The Lord Saves From Certain Death

Introduction

Open, if you are willing, this evening to 2nd Kings 20. 2nd Kings 20 and we will read verse 1-11 today.

The Scriptures are a marvel.

God wrote the scriptures with real people in real time and real places

The pointing and over arching theme of redemption.

To handle scripture correctly we cannot allow the marvel of any of it to be diminished

. Last time we saw that God’s regard for a man is within and in operation to the faith that God gives. In other words God’s election rules throughout time and space.

To night we talk about another man elected to be in the kingly line of Christ. Hezekiah was a good Kings. Hezekiah reigned for 29 years in Judah during the time Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Babylon, that would eventually destroy Judah, is only a little kingdom at this time and currently at war with Assyria. This is probably why Hezekiah was so friendly with them later in his life. Our Story tonight happens about 14 years into Hezekiah’s reign,

Lets Read 2nd Kings 20:1-11

2 Kings 20:1–11 ESV

1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’ ” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” 7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.” 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

May the Lord Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word

Lets Pray

Transition

The events of this

Body

The Death Sentence

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’ ”

Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, The Lord pronounced death for Hezekiah.

The Lord said to Adam and Eve the day you eat of this fruit you will die.

Supplication

2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

He didn’t seek hope or pity from any other but God. Hezekiah is not pouting.

This is a man practiced at turning to the Lord.

When the Rabshakeh stood at the Gate of Jerusalem with 180,00 Hezekiah. (2 Kings 19:1–2)

When the king of Assyria demanded all of Hezekiah’s wives and Children, Hezekiah’s went into the temple and prayed before the Lord (2 Kings 19:14–16)

The Plea

saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Hezekiah is calling on the Promises of God.

We covered this in Chapter 9 of 1st Kings. When God was talking to Solomon he said,

“And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.” (1 Ki 9:4–5, ESV)

This is that reality in scripture I stalked abut at the start, it is God the gave grace to Hezekiah, and Hezekiah that points to those actions.

Hezekiah is not saying look Lord I have done well and I deserve you to heal me.

He is saying Lord you have kept me this far will you keep me more.

This is the testimony of every child of God. I look back over my life and I see God’s hand, yes I have sinned and no I don’t deserve his grace, but its there.

The Lord Condescends

4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.

Think about it, the Lord say I hear you and I care about your tears?

The Lord of the Universe. the creator of all things, the one enthroned in Heaven says I hear and I care.

Its easy to forget God’s Eminence and be to focused on his Transcendence.

On the Third Day

Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”

The third day here is most often considered a colloquialism for soon.

The 15 years here lets us know about what his happened.

God Works in the Ends and the Means

7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”

I think the Lord uses means here, because he wants us to understand and that he will use means often when he works.

Moreover, think about the kinds of healing that happen in the in the Old Testament,

Elijah and the laying on the child to revive him,

Naham dipping 7 times in the river,

The cake of figs

This is in contrast to the way Jesus Heals

The Sign is what God wants

8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?”

Notice the Lord does not condemn him for asking for a sign.

On the contrary in Scripture over and over the Lord says, seek me, ask me, reason with me, test me.

We should be asking and seeing the sign the Lord has given us.

Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus.

“was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Ro 1:4. ESV)

What a sign Christ

9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

The sign we have is greater.

Hebrews says “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant” (Heb 7:22, ESV)

Peter says that because Jesus is the everlasting sign “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed.” (2 Pe 1:19, ESV)

Hezekiah’s sign was temporal, it is fighting that it was a sign in time. It was only a witness to the delay of death.

Jesus is the living sign, he never dies, he always intercedes. He is the great fulfilment that we are to look for.

Conclusion

We must keep all this in the right context.

God is amazing and he really healed Hezekiah,

He really cares about Hezekiah’s tears and yours

But is in the end all about Christ, it all points to him

He is the fulfilment of all things

He is the sure sign

When we go to God and ask, Lord because of sin I have been rightfully sentence to death, but you said, that you will save your people, what is my sign that that is true. The answer is Jesus.

Benediction

Revelation 1:4–5 ESV

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood