"You Deserve It" Sermon: Matthew 4:1-11 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85GhW2PZk60

"God Lied to You" Sermon: Genesis 3:1-7 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWqAVLTCRkw

"God Lied to You" Sermon: Genesis 3:1-7 (manuscript)

“God Lied to You”

[Genesis 3:1-7]

YouTube March 1, 2020

            We are now in the Lenten season – a time set aside by the Church of forty days – not including Sundays – prior to Holy Week, when we specifically contemplate the sinfulness of sin.  So, we will take a few weeks off from Isaiah to look at sin and our response to it – beginning at the beginning.

            “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.”

            God created humans and all that exists, and God put Adam and Eve in a garden to care for it and to care for each other.  And God told them that they could eat from every tree of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:16-17, ESV).

The demon-possessed serpent sought out Eve at a time when she was alone to tempt her, by getting her to doubt.  He spoke to her in Hebrew – or Dutch – depending on your tradition – the serpent spoke, and he told Eve:

First, God is unreasonable.

“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’”

“Eve, did God actually say to you that you are not allowed to eat out of any of the trees in the garden?  Is God being so unreasonable as to block you from all the fruit on earth?  Is God that selfish?”

The demon possessing the serpent knew very well that God has not said that they were not allowed to eat of any of the trees.  He knew that God had told them that they could eat from every tree in the entire garden – except for that one.  There was only one tree that God told them they were not allowed to eat from.

In our denomination, the Reformed Church in America, the demon is guiding some to ask if God is unreasonable:

“Did God really say we should not have sexual relations with anyone?”

“Did God really say we should never show love to another person?”

“Did God really say that marriage is a bad thing?”

“Did God really say that no one who is gifted to serve should be ordained in any of the offices of the Church?”

Neither Eve, nor we, should pull the answer out of our hats – look to the unchanging Word of God:  of course, God is not unreasonable!  That is not what He said.

“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die”’.”

Eve told the serpent, “No!  God is not unreasonable.  God said we could eat from every tree in the garden except for this one.  God said we are not to eat of the fruit of this tree – nor are we to touch it – lest we die.”

Much has been made about Eve’s saying that they were not to touch it, but it is not something we will examine here.

The Psalmist tells us, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

“Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:1-3, ESV).

And Daniel records,  “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35, ESV).

No, our God is not unreasonable.  He is not selfish.  He is the God Who created us and gives us life and breath and everything we ever have and enjoy – including salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ (cf., Acts 17:25).

Second, God lied to you.

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

“Oh, poor, poor, Eve.  I have been around the block.  I have lived on this earth for several more days than you have.  God lied to you!  If you eat the fruit of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil, you will become like God.  You will understand good and evil.  You will be competition to God.  He doesn’t want you to reach your full potential.  He doesn’t want to share everything that is with you.”

Doubt sown.

“I know that God is greater than I am, so I could be greater than I am.  Would God really try to keep me from having my best life now?  Are Oprah, and Jerry and Terry Savelle – and many others – right in saying that God doesn’t want us bound by rules.  He wants us to imagine what we want and what we want to be and then go forth in faith and take it, because it is ours.  Is this a test?  Did God lie to me so I would reach out in faith and take the fruit and eat it and become a higher power?” [cf. https://elevatechristiannetwork.com/terry-savelle-foy-achieve-dreams/]

The author of Hebrews tells us, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,  so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18, ESV).

The serpent lied.  And we know the serpent lied, because God cannot lie.

But the doubt was sown, and Eve didn’t take long to think it over, and she bought the serpent’s lie:

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

And if your response is to say, “But, ah-hah!  They didn’t die!”

That depends on the meaning of “die,” doesn’t it.

Paul explains, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3, ESV).

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:12-14, ESV).

Paul is clear – even though humans do die – the more important understanding in this context is that all mere humans became spiritually dead by the sin of our first parents.  God did not lie.  When our first parents sinned against God, the died spiritually and passed on that spiritual death to all their mere human descendants. 

            And John tells us:

            “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (I John 1:5-10, ESV).

            Third, our sin is rooted in pride.

            The serpent told Eve that God lied – that God didn’t want to share all that He is with humans – and if she ate of the fruit, she would become like God – she would be on a higher plane – more like God.

            Though it’s all tied up together in one ball – Eve did not sin just as she bit the fruit --- no, the sin began in pride, when she believes the lie of the serpent and exalts herself above God – believing that she deserves to be like God – she deserves to have the knowledge of good and evil.  She is going to bring herself up to the level of God.  And she sees the fruit is beautiful, and she plucks it from the tree – as a fist raised to God – and she bites in and she gives it to Adam, who submits, and eats as well.

            And the inevitable fall from pride – from sin – the guilt and embarrassment – they realize they are naked and cover their nakedness with leaves.

Like Babylon:

            “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:12-14, ESV).

            Every time we sin, we allow the root of pride to grow, and we raise our fist at God and say that we will put ourselves above the law – above God – because we know better,  God has been unreasonable to us – God has lied to us – be we will take what is ours and triumph!

            And if we’re honest with ourselves – every time we sin – we end up naked and ashamed – wanting to cover ourselves and hide from God.

            Is there any hope for men and women like us – men and women like Adam and Eve?

            After God cursed the serpent, Adam, and Eve, we read, “The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Genesis 3:20-21, ESV).

            We are not explicitly told, but there is good reason to infer that Adam and Eve repented and were saved by faith alone in the Savior Who was promised even in God’s cursing.  We see that God sacrificed animals, shed their blood, and then covered Adam and Eve with their skins.  (And Abel and Seth surely were believers.)

            The author of Hebrews tells us, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12, ESV).

            Jesus lived and died – shedding His blood – sanctifying – making holy – everyone who will repent and believe in Him – through His blood.  Jesus – God the Son – was sacrificed – His blood was shed – so God could cover us with it and forgive us for every sin we ever commit.

            “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV).

            God is not unreasonable to withhold one thing and give us everything else in all of Creation.  Let us show Him our love through our faith and obedience to Him.

            God does not lie.  It is impossible for God to lie because He is light and there is no darkness in Him.  Lying is opposed to God’s character and Being.  Let us strive after holiness through the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit – as He makes us like His Son, Jesus.

            When we are tempted to sin – when we are tempted to say that God is wrong – that we know better than the clear Word of God – let us recognize our pride and sin and deny them , because everything God has said is for our good and to His Glory – and we don’t have to understand every “why” to know what it means to be faithful to our God and Savior.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You that You always provided the Way to be reconciled to You.  For before the foundations of the world, the Son was ordained to be our Savior.  You created everything that is, and all occurs to Your Glory.  Help us to look to the Holy Spirit when we are tempted that He would lead us to faith and obedience, and away from our pride and sin.  Grow us into the Image of Your Son and help us to better understand the sinfulness of sin in this season of reflection.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"Thankful for This Life" Sermon: Isaiah 38:1-22 (video)

https://youtu.be/v1iU0JcX_rg

"Thankful for This Life" Sermon: Isaiah 38:1-22 (manuscript)

“Thankful for This Life”

[Isaiah 38:1-22]

YouTube February 24, 2020

            Have you ever been sick?  I suspect that few of us would answer that question with a “no.”  We all get sick; it is part of the result of the fall of our first parents – the consequence of their sin.  So, we do get sick.

            Have you ever been so sick that you didn’t think you would live?  Have you ever had some illness that hospitalized you and caused the doctors to do test after test or recommend treatment after treatment, but you don’t see much change?

            Surely, many of us have know someone who got sick and eventually died of that sickness.

            This morning’s text is a transition to the final section of the book of Isaiah, and the commentators are not sure quite when this event took place in the life of Hezekiah, though God promises that Jerusalem will be saved from Assyria in our text.  That leads our commentators to believe this text takes place during the time that the Assyrians were threatening Jerusalem, but before the defeat of Sennacherib that we looked at last week.  (In the next chapter, Isaiah records what happens when the Babylonians come.  The Babylonians conquered the Assyrians.)

            This sickness may have occurred during the period that the Rabshakeh was threatening Jerusalem.  We remember that Hezekiah did not go out to meet the envoy but sent three of his staff out to him.

            So, we are taking a small step back in history.  The Assyrians are at the door of Jerusalem.  The Rabshakeh is delivering the threats of Sennacherib.  And King Hezekiah is fatally sick.

            And we see, first, God hears the prayers of His people.

            Hezekiah becomes ill, and he is near the point of death.  His doctors have not been able to help him.    And Isaiah, the prophet, comes to the king and says, “This is the Word of the Lord:  get your affairs in order, you will die, and you will not recover.”

            This is no longer the sorrow of Hezekiah or the conclusions of the doctors, but God has announced that Hezekiah’s life is over – he will die soon.

            What would you do if you knew with an absolute certainty that you were going to die of some sickness within the week?  Would you max out your credit cards?  Would you seek out all the pleasure you have ever desired?  Would you hide away and sulk – or become angry with God?

            Upon the news from Isaiah, Hezekiah immediately turns his face to the wall, and he prays to God for deliverance – for healing – for more days to come.

            Would such impending death cause you to turn to God in prayer?  It should.  If we believe that our God is the Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of Life.  If we believe that God is Who the Bible tells us He is, we ought to be assured that God will hear our prayer – and that He is able to heal.

            Now, would we give reasons why God should spare our lives?  Hezekiah did.  Did you hear them?

“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”

“Please, O Lord, remember that I have been faithful – whole-heartedly faithful, and I have done good works.  Lord, look at all that I have done and the spirit with which I have done them, and see if they don’t merit a stay of execution.”

Hezekiah asks God if he hasn’t merited salvation.

And the answer is “no.”  No matter what you or I do that is good and pleasing in the sight of God – it is only what is expected of us – and we do not do everything that is good and pleasing in the sight of God – we do not perfectly obey God.  We sin.  Hezekiah had sinned. So, for him to ask based on his good works was as foolish as when we do it.

And we take it a step further, “O Lord, if You do this and that for me, from now on, I will be faithful and obedient to You in all things.”

Paul writes, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, ESV).

And Hezekiah weeps and waits on the response of the Lord.

And God responds to Hezekiah’s prayer.  God tells Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that God has heard his prayer and will heal him in three days (as II Kings 20 tells us), grant him fifteen more years of life, deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrians, and defend the city.

            Why?  Did Hezekiah win God over with all his good works?  Is that why God chose to extend his life and save the city?

            No.

            The author of Kings tells us that God says to Isaiah, “’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, 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.’ And Isaiah said, ‘Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover’” (II Kings 20:5-7, ESV).

            God extends Hezekiah’s life and saves Jerusalem for His Own Sake and for David’s sake.

            God hears Hezekiah’s prayer and chooses to heal Hezekiah and deliver Jerusalem because He wants to show the Assyrians and Israel Who God is – He wants to portray Himself before them in power – and for David’s sake. 

            We consider this last week – for David’s sake?  David has been dead for centuries.  What?

            No, God promises David that there will always be a descendant of David on the throne in Jerusalem, and God is faithful and will not go back on that promise.  So, Hezekiah is saved, and Jerusalem is saved for the sake of Who God is and the promises He has made.

             If we ever read the Bible, we will find descriptions of Who God is and what He is like, and we will see promises that He has made that are eternal promises that He will never break.  And in good times and bad – when we are face against the wall crying with tears of bitterness for one reason of another, we need to remember that God hears the prayers of His people – and we also need to remember Who God is and what He has promised to do.

            If God is really Who He says He is, then He is able and will unfailingly truly show Himself to the world and keep His promises.  We never have any reason to doubt the God of the Bible.

            God wants His people to pray to Him – Jesus gives His disciples a pattern to model their prayers after.  God hears the prayers of His people.  And God answers our prayers in accordance with His Will.

            Then, Hezekiah askes for a sign so he will know that Isaiah’s message is truly from the Lord. 

Don’t ask for a sign.  God is patient and merciful, and perhaps this can be put under the idea of testing the prophets to see if they are true or false.  But, don’t ask for a sign.

We have the whole story in II Kings:

“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?’ 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?’ And Hezekiah answered, ‘It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.’ 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” (II Kings 20:8-11, ESV).

Commentators are not entirely sure what this refers to except to say that – whatever time device was being used – Hezekiah wants to see the sun rise and the shadow that the time device produces get smaller – rather than get larger – which would be normal.

Hezekiah receives the sign; he believes the word of Isaiah, and he writes a song, in which we see:

Second, we ought to be thankful for this life.

In the first half of the song, Hezekiah explains how things were before God answers his prayer and saves him and Jerusalem.

In verses ten through fourteen, Hezekiah sings that he is going to die in the middle of life.  (We know Hezekiah died at age fifty-two, so he was thirty-seven when his fatal illness came upon him.)

Hezekiah continues singing that he is consigned to the grave for the rest of his years, he will not see the Lord, nor any human being in the land of the living again.

Then he describes his death with three metaphors – it is like a tent being torn down, it is like cloth being cut from a loom, and it is like a lion attacking and crushing all his bones.

He chirps like a swallow or a crane, he moans like a dove.  He’s tired of lifting his eyes up in prayer: “Oh. God – don’t You see I am oppressed?  Save me!”

In the second half of the song, we have the resolution of his condition and cry – in verses fifteen through twenty:

“What can I say – God did it! I walked with a bitter soul and that was my own fault.  This is the way humans live.  Lord, make me healthy!”

“God, You gave me bitterness for my good” – everything works together for the good of those who love Him.

“In love, You saved me from the pit of destruction and delivered me from all my sins” – God did not merely heal Hezekiah’s body, He saves him from the Wrath of God for sin.

“The grave doesn’t praise You for this, death doesn’t praise You for this, the dead don’t praise You for this.  No, the living, the living are thankful for this life, and the father tells his children how thankful he is and how thankful they ought to be for this life – for this day – for God’s Mercy and work in each believer’s life.”

Does your family know that you are thankful for this life – no matter how awful it may be at any given moment?  Could you be on your deathbed and God say “no” to your healing, yet be thankful for all that God has given you?

It’s not easy, is it?  I can tell you, there are days it is not easy to thank God for the way things are right now.  There are days when it doesn’t seem like life is worth living if nothing is guaranteed to get better.  But remember Who God is.  Remember that each human bears the Image of God.  Remember that God will keep His promises.  Remember this is a sin-filled and broken world and we are never promised that everything will always be to our liking.

But hear how the song ends: “The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.”

Hezekiah has the promise of physical healing and fifteen more years of life at this point.  We do not have such a promise of physical healing.  And yet, we can respond in the same way Hezekiah did – being thankful for this life – by going to the house of the Lord – by going to worship – and singing songs of praise to God.

And Hezekiah says that he will go to the house of the Lord to worship and sing songs – to sing songs that he writes – today and tomorrow and the day after that and every day from now on until he dies. Do you feel that way?

When Hezekiah realizes there is no hope for him in the medical field – that he is about to die – he cries out to God to be healed, and God hears him.  God hears the prayers of each one of us who prays, believing in Jesus.  Lift up joy and pain and sorrow and confusion to God – He will hear you – and He will answer you according to His Will.

And be thankful for this life.  You don’t have to be a hypocrite.  You don’t have to deny the pain and sorrow and suffering you have endured.  But consider Who God is.  Consider that you bear His Image.  Remember that You have been eternally saved through the life and death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus Alone.  Even if we have a bitter heart and the doctor has said we are about to die, we have good reason – in Christ Alone! – to be thankful for this life.  And for the life that is to come.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we thank You for the life of Hezekiah.  We thank You for allowing him to become fatally sick that we could learn about You from this history.  Thank You for Who You are and all You have promised, for giving all we Who believe salvation through Your Son.  And thank You for this day.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"God Strikes!" Sermon: Isaiah 37:21-38 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uObjJpwd7aE

"God Strikes!" Sermon: Isaiah 37:21-38 (manuscript)

“God Strikes”

[Isaiah 37:21-38]

February 17, 2020 YouTube

            We come to the end of the history of the attacks of the Assyrians on Jerusalem in this morning’s text.  We remember that King Hezekiah of Judah sinned and made an alliance with Egypt to fight against the Assyrians when God had said to trust Him alone.

            At the beginning of this chapter, the Assyrians have conquered all of Judah except Jerusalem, and they are encamped around the city.  The Rabshakeh speaks for the King of Assyria, telling Hezekiah to give up or there will be death and destruction – there is no one to trust – not even the God of Israel and Judah – Who is powerless at the hands of the Assyrians.

            And so, Hezekiah calls for Isaiah – and prayers ascend to God:  Hezekiah repents of his sin, and God assures Hezekiah that he need not be afraid because God is mighty to deliver.  Rather, we are to be preoccupied with God as Hezekiah is – seeking His glory, following in faith and obedience.

            Isaiah again brings an answer to the prayers of Hezekiah and tells him:

            First, God will not be mocked.

            “She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you—            the daughter of Jerusalem.”

            “Sennacherib, the daughter of Jerusalem, the untouched – undefeated daughter of Jerusalem – she despises you – scorns you – wags her head behind you.  You have already lost in your desire the crush Jerusalem.”

            God asks Sennacherib who he thinks he is mocking and reviling.  Who does he think he is looking upon and blaspheming?  Jerusalem?  Hezekiah? 

“No, you have mocked and reviled and blasphemed Me, the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah saw Me in the Temple, high and lifted up, and he fell before me a penitent sinner, but you have looked upon Me and blasphemed.  You say you conquered the mountains of Lebanon and cut down all their cedars and cypresses, and you say you have drunk up all the water of the land and left the people with nothing.  Blasphemy!”

And someone might think, “Well, isn’t this an overreaction?  The Rabshakeh did threaten and boast, but it was not all about the God of Israel.  Sure, he said you can’t trust God and God is the same as all the other gods, but how is all this boasting and threatening before Jerusalem blasphemy against God?”

We find the answer in the fact that Christ loves His Church: 

Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (Ephesians 5:25, ESV).

And Luke records Saul’s conversion, “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do’” (Acts 9:1-6, ESV).

What do we see?  Since Christ died for the Church, anyone who acts against the Church acts against God.  If you declare war on God’s people, you have declared war on God.  If you make false representations about God and what He has said to the people of God, you have blasphemed against God.  Anyone who teaches that which is clear in the Word of God and says it is not true, they have blasphemed against God.  And God will not be mocked.  He will take revenge for the Sake of His Name and the Church who bears it.

Second, God is sovereign over the nations.

God rebukes the egotism of Sennacherib:

“Who do you think ordained that you would become the nation you are today?  I – the One True God – the God of Israel – ordained from before the foundation of the world what has come to pass in your life, Sennacherib – and in the life of the nation of Assyria.  I am the One Who enabled you to destroy walled cities.  I am the One Who enabled you to conquer peoples as though you were merely walking over tender grass.

“I ordained everything that has happened, and I know everything that will happen.  And you have the audacity to rage against Me?  Because you have acted like a dumb and vicious animal, I am going to put a hook in your nose and a bit in your mouth – metaphorically – and I am going to send you home.  And I will not let you come back!”

And some might raise the question, “If God ordained the Assyrians to be the people they were and to do what they did – even to blaspheme God, how can God hold them responsible?”

Jeremiah speaks to the Northern Kingdom of Israel and explains God ‘s sovereignty over the nations:

“Then the word of the LORD came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it” (Jeremiah 18:5-10, ESV).

God is Holy, the Sovereign and Creator of all, and does what He pleases with His creation.

And so, God raises up Assyria and Sennacherib to accomplish His purposes, and in 702 B. C., the Assyrians surround Jerusalem and threaten them and mock and blaspheme the One True God, and God sends them back to Assyria, never to return.

Third, God will restore His people.

After telling them that the Assyrians will be sent home, God comforts His people – the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and promises to restore them – giving them a sign.

            “And this shall be the sign for you: 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 Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

            God tells Hezekiah that He knows that the Assyrians have trampled their fields so they have nothing left to eat, and it’s too late to plant anything that will be ready for harvest before the seasons change, so this year and next year, God will cause the grain and the grapes to grow and to grow quickly enough that they have enough food.  The third year, the people will be able to plant the fields and receive the harvest in due time.

            God knows their need and does not fret about it.  He knows how to provide for His people.  He knows the timing and the abilities needed.  God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV).

            Sometimes the best answer we can give when we don’t know what to do – and it the true answer – is to say, “God knows.”  “I have no idea how I am going to get through this and get to where I want to be.  I don’t know what to do.”  But God knows.  God knows better than we could ever know, much less understand.  And – as we have said before – we might not like God’s answers for us – but here – the answer to Jerusalem from God is, “I am driving the Assyrians back and I will grow your crops for two years, and then you will be able to take over again.”

            God loves His people.  God loves His people so much God the Son became a human being so He could live and be offered up as a sacrifice for sin to God that all we who believe would be reconciled to Him.

            So, God promises that the King of Assyria won’t set foot in Jerusalem – neither he nor his armies will set foot in Jerusalem – not one arrow will fly into the city, not one shield will be thrust against it, not one siege mount will be built against it – not one structure to help the Assyrians over the wall will be built.  Rather, Sennacherib will go home – they will all go home.  They will never, never, never enter into the city of Jerusalem.

            Why not?  Because God Himself will defend the city for His Own sake – for the sake of His Name – for His glory – “and for the sake of my servant David.”

            “Wait.  What?  ‘For David’s sake?’ David has been dead for one hundred and thirty-five years – what does this have to do with David?”

            Remember, David is promised that there will always be an heir to the Davidic throne.  Throughout all of eternity, there will be a son of David on the throne of God’s Kingdom.

            As we will remember, Gabriel comes to Mary, “And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33, ESV).

            God is faithful, so God sent the Assyrians away for the sake of the promise God made to David to always have an heir of David on the throne – culminating in the Perfect Son of David, Jesus of Nazareth, God the Savior.

            So, God strikes!

            That night, while the army of the Assyrians sleep snugly in their sleeping bags, the angel of the Lord goes among the Assyrians and slaughters 185,000 of them, so that when the others wake up, there are dead bodies all around them.  “Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh.”

            Sennacherib and the army of the Assyrians were terrified, and they went home.  God left some to go home and tell the story in defeat and in embarrassment that the God of Israel could be trusted, and He is different – far greater – than all of the other gods of the nations.

            Now, when we hear that he returned home and lived at such-and-such, we might think of a twenty minute ride home from church.  That was not the case here.  If Sennacherib had a car and went on a pretty direct road from Jerusalem to Nineveh, it would be 580 miles.  In Googling ancient army marches, it likely took them a good month to walk home.

            Now, that’s not the end of the story, because Sennacherib did not just go home and later that month his sons kill him.  No, historical records show that Sennacherib was assassinated by his sons in 681 B. C. – twenty years later.  So, God prevented Sennacherib from attacking Jerusalem for twenty years after the death of 185,00 soldiers at the hand of the angel of the Lord. Twenty years – that’s about a generation – for the entire next generation – God kept the Assyrians away and then allowed Sennacherib to be assassinated.

            As we noted last week: “And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

            God restores and will restore His people.  Hezekiah and Jerusalem repented, God humiliated Sennacherib, sent him back to his country, kept him away from Jerusalem for the next generation, and then had him assassinated.  And the people were restored.

            And all we who believe will be restored.  It may be right away.  It might be in two years like with Jerusalem.  It may not be until the last day.  But we will be restored.  After we have been disciplined, after we have repented, after the devil has come after us, as Peter says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 5:10-11, ESV).

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God and Father, You Who loves Your people so much that You sent Your Son to save us eternally, help us to fear mocking You and using Your Name wrongly.  Help us to portray You to the world as You are.  Help us to trust You as the Sovereign over all the nations and even each one of our lives.  And help us to believe and have hope that whatever happens to Your people, through sin and through the works of the devil, You will restore us and welcome us into the Kingdom of Your Beloved Son Who sits eternally on the throne of His Father, David.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Review: "Enter a Murderer"

Detective Alleyn has been invited to attend the opening of a play in which the pivotal scene involves two of the characters (why had their roles been reversed?) fighting over a gun.  The gun goes off, the curtain closes, and one of the actors is actually dead -- the brat relative of the producer.

Who took the blanks out and put real bullets in, and why?

Sometimes the answer is obvious, some times not.  It doesn't help when everyone hated the victim.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "A Man Lay Dead"

This is the first of the Roderick Alleyn novels, and it is enjoyable. People gather for a murder mystery weekend and someone is actually killed. There is a Russian side-bar story that is applicable to the time of the writing of the novel, but detracts a bit from the story, in my opinion. Nevertheless, I love a mystery. The ending makes sense. Enjoy.

"Pray for Deliverance" Sermon: Isaiah 37:1-20 (manuscript)

“Pray for Deliverance”

February 9, 2020 YouTube

[Isaiah 37:1-20]

            We remember, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, decides to conquer Jerusalem, so he sends a massive army headed by the Rabshakeh – a high-ranking officer.  The Rabshakeh tries to weaken the resolve of the leadership of Jerusalem by reminding them that King Hezekiah sinned by making an alliance with Egypt – trusting in their power and horses and chariots instead of trusting in God alone.  And the Rabshakeh goes further, pronouncing two lies of the devil:  The God of Jerusalem cannot be trusted, and there is no difference between the God of Jerusalem and all the other gods of the nations.

            King Hezekiah stays in Jerusalem while three of his officials meet with the Rabshakeh and hear his taunts and lies, and they return to King Hezekiah and tell him everything the Rabshakeh has said.

            And we see first, we are to abhor our sin, repent, and pray God will deliver.

            The men Hezekiah sent out came to him with their clothes torn, and as Hezekiah hears what the Rabshakeh said, he tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth and Eliakim and Shebna and all the senior priests of the Temple cover themselves with sackcloth as a sign of abhorring and repenting of their sin – recognizing the desperate place their actions have brought them.  They acknowledge that Egypt and horses and chariots cannot save them.  But as it appears that Jerusalem will be ruined, they do what they ought to have done all along – they pray to God for deliverance.

Hezekiah sends Eliakim and Shebna and all the senior priests to the Temple to find Isaiah to ask him to pray to God for Jerusalem – for the deliverance of Jerusalem.

Here again how Hezekiah describes their situation:

“This day 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. It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, 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.”

            “Isaiah, this is a day of distress for Jerusalem – a day of rebuke for our sins – a day of disgrace before the nations of the world that we did not trust in God, our God, alone.  It is as though a pregnant woman goes into labor and pushes and pushes and then runs out of strength and is unable to deliver the baby.”

            What an image!  It is probably more horrifying and desperate an image for any woman who has given birth – thinking of the birth pangs, remembering all the strength and pain to push the baby through the birth canal and into the world.  And now think that she pushes and pushes and then falls back as though dead – with no strength left in her – but the baby is stuck in the birth canal – unable to move.  That’s how Hezekiah rightly understands their position with the army of the Assyrians upon them.

            Have you ever gotten yourself into a situation where you felt like that?  Have you ever sinned, and the sin brought forth fruit for you in such a way that you felt trapped?  As though the walls were closing in around you and there was nothing you could do?  As though you were stuck in a tube and could not move forward or back?  As though you were losing the ability to catch your breath as you realized this is all your own doing and you start to panic?

            We sin.  And any sin can blossom into a situation where we find ourselves feeling crushed, in pain, immobile.  And the first thing that we must do is acknowledge our sin, and repent of our sin, and bemoan and wail about our sin, confessing first and foremost that we have sinned against our God – the One True God – and we must repent – swearing never to follow after sin again – God help us.

            And then, we pray for God to deliver us.  Hezekiah says, “Maybe God heard the blasphemy – the lies about God – that the Rabshakeh spoke.  Maybe God will rebuke the Rabshakeh and take vengeance upon him.  Maybe God will save His remnant.”

            Now, Hezekiah knows very well that God will hear him and – in His time – take care of the lying Rabshakeh.  He prays in this way to acknowledge that God acts according to His timetable, not ours, though Hezekiah would very, very much like God to act now!

            David praises God after acknowledging His attributes, saying, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy” (Psalm 145:18-20, ESV).

            And Paul assures us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

            And that is true!  God is working everything together for the good of those who love Him – Hezekiah – you – me.  But the promise does not give us a time or a day or even say that all will be worked out for our good in this lifetime.

            Hezekiah knows he sinned against God.  He knows the character of God.  He knows it is right to wholeheartedly repent and pray to God for deliverance.  And then he – and we – must wait until our loving Father acts in the right time – the best time.  We just don’t know when that will be.

            Second, nevertheless, we are not to be afraid, because God is mighty to deliver.

            Isaiah prays on behalf of Jerusalem, and God answers:

            “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 a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”

            God – through the prophet – tells Hezekiah not to be afraid of Sennacherib’s threats or his blasphemy for God is going to send a spirit to possess Sennacherib, and Sennacherib will go home and die there.

            God tells Hezekiah not to be afraid.  God knows exactly what’s happening, and God is going to take care of it right now.  God is going to send the Assyrian army away, and God is going to have Sennacherib murdered.

            As we read, “Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place” (Isaiah 27:37-38, ESV).

            God promised to send Sennacherib away and have him murdered, and we read that his own sons murdered him in the temple of his god.

            Have you ever sinned?

            The Christians musician, Larry Norman, says that he has asked people about sin and gotten this response: “Sin?  Yea, I’ve heard of it.  I even know people who have done it.”

            John tells us, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (I John 1:5-10, ESV).

            When God decides to act regarding sin is His business.  He promises that all will come together for the good of those who love Him.

            We are to confess our sin and pray for deliverance from the results of sin that we have brought upon ourselves.  And we have this promise for all those who believe that Jesus is God the Savior:  by His life and the shedding of His blood, He will forgive us each time we confess our sins.  He will cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.  We are forgiven in Him when we truly confess our sin, because He is faithful – always.

            As we confess our sins and go to God in prayer and study His Word, we see we are not to be afraid:  He is faithful and we are forgive to the uttermost, and God is the Sovereign Almighty Who is mighty to deliver – today, tomorrow, and always to His glory.

            While Isaiah prays to God and delivers God’s message to Hezekiah, the Rabshakeh takes the army and goes to Libna to help Sennacherib fight against the Egyptians and the Ethiopians who allied together in a failed attempt to conquer the Assyrians.

            Sennacherib sends a letter to King Hezekiah, and Sennacherib has the Rabshakeh read the letter to Hezekiah as well:

“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. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?”

            Sennacherib understands that Hezekiah has made a turn in his life – he is no longer trusting in Egypt and chariots and horses, but only in the Lord God.  And the word that is used in the letter to Hezekiah telling him not to “trust” God is a word that shows that – it means a strong trust – something greater and more focused than he had had before.

            So, Sennacherib is only left with the lies of the devil that we looked at last week:  you can’t trust your God, and your God is the same as all the other gods.  But it is too late!  Hezekiah learned his lesson – he has repented of his sin, he is praying that God will deliver him, he is not afraid of what Sennacherib will do – even if God does not save the remnant – but he holds on with great trust to the fact that God is the Sovereign Almighty – and if it is His will to deliver Hezekiah and the remnant – and you and me – in this lifetime, He can.

            Finally, we see we are not to be afraid, but to be preoccupied with God.

            Hezekiah reads the letter and he takes the letter and spreads it out before God in the Temple, and he prays:

            Hezekiah prays acknowledging Who God is.

            He begins by praying to God, the Sovereign God, the God of Israel, “enthroned above the cherubim.”  We will remember that the cherubim are one group of angels, and the Ark of the Covenant has a lid on it with a cherubim on each side of the lid.  The space between the cherubim is called “the mercy seat” or “the seat of the atonement.”  It is where God descended on the Day of Yom Kippur to hear the cries of His people and forgive their sin for His sake – based on His merits.  (Despite the sacrifices of Israel, it was never enough – it was symbolic of the Great Atonement – the Great Sacrifice which would be made by Jesus – God Incarnate.)

            As Hezekiah prays to God – the God of the Atonement – the God Who forgives His people based on His Sacrifice of His Son to merit Justification, Hezekiah also recognizes God as the one and only God, the God Who reigns over every kingdom, the God Who created everything that is.  The Sovereign Ruler over Israel and Assyria – the United States – and every other kingdom that has been and will ever be.

            Hezekiah prays to the God of Israel Who is not like the other gods – He created everything, He providentially rules everything, and He alone makes the Sacrifice that makes us able to come into His Presence forgiven for our sin.

            Hezekiah continues by asking God to avenge God’s Name.

            Hezekiah seeks God to see and hear the words of Sennacherib through the Rabshakeh – God cannot be trusted – all the gods are the same.  Therefore, your God will fall, and Jerusalem will fall at the hand of Sennacherib.

            “Lord, do you see and hear Sennacherib – I know you do.  He has taken Your Name in vain – He has mocked you and tried to get Your people to doubt You.  Lord, You know how powerful the Assyrians are.  You know they have conquered kingdom after kingdom.  You know they have taken the gods of the nations and burned them in the fire – which proves they are not gods, but the work of human hands – wood and stone – and that is why they could be defeated.  But not You, Lord, You are the Living God Who is self-existent and cannot be thwarted by any man.”

            Hezekiah concludes his prayer asking God to deliver the remnant from Sennacherib “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD.”

            As we consider Hezekiah’s prayer, he does ask that Jerusalem be delivered, but it is in the midst of being preoccupied with God.  So, let us lift our eyes from whatever our sin has brought us to – let us lift our eyes from whatever army is taunting us – able to destroy us – unless the One True God says, “no.”

            Let us lift our eyes, repenting of our sin and praying to God for deliverance.

            Let us not be afraid but know that God is mighty to deliver.

            Let us not be afraid but be preoccupied with God.

            Humans can only kill our flesh, but our God is the God of Creation and Salvation.  He sovereignly rules everything now.

            Our God’s Name is Holy, and we should seek to protect it and pray that God will avenge its abuse.

            Our God is able to deliver us, and whether He chooses to in any given moment, let us be a witness to Him so the whole earth will know Him.

            Let us be preoccupied with God and trust Him with our deliverance, because He sits above the cherubim.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, in love You elected a people for Yourself, and You will save them and sanctified them and bring them into Your kingdom.  Help us to trust You, to pray to You, to seek deliverance from our sin and evil, holding fast to Your promise to bring all things together for good to those who love You, no matter how things may now look on earth.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.