In The Middle of Miraculous - 2 Kings 18-20

I want to answer my prayer.

So everything can settle back down. You take me back to life when it was comfortable when everything was coming along. Nobody threatening the principle is that God is not nearly as interested in delivering us as he isn't developing and when you are desperately alone, and your your your world is surrounded the character of God is going to be developed by means of the Christ to make it easy, but it gives a purpose Friday broadcast of wisdom for the heart with Stephen today. Stephen continues through his series entitled forgotten lives remembered truths with this lesson that he's calling in the middle of the miraculous. Throughout this series.

Stephen is looking at some of the more obscure yet important characters of the Old Testament today. We meet Hezekiah stay with us as we meet Hezekiah and his Stephen draws some principles from his life that will encourage and challenge the way we live our lives today. Grab your Bible. If you're able, as we get started.

What I love about Hezekiah's biography is the Unfiltered Way, God delivers to us a number of issues and responses problems successes as though we are given information about him issues where Hezekiah will succeed are how do you pray with everyone around you is panicking how you live for God when it makes so little sense or how to change a legacy of unfaithfulness and walk with God.

In fact, his dad was so wicked the nation refused to marry him and the cemetery of the king.

Now Hezekiah isn't perfect. Nobody is there are issues where health fail God provides all of that and maybe all we do tonight is wet your appetite for you to go back and the look this man up a touchdown on just a few issues of his life. In our study today.

Let's begin at second Kings chapter 18 we read that came about in the third year of crochet the sons of Eli, king of Israel, that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king.

He was 25 years old when he became king verse two tells us that he reigned 29 years no notice second Kings 18 verse three we did right in the sight of the Lord, by the way, that's surprising news.

Frankly, you would think that a 25-year-old who finds himself at the top of the food chain. Or let's just bring it into our culture at the top of a Fortune 500 company who takes his father's place. He's watched his wicked father did not himself absolutely no pleasure. He has lived for himself.

You would think now that his son, it would it would sort of be like father like son.

So when you read here that Hezekiah did right in the side of the Lord that's that's surprising news, but it's wonderful news and bad news.

By the way, will spread throughout the kingdom to all of the people you notice here how he destroys all of the false religious practices within his kingdom and that means no matter how much money no matter how much tradition the matter how many buildings the matter how many occupations involved. He destroys it to you can rest assured them early on in his biography that he doesn't have any, or lease. Many court officials, religious leaders, or maybe even family members that are cheering him on. So at the outset. Let me draw on observation here is this biography begins to open up and it's this observation of the absence of a godly father does not eliminate the possibility of a godly son.

Hezekiah never saw his father make a tough decision for the sake of doing what was right never sold he never had the privilege of hearing his father. Comment on the glory of the temple worship and how glorious it was the he never heard him mention anything of the prophets sermon. By the way. Isaiah was the prophet preaching during the days of his father. Imagine that the only thing Hezekiah probably ever heard his dad say about Isaiah would've been something disparaging or critical or negative, or worse. So when you read here that Hezekiah did right in the sight of God. He was standing alone in many ways now he isn't going to just let people know he's in sympathy with the God of Israel in verse four. He orders a demolition team to break down all the false temples in the sacred places these ungodly groves were all sorts of religious practice and immorality took place he he's getting rid of of of all of this and I want you to get this he does something that no other king.

No other king did before him.

The middle part of verse four. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made centuries earlier. For until those days, the sons of Israel burned incense to it to be getting this goes all the way back to Numbers chapter 21.

Remember the story in that chapter. It's the story of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. God sends a plague which is effectively fiery serpents into their into their midst. Moses cries out on their behalf and God instructs him to craft a serpent of bronze on a stick a pole and a raising high and every Israelite that would look that would be healed and live.

Centuries later, Jesus Christ will reveal that event in the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of the lifting up of his own body on the cross where he becomes the cure by becoming the disease and everyone who looks to him is saying that in John chapter 3 and verse 14. While here were told effectively that for 700 years the people of Israel have kept this bronze serpent and by the time of the Kings. There was some sort of shrine to the serpent, people are burning incense to it. They have religious ceremonies.

No doubt, pilgrimages, bowing and groveling and candles. I love this Hezekiah effectively destroys 700 years of silly superstition because it is the nature of man to to to Balbir for something he can see right to grovel at the tangible and ignore the spiritual Hezekiah is destroying sacred cow.

He just is making barbecue. Keep in mind this is going to make many friends, especially all the incense manufacturers and all those religious leaders parading around the little you know robes, probably with embroidered little serpents on the sleeves of their robes and all the little shrine builders and candle makers. Here is this 25 year old king, the son of a wicked man could grown up surrounded by immorality and religious superstition, and Winnie when he takes the throne. What he does is he begins to bring the people back to God.

We just noticed some of his personal testimony. In verse five we read that he trusted in the Lord. I love that that Hebrew word means that he leaned his entire way on God. One author commented on this phrase letter writing.

He knew so little about God compared to what we know about God, but he leaned entirely on him even though he knew so little do we lean so little when we know so much great challenges and it. I happen to believe that there was little else in his court, upon whom he could lean so he leans with everything he has on got notice for six. It tells us at the outset of that verse that he clung to the Lord of little word for applying clinging to the trunk of the tree as it as it grows.

He's he's he's hanging on like a man is been tossed out of about hanging onto a life preserver and he doesn't just plan on surviving right is determined to lead a Reformation not you take your Bibles and turn forward to the book of second Chronicles 2nd Chronicles just unstick those pages between chapter 29, 31 all point out something in chapter 31 that I think for the sake of time, let me just weekly survey, which starts here in chapter 29 what happens in 29 scan it if you'd like, but he reopens the doors of the temple, but highly significant. His father had closed the doors. He basically fires all the priests and the sacrificial system in Israel. Now Hezekiah will open in the same chapter he leaves the Levites and the priest back into the city sanctifies them, begins her ministry beginning. Over in verse 20. In chapter 2090. He reinstituted the prescribed worship. He he reinstituted his chapter 29 comes to an end. The sin offering as chapter 30 opens, he he reinstituted celebrates the national Passover feast. In fact, he will send out letters to the divided tribes representing Israel and Judah. And he invites all of them to set aside their warring hearts and celebrate again the feast of Passover in Jerusalem as chapter 31 ends. Hezekiah is doing nothing less then restoring the people to the law of Moses and the worship of God. Now I want you to drop down in verse 20 of chapter 31 notice this. Thus, Hezekiah did throughout all Judy did everything I just quickly surveyed and he did what was good rights and true before the Lord is got a great testimony that beset us every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment seeking his God.

He did with all his heart and he prospered.

What a wonderful performer came so what in the world is God going to do to bless the sandals off this guy. I mean is been years. The temple is is harming the worshipers are returning I mean how God treats such a faithful and godly wonderful king like Hezekiah.

Let me show you how the very next verse, chapter 32 and verse one after these acts of faithfulness's inaccurate king of Syria came and invaded Judah and besiege the fortified cities like maybe maybe I'm missing something. He read that again. You want us you want to underline that after these acts of faithfulness. This pagan king comes and surrounds the city is going to surround the city. He plans to kill many of them and take the rest in the bondage he demands unconditional surrender before we look briefly at his nation erupt in panic, sheer terror, which is understandable.

Let me make another observation from this man's biography. Maybe you discover the same thing is true in your own life here is trusting God in times of trouble does not eliminate the possibility of experiencing more trouble. In fact, greater trouble isn't that a wonderful truth, but you just want to put that on the refrigerator.

You could say it another way, walking with God doesn't make your walk with God easier.

It may make it more difficult now.

Things haven't been easy for Hezekiah everything we talked about made him a list of enemies. No doubt there would've been threats on this man's life by his family wasn't happy with them. All of the industries he put out of business.

He finally cleans it up. Everything's coming along and now God responds by allowing this Syria this butcher of the King name's inaccurate to surround the city. In fact, so inaccurate is going to boast openly in a public letter that he wants the people to read look over in verse 10 of second Chronicles chapter 32. There thus says inaccurate king of Assyria another. This is what the letter says what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege, the Lord, where she surrendering is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst and others on the start you out, saying, is he saying to you. The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria is not the same. Hezekiah taken away as high places in his office and said the Judah and Jerusalem you shall worship before one offer in on it you shall burn incense, do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lambs were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand. Verse 15 now therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this and do not do not believe him for no God of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hander from the hand of my fathers how much less your God show your God delivered you from my hand me this is this is this this remind you of David and Goliath.net here. This man is with his massive army with all the strength and power on his side physically comes in, and he delivers this boast, the people are terrified. If you if you explore this scene. The city officials are going to bag Hezekiah to surrender.

Looking there's no way were going to get out of this alive. Let's open the city gates go in the bondage lease will be alive. Let's do what seems logical and here Hezekiah is stuck in the middle. He stuck in the middle between doing what's right and trusting God and doing what seems logical and all around him, a sheer panic, but he does do something effective you look at verse 20.

The implication is, he turns to praying in only two men are interested in praying.

The prophet Isaiah and the King Hezekiah before I point out a thing or two. Here I tell you if I could travel back to certain scenes in the Old Testament. This would be one the record of second Kings tells us that he takes the letter and he's going to take it into the temple. In fact go back to second King go back to second Kings and will stay there for the remainder of these three hours second Kings 19 were told he goes alone at this point here. Isaiah has prayed with me goes down here alone into the temple. He takes this letter from the Assyrian king. Look at verse 14 takes the letter. The Hebrew word by the way is plural. It indicates several leather or or or or papyrus scrolls were not told in any goes into the temple and noticed he spreads all of it out before the Lord. I love that expression.

He sprinted out before the Lord is lays it all out there is it to say, look, Laura would make trees each paid, isn't it true that we must often lay the pages of our panic before other people. Isn't it true, we so often take the scroll of our suffering and lay it before friends, family, nothing wrong with that. Watch him here. He's desperately alone.

He's spreading this out before his living Lord is it to say, Laura.

You gotta see this for yourself. You got to read these blasphemies against your holy you want to know how to pray when you're alone. Verse 15 he says, oh Lord, the God of Israel who are enthroned above the chair of beam you are the God you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth. You've made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, oh Lord, and here open your eyes, Lord, and see listen to the words of's inaccurate which he has sent to reproach the living God.

Verse 19. Now, oh Lord our God, I pray deliver us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know the you alone. Oh Lord our God, the great prayer next few verses tell us that Isaiah shows up and effectively tells Hezekiah the God heard his prayer. God can read.

He read the letters as the chapter ends. Notice verse 35 were told of the angel of the Lord goes out and kills 185,000 Syrian soldiers in the night without waking anybody.

Hezekiah might have felt like he was stuck in the middle, but in reality he was really in the middle of the miraculous God was at work, God would intervene. According to his purposes, and they would be miraculously spared if I could draw two more observations from his biography would be these are motive in praying is as important to God as our need. It was as as Hezekiah's prayers, echoing around the temple courtyard is is motive is abundantly clear. Go back to second Kings chapter 19 verse 19 again now. Oh Lord our God, I pray see that verse 19 follow along carefully deliver us from his hand so that I will have a kingdom to rule so that my life will settle back down so that we can get back to life as we once knew it away. Deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone. Oh Lord our God, why do we pray to God.

The motive is as important as the need convicting in what you just got clears the fall motive. What we really warning from God, Lord, I want to answer my prayer. So everything can settle back down. You take me back to life when it was comfortable when everything was humming along nobody threatening nobody on the line that the principal is that God is, is not nearly as interested in delivering us as he is in developing as an end when you are desperately alone, and your your your world is surrounded the character of God is going to be developed by means of that prices make it easy, but it gives it purpose. In fact, the deeper the crisis the more development will take place second observation I want to make this man's crisis of faith and trust that only as are motive in praying as important as our prayer requests. Secondly, prayer is not a quick transaction. It is close interaction for most of us, and most of the time we view prayer is a transaction between us and God. We go to him with our needs.

He responds by delivering the answer. Trouble comes when the transaction doesn't work from his end of the bargain. We delivered the details and nothing is delivered.

George MacDonald wrote this generation or two ago.

What is the main object in God's idea of prayer is a supplying of our great and endless of himself. Hunger may drive the runaway child home, and he may or may not be fed once, but he needs his parents more than his dinner communion with God is the one need the soul beyond all other the in prayer is the beginning of that commute. The biography of Hezekiah might be more like yours that you might at first imagine faithfulness to God. It is not inherited. It's a blessing. If you have it, it's not required. Every so often. As we've observed in this biography. When God demonstrates his power. This provision we rediscover at times you've seen it happen in your own life. Your your stock in the middle and then and then God does something he does respond in a way that you can't miss it does art every day occurrences. But when they do you pause your reminded that you were actually stuck in the middle of the miraculous God was at work, we dismiss miss. So when everyone around you panics pray laid out before the Lord is already at work and that sponsors were answer will arrive when he wants it to and more than likely.

In the meantime, there are Somewhere right but as we trust as we demonstrate faith in as we make the right decision.

In spite of people around us in some way may be big. More than likely small kingdoms of our world around us CNS through the fact the reality they come to know that he alone made.

I hope that that's what the world will see in. I'm glad you joined us today.

This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of pastor and author Stephen Davey Stephen likes to remind us that our ministry is empowered by your prayers, and enabled by your gifts. I hope that wisdom for the heart is on your prayer list and I also hope that you will consider including us in the ministries that you support financially if you'd like to do that you can make a donation on our smart phone app on our website.

Wisdom online.org or by calling us today at 86 648 Bible is 866-482-4253 I'm Scott Riley and on behalf of Steven and all of us here. I hope you have a great weekend.

I also hope that you will be back here next week for our next Bible lesson here on wisdom