Sunday
Morning Bible Study
September 8, 2002
Introduction
Hezekiah was a good king. In fact,
we are told:
(2 Ki 18:5 KJV) He trusted
in the LORD God of Israel;
so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah,
nor any that were before him.
Hezekiah’s dad, Ahaz, was a wicked man and had brought the nation of Judah
to a low point in their history. But
Hezekiah had turned things around. He
had made changes, bringing the nation closer to God.
Part of turning things around involved breaking his allegiance with the
Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were the
big bullies on the block. They had been
in the process of conquering the world, and had just finished conquering the
northern kingdom of Israel. When Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria,
they responded by sending their armies towards Judah.
But being a “good king” doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to have
problems.
But before the war came the efforts of “diplomacy”. The Assyrian King
Sennacherib sent three officials to try and talk King Hezekiah into
surrendering to the Assyrians. The chief
negotiator is called Rabshakeh (“chief
cupbearer”, which is probably his title, not his name).
The Enemy’s Tactics
:19 What confidence is this wherein
thou trustest?
The first part of the message from Sennacherib is aimed at showing the king
and the people that they aren’t trusting in things that can be counted on.
:21 thou trustest upon the staff of
this bruised reed…Egypt
When Hezekiah had initially rebelled against the Assyrians, he joined an
alliance of rebel nations, including the some of the nations to the north,
Phoenicians, the Philistines, and the Egyptians.
Egypt is
now the only remaining member of the alliance, beside Judah,
which has not been conquered.
:21 on which if a man lean, it will
go into his hand, and pierce it
Egypt is
characterized as a fragile stick that can’t support a person’s weight.
If you lean too much on it, it will only break underneath you and end up
stabbing you in the hand.
Rabshakeh is correct.
At this time, Egypt
was not a strong nation, and would be an undependable ally.
If you are trusting in people, you will be hurt.
If you are expecting your friends to always come through for you, you will
be disappointed.
If you are expecting people whom you admire to always be there for you or
to come up with the help you need, you will be disappointed.
But he’s distorting the truth.
The truth is that though Egypt
is an ally, Judah
is not trusting in Egypt
to deliver them.
Lesson
#1 - Distortion
The enemy will distort the truth.
We get the feeling that the only things that Satan speaks are lies. He is
the “father of lies”.
But much of what Satan uses is the truth, and that’s what’s so difficult in
our warfare.
But what he does is to hide a pint of poison in that lake of truth you’ve
just swallowed. And the poison is strong enough to kill you.
Example:
The enemy will try to discourage you with condemnation:
“You dirty, rotten
sinner. Now God can never use you
again.”
The truth: You are a dirty, rotten sinner.
The lie: God can’t
use you.
The truth is, God forgives sinners. The truth is, the only people God uses are
sinners.
Just because there is some truth in what someone says doesn’t make it
right.
:22 is not that he, whose high
places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away
Rabshakeh is saying that Yahweh
must be pretty upset because Hezekiah has torn down all the extra altars in the
high places. And that means that Yahweh
isn’t going to help the people.
It is true that Hezekiah has torn down
the high places. But this is exactly
what God had wanted Hezekiah to do (Deut. 12).
Hezekiah is the first king to come
along since the building of the temple to actually do the very thing that God
had wanted, to remove all the extra stuff and keep the worship pure and
directed by God.
Yet for those people who weren’t
grounded in God’s Word, and didn’t realize that instead of being disobedient,
Hezekiah was actually pleasing God, this could sound like a good argument.
Lesson
The best protection against a lie is the truth.
Stay in God’s Word.
There are all sorts of funny ideas
going on out there in the world, and the only way you’re going to be able to
sort out the truth from the lies is to keep yourself grounded in the truth.
Illustration:
When you’re a bank teller, you take
all kinds of classes, like how to spot counterfeit bills.
You can be taught
just what to look for in a genuine $100 bill.
But the best way
is for a teller to just get lots of experience handling the real thing.
Whenever we had a
question, we’d call the “vault teller”, the person in the bank who handles the
most currency.
You can get to the
point where you can just tell by the feel of a bill whether it’s real or not.
Spend time being familiar with the
real thing, with God’s truth, and you’ll be able to spot the fakes.
:23 I will deliver thee two thousand
horses …
He’s taunting the people of Judah
saying that even if the king of Assyria GAVE them horses to fight from, they
probably wouldn’t have enough trained riders to even ride them.
:25 Am I now come up without the LORD
or, “Do you think I came up against Jerusalem
without Yahweh’s blessing?”
:25 The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Now he’s really playing dirty.
He’s trying to say that Yahweh, the God of Judah, actually wanted the
Assyrians to come up and fight against Judah.
What makes it really difficult is that it possibly could be true.
After all, God has just had the Assyrian army wipe out the northern kingdom
as a judgment against their sins. Why not Judah?
Lesson
#2 - Deception
God doesn’t always say what people think He says.
“Impressionists” – we have these old answer machine tapes that have famous
people answering the phone – but they’re only impressionists, not the real
people.
Just because a person says, “God told me …” doesn’t mean it’s true.
Yes, I do believe that God can speak today to us, personally.
But we are to “test the spirits” to see if they be from God (1John 4:1)
1Co 14:29
And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.
(NAS)
If a person wants to claim that God has spoken to them,
then they MUST also allow others to “judge” the prophecy, to tell whether or
not they agree with it.
Sometimes people use the “God told me” phrase just to get you to stop
questioning what they’re doing or saying.
Sometimes they want you to go along with their program, like Rabshakeh.
How do we test prophecy?
The best tool we have is the Word of God, the Bible. It is the One Source where we know God has spoken.
God will not contradict Himself with what He’s already revealed in
Scripture.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: {17} That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works.
:26 Speak, I pray thee, to thy
servants in the Syrian language ...
The Assyrian delegation had been speaking in Hebrew so everyone on the wall
of Jerusalem could hear. Hezekiah’s
delegation asks them to change to Aramaic, the language of the Syrians, so that
the common people wouldn’t understand.
:27 to the men which sit on the wall
...
Rabshakeh wants the common people to hear this threat.
(2 Chr 32:18 NLT) The
Assyrian officials who brought the letters shouted this in the Hebrew language
to the people gathered on the walls of the city, trying to terrify them so it would be easier to capture the city.
He’s hoping that the frightened people will pressure the king into
surrendering.
Lesson
#3 - Dread
The enemy’s greatest weapon is fear.
His greatest tactic to keep us from doing the right thing is to make us
afraid.
That’s why the Scripture says:
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour: (AV)
A lion roars and terrorizes its prey into freezing.
Illustration
Carl Wallenda was one of the greatest tightrope aerialists who ever lived.
He once wrote, “For me, to live is being on a tightrope. All the rest is
waiting.” In 1968, he commented that the most important thing about walking a
tightrope is to be confident you can do it and never to think about failure.
In 1978, Wallenda fell to his death from a tightrope that was seventy-five
feet up in the air above the city of San Juan,
Puerto Rico. His wife, who is also an aerialist,
reported that, for three months prior to attempting the most dangerous feat
he’d ever tried, all he talked about was falling. She said that never before in
all their career together had Carl ever given a thought to falling. She noted
further that he spent all of his time prior to that fatal walk putting up the
wire (which he had never bothered with before). He worried about the guide
wires and spent endless hours calculating the wind, which he had also never
done before. After his death, she said, “I believe the reason Carl fell was
because he spent all of his time preparing not to fall, instead of spending
time preparing to walk the rope.”
-- H. Edwin Young,
"Building Blocks," Southern Baptist Preaching Today, ed. Allen and Gregory, p. 457.
I think that one of the worst by-products of last September 11 was the fear
and anxiety that can paralyze us. That’s
why they call the bad guys “terrorists”.
They create “terror”.
This week will be a week where some of us will again get stirred into
thoughts of fear and terror.
The enemy would love to keep us there to keep us from “preparing to walk
the rope”
I heard a report on the radio that Laura Bush is encouraging families to
have their own memorial times, but to stay away from the TV this week.
I think you could think about spending extra time with the kids.
Lesson
Answers to fear
God has two words to answer our fears.
1.
Trust
God’s answer to fear is trust.
The Scripture says:
(Isa 12:2 KJV)
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the
LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
God wants you to learn to put your life in His hands. You are safe in His hands. No matter what happens.
2.
Love
God’s other answer to fear is love.
(1 John 4:18 KJV)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because
fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We have nothing to be afraid of because God loves us. If you are afraid, run to Jesus. Let Him love you.
:28-37 The enemy’s taunt to the
people
:29 he shall not be able to deliver
you out of his hand
Again, this is a correct statement. Hezekiah is not able to deliver the
people. But God is.
:30 Neither let Hezekiah make you
trust in the LORD
Lesson
#4 – Doubt
The enemy doesn’t want you to trust the Lord
Illustration
Blondin the tightrope walker.
Jean Francois Gravelet was born February
28, 1824 in Hesdin, France. When he was five years old he was sent to the
École de Gymnase at Lyon, and after six months' training
as an acrobat he made his first public appearance as "the Little
Wonder." He developed his skills
under the guidance of P.T. Barnum (of Barnum & Bailey Circus). He became known as the Great Blondin.
In 1859 he announced that he would do the most amazing of all feats, he
would cross Niagara Falls on a
tightrope 1,100 feet (335 m) long, 160 feet above the water.
On June 30, 1859 the
rope was in position and at five o'clock
in the afternoon Blondin started the trip that was to make history. Incredulous
watchers saw him lower a rope to the Maid of the Mist, pull up a bottle and sit
down while he refreshed himself. He began his ascent toward the Canadian shore,
paused, steadied the balancing pole and suddenly executed a back somersault.
The crowd 'screamed', women 'fainted', those near the rope 'cried' and begged
him to come in. When he finally stepped off the rope, he was grabbed by a
delirious mob of well wishers who whisked him away to a champagne celebration.
He crossed the Falls several times, each time making it more
difficult. In all, he crossed the rope
on a bicycle, walking blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow, stopping to cook an
omelet in the center, and making the trip with his hands and feet manacled.
His most daring crossing came when he announced that he would carry a man
across on his back. Frankly, only one
man trusted him enough to do it. It
would be his manager, Harry Colcord. According to Colcord, the trip was a
nightmare. In the un-guyed center section, the pair swayed violently. Blondin
was fighting for his life. He broke into a desperate run to reach the first guy
rope. When he reached it and steadied himself, the guy broke. Once more the
pair swayed alarmingly as Blondin again ran for the next guy. When they reached
it Blondin gasped for Colcord to get down. Six times in all Colcord had to
dismount while Blondin struggled to gather his strength. In the end Blondin had
to charge the crowd on the brink to prevent the press of people forcing them
back in the precipice.
He performed privately for both the Prince of Wales and King Edward VII, he
repeated the stunt of 'carrying a man on his back' and offered to carry the
prince, but he declined.
You don't have to be a tightrope walker to get across the falls of
life. You just need to trust Jesus
enough to get on His shoulders. Getting
through life is all about learning to climb up on Jesus’ shoulders. He will not drop you.
:31
Make an agreement with me by a present ...
If the people would just surrender,
then the Assyrians will go away, and life will go on like normal.
Lesson
Giving in doesn’t make life easier
The enemy has long been in the
business of promising rewards if we just surrender to him:
Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the
glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All
these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve.
It’s kind of like when Satan
whispers in your ear, “Just give in to this temptation, and everything will go
back to being normal again...”
Yes, the pressure may be off for
awhile, at least until he shows up to tempt you again.
:31
drink ye every one the waters of his cistern
Rabshakeh thinks that there’s a
very limited source of water in the city of Jerusalem.
According to his scouting reports,
Jerusalem has to depend on cisterns to collect rain water to supply their
water.
With the people shut up inside the
city, they’re going to run out of water quick.
What he doesn’t know is that
Hezekiah has built a special, secret tunnel, through 600 feet of solid rock,
bringing fresh water from the spring of Gihon straight into the city at the
pool of Siloam.
Lesson
Don’t settle for a cistern, get a river!
Your spiritual life can be like a
cistern.
We collect spiritual refreshment
from others, going to church, listening to KWVE, etc.
And then we can survive off of what
we collect.
But God has promised us a well of
water springing up inside us if we want it!
(John 7:37-39 KJV) In the last day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink. {38} He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. {39} (But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet
given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
If we’ll just come to God and ask,
He’ll let the Holy Spirit be a well of water springing up inside us, and He’ll
be able to nourish us and sustain us, even during times when we can’t receive
from others.
All we have to do
is be thirsty.
And then ask.
:33 Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the
king of Assyria?
He’s going to give quite a convincing argument.
To this point there is not one single country that has been able to stand
up against the Assyrians!
Lesson
#5 – Despair
Hopelessness
One of the enemy’s greatest weapons is to make us think that nobody has
ever broken this thing.
“Nobody has ever conquered the sin you’re struggling with.”
“You can never get out of your hopeless situation”
The truth is, all struggles are common
(1 Cor 10:13 KJV)
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it.
It really isn’t a new thing.
Lots of people have struggled with it before you ever did.
And God is able to deliver you. Trust Him.
:36
the people remained silent
Hezekiah had instructed the people
not to answer back to the enemy.
Lesson
Sometimes it’s better to be silent, than to answer.
(Prov 26:4 KJV) Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest thou also be like unto him.