Sermon Tone Analysis

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!

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 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?

What does it mean to trust the Lord?

Trusting the Lord means:

I.

You do not allow danger to keep you from doing right

II.

You remain loyal even if God allows your efforts to fail

III.

You remain confident even if God allows others to ridicule you

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?

In an act of humility, mourning, and supplication Hezekiah goes into the house of the Lord.

But, he doesn’t stop there.

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.

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?

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

Hezekiah seeks the Lord- depends on the Lord- then what happens?

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 army 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.

The initial threat had abated, but now 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.

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.

Example: Trusting the Lord over and over again when i was first dating Sharon.

Trusting the Lord means:

VI.

You patiently trust the Lord to act

God hears Hezekiah's prayer- and the word of the Lord that Isaiah gives to the king is awesome!

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!

Assyria has not merely been mocking Judah, they have really been mocking the Holy One of Israel!

Wow!

Notice the repetition of the word “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!