What Does It Mean To Trust the Lord?
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How many times have you heard or been told something to this effect, “you just need to trust the Lord”? How many times does God tell us to do this very thing in the Scriptures? It is one of the great themes of Scripture!
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
We know what the words “trust the Lord” mean, but how well do we understand what it means to trust the Lord in real life?
“Doctrinal Statements are like skeletons—bare bones, but absolutely essential to give form and order and interconnection to the body of revealed truth. Stories flesh out that skeleton, incarnate that truth, demonstrate how the doctrine looks and moves and acts in the real world of flesh and blood.” —Layton Talbert (Not By Chance Learning to Trust a Sovereign God, 64)
This morning I want us to consider what it means (in real life) to trust the Lord from the story of a man named Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was a king of Judah during the tail end of a period of history known as the divided kingdoms. Hezekiah was king of Judah right around the time of the fall of the Norther Kingdom—Israel.
In fact, Hezekiah and the people of Judah (Southern Kingdom) are contrasted with the Hoshea and the people of Israel (Northern Kingdom).
In 2 Kings 17 we read about the fall of Samaria. After hundreds of years of sin and wickedness God brings judgement on the Northern Kingdom because they did not fear the Lord. The word “fear” or “feared” is used 12x’s in ch. 17. Israel didn’t fear and therefore didn’t trust in the Lord. But their lack of trust was not due to God’s negligence!
13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
Yet in vv. 9-18 we see that Israel feared other gods, they did secretly against the Lord, they were involved in every kind of idolatry, they would not listen, they were stubborn, they did not believe, they despised God and his covenant, they became false, they followed the sin of the nations around them, and they ultimately abandoned the Lord!
So we read this about God’s judgement on Samaria,
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it,
10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
In stark contrast to this was Hezekiah and the nation of Judah.
In 2 Kings 18 vv. 1-4 we are told that Hezekiah began to rule when he was 25 and he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord just like his father David had done. He removed every form of idol worship from the kingdom, even destroying the bronze serpent that Moses had made because it was being worshiped by the people. And in v. 5 we read this about Hezekiah:
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.
Hezekiah is set forth as a shinning example of what it means to trust the Lord! There were no other kings of Judah before him or after him who trusted the Lord like Hezekiah did. What can we learn from Hezekiah? I think we can learn what it looks like to trust the Lord in the daily activities of our lives. How did Hezekiah trust the Lord? How can we be like him and learn to trust the Lord the way he did?
Proposition: The Lord acts on behalf of those who put their trust in Him.
What does it mean to trust the Lord?
Trusting the Lord means:
I. You do not allow danger to keep you from doing right
I. You do not allow danger to keep you from doing right
6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. We do not have the time to look at this in detail, but in 2 Chronicles 29-31 we are given a detailed description of how Hezekiah did right. He restored proper worship to Judah. He cleansed the temple, he restored temple worship, he celebrated passover, and he organized the priests. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
In vv. 7-8 we are told of another step of obedience that Hezekiah took.
7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
It is very important to note in v. 7 that Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. Why did Hezekiah rebel against Assyria? Was it a genius political move? Was it an astute economical move that would bring peace and security to his people? Was it a wise military move that would strengthen his kingdom? NO!
In fact in the next few verses, vv. 9-12, we are given an account of how the king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it and after three years he defeated the city and took its people into captivity. The impression we are left with is if Assyria can mop the floor with Samaria, they should have no problem taking out Jerusalem!
So why does Hezekiah rebel? Remember Hezekiah trusted the Lord. He held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following Him, but he kept the Lord’s commandments. How could Hezekiah serve the Lord and at the same time maintain ties with such a wicked nation like Assyria? But Assyria is so powerful! They conquered Samaria! What was Hezekiah thinking!
The writer of Kings reminds us why Samaria was overcome by Assyria. What was the fundamental reason that Samaria was conquered and its people carried away into captivity?
12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
So Hezekiah has a choice. He can choose the follow the path of Hoshea king of Israel, or he can follow the Lord. If he follows the Lord he must rebel against Assyria. The text is setting us up. We are meant to ask this question- Can Hezekiah serve the Lord, disobey Assyria, and survive?
Hezekiah believes the answer the that question is YES. But, he doesn’t know it for sure. He simply trusts the Lord. He does not allow the potential for danger to keep him from doing what is right. That is what it looks like to trust the Lord.
What kind of danger do we face? How does that danger keep us from doing the right thing?
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
I cannot obey Jesus in this area of my life because my family might reject me! Trusting the Lord means you don’t allow danger to keep you from doing right.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
I cannot obey Jesus in this area of my life because I might be rejected and hated! Trusting the Lord means you don’t allow danger to keep you from doing right.
In what areas of your life do you need to be like Hezekiah? How do you need to put into action what it means to trust the Lord?
Trusting the Lord means:
II. You remain loyal even if God allows your efforts to fail
II. You remain loyal even if God allows your efforts to fail
As we read the story of Hezekiah we might be tempted to think- wow God is really going to bless Hezekiah because of his obedience! We are even told in v. 7 that wherever Hezekiah went out he prospered because the Lord was with him. So everything is going to go right in Hezekiah’s life. He will never face any problems or defeats, right?
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
Wait, what? How can it be that God allows Sennacherib to conquer ALL of the fortified cities of Judah? Didn’t Hezekiah obey? Didn’t Hezekiah do right in the face of danger? How can it be that God allowed the Assyrians to come into Judah and conquer all of their fortified cities? Militarily significant cities!
Not only that, but Judah is all alone. They have no allies, they have no friends, and now their land is swarming with the armies of the most powerful nation in the world.
So what does Hezekiah do?
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
In desperation Hezekiah attempts to make peace before the armies reach Jerusalem. So he sends a plea deal to Sennacherib and says whatever you want from me I will pay it, just done invade Jerusalem. So Sennacherib demands an enormous amount of money and Hezekiah literally has to strip the gold from the doors of the temple to try and meet these high demands.
In the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 32 we find out that Hezekiah at the same time sets about repairing Jerusalem’s walls and dealing with the water for the coming seige. So even though he sent the payment, he was not confident that Assyria would stop the invasion of Jerusalem. Even though his obedience seemed to be leading his nation into ruin, Hezekiah did his part. He didn’t get discouraged and quit. He didn’t “let go and let God.” He trusted God and got busy.
How do we respond when God allows our efforts to fail?
Illustration: We have about 4 or 5 different sets of blueprints from our multiple attempts to build our new church. For years, we prayed and trusted the Lord and tried to build, but God allowed those efforts to fail. And now looking back on things there were so many reasons for why God did that. Praise God, our people just kept praying and giving and seeking for another opportunity to build. And eventually God in his own timing blessed.
Application: What about when you don’t get that new job or that new promotion? What about when you witness to your friend for the 5th time and they still don’t respond? What about when you try to upgrade to a new house and this economy happens? What does it look like in those instances to trust the Lord? Remain loyal to God, continue to do your part, and wait patiently for God to work- whatever that looks like.
Trusting the Lord means:
III. You remain confident even if God allows others to ridicule you
III. You remain confident even if God allows others to ridicule you
17 And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer’s Field. 18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
The offered payment of gold and silver was not enough for Assyria. They wanted more- most likely to depose Hezekiah and set up their own puppet king on the throne. So Sennacherib sends his top officials and a large army to Jerusalem- the very thing that Hezekiah had tried to avoid (God had other plans). And the three top officials of the Assyrians and the three top officials of Judah meet at the walls of Jerusalem to discuss terms.
One of the high ranking officials of Assyria begins his propaganda against the residents of Jerusalem. He begins to insult them and to make them doubt any attempt at resisting the armies of the Assyrians.
Interestingly this Assyrian official uses the word “trust” or “trusting” 6 times in this speech, casting doubt of Judah’s trust in Hezekiah and ultimately in the Lord.
19 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? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
In v. 21 he ridicules them for trusting in Egypt or any other nation to save them from the Assyrians. Egypt is like a broken staff and if you attempt to lean on them for support they will only pierce your hand. (Vivid imagery in his verbal assault!)
In v 22. he begins to mock their trust in the Lord.
What good is trusting the Lord when Judah was so week? He even offers to supply them with 2000 horses for battle if they could field enough men to ride them. But Judah is too week to mount such a force, how could they hope to stand against the least of the Assyrian armies?
In v. 25 he boasts that the Assyrians have come up to Jerusalem to destroy it without the aid of the Lord. They even tell lies and say that the Lord told the Assyrians to go up to Jerusalem and destroy it.
30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
They cast doubt on Hezekiah and on the Lord. They lie and say that if only the people of Jerusalem will surrender to the Assyrians they would be much better off than continuing to trust in the Lord. At least if they trust in Assyria, yes they might be deported out of their land, but they will have food to eat, water to drink, and a place to live. If they trust in the Lord their only hope is death.
In vv. 33-35 he compares the Lord to all of the gods of the nations they have already destroyed. Since the gods of greater lands than Judah could not protect them, how can the Lord deliver little Judah out of their mighty hands?
It is insult after insult, attack after attack. Casting doubt and fear, telling lies, making false promises, seeking to destabilize the people.
Hezekiah is a wise king and has already prepared the people for such and attack.
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”
How do you face ridicule today for your faith? Do people verbally attack you and the fact that you place your trust in the Lord?
You don’t really believe that God created the world do you? Everyone knows that is just fantasy!
You don’t really hold to biblically views of marriage and sexuality do you? Those are just outdated restrictions to keep us from living life.
Or you are a hateful person and a bigot if you don’t affirm that people can change their gender and become whatever makes them happy. Why can’t you just love people for who they are?
How can a loving God send people to hell?
You actually listen to your parents? Just tell them lies and do what you want!
Trusting the Lord means remain confident even if God allows others to ridicule you!
Trusting the Lord means:
IV. You place humble dependence in the Lord
IV. You place humble dependence in the Lord
How does Hezekiah react to all this? He has high ranking officials shouting propaganda and insults at the people on the walls. There is a large army parked on his doorstep. What does the king do?
1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.
In an act of humility, mourning, and supplication Hezekiah goes into the house of the Lord. But, he doesn’t stop there.
2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.
The king actually sends to find a prophet. In most of the history of the kings God has to send a prophet to them, but here Hezekiah seeks out a prophet himself! Why? Because Hezekiah wants to know what the Lord says about the matter.
2 Kings 19:6 (ESV)
6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
Thus says the Lord- there are no more comforting words than that! Think of all the false words of propaganda the people have just had to listen to. Think of the fear and the dread that those words caused. How refreshing to turn your ear off to false words and to instead listen to the words of God! “Thus says the Lord!”
How often do we fill our minds with the words that are in opposition to God’s Word? How often do we listen and fill our hearts with the words of men instead of the words of God. What do the words of men bring? fear, hopelessness, despair. What do the words of God bring?
Do not be afraid! because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ ”
Application: How much of our day to we allow our ears to listen to man’s words? How much of your day is spent listening to the news or on social media or at work listening to the words of unsaved people? By the way- it is not wrong to do those things. But, are you taking regular lengthy times to listen to what the Lord says in His Word?
The news makes its money off of peddling fear. The war in Ukraine, rising gas prices, threat of nuclear war, WWIII- if that is your constant diet, if those are the only words you listen to what is that going to do to your spirit?
What does the Lord say?
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Trusting the Lord means you place a humble dependence in the Lord.
Trusting the Lord means:
V. You keep placing humble dependence in the Lord
V. You keep placing humble dependence in the Lord
Hezekiah seeks the Lord- depends on the Lord- then what happens?
8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
Exactly what God said would happen in v. 7- the high ranking official of Assyria hears a rumor that the nation of Egypt was fighting against Assyria. So he and the arm depart from Jerusalem. Hezekiah and the people get a reprieve. But it is not over.
The leaders of Assyria send a letter to Hezekiah reminding them that they will be back and he better be ready to surrender or else.
10 “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. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?
The initial threat had abated, but now the there is this looming threat. Hezekiah has already place his humble trust in the Lord. What should he do now? The exact same thing he has already done. Keep on placing his humble dependence in the Lord. This is the way real life works. You don’t just do this one time put your trust in the Lord and then everything is OK. What ends up happening is that as you slowly progress through the trials of life you have to keep coming back, and keep coming, back, and keep coming back to humbly depend on God. And that is exactly what Hezekiah does.
14 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. 15 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.
16 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. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands
18 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. 19 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.”
Hezekiah goes to the house of the Lord, he spreads out the letter before God. And what does he do? He prayed before the Lord! Again we see his humility and his supplication before God. Hezekiah acknowledges what is true about God- he is enthroned above the cherubim, He is God alone over all the kingdoms of the earth, he is the one who made heaven and earth.
He then makes his request to God- incline your ear, see how Sennacherib mocks the living God. Yes, it is true that Assyria has laid waste to other great nations and their “gods.” But, those “gods” were only the work of men’s hands. So, now please, Lord our God, save us- why? for your glory! so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone!
This is what trusting the Lord looks like in real life- continually coming before the Lord, humbling ourselves, acknowledging what is true about God, putting our faith in God to act, and asking that He would get glory for himself!
Application: How about you? Maybe you have at one point in your life trusted the Lord for something, but the trial has been long and you no longer seek the Lord. You no longer come in humility and depend upon Him! Trusting the Lord means you continue to put humble dependence in the Lord as long as is necessary.
Trusting the Lord means:
VI. You patiently trust the Lord to act
VI. You patiently trust the Lord to act
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
God hears Hezekiah's prayer- and the word of the Lord that Isaiah gives to the king is awesome!
21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him: “She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you— the daughter of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is like a virgin daughter (not very strong), but yet she will scorn or make fun of Assyria, she will wag her head behind you! How is this possible? Because Assyria has insulted the virgin and in insulting her they have insulted her protector who happens to be the ruler of the universe!
22 “Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!
Assyria has not merely been mocking Judah, they have really been mocking the Holy One of Israel! Wow!
23 By your messengers you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon; I felled its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses; I entered its farthest lodging place, its most fruitful forest. 24 I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and I dried up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt.’
Notice the repetition of the world “I.” Look at all that I have done! Assyria is arrogant and proud. They think they understand how the world works, but they do not see the providential hand of almighty God guiding and directing all things!
25 “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins,
Everything that Assyria has accomplished, in reality, was only because God planned to use their wickedness to accomplish his ultimate purpose!
27 “But I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me.
The one who dwells in every moment of every time, who has infinite knowledge beyond our comprehension- says of the most powerful nation of the day- I KNOW everything about you.
28 Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.
Hook in your nose (fish hook)
Bit in your mouth (like a horse)
Assyrians may have used these methods to lead the captives of other nations out of their land. Now God says I am going to do the same thing to you Assyria. I WILL TURN YOU BACK!
With everything going on in the world today do these verse take on a new significance to you? Long ago God planned and God determined exactly what nations would conquer and be conquered. God knows all of the plans of the kings of the nations- he knows when they sit down and when they go out and when they come is. He knows when they rage against Him. And God is able to lead kings and armies about by the nose to do exactly what He wills. God is in control. When it may seem like the world is spinning out of control to us, it never seems that way to God. He providential rules and governs all of the affairs of men to accomplish his plan.
In vv 29-31 God gives Judah hope- he gives them a sign and promises that they will (contrary to the words of the Assyrians) eat the produce of their own land for the next three years.
32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
Hezekiah did everything he could within his power to save his people. When his own strength failed he came in humble dependence before the Lord and kept on coming. And now He must wait patiently for the Lord to act on his behalf.
35 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.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
God is able, by his grace, to act on your behalf! Wait patiently for him, commit your way to him- over and over again- for as long as is necessary- trust him and he will act!
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
One day, God will bring forth your righteousness as the light! He will cause you to shine as the noonday sun.
Even though it may not be in this life-
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
God has already acted on your behalf- and he will continue to act and it will be glorious! Will you trust him?
Conclusion:
What happens in the end to Sennacherib?
36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Will you be like Hezekiah? Will you trust the Lord?
What does it mean to trust the Lord?
1. You do not allow danger to keep you from doing right.
2. You remain loyal even if God allows your efforts to fail.
3. You remain confident even if God allows others to ridicule you.
4. You place humble dependence in the Lord.
5. You keep placing humble dependence in the Lord.
6. You patiently trust the Lord to act.
Proposition: The Lord acts on behalf of those who put their trust in Him.
How do you need to trust the Lord today?