Very Present Help

1. Assyria Invades Judah

1 Kings 18:28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, Hear the word of the great king of Assyria!

29 Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you. For he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.

30 Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in and rely on the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of Assyria’s king.

31 Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat every man from his own vine and fig tree and drink every man the waters of his own cistern,

32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own, a land of grain and vintage fruit, of bread and vineyards, of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die. Do not listen to Hezekiah when he urges you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.

33 Has any one of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad [in Syria]? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [in the Euphrates Valley]? Have they delivered Samaria [Israel’s capital] out of my hand?

35 Who of all the gods of the countries has delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), 2 Ki 18:28–35.

The enemy will shout,”Where is your God”? “How do you think that God will deliver you out of this situation?”

We live in a time where the pressure of the world is real. It is strong. It seems like the enemy is at our gates and pressing in, but now more than ever we have to trust that God is able to fight our battles.

A. Hezekiah fortifies Jerusalem

Before any of this happened Hezekiah tried to avoid conflict. He paid Sennacherib 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold. He gave Sennacherib all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the king’s treasuries. He stripped the gold from the doors and the doorposts of the temple which he overlaid himself, and he gave it to Assyria.He did what he could to avoid conflict with the enemy.

You see that the Bible says that Hezekiah was a righteous king. He trusted in the Lord. He had so much trust in God that the Bible says there was not a king like him before or after him. But, just because he trusted God did not mean that everything in his life was going to be easy. You would be remiss to think that when Hezekiah tore down the high places and altars of false god’s in Judah, that the enemy did not already wage war with him. We get the enemy’s attention when he stand for righteousness and holiness.

Hezekiah did what he could to avoid conflict, without bending the knee to the enemy. He paid a large sum to Assyria, but they would not withdraw. When they would not withdraw, Hezekiah fortified Jerusalem. He cut off the water supply outside the city to deny the Assyrians any access to it, he then went fortifying the city itself. He did everything he knew to do, while still trusting God that He would keep him. He prepared for battle while still trusting that God was able to bring him through it. He repaired the city wall where it was broken, he built a tower where his men could attack their attackers, he added another entire wall while repairing other military fortifications and making weapons and shields.

B. Hezekiah Encouraged the People

read in book

C. The Ppl Strengthened

the ppl took confidence in the help from the LORD.

D. Strength in God’s Promises

Read in book.

Ro. 15:4 “4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

2. God will Help us Fight Our Battles

Psalm 46:1–11 KJV 1900

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, What desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

A. God is For us in Trouble

In the Hebrew it reads,” God is for us. It is repeated 3x in this passage where i have it underlined in my Bible. in v. 1, 7, and 11. you find that the promise that God is for us brings the removal of fear

1. Removal of Fear

A. Through Disaster

Though the earth be removed.

Disaster is promised in the end times, but God is still a refuge and help in this time for His ppl. and that promise removes fear.

B. Through Disappointment

Though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea

The disappearance of that which seemed stable is a portrayal of the failure of things in life which seem unquestionably stable. When these things disappear, great disappointment can be our portion. But the promise stops the fears that come with disappointment.

John G. Butler, Psalms, vol. 6, Analytical Bible Expositor (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2012), 256.

C. Through Discomfort

Though the waters thereof be troubled, and the mountains shake with swelling thereof

Waters are to comfort, soothe, settle (Psalm 23:2), but the roaring of turbulent and flood waters upset. Life is like that. It can be very upsetting and cause much fear, but the promise negates the fear.

John G. Butler, Psalms, vol. 6, Analytical Bible Expositor (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2012), 256.

D. Through Disturbance

the mountains shake with swelling thereof

Shaking reminds of earthquakes which greatly disturb people. But the promise stops the fear from such disturbances.

John G. Butler, Psalms, vol. 6, Analytical Bible Expositor (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2012), 256.

3. God is for us in the kingdoms of the earth

v. 4-7

4. God is with us in judgement

8-11