kings 18:4. His father had set up so many things and ways to give access to idolatry. Hezekiah knew that those tools of idolatry had no place in the renewed heart. He tore them down and left no souvenirs or remnants of his past life. They meant nothing and served only to make idolatry more accessible.

He opened the Holy Place. 2 Chronicles 29:3. The temple was shut down and defiled by King Ahaz. Hezekiah knew this had to be repaired according to God's design. God intended the temple to be the location where He would meet with Israel. The temple reminded the people that God would be with them, but they must approach Him with humility and repentance. God delighted in their obedience and promised to lift up the humble heart.

He restored the ministry of the priests. 2 Chronicles 29:11. The priests had diminished in number and readiness to serve. But in sixteen days, the temple was repaired, purified, and the priests had once again consecrated themselves. Soon after, they offered sacrifices for sin in accordance with God's laws for the people. Hezekiah encouraged the priests to fulfill their calling to serve God.

God brings great revival

The grace of God in the repentant heart of Hezekiah changed his future and the future of Judah. His example was clear. The only solution is to come back to God. Once the priests were restored, the people responded with their own repentance and return.

2 Chronicles 29:32–36 ESV

32 The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 33 And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. 34 But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. 35 Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings, and there were the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. 36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

We see that God responds with his grace to forgive and his grace to restore and reform the people back to His plan. This was not the same Judah under King Ahaz. It was a renewed people under a new king. The hills that were once cluttered by idols and altars were removed. The temple was purified and back in service. The people were committing themselves only unto God. The generation that lived through these events would have the privilege of seeing that God's covenant love was faithful. God is faithful to forgive and receive the repentant heart. God will restore his presence to those who respond in faith to his promise. God will provide all that we need.

Application

Do you feel trapped by your troubled past and dysfunctional childhood? Your past does not need to be your future. The way forward in Christ is to start with the heart. God begins the work from the inside and works it to the outside. Have you let Christ work on your heart?

How concerned are you about the heritage of faith that you are leaving for your children? You will not be perfect, but you can be repentant.

There are big problems in your life, but the foundation of your life with Christ needs to be settled. Have you settled down? Do you trust, and will you hold fast like Hezekiah?

Have you let God’s Amazing Grace save you?

If America had a national folk hymn, this would probably be it. This well-loved and oft-sung hymn, written by John Newton in the late eighteenth century, is a powerful assurance and declaration of the grace of God working in all our lives. When Newton was just eleven, he joined his father at sea and began a tumultuous life in the Navy, eventually becoming captain of a slave ship. In a period of four years, however, his life was drastically turned around: he nearly drowned, he married a very pious Mary Catlett, and he read through Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and joined forces with the great abolitionist, William Wilberforce. A number of years later, he was ordained for ministry, and soon after wrote this great text, declaring that we are saved only by the grace of God. Newton wrote, “I can see no reason why the Lord singled me out for mercy…unless it was to show, by one astonishing instance, that with him 'nothing is impossible'” (Newton, The Life of John Newton). As we sing the very familiar words of this hymn, how powerful it is to think of ourselves as an “astonishing instance” of God’s grace and mercy.

https://hymnary.org/text/amazing_grace_how_sweet_the_sound#instances