Powerful song.
Christ alone, cornerstone, weak made strong in the Savior's love.
!
This morning as we look at the passage, a continuation from a couple of weeks ago, from Isaiah chapter
!
Chapter 36 and 37, the question that kind of comes to us front and center as a theme throughout
this message is this question.
Who is the Savior in your home?
When troubles come?
When difficulties encounter your family?
Who is the Savior in those moments?
Is it you as a dad who is figuring things out, making things work, finding a solution, looking
for answers, helping your family come to grips with the facts of life and moving them to health?
Or is it the Savior?
The one and only Savior that becomes the source of hope and help for your family?
In the big things and in the little things of life.
This past weekend, my son was helping me put in a garage door in our home.
And there were several moments where he, without my assistance, uttered a prayer out loud and said,
Lord, please help in this moment.
Daddy doesn't know what he's doing.
I'm grateful for those moments.
I'm grateful for those moments because my kids are beginning to understand who the Savior is in our home.
And it's not daddy.
It's not mommy.
It's not a solution that we find in this world.
It's a solution that is otherworldly, that is divine, that is powerful, that is overarching and great.
It's a solution in a God who hears.
A God who answers prayer.
A God who desires to intervene.
If we just welcome Him in.
If we welcome Him to take His place where He belongs.
A place of supremacy.
A place of help because God desires to save.
God desires to help.
He desires to show His power in your life.
If you will allow Him to come and to take part and to provide assistance.
I want to show you a picture.
It's a slide of something that took place this past summer.
Maybe it's something you can see.
Yeah, that's a little better up front.
This picture on the surface is a picture of a family in a tree house.
On the surface, it's a picture of our family this past summer.
But what you don't see is evidence of a God who answers prayer.
At least six ways.
I was thinking just this morning about all the things that this picture represents in terms of God's answer to prayer.
First is that here we are.
This is a picture of us in Aurora, Illinois.
Now, you were gracious enough to give our family several weeks to take a trip out to California and back.
And my wife was praying for years that we would be able to make that journey.
And this is a culmination of those prayers and being able to begin that journey.
This was the first stop along the way.
And then, here we are in Aurora, our former backyard.
And a lot of prayers went into praying for God's next step for our family.
And this was just a reminder of God's faithfulness.
And all of the prayers that were prayed in that home and in that city.
That God would move us to the place that He would have for us.
And He moved us here to Ohio.
And the person taking this picture is a person we had never met before.
It was the person who bought our home.
In years of praying that God would sell that house.
And sure enough, someone bought it and they were kind enough to accept a bunch of strangers knocking on their door.
Asking if they could go in the backyard and go up into that tree house.
And then the tree house itself.
For two years, my kids prayed,
Lord, please let us have some lumber.
So that we can build a tree house.
We want a tree house.
And Dad has said that he's not going to pay for wood to put this together.
So will you show up and will you provide some wood for us?
And every time we would pass a lumber yard, they would say,
Hey, can we go over and ask if they have some lumber that we could have?
And it wasn't until we were helping with a renovation effort at a church that we were attending.
And I was carrying all this wood out to the dumpster.
And I realized, here it is.
All this wood that we are taking to the dumpster.
This is the tree house.
So I brought it home and it took hours to pull all the nails.
And the kids and I had a blast putting together not just a one-decker tree house,
but a double-decker tree house.
It's just a testimony to God's ability to answer prayer above and beyond what we could imagine.
And the lady standing up there next to us and her grandkids in the forefront
is a testimony to God's answer to prayer.
One of our neighbors who was trying to minister to her own grandkids.
And the ministry that took place right there in that community.
Encouraging, helping, supporting, and directing the heart of this woman to the things of the Lord.
And just the fact that after three years of weather,
here we all are standing up in this tree house and it didn't collapse.
That's an answer to prayer just in and of itself.
We serve a God who delights.
Who delights in your prayers.
We serve a God who desires
to intervene in your life and to show up.
To show himself strong.
To demonstrate that he is able.
More than able to do all that you could imagine or think.
He wants to do that for you this morning.
He wants to do that but he will only do that if you come to him in prayer.
So as we turn to Isaiah chapter 36.
All that the prophet Isaiah was trying to communicate to the people of Israel.
Begins to culminate in the life story of this one King Hezekiah.
So that the prophet spends four chapters developing the story,
this narrative of Hezekiah.
The culmination of faith.
The crescendo of faith in his life that comes to bear.
Not only for him but comes to bear as a hallmark,
as a testimony to an entire nation.
Hezekiah who is really on the brink of extinction in terms of becoming a nation.
Not that God would not save for himself a remnant.
But they were on the brink as a nation in total collapse.
And Hezekiah in his faith in God becomes a banner.
Testifying that God is able and desires to answer prayer in big ways.
Let me read for us just the first verse of chapter 36.
Isaiah chapter 36 verse 1.
And by way of introduction and also in terms of bringing us up to where we are a couple of weeks,
we went through this passage.
But just to catch us up and remind us of those things,
let me read for us this verse and we'll dig into our text this morning.
It says,
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah,
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
Last time we saw that Judah was in a desperate situation.
This desperate situation of this rising empire,
the force of the Assyrian empire that was coming to bear on the unknown world.
And we're introduced in this verse to two main characters.
The first character is the man Hezekiah.
The second is the character Sennacherib, who was the king of Assyria.
And we saw that in Judah's desperate situation,
that there was a legacy of Hezekiah himself.
That Hezekiah was used by God in significant ways.
He was influential in removing the high places,
in helping to restore Israel to the semblance of pure, godly worship,
in helping to remodel the temple and to consecrate it
and to make it in a way that was worthy,
again, for sacrifice, for ritual, for worship.
Of calling the priests and the Levites to sanctifying themselves
so they could be a part of this worship service.
of helping to remove the idols in the Asherah poles
and removing the idolatrous practices of the people
and calling them to the one true God.
That's what he did in Judah.
But he was also influential at this critical moment in Israel's history
to help call a group of individuals,
even from the northern ten tribes,
to celebrate in the Passover.
What's quite phenomenal about Hezekiah
is not only was he useful for the Lord
in helping to write and restore the worship of Judah and Jerusalem,
but at a critical time in Israel's history,
as they were beginning to be conquered by Assyria,
Hezekiah has this brilliant idea.
I'm going to not only reach out to people in Judah,
but I'm going to reach out to the people across all of Israel
and I'm going to invite them to celebrate with us the Passover.
And so a year or two before the northern ten tribes were conquered by Assyria,
Hezekiah invites all of Israel to participate in worship to God.
Most of those who were invited in Ephraim and Manasseh
and the other ten tribes mocked.
But we find that there were some.
There was a remnant who came.
A remnant who worshipped.
A remnant who, even though they were impure of heart,
were able to experience the joy of worship.
The joy of celebrating who God was
and submitting themselves to Him.
So that in 2 Chronicles chapter 30,
it says this.
It says,
There was great joy in Jerusalem.
For since the days of Solomon,
son of David,
king of Israel,
there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people
and God heard them.
For their prayer reached heaven,
His holy dwelling place.
Hezekiah, a man who was born to a wicked king,
we find rises to a place of prominence in the kingdom
and is used by God to restore a kingdom back
to right and true worship.
But that did not happen in isolation.
It did not happen by accident.
It happened because of the faithful witness,
the faithful training of a faithful mom
and a faithful grandpa.
And so, the influence on Hezekiah's life
not only affected him personally,
but was useful to affect an entire nation
and even the ten nations,
or the ten tribes of Israel.
And a legacy and a witness for the nations to come.
A banner that says God is trustworthy.
All that Isaiah the prophet has spoken,
you can hear and you can embrace it with confidence.
Trust Him in these critical moments.
We also looked at the reputation of Assyria.
We see here in Isaiah chapter 36,
beginning in verse 2,
something about this nation.
It says,
And we find in verses 4 to verse 10,
and Shebna the secretary,
and Joah the son of Asaph,
the recorder.
And we find in verses 4 to verse 10,
all that this Reb Sheikah said
to the king of Israel
and to the people of Jerusalem.
We'll look at that in a moment.
But a couple of weeks ago,
we saw that this rising power,
this military force,
was a force to be reckoned with.
It had advanced technology,
a military group of individuals
who were devoted to service,
who were trained for war,
who had armor and who had iron,
the first to use composite bows,
the first to use multi-tiered siege engines.
And because of the strength of this army,
no one could stand in their way.
We find a taste of that in verses 4 to verse 10.
Let me read this for you
and see how the pride of the Assyrian army
comes to bear now
as they stand before the city of Jerusalem.
It says this,
And the Reb Sheikah said to them,
Say to Hezekiah,
Thus says the great king,
the king of Assyria,
On what do you rest this trust of yours?
Do you think that mere words
are strategy and power for war?
In whom do you now trust
that you have rebelled against me?
Behold, you are trusting in Egypt
that broken reed of a staff,
which will pierce the hand of any man
who leans on it.
Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
to all who trust in him.
But if you say to me,
We trust in the Lord our God,
is it not he whose high places and altars
Hezekiah has removed,
saying to Judah and to Jerusalem,
You shall worship before this altar?
Come now,
Make a wager with my master,
the king of Assyria.
I will give you 2,000 horses
if you are able,
on your part,
to set riders on them.
How then can you repulse
a single captain
among the least of my master's servants
when you trust in Egypt
for chariots and for horsemen?
Moreover,
is it without the Lord
that I have come up against this land
to destroy it?
The Lord said to me,
Go up against this land
and destroy it.
God had given
the empire of Assyria
the ability to overtake the nations.
They had already swept through
the known region around Judea.
They had already taken Tyre and Sidon.
They had already taken Damascus.
They had already conquered
the northern ten tribes.
They had already taken Assyria.
They had already taken Philistia.
And Egypt was just a minor annoyance.
We find later in this chapter
ten other countries
that had been taken by
the nation of Assyria.
God had given them strength.
God had enabled them
as He had promised to do.
what must have been a little troubling.
As the people on the wall
were listening to this message.
He's remembering
what Isaiah the prophet
had already told them.
He had already told them
in chapter ten.
We had read this before
that Assyria would be
the rod of God
to discipline
the people of Judah.
He had already promised
that discipline
was on its way
through the hand
of Assyria.
And you can imagine
as all of the fortified cities
of Judah
were being conquered
if the people
of Jerusalem wondered
is this the moment
when we fall
as well.
We have seen
what they have done
to all of the nations
surrounding us
and we alone are left.
We find earlier
here in verse two
we find that they had been
at Lachish.
And just in a moment
we'll see that
the second most prominent city
in Judah
Lachish
had been conquered
in just a matter
of a few days.
Because
in the next few verses
we find that
word had come
to the Reb Sheka
that the forces
of Assyria
had left Lachish
and were now moving
a little closer.
They were moving
to Libna
which instead of being
20 miles away
was only 10 miles away.
This prominent city
of Lachish
annihilated
in just a matter
of days.
What possibly
could Jerusalem
offer
in terms of defense
and protection
against such
an incredible
force?
There was crisis
in Jerusalem.
And interestingly
not
a coincidence.
The Reb Sheka
delivers
this message
on the very spot
that Isaiah
had spoken
and given assurance
to King Ahaz
Hezekiah's father.
That wicked king
who
years before
faced a similar
crisis.
Isaiah
the prophet
spoke to him
on the exact
location
and promised
him that in
the future
there would be
deliverance
through Emmanuel.
I can only
imagine
that as
Hezekiah saw
the foreshadowing
of this
he must have
thought to
himself
reminded himself
of the message
that the prophet
Isaiah had given
to Ahaz
on that day.
it was recorded
in Isaiah
chapter 7
3
be careful
Isaiah says
be quiet
do
not
fear
and do
not let
your heart
be faint.
Trust
the Lord
Ahaz
and certainly
that message
must have
resounded
in the heart
of Hezekiah
as he was
faced with
this crisis
of his own.
Well
the Reb Sheikah
doesn't give up.
He comes
at this
again
beginning
in
verse 13
and now
not only
does he assail
the character
of the Lord
that Jerusalem
puts their hope in
he assails
the character
of Hezekiah
in many
different
verses
he says
in verse 13
then the Reb Sheikah
stood and called
out in a loud
voice
in the language
of Judah
so that all
the people
could hear.
Hear the words
of the great
king
the king
of Assyria
thus says
the king
do not
let Hezekiah
deceive you
for he will
not be able
to deliver you
do not
let Hezekiah
make you
trust in the
Lord by saying
the Lord
will surely
deliver us
this city
will not
be given
into the hand
of the king
of Assyria
do not
listen to
Hezekiah
for thus
says
the king
of Assyria
make your
peace with
me
come out
to me
then each
one of you
will eat
of his own
vine
and each
one will
eat of
his own
fig tree
and each
one of you
will drink
the water
of his own
cistern
until I come
and take you
away to a
land like
your own
a land of
grain and
wine
a land of
bread and
vineyards
beware
lest Hezekiah
mislead you
the Lord
will deliver
us
has any
of the
gods of
the nations
delivered his
land out of
the hand of
the king of
Assyria
this message
coming with
force against
the people
calls them
to question
the character
and the
commitment of
Hezekiah
to trust in
the Lord
don't listen
to this one
come with
us
we'll make
you live
in a land
that is just
like your
own
we will
spare you
we'll have
mercy
certainly you'll
be captives
but at least
you'll be able
to survive
you trust
Hezekiah
I can't make
the same
promises
perhaps
reports of
of the
prophecy
of Isaiah
emboldened
Sennacherib
emboldened
the Reb Sheka
this
messenger
of Assyria
to call
into question
the hope
of Jerusalem
in the
one true
God
leadership
was questioned
the people
were intimidated
and now
is the
moment
of decision
the moment
of decision
where the
rubber
meets the
road
where all
the faith
that
Hezekiah
had called
the people
to embrace
now is
a point
of decision
in making
it action
faith
demands
action
in terms
of the
people
so what
is Hezekiah
to do
and now
we turn
to our
next point
Hezekiah's
determined
faith
Hezekiah's
determined
faith
we see
that beginning
in verse
37
as soon
as King
Hezekiah
heard it
he tore
his clothes
and covered
himself with
sackcloth
and went
into the
house of
the Lord
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 Amos
they said
to him
thus says
Hezekiah
this is a
day of
distress
of rebuke
and of
disgrace
children have
come to the
point of birth
and there is
no strength
to bring
them forth
Hezekiah is
coming to a
place of
having to
stake his
claim in the
confidence
in God
we find
in these
verses
Hezekiah's
confidence
in the Lord
his confidence
in God
to save
and recognizing
what has
gone before
recognizing
as we find
in 2 Kings
and 2 Chronicles
as the account
of this story
unfolds
we find
there that
sure enough
Hezekiah
did
employ the
help
of Egypt
he did
form an
alliance
with this
empire
and asking
them to
help
we also
find that
he paid
tribute
to Assyria
early on
in the hopes
that they
would turn
away
and not
come
and to
ransack
the land
Hezekiah had
turned to
secular means
in those
moments
he had
turned to
his own
ingenuity
he had
looked for
human strength
to overcome
the obstacles
that he
faced
but there
was a
point of
clarity
in his
life
sometime
between
that
moment
and
this
moment
there was
a point
of clarity
in his
life
we find
in 2
Chronicles
chapter 32
that he
is speaking
encouragingly
to the
people
he says
to them
all that
had gathered
together
he
gathers
them
in a
square
and he
says
to them
be strong
and courageous
do not
be afraid
or dismayed
before the
king of
Assyria
and all
the horde
that is
with him
for there
are more
with us
than are
with him
is an
arm of
flesh
but with
us
is the
Lord
our
God
to help
us
and to
fight
our
battles
and the
people
took
confidence
in the
words
of
Hezekiah
king
of
Judah
somehow
this
message
along
with the
messages
of
Isaiah
the
prophet
made
their
way
to
Sennacherib
made
their
way
to
the
king
of
Assyria
they
understood
where
their
new
confidence
lay
it
lay
in
the
Lord
their
God
and
Hezekiah
was
the
messenger
of
that
confidence
calling
the
people
to
hope
in
God
the
God
who
is
able
to
save
and in
this
moment
in
Isaiah
chapter
37
in
responding
to the
message
that he
hears
from
Rabshakeh
Hezekiah
turns to
the Lord
in prayer
he comes
to the
Lord
in
repentance
he
recognizes
that his
past
confidences
in
Egypt
in
the
confidence
in
paying
off
Assyria
were
all
futility
and
expresses
his
repentant
heart
his
sorrowful
heart
in
terms
of
brokenness
and
sackcloth
and
mourning
and
the
message
that
is
sent
to
Isaiah
is
a
message
of
repentance
he
comes
this
is
a
day
of
distress
of
rebuke
and
of
disgrace
but
their
hope
doesn't
end
there
it
moves
to
the
next
level
in
verse
4
it
may
be
that
the
Lord
your
God
will
hear
the
words
of
the
Rebsheka
whom
his
master
the
king
of
Assyria
has
sent
to
mock
the
living
God
and
will
rebuke
the
words
that
the
Lord
your
God
has
heard
therefore
lift
up
your
prayer
for
the
remnant
that
is
left
Hezekiah
calls
his
men
to
ask
for
God
to
intervene
ask
that
God
might
salvage
his
reputation
that
is
what
is
at
stake
what
is
at
stake
in
this
moment
is
not
the
preservation
of
Israel
not
the
protection
of
Jerusalem
not
the
future
legacy
of
Hezekiah
and
his
people
what
is
at
stake
is
the
reputation
of
God
who
has
said
and
committed
himself
to
save
God
who
has
committed
himself
to
deliver
his
people
if
they
pray
it
may
be
he
says
that
the
Lord
your
God
will
hear
he
is
the
one
to
whom
we
pray
he
is
the
one
to
whom
we
look
for
help
and
that
is
our
next
point
a
united
cry
for
help
from
God
a
united
cry
for
help
from
God
is
joined
by
these
two
men
Eliakim
and
Shebna
interestingly
we haven't
had time
to
look in
depth
at the
book of
Isaiah
but if
you look
back to
chapter
22
you see
that
these
two
men
had been
previously
rebuked
by
Isaiah
himself
Shebna
had
decided
that
he
was
going
to
build
for
himself
a
tomb
in
the
rock
there
in
Jerusalem
and
Isaiah
had
to
confront
Shebna
and say
what in
the world
are you
doing
because of
your sin
because of
taking this
step
you're
actually
going to
die
in the
wilderness
you're
going to
be
cut
off
Shebna
a
similar
warning
went
against
Eliakim
Isaiah
calls
him
a
tent
peg
a
tent
peg
that
will
be
severed
will
be
cut
certainly
these
men
in
walking
into
the
presence
of
Isaiah
the
prophet
must
have
wondered
what's
Isaiah
going to
think
how is
he
going
to
respond
he's
already
been
bold
to
rebuke
us
for
past
sin
but
they
come
in
repentance
as
well
they
come
approaching
the
house
of
the
Lord
and
robed
in
sackcloth
and
asking
for
God
to
intervene
and
Isaiah
gives
them
an
answer
they
recognize
that
God
is
the
one
whose
reputation
is
in
full
view
Isaiah
makes
this
the
issue
he
sees
this
as a
taunt
and a
threat
against
the
almighty
one
and
he
makes
God
the
focus
of
his
prayer
the
renown
of
God
is
front
and
center
in
his
mind
not
personal
interests
not
personal
comfort
but
the
reputation
of
God
is
at
stake
and
we
see
God's
decisive
!
answer
in
the
next
few
verses
in
chapter
37
verses
5
to
7
what
is
God's
decisive
answer
it
says
this
beginning
in
verse
5
when
the
servants
of
king
hezekiah
came
to
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
young
men
of
the
king
of
Assyria
have
reviled
me
behold
I
will
put
a
spirit
in
him
so
that
he
shall
hear
rumor
and
return
to
his
own
land
and
I
will
make
him
fall
by
the
sword
in
his
own
land
first
we
see
that
God
will
destroy
the
Assyrian
army
God
will
destroy
the
Assyrian
army
Isaiah
reaffirms
this
message
to
Hezekiah
do
not
be
afraid
Hezekiah
God
will
show
up
for
you
God
will
answer
your
request
God
has
heard
God
will
intervene
up to
this
point
through
the book
of
Isaiah
the theme
has been
to fear
the Lord
in Isaiah
813
the Lord
of hosts
it says
him you
shall
honor
as holy
let him
be
your
fear
and let
him
be
your
dread
but now
from chapter 37
moving to the
end of the
book
we find
that fear
in God
leads us
to not
fear
in the
nations
here we
find
do not
be afraid
Hezekiah
do not
worry
in chapter
40
we find
it says
go to
a high
mountain
O
Zion
herald
the
good
news
lift
up
your
voice
with
strength
O
Jerusalem
herald
of
good
news
lift
it
up
fear
not
fear
not
fear
not
for I
am
with
you
be
not
dismayed
for I
am
your
God
in
41
13
fear
not
I
am
the
one
who
helps
you
in
41
14
fear
not
you
men
of
Israel
I
am
the
one
who
helps
you
your
redeemer
is
the
holy
one
of
Israel
what
most
often
stands
in our
way
of
faith
is a
fear
that
cripples
us
from
asking
God
for
answers
and
waiting
for
him
to
show
up
in
your
life
but
in
this
moment
this
moment
of
crisis
we're
Hezekiah
had
spoken
words
of
faith
into
the
people
of
Israel
now
is
able
to
take
action
go
to
Lord
in
prayer
and
seek
his
face
and
trust
him
with
what
would
otherwise
be
an
impossible
situation
and
God
shows
up
and
gives
this
answer
don't
be
afraid
Hezekiah
don't
be
afraid
he's
going
to
hear
a
rumor
!
He's
going
to
go
away
and
he's
going
to
be
killed
in
Now
those
of
us
who
know
the
rest
of
the
story
might
think
that's
great
news
but
for
Hezekiah
who's
hearing
this
can
you
imagine
but
okay
I
understand
Lord
he's
going
to
hear
a
rumor
eventually
but
what
does
that
mean
about
me
what
does
that
mean
about
Jerusalem
what
does
that
mean
about
our
safety
here
I
get
the
fact
that
you're
going
to
honor
your
prayer
and
you're
going
to
salvage
your
name
and
your
renown
in
the
world
but
what
about
the
here
and
now
and
in
this
moment
there
is
not
an
answer
about
the
here
and
now
there's
not
an
answer
about
the
immediate
although
we
do
begin
to
see
God's
answer
in
the
next
few
verses
in
verse
10
of
chapter
37
we
begin
to
see
how
God
is
working
actually
backing up
to
verse
8
the
Reb
Shekha
returned
and
found
the
king
of
Assyria
fighting
against
Libna
so
he
has
taken
Lachish
the
second
most
prominent
city
of
Judah
and
now
he's
moved
closer
to
Jerusalem
about
10
miles
away
now
and
now
he's
going
against
Libna
verse
9
now
the
king
heard
concerning
Terukah
king
of
Cush
he
has
set
out
to
fight
against
you
and
when
he
heard
it
he
sent
messengers
to
Hezekiah
saying
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
!
So he
sends
this
word
back
he
wants
to
make
sure
that
Hezekiah
doesn't
get
the
wrong
idea
now
Hezekiah
has
gone
to
prayer
Hezekiah
has
gotten
an
answer
back
from
Isaiah
the
prophet
and
from
God
himself
that
says
they're
going
to
hear
a
rumor
and
they're
going
to
leave
the
city
and
sure
enough
they
begin
to
hear
a
rumor
and
they
move
now
to
Libna
and
then
they
move
to
a
place
so
they
can
fight
against
Egypt
and
the
Rebsheikah
sends
word
back
to
make
sure
that
Jerusalem
doesn't
get
the
wrong
message
we're
coming
back
we're
going
to
take
this
city
we're
going
to
conquer
you
we're
going
to
devastate
and
destroy
this
entire
city
don't
get
your
hopes
up
don't
make
the
wrong
assumptions
there
will
be
no
mercy
and
there
is
no
God
that
has
ever
stood
in
our
way
he
renews
his
threat
against
Jerusalem
and
Hezekiah
has
another
opportunity
to
reinstate
his
faith
in
God
what
will
Hezekiah
do
we find
what he
does
in
verse
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
and
Hezekiah
prayed
to
the
Lord
O
Lord
of
hosts
God
of
Israel
enthroned
above
the
cherubim
you
are
the
God
you
alone
of
all
the
nations
and
the
kingdoms
of the
earth
you
have
made
heaven
and
earth
incline
your
ear
O
Lord
and
hear
open
your
eyes
O
Lord
and
see
and
hear
all
the
words
of
Sennacherib
which
he
has
sent
to
mock
the
living
God
truly
O
Lord
the
kings
of
Assyria
have
laid
waste
all
the
nations
of
their
lands
and
have
cast
their
gods
into
the
fire
for
they
were
no
gods
but
the
work
of
men's
hands
wood
and
stone
therefore
they
were
destroyed
so
now
O
Lord
our
God
save
us
from
his
hand
that
all
the
kingdoms
of
the
earth
may
know
that
you
alone
are
God
again
what
comes
front
and
center
in
Hezekiah's
heart
and mind
is the
testimony
and the
renown
and the
glory
of the
Lord
of hosts
the
God
of
Israel
God
show
your
hand
show up
for us
today
state
categorically
emphatically
who you
are
make it
obvious
to the
nations
that you
reign
that you're
in control
help
Jerusalem
and all
that are
looking on
this situation
to recognize
who we
serve
and we
get an
answer
God
answers
again
we find
that answer
beginning
in verse
30
this
shall
be
a sign
for you
in
chapter
37
verse
30
this
year
you
shall
eat
what
grows
of
itself
and
in
the
second
year
what
springs
from
that
!
then
in
the
third
year
sow
and
reap
and plant
vineyards
and eat
their fruit
and the
surviving
remnant of
the house
of Judah
shall again
take root
downward
and bear
fruit
upward
for out
of Jerusalem
shall go a
remnant
and out of the
mountain Zion
a band
of survivors
the zeal
of the
Lord of
hosts
will
do
this
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
was shield
or cast up a
siege mount
against it
by the way
that he came
by
by the way
that he came
by the same
he shall return
and he shall not
come into the city
declares the Lord
for I will defend
this city
to save it
for my own
sake
and for the
sake of my
servant
David
finally
a definitive
answer
don't worry
Hezekiah
this
force
unmatched
with power
it's not
going to come
against you
it's not
going to lift
up sword
or shield
or bow
you have
nothing to
worry about
I will
protect you
I will save
you
I will be
your
deliverer
because I'm
your God
and I will
do this
for my
own
sake
and for the
sake of my
promise
to David
trust me
I'll do it
we find in
verse
36
and the
angel of the
Lord went
out and
struck down
185,000
in the camp
of Assyria
and when the
people arose
early in the
morning
behold
these were
all the
dead bodies
then Sennacherib
king of Assyria
departed
and returned
home
and lived
at Nineveh
God
showed up
God
destroyed
the army
of Assyria
now what
we don't get
in the
empty
spaces
that aren't
conveyed here
in this
narrative
is that
the time
that elapsed
before the
answer came
as we see
one verse
consecutive
after the
other
it's our
thought that
prayer was
given and
God in the
very same
night destroyed
the army
but the
evidence in
the passage
and in the
context is that
it actually took
two to three
years before the
answer finally
came
that's why a
sign was so
important in
verse 30
this will be the
sign for you
Hezekiah
this will be
the evidence
that God is
going to work
through His
answer in your
life
in the first
couple of years
you're just going
to live off the
land
you see
you didn't plant
crops when there
were armies
that were occupying
your territory
you didn't want to
feed the occupying
army
you don't want to
give them a reason
to stay
but God was going
to still provide
for His people
He was still going
to make sure
that their needs
were met
and so for the
first couple of
years they were
going to be able
to live off the
land and it
wasn't until
the third year
that they were
going to be able
to plant crops
and see the
harvest and the
bounty and the
preservation of
God
it was going to
take some time
before God's
answer was clear
it was going to
take some time
before the army
was decimated
and finally
returns home
you see
throughout the
scripture the
testimony is that
God expects
His faithful men
and women
to wait
but waiting
isn't something
that we're
inclined to do
but if you look
at Noah
in the 150
years of
waiting
you look at
Abraham
in the 25
years of
waiting for
the promise
of Isaac
you look at
David in the
10 years of
waiting for
God to
finally help
him to be
king
waiting is a
mark of
faith
as God
is seeking
to develop
within our
hearts a
commitment to
trust him
regardless of
the circumstances
is God
worth trusting
that much
that is worth
waiting for
when we wait
and when we
trust God
shows up and
his glory is
put on display
only God can
get credit
for wiping
out the
Assyrian
army
chariots
what are
they
iron weapons
what are
they
war machines
compound bows
and all
terrain boots
who cares
one night
one angel
185,000
gone
by the
hand of
the Lord
devastation
the power
of God
at work
it shows
up because
Hezekiah
commits himself
to trust
so that God
can get the
glory in
Jerusalem
not the
ingenuity
of good
strategy
of good
military
skill
of prowess
in battle
but so that
God can get
the glory
this is
Hezekiah's
God
and this
is your
God
this is
our God
the God
of power
the God
of glory
and renown
who desires
to show up
in your life
today
whatever the
situation
whatever the
circumstance
God desires
to receive glory
in your life
as you commit
yourself
to trust
in Him
and our
final point
God deals
with
Sennacherib
God deals
with Sennacherib
Sennacherib runs
back to his
home territory
he runs
back to the
safety of
Nineveh
and what
the scripture
doesn't tell
is the
20 years
that he
survives
and thrives
in Assyria
up to the
point of his
death
we find here
in verse 38
and as he
was worshipping
in the house
of Nishrak
his god
Adrammelech
and
Sherazir
his sons
struck him
down with
the sword
and after
they escaped
into the
hand of
Ararat
Esarden
his son
reigned
in his
place
there would
be no
safety
for
Sennacherib
he might
run back
to the
stronghold
of Assyria
he might
run back
to the
worship
of his
deity
but even
there he
was not
safe from
the hand
of the
God of
Israel
God would
find a way
to strike
him down
in exact
vengeance
and exalt
his glory
in this
situation
to stake
his claim
as the
God who
is able
to answer
the God
who can
intervene
the legacy
of faith
is recorded
for the
ages
the faith
of Hezekiah
stands
as a
banner
for us
an
example
for us
to look
to and
embrace
and to
say
Hezekiah's
God
is our
God
the God
who is
able to
save
the God
who hears
and answers
the God
who desires
for his
glory
to be put
on display
if his
people will
but ask
for his
help
this last
picture
I want
to show
you
is a
picture
of a
new
tree
house
this
is a
tree
house
in
Columbus
kids
began
to pray
for more
wood
I don't
know what
is it about
trees and
wood for
our family
but
I didn't
know how
this one
was going
to work
out
I
certainly
didn't
know what
tree we
were going
to be
putting
a tree
house
in
but
wouldn't
you know
the big
windstorm
that came
about a
week ago
or several
days ago
blew down
a gigantic
branch
from one
of our
trees
and fortunately
it would
have landed
in the
neighbor's
yard and
broken the
fence
but it
was cradled
by a
row of
pine trees
we have
in the
back
and the
kids went
out and
cut up
the branches
and without
a nail
or a
screw
or rope
put up
this
tree house
in our
backyard
and God
again
showed us
that he
cares about
big things
and little
things like
tree houses
he cares
about what's
going on
in your
life
he is
able
to save
regardless
of the
situation
that you're
in
when a
mighty
empire
comes
knocking
at your
door
when this
impenetrable
force
shows
its
might
at your
gates
or
when you
just want
something simple
like a
tree house
God cares
and is able
to answer
will you
ask
for God's
help
let's pray
Lord we
understand
that you
delight
in answering
prayers
not just
because you
love us
and because
you desire
to meet
our needs
but more
importantly
because you
desire
to make
your name
glorious
and as we
identify
ourselves
with you
as we
commit our
hope and our
faith in you
as we make it
evident to the
people around us
where our
source of
confidence
lies
you delight
in showing
up because
you are
able to
put yourself
on display
it's a way
for you to
make your
name glorious
in this world
so Lord I
pray that you
would help us
to see those
opportunities
and to
capitalize on
them
to commit
the big
things and
little things
of life
into your
care
so that
you can
take credit
and so that
our own
children
and our
co-workers
and anyone
else that
we might
interact with
would see
what a great
God you are
that's our
desire
and we praise
you for the
fact that you
are faithful
and we ask
that you would
help us
as your
people
to commit
ourselves
to our
faithful God
we pray in
Jesus name
amen
holy holy