The godly king Hezekiah takes the throne. But all faith is tested to see whether it is genuine. For Hezekiah the testing came in the form of the Assyrians.
2 Kings 18: Hezekiah Reigns in Judah
1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses.
7 And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it,
10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
Sennacherib Attacks Judah
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear." And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field.
18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
21 Behold, you are trusting now 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.
22 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 in Jerusalem"?
23 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
24 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?
25 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.'"
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?"
28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
29 Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.
30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'
31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,
32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, The LORD will deliver us.
33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."
37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Things to think about…
1. Hezekiah was not like his father, Ahaz. Hezekiah undid all the evil work of his father and restored true worship in Judah by destroying the high places which took people away from true worship which should have been done at the temple at Jerusalem, 2Kings 18:1-8. He also destroyed traditional/cultural idols like the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. People will exalt things that the Lord has done in the past and trust in old grace. The Lord wants us to receive His mercies which are new every morning, but this requires faith. Faith of course to be proven genuine needs to be tested. It begins with obedience.
2. The Assyrians had taken the 10 northern tribes captive to Assyria, 2Kings 18:9-12. Hezekiah who is king of the remaining southern tribe of Judah rebels against Assyria and before long they come after him. Hezekiah takes the gold out of the temple and gives it to the Assyrians – but they keep marching towards Jerusalem, 2 Kings 18:14-17. We need to be stripped of every bit of human wisdom and strength before the Lord gets all the glory. Hezekiah had to be brought to that point. The Lord tests his heart to see whether his worship involves a relationship with Him as opposed to mere outward religion. How is your relationship with the Lord; rest assured it will be tested!
3. The Assyrians retreat for a while but then return in greater force against Jerusalem. Look at the proud words that mock the living Lord, 2 Kings 18:28-35. Satan is a discourager and a destroyer. His sole purpose is to destroy the faith and trust of the people of God in their Lord. The prophet Isaiah brings a word in season about the real Strength behind Assyria’s army, a fact that they do not realise. The Lord is sovereign. The king of Assyria believes it was his own strength that saved him. Isaiah reminds him that he could do nothing outside the Lord’s will. Satan can go only as far as the Lord allows him to go. Take comfort in this.
4. The Assyrian Rabshakeh promises to give the Judeans who were listening to his voice from the wall a land just like their own with “a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die”, 2 Kings 18:32. If that were the case why would they need to move. The point is that they would live and not die. True life however only comes from Christ, but the world promises a different life. Jesus is the only One who has the power to grant eternal life with Him, John 3:16, Acts 4:12.
5. The response in 2Kings 18:36 “Do not answer him” is what we need to observe with respect to Satan. The Lord has rebuked him through the work of Christ on the cross. We have no need to dialogue with someone who has been defeated. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot a vain thing …against the Lord and His anointed?...the Lord sits in heaven and laughs” Psalm 2:1,2. May we laugh with Him against all the vain attempts to overthrow His rule on the earth. Even so, the words of the enemy can be hurtful and discouraging. Our hope and trust needs to remain in the risen Lord Jesus Christ who has defeated sin, Satan and death.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon title was “Trusting in the unseen” - from 2 Kings 6:8-23
1. The Syrian army had surrounded Dothan, the town where Elisha was staying. When Elisha’s servant saw the Syrian army he was afraid. Elisha’s response to the servant was “those who are with us are more than those who are with them”, 2 Kings 6:16. This is claimed by faith by all believers in an unseen God. What keeps your faith alive as you are held in God’s unseen hand in your life?
2. Elisha prays that the servant’s eyes are opened. He then sees the mountain full of chariots and horses of the Lord all around Elisha, vs 17. Elisha prays for blindness over the Syrian army. They become blind. Spiritual blindness in our day is a judgement of sorts. Elisha then leads this army to Samaria then their eyes are opened. In what ways can we lead the spiritually blind to see their true condition.
3. Often we want judgement on our enemies like the king of Israel wanted towards the Syrian army. But God shows mercy. Why was it appropriate to show the Syrian army mercy by giving them food and water and letting them go and when is it appropriate to show mercy to those who want to harm us?
Prayer Points
1. Growth in our kids and youth ministries
2. Pray for testimonies that people will be giving every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours.
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. The little girl 4yo Cloe Smith from WA who has been missing for more than two weeks has been found alive and safe. Well done to the police and all who never gave up on the search. Pray for healing for her relieved parents and for churches to share the hope we have in Christ. Praise the Lord for this merciful outcome.
2. A man who has joined CBC recently, Nathan is wanting to be a child of God.
3. Graham’s faithful message on Sunday.
4. Worship team and technical team. Thankyou Rod, Zac, Molly, Riley, iMan, Melissa, Dan.
5. More visitors and spirit of joy on Sunday.
Announcements
1. Members meeting 28th Nov after the service.
2. Kids@church back. Please check your rosters
3. Recharge Youth – back on Friday 6:30pm at church all high schoolers.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
