Hook in the Nose
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Did you grow up with sisters or brothers? If so, you know that one of the greater joys in life, at least when your’re kids, is being able to push your siblings’ buttons just for fun.
one of my favorite things to do was to mess with my siblings, but especially my sister! It was so much fun! Tell about dead fish.
She would get so frustrated with me, but she knew the more she would get upset the more I would pour it on. finally she figured out that if shes just sat still and tried not to show she frustration I’d get bored and go away.
Have you ever been there? To the point where you feel you’ve been pushed to your limit and you can’t take much more? The point where you want you situation and the difficult people in your life to just leave you along? I imagine that’s how Hezekiah was feeling right about this time. After hounding Judah for years, the king of Assyria was intent on destroying Jerusalem. Even though Sennacherib couldn’t be there himself to talk trash to Hezekiah, he’s sent his big- mouthed buddy Rabshakeh to scare Hezekiah’s people with stories of all the other cities Assyria had destroyed and all other people they’d killed. Then Sennacherib sent a letter mocking God to try to scare Hezekiah even more and to shake his faith. Now he and his army were on the outskirts of Jerusalem getting ready to attack. Sennacherib was a problem that wouldn’t go away.
Sometimes it seems the struggles we face won’t go away, either. We find ourselves the same way fighting our sins over and over, long after we thought we were done with it. We discover the pain and hurt from a difficult time in our past is still lingering even years after it happened. We suffer from a health problem I just wanna clear up. But I love these verses in our passage because in them we fine Hezekiah finally experiences victory. God heard Hezekiah‘s prayers from the first half of second kings 19, and in this last half of the chapter He responded, teaching Hezekiah and us available lesson: He is always in control.
But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Sennacherib was one of the most powerful kings in the region, but he was sued find out that there was a much greater person person in power than his: power of God. In verse 28 of our passage, God comforted Hezekiah by saying He was going to “ put my hook in Sennacherib’s nose.“ talk about a word picture! He was saying, “I got this. I’m in control.” When it seems that trials in your life are never going to end, you have reached the end of your patience and your strength, remember these four statements and be comforted with the knowledge that God is in control of your life as well.
Don’t Become Proud Over What God Made Possible
Don’t Become Proud Over What God Made Possible
As Isaiah begins to relay God’s Response to you Hezekiah’s prayer, once immediately clear is that God knew exactly how much of a problem Sennacherib was. Sennacherib had been making some pretty bold declarations to brag about his power and might.
have you ever met someone who was as arrogant as Sennacherib? At one time the famous boxer Muhamed Ali might have been pretty close, with his insistence that he was “ The greatest“ fighter in the history of the world, but even then I think Sennacherib and beat Ali. He really thought he was all powerful and no one could stop him.
here’s the problem with arrogance. The Bible says people who love to be exalted are pretty much guaranteed to be demote
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
On a cold November day in 2012, a teenage girl walked into Cornerstone Bank in Waco, Nebraska, with a pillowcase and handed a note to a teller that said, “You’re being robbed. No ink bags, no alarms. You have two minutes.” Less than a minute later and about $6000 richer, young bank robber made her escape. The bank employees later gave police an accurate description of the girl and the getaway car, but it turned out, the police didn’t really need help finding her. The next day, the girl– 19-year-old Hannah - uploaded a YouTube video titled “Chick Bank Robber“ in which she admitted to the robbery and auto theft while wearing the exact same clothes she’d wore during the robbery, which was caught on surveillance cameras. Hannah fanned herself with some stolen cash in front of the camera and held up the note bragging that she was now rich. The video quickly went viral, and Hannah was arrested just hours after it was uploaded, the police having also received a call from Hannah‘s ex-boyfriend, who Hannah had texted to brag about what she had done.
Just like Hannah, who is probably one of the worst bank robbers in world history, Sennacherib had a problem with posting. But she was about to get a wake up call.
Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, And of ancient times that I have formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste Fenced cities into ruinous heaps.
Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, As the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
I was telling Sennacherib, “everything you think you have accomplished. I did wrong. You think you’re so great, but I allowed you to have those chariots and I gave you those soldiers. You have taught you conquered those nations because you’re so powerful, but I made than possible. Everything you have came from me.”
We must realize- hopefully long before we get ourselves into trouble- that anything and everything good in our lives comes from God. Many people get caught up in their own accomplishments and start feeling as if they “Deserve” and have earned good things. Be careful not to follow this mindset. Sure, you have worked Hard for some thing, don’t forget who gave you your intelligence, your talent, and your ability to work, not to mention you’re very life. Don’t become proud of a white God made possible.
Not Only is God Aware, He is Active
Not Only is God Aware, He is Active
The next words God spoke through Isaiah are some of my favorites in this passage:
But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, And thy rage against me.
This is kind of an adverse to be a favorite, but let me explain. Here God was telling Sennacherib and Hezekiah, “I know.“
To Sennacherib God was saying, “I know you. I know where you live, and I know what you’ve been saying. I know it all.“ And with these words he was indirectly telling Hezekiah, “I know everything that’s going on. None of it is a surprise to Me.” This would have been such an encouragement to Hezekiah. He’d been worried and discouraged because of the enemy was terrorizing his people, and through it all to that point, God had been relatively quiet. Hezekiah have been hoping for a sign, any sign, to let them know that God was aware. I can imagine what his mindset might’ve been as he wrote Isaiah and sent men to inquire, “have you any word from God yet? Any news? Anything?“ But heard nothing.
But then God spoke, and his words were refreshing and calmed Hezekiah‘s spirit. Didn’t need to worry. God had been listening and you at exactly what was happening – in fact, he knew more about the situation than Hezekiah did. Did you notice that none of the things Sennacherib posted about in second kings 19 were in the letter he sent to Hezekiah? Didn’t even know the extent of Sennacherib urgency. Did you notice that none of the things Sennacherib posted about in second kings 19 were in the letter he sent to Hezekiah? Hezekiah didn’t even know the extent of Sennacherib‘s arrogance. But God did.
God knows more than we think he does. Will hear and say things like, “God is everywhere and he sees it all,” but I think there are times we don’t really believe it. Sometimes I think we are tempted to believe when things are going wrong in our lives that God is nowhere to be found and has no idea what we’re going through. God doesn’t just know the extent of our problems, he knows the full extent of our problems.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;
Many times we can be concerned or even overwhelmed in the midst of our difficulties when God is already in motion to deliver us. he is already working behind the scenes, well aware of what’s going on. And this is exactly what happened with Sennacherib. what is he gone already had a plan for how to handle him:
Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, Therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, And I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
God had enough of Sennacherib’s posting. The hook and bridal what tools that would have been use to tame or control an animal, to let it know who was the master. God used these images here to show his intent to dominate demonstrate that He, not a king, was in control. Not only was He aware of the problem, He was going to do something about it.
Did you know the Bible never tells us that when we have difficulties or trials, we are supposed to “figure it out” on our own. Instead, we read over and over again that we need to trust God. Why do you think that is? Because he’s already got it all figured out.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.