Sermon Tone Analysis

Copyright May 1, 2022 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Throughout the course of your life, you are going to face some circumstances that seem insurmountable.

It may be a family tragedy, a personal trial, a relationship issue, or a legal mess.

These times can build over time (like an addiction or financial burdens) or happen in an instant like a car accident, a medical diagnosis, or an attack from someone unexpected.

The nation of Israel (called Judah at this point in its history) has been facing one of those insurmountable trials.

This morning we will look at the second half of the story in Isaiah 37 to see how King Hezekiah responded and what happened.

What we learn will be helpful for our lives.

The people in Jerusalem were under siege from the Assyrian army (essentially a blockade designed to starve the people).

They were the powerhouse in the world at the time.

The Assyrians were running over the nations and deporting a number of the citizens while importing some of the Assyrians as a way of eliminating the distinctiveness of the people.

These were not nice folks.

In the chapter 36 the Assyrians tried to intimidate the people of Israel.

They wanted them to give up without a fight because the Assyrians were busy with numerous wars and did not want to invest the time.

We saw last week that the tactics employed by the Assyrians are the same tactics that Satan and the world use on us.

The particulars may be different, but the tactics are the same.

1. Cast Doubt on the Word of God

2. Make us Feel Unworthy

3. Try to Intimidate us

4. Confuse the Facts

5. Use Negative Peer Pressure

6. Promise immediate relief

7. Get us to focus on the possibility of failure

Let’s learn from how Hezekiah handled things.

He Refused to Get Into a Shouting Match

At the end of chapter 36 in verse 21 we read, “But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, “Do not answer him.”

This is wise counsel!

Getting into a shouting match with someone will only raise the temperature and lower your IQ.

Most of us know from experience that when we snap back at someone who snapped at us it never results in resolution, only in deeper division.

When we react rather than respond, we get ourselves in trouble.

So, the first wise response was to not respond.

We must make sure we hear and understand what is being said before we respond.

And then we should do so quietly.

Speaking quietly lowers the temperature and encourages others to listen.

Hezekiah Immediately Sought Divine Assistance

Second, notice that Hezekiah turned to the Lord.

When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord.

(v. 1)

King Hezekiah heard the threats from the Assyrian King and put on clothes that indicated mourning and repentance.

His first instinct was to go to the temple of the Lord.

He didn’t meet with his military strategists, He didn’t send a sly reply to Assyria, he didn’t try to do anything in his own strength.

He turned immediately to the Lord.

Hezekiah realized that his fight was not with the Assyrian soldiers.

His fight was with the Lord.

We need to develop this same instinct!

We talked in Isaiah 30 of how God waits for us.

He does not force us to draw from His strength.

He waits until we seek Him.

Imagine how much different our lives might be if we would turn to Him FIRST rather than toss and turn in bed or spend days distracted by the anxiety of our problems.

He invites us to come and find rest, but for some reason, we have concluded that won’t work.

The old hymn is right: “O what peace we often forfeit, o what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

After turning to prayer in the temple, Hezekiah sent a message to Isaiah.

In other words, he sought spiritual counsel.

Isaiah assured him that God would defend his people and then God told him exactly what He was going to do.

In those tough times of life, it is good to seek the counsel of wise and godly people.

Hezekiah was reassured.

It is possible that Hezekiah sent a note to Sennacherib saying he would take his chances on trusting God.

This may have been what provoked a second letter to the King from the Assyrian leader.

Once again Hezekiah showed us where his strength was found.

14 After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord.

15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: 16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim!

You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth.

You alone created the heavens and the earth.

17 Bend down, O Lord, and listen!

Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

Sennacherib seems to have understood with Hezekiah the real issue was this: are you willing to stake your life on God’s truthfulness?

This is really the key question, isn’t it?

We talk about trusting God, but seldom have we had to trust Him in big ways.

If we do not trust Him in times of crisis, we don’t really trust Him at all.

We pay lip service to faith.

If we carry this a little further, we need to realize that the times when we are most helpless; the times when our backs are against the wall; those times when we are most frustrated by the injustice of our circumstances; these are the very times we get to show the depth of our faith.

The times of crisis are not curses, but opportunities . . .

they are an opportunity to reveal trust.

Hezekiah Took Time to Separate Truth from Error

While Hezekiah was speaking to the Lord, he was able to begin to think about the things Sennacherib said.

It is amazing how some quiet time with the Lord will help us think more clearly.

18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.

19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them.

But of course, the Assyrians could destroy them!

They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.

Hezekiah began to see through the intimidating words that had been spoken.

He says, “Yes, they destroyed many nations and their gods.

But, their gods were idols!

They had no power or authority.

Their gods were a pile of scraps.

Pretend gods can only give pretend protection.”

Hezekiah knew his God was indeed real and powerful.

This is the same thing we need to do when faced with charges from others.

Someone may say, “miracles can’t happen” but as you think about it you realize that is not a conclusion based on examining claims of miracles, it is a presupposition that excludes the possibility of miracles from the beginning.

Someone else may say, “Jesus couldn’t have risen from the dead.”

But these people haven’t examined the evidence.

As actually examine the evidence for the resurrection you will conclude, based on evidence, that Jesus did rise from the dead.

Like Sennacherib, people can make all kinds of claims.

They will say things like:

· “You cannot be saved because of the failures you’ve made in the past”.

But if you think about this you realize that we are not saved because we don’t make mistakes and never sin!

We are saved because Jesus died to pay for those sins.

· “Everyone knows what you believe isn’t true.”

As we said last week, truth is not determined by a plurality of votes.

Truth is stationary.