1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,080 I know we just pray. Can we pray again? 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,200 Can we just ask the Lord to help us now as we open the 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,600 Scriptures? Father, we do thank you that 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:12,680 You've allowed us to be here tonight. 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,440 We never take it for granted that we can freely explore and 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,880 examine and enjoy the Bible as a church. 7 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,760 This is a gift from you and we give you thanks for it. 8 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,280 And Lord, now as we come with our with our eyes, yes, more 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,759 importantly, the eyes of our hearts, we pray that you would 10 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:38,040 open us up to the truths found in this chapter and that it 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,240 would move us to the core of our being. 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,760 And that Christ would become more attractive to us. 13 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,800 Holiness would be pursued with greater zeal and dedication, and 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,840 that we would repel all sin and all rebellion in our hearts. 15 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:56,360 We want to be consumed with the truths that we know in this book 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:57,800 and that we will learn in this book. 17 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,280 We ask these things in the precious name of the Lord Jesus 18 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:05,720 Christ, Amen and Amen. Meet me in Second Kings chapter 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,240 20 as we complete this chapter tonight, by the grace of God, 20 00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:13,200 and as you're turning there, I want to let you know that 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,320 Hezekiah's greatest failure did not occur when he was surrounded 22 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:23,280 by the Assyrians, nor did it take place when his body was 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:29,960 ravaged by a terminal disease. It would come after overcoming 24 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:35,520 all of that. In other words, neither siege 25 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:41,280 nor sickness would pose the greatest temptation for Hezekiah 26 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,320 to forsake the Lord. It would be when he experienced 27 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:51,240 and enjoyed success. That is a sobering lesson that 28 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,240 is presented to us in this section of Scripture. 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,120 And what's amazing is these verses will provide a profound 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,040 and accurate assessment of one of the many tendencies of the 31 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,320 children of God. Because, you see, we are more 32 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,640 likely to stay near the Lord when persecution arises and when 33 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:17,520 our bodies betray us. But we are often less inclined 34 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:23,200 to cling to the Master when our enemies are silent, when our 35 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,640 health is cooperating, and when prosperity is increasing. 36 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,200 And in case you haven't been with us for the past few weeks, 37 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,280 I want to let you know why you should be attentive from the 38 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,600 beginning of this study. The disappointing attitude that 39 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:48,160 you and I are about to examine will be coming from a man who 40 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,680 ranks among the very few that imitated the devotion of King 41 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,560 David, a very rare spiritual specimen. 42 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:01,720 King Hezekiah is crowned with the recognition of bringing 43 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:06,480 unique spiritual reform to the King of Judah, and he is one of 44 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,040 the very few leaders in our study of first and second kings 45 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,120 who demonstrates the rewards of a pious and prayerful life. 46 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,960 So I want to let you know from the beginning why this should 47 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,440 captivate us. Because if this happened, what 48 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,560 we're about to see, if this lapse of faith, if this adoption 49 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:35,520 of a mindset that is detrimental to 1's testimony and experience 50 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,480 of God can happen to a man like Hezekiah. 51 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,320 And surely it can happen to you and me. 52 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,760 And that is not meant for us to live in anxiety, because the 53 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,920 Lord in his great mercy has supplied us this very story, 54 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,880 which is brought up in two other places in the Bible, may I add, 55 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,160 in order to protect us from falling to the very same pitfall 56 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:04,000 that Hezekiah fell. And so I think the best way to 57 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,200 to approach the last verses of Second Kings 20s, to read, to 58 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,560 read in its entirety, to get a whole picture of it before we 59 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,880 dissect it verse by verse. So I hope you're with me here in 60 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,160 Second Kings 20, beginning at verse 12. 61 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:21,240 Give yourself over with great attention to the reading of the 62 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,160 word. Don't allow yourself to get 63 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:24,680 distracted. And we're going to trust that 64 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,120 even in the reading of these passages, we will be blessed. 65 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,840 At that time Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of 66 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,680 Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to 67 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,160 Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 68 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,280 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure 69 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:46,880 house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his 70 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,640 Armory, all that was found in his storehouses. 71 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:54,120 There is nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah 72 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,640 did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to 73 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:02,640 King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say, and from 74 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,320 where did they come to you? And Hezekiah said, They have 75 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,440 come from a far country, from Babylon. 76 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,400 He said, what have they seen in your house? 77 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,280 And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. 78 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:19,840 There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show 79 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,920 them. Then Isaiah said the Hezekiah, 80 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,000 hear the word of the Lord, Behold, the days are coming when 81 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,480 all that is in your house, and not which your father's have 82 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,200 stored up till this day shall be carried to Babylon. 83 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:39,200 Nothing shall be left, says the Lord, And some of your own sons 84 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,520 who shall be born to you shall be taken away, and they shall be 85 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,960 eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 86 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,600 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, The word of the Lord that you've 87 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,240 spoken is good for rethought. Why not, if there will be peace 88 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,640 and security in my days, the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah 89 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,880 and all his might, and how he made the pool in the conduit and 90 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,560 brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of 91 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,120 the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 92 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,480 And Hezekiah slept with his father's, and Manasseh, his son, 93 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:15,680 reigned in his place. I want you to be prepared 94 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,280 because we're going to flip to a parallel passage in order to 95 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:19,800 make the most sense of what we just read. 96 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,800 And right from the beginning, I want to let you know that in 97 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,320 Isaiah 39, verse one, you don't have to turn there. 98 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:31,120 We're given more explanation why the Babylonians visited King 99 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,640 Hezekiah. We're told that they not only 100 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,800 came because they heard that he was sick, but that they heard 101 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:42,560 that he also recovered. So the Babylonians arriving on 102 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,840 the scene is not because they were checking up on King 103 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:48,400 Hezekiah, it's because they wanted to congratulate him. 104 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,600 That seems like a kind gesture. That seems like a noble cause. 105 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:56,760 But if you feel a little suspicious about their true 106 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,160 motives, you have the right to be. 107 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,920 What are the Babylonians doing here, this Gentile nation, 108 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:07,240 nation reaching out in this way? And the only concrete evidence 109 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,840 that the Scriptures give us is in Second Chronicles 32. 110 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:12,240 And again, you don't have to turn there. 111 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,160 I know we're going to turn to different passages in a moment 112 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,120 here in that chapter. We read the verse last week. 113 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:24,160 The Babylonians were curious in coming to Jerusalem because they 114 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:29,040 heard of what the sign that was performed in relation to 115 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,840 Hezekiah's miraculous healing. So the news of how God 116 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,640 autographed that healing miracle reached all the way to Babylon, 117 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,440 and they wanted to inquire of it. 118 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,680 And so they sent dignitaries and representatives to investigate. 119 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,200 That's all we can say with absolute confidence. 120 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:56,280 But is there any other potential clue that might indicate why 121 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,720 this is happening? And I think there is. 122 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,000 I think there is some political motivation here. 123 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,360 And the best way to understand is to look at the wider context. 124 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,400 You see, Babylon was not the superpower nation it will one 125 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,880 day be. That title still belongs to who, 126 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,560 the Assyrians, the Assyrians. And what you discover, and I'll 127 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:21,840 ask you to turn here now, is in Second Kings 17. 128 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:29,040 We've covered this in Second Kings 1724, confirming that 129 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:34,559 Babylon was inferior to the assyrians, giving us some kind 130 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:39,559 of insight, at least a potential reason why they approached the 131 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,159 Kingdom of Judah. Look at second king 17 verse 24 132 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:46,240 and the king of Assyria brought people from where Babylon good 133 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,200 Kuta Ava Hamath and Sephora volume and plate and place them 134 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,960 in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. 135 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,240 They took possession of Samaria and lived in its city. 136 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,280 So Babylon was one of the neighboring nations that were 137 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,840 dominated by the Assyrians and that was still the case as we 138 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:07,000 come now to chapter 20, which may inform us that Babylon made 139 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,520 such efforts to potentially make an alliance with the Kingdom of 140 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,920 Judah, which makes sense doesn't it? 141 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:18,160 I mean, you just heard the news that this very small Kingdom in 142 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,440 comparison to the empire of Assyria, in one evening 143 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:29,240 destroyed 185,000 of their soldiers and close to that event 144 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:36,240 its king was divinely touched by God and recovered. 145 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,960 That is a very promising ally. And so it could be that Babylon 146 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,480 is drawn to Israel for for their own purposes, for for their own 147 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,480 advantage in the long run. And that's quite possible that 148 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,280 there's a prospective partnership that is about to 149 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,480 take place. But that's speculation, right? 150 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,640 Because we don't want to make too much of silence in 151 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,640 Scripture. But let me add this. 152 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,800 We do have a explanation for the spiritual dimension of what's 153 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:12,280 happening in verse 12 of our study, and the answer is in the 154 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,440 parallel passage. So now I'll ask you to go to 155 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,960 Second Chronicles 32, and I want you to see how the chronicler by 156 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:22,760 the Spirit gives us the divine perspective of what's happening 157 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:27,200 here. Second Chronicles 32 and verse 158 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:37,080 31. And so in the matter of the 159 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,240 envoys of the Princess of Babylon, who had been sent to 160 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:44,760 him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, 161 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:53,040 God left him to himself in order to test him and to know all that 162 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:59,240 was in his heart. What a profound verse. 163 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,960 The key to understanding this passage is by answering the 164 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:09,720 single question, What does it mean that God left Hezekiah to 165 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:14,960 himself? I'll be honest, I was wrestling 166 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,560 with this verse for quite some time yesterday, back and forth 167 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:20,280 in my thinking and even in my praying. 168 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:24,440 What does it mean, Lord, that you left Hezekiah to himself? 169 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,720 And I believe the last sentence of verse 30 of Second Chronicles 170 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:35,080 32 gives us some kind of a clue. And Hezekiah prospered in all 171 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,200 his works. So think about it this way. 172 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,080 As the king reached the peak of his achievements, as he 173 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,960 accumulated impressive amounts of wealth and advancements in 174 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,480 the infrastructure and the economy of the Kingdom of Judah, 175 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:59,480 God intentionally became quiet, especially when the exciting 176 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,880 news arrived that the Babylonians came to honor King 177 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:09,400 Hezekiah. And I believe this manifested in 178 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:14,920 one way of a sense of God's presence being withdrawn from 179 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,720 Hezekiah. And with that, the accompaniment 180 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:24,640 of the silence of any prophetic interjection or instruction for 181 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:31,720 the matter at hand, God became quiet, stepped back. 182 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,400 And before we can even ask why the Lord would do this, we're 183 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:41,080 told in the very same verse that it was to see how Hezekiah would 184 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,480 relate to the Lord at the height of his success and at this 185 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,360 pivotal moment that is set before him. 186 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,360 How will you relate to me now, Hezekiah? 187 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,160 You cried out to Me when you were afraid. 188 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,880 You sought Me when you were sick. 189 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,600 Now what will you do? As you are soaring with success 190 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:15,080 and doors are opening before you and your name is becoming more 191 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:20,520 known, will you remain rooted in me? 192 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:26,120 Will you still abide in My word? Will you still seek Me for 193 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,920 wisdom in your winds just as much as in your losses? 194 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:36,360 Will you protect your identity and satisfaction in me? 195 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:42,240 God left Hezekiah to himself to see what he would do at the peak 196 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:48,520 of his performance. And I believe a verse like this 197 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,400 is more relevant to us than we might imagine. 198 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:54,480 Because you see, though it has an immediate application, there 199 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,600 is a broader principle for the children of God. 200 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,080 If you get this, it will prepare you for those stretches of time 201 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:08,400 when God seems to become more quiet, when his guidance is not 202 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,760 so obvious, when His presence is not always felt. 203 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:19,080 What will you do when God leaves you to yourself? 204 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,880 Will you still cling to him? Will you still commune with Him 205 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,160 even though you're in the dark? Even though the the the light is 206 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,600 not provided for the path ahead, even though sensations are not 207 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,960 necessarily there? What will you do? 208 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,600 Will you stay close or will you be content to live disconnected 209 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:44,040 from it? This verse just to testify came 210 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,600 to me during the first year of my walk with the Lord, and I 211 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,840 praise God that it did because it was a constant reminder to me 212 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,400 that when God seems silent, it could be a test. 213 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,720 Where are you going to go? I can't tell you the amount of 214 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,560 believers who in their frustration, perhaps because of 215 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:09,000 a lack of an answer, delayed intervention, maybe frustration 216 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:15,360 with their feelings, easily drop out of the scene altogether, 217 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:22,600 drift into this sin, walk away from their commitment to serving 218 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,280 the Lord. I want you to never forget this 219 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:33,640 when those moments arise, when Monday morning comes and it 220 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:38,080 seems like the heavens above, you are like brass, what will 221 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,360 you do? This conviction? 222 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,640 Sit in the driver's seat of your devotion or this experience. 223 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,520 Are you in this? As long as God gives you what 224 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:58,720 you want, when you want it, how you want it, are you willing to 225 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:04,720 serve Him no matter what? We're all familiar with the 226 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,560 golden calf story. I'm not sure how many of us are 227 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,960 familiar from the human standpoint where it all began. 228 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:20,800 Let me say it this way. Lack of immediate intervention. 229 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:30,560 Delayed divine interjection. Answers are God's tools to 230 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:32,320 expose what's really in our hearts. 231 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:40,360 Turn to Exodus 32 with me and look at verse one. 232 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:45,960 This is the chapter that describes the heinous crime of 233 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:51,160 the golden calf being created. But remember the context. 234 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:58,120 What sprung these people to make such an evil and despicable 235 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,360 thing? Exodus 32 verse one, when the 236 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:06,319 people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, 237 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:08,839 that people gather themselves together the Aaron and set them 238 00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:11,040 up. Make us gods who shall go before 239 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:12,680 us. As for this Moses, the man who 240 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,839 brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has 241 00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:17,319 become of him. Remember that Moses was God's 242 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:21,599 mouthpiece. He was set apart by God to be 243 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,960 the compass for the nation. And for this designated period 244 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,119 of time he was on the mountaintop receiving fresh 245 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,600 instruction for the next steps for the nation of Israel. 246 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,840 But it took too long. Apparently things got quiet. 247 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:42,280 And so when they realized that there was a delay, you know what 248 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,680 happened? Something emerged in their 249 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:52,200 hearts that was there all along. So when Israel felt stuck, when 250 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,760 Israel felt like they were in the dark, when they were removed 251 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,880 from an obvious and experiential sense of God's presence and 252 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:05,160 power and provision, things began to stir up from within. 253 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,480 And so, as much as they left Egypt, Egypt was still in 254 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,760 Israel. Understood. 255 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:21,760 When God leaves us to ourselves for a time, that's strategic, 256 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,480 that's not accidental. Yes, sometimes because of 257 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,000 unrepentant sin, we forfeit some of the blessings of God. 258 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,960 I'm talking about when you are walking with the Lord and He 259 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:38,280 turns off the lights. Hezekiah up to this point was 260 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,960 faithful. He was prayerful, He was 261 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:46,760 obedient, but things began to escalate very quickly in terms 262 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,760 of his ambitions and his desires and his accomplishments, and the 263 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,840 Lord stepped back to see, OK, what are you going to do now? 264 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:57,960 Did you notice in our reading of our study, there is no mention 265 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:01,000 of prayer? How many times have we seen 266 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:06,520 Hezekiah praying? It almost became redundant to us 267 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,160 because it was something that he held on to so strongly. 268 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,760 But as he began to prosper, as he began to grow, as he became 269 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,000 more renowned, things begin to slip away. 270 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,320 The Lord could have stepped in and whispered at Hezekiah's ear. 271 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,240 Hey, be careful. These Babylonians, don't be 272 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,440 tempted to make an alliance. Hey, be careful. 273 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,600 They might be coming here to spy on your resources. 274 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,440 He doesn't. He steps back to see. 275 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,600 Are you going to come to me? What are you going to do now? 276 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,400 And this is something for you and I to consider in those 277 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:48,040 moments where we may not be able to sense God the way we once 278 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,600 enjoyed in a way that was once familiar to us. 279 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,880 Never forget this verse. Could it be that the Lord is 280 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,320 testing you? Where are you going to go? 281 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,360 What are you going to do? Well, let's see what happens 282 00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:07,680 back in our main text in Second Kings 20 verse 13. 283 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,360 When the Babylonians arrived, Hezekiah, let's read it again, 284 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:15,600 welcome them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the 285 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,400 silver, the gold, the spices, the pressure of his army, all 286 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:19,760 that was found in his storehouses. 287 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,600 There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that 288 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,920 Hezekiah did not show them. Now, you would think that this 289 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:27,960 is just Hezekiah being a courteous host. 290 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,400 This is him just giving the Babylonians a, you know, a tour 291 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,760 of the Kingdom. Did you notice how many times 292 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,880 the word His appears in verse 13 alone? 293 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:45,200 His, His His His and Second Chronicles confirms the true 294 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,880 reason behind his actions. Here. 295 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,040 Second Chronicles 32. Listen to verse 24 and 25. 296 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:57,360 In those days Hezekiah became sick, was at the point of death, 297 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,200 and he prayed to the Lord, and he answered them, and he gave 298 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,880 him a sign. But Hezekiah did not make return 299 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:09,680 according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. 300 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,800 Therefore wrath came upon him in Judah and Jerusalem. 301 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,480 So the motive for this comprehensive tour, this 302 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:25,040 parading around his palace and all his possessions was because 303 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,200 Hezekiah wanted to show off. He's proud. 304 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:31,320 He was proud of his achievements. 305 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:39,120 And this is really the tragedy of his pride because he took for 306 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,560 himself the glory that belonged to the Lord alone. 307 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,280 And because of his arrogance, he squandered a wonderful 308 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:51,000 opportunity to do what? To testify of the true and 309 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,960 living God before these Babylonians there's no pointing 310 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,920 to the glory of God. That's not indicated here. 311 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:06,680 Hezekiah saw this as a way of growing in his fame, growing in 312 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,320 his leadership acknowledgement. He just, he's just taking 313 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,400 advantage of this for his own glory. 314 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,320 And instead of boldly testifying to these Pagan guests about the 315 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,160 power and mercy of the true and living God, instead of reminding 316 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,400 him that the Lord was a source of every blessing that he and 317 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,400 his Kingdom enjoyed, he made it about himself. 318 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:32,880 His, his, his. His pride is robbery. 319 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,240 And in the same verse, we learn how even the godliest of men and 320 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,320 women can be puffed up. You're there in Second 321 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,640 Chronicles, right? 32 Look at verse 25 again. 322 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:50,520 But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to 323 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,040 him. What benefit? 324 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:54,640 God rescued him from the Assyrians and God healed him of 325 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:59,040 his sickness. So how do we summarize the 326 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,400 breeding ground for pride in Hezekiah's heart? 327 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:04,560 He became forgetful and unthankful. 328 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,160 That's what happened. He become forgetful and he 329 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:13,240 became ungrateful according to the benefit done to him. 330 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,920 And here's what you have to understand, and I'm here to 331 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,160 understand it with you, that a failure to consistently 332 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,840 acknowledge God as the source of every blessing, every ability, 333 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:30,040 everything that you own, will encourage the cultivation of 334 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:34,880 entitlement and a belief of 1's own greatness. 335 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:50,960 Heartfelt gratitude weakens self exaltation, and if you and I 336 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:58,600 allow our Thanksgiving to simply be depended upon spontaneity and 337 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,200 a combustion of emotion because of something that you 338 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:07,320 experienced in a moment, you will not know the full benefit 339 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,920 of being thankful. It's commanded. 340 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,760 It's everywhere. I think of that cluster of 341 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,640 verses in First Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning at verse 342 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,600 16. Rejoice, always pray without 343 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,920 ceasing. Give thanks in what some 344 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,440 circumstances, all circumstances, for this is the 345 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:29,960 will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 346 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,760 Give thanks in all. I mean, you got to put into 347 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:38,400 drive. Thanksgiving isn't going to 348 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,920 drive on its own. You have to put the key in the 349 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:45,720 ignition, turn it on and put the pedal to the metal and and watch 350 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:51,400 how things begin to fall off. And watch how your heart is soft 351 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,360 and it remains soft. And how joy bubbles up, and how 352 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,840 God is kept in His rightful place and you are kept in your 353 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:07,000 rightful place as a recipient of every single joy and goodness 354 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:13,040 that He bestows upon you. Hezekiah lost touch with his 355 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,200 past, lost touch with the testimonies of God's 356 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,800 intervention in his life. And it began to excite in him 357 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,800 this self importance and the crediting of the things that he 358 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,240 saw and witnessed and developed to his own strength and his own 359 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:34,120 mind. And any doubt about his self 360 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:40,080 centeredness are clarified as we come back to our main text and 361 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:41,720 look at the remaining verses of our study. 362 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,360 Then Isaiah the prophet in verse 14 came to king Hezekiah and 363 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:55,720 said to him, what did these men say and from where did they come 364 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,840 to you? And Hezekiah said they have come 365 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,520 from a far country, from Babylon. 366 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,520 He said, what have they seen in your house? 367 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,920 And Hezekiah answered, they have seen all that is in my house. 368 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:08,680 There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show 369 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,200 them. Isaiah the prophet who is by 370 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,960 Hezekiah side and the good and the bad approaches him. 371 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,840 Now he shows up on the scene and he asks 3 questions. 372 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:22,720 The first one is pretty clear is it not? 373 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,480 He says here what do these men say? 374 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,840 The second one is where do they come from? 375 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:32,720 And lastly what did you show them? 376 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,400 Here's what interested me. Out of the three, Hezekiah 377 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:42,000 answers the last two, he doesn't acknowledge the first one. 378 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,560 Did you see that in his answer? Look again at verse 14. 379 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,640 What did these men say and from where they come to you? 380 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,880 And Hezekiah said they have come from a far country, from 381 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:56,280 Babylon. Again, we can't be dogmatic 382 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,960 about this, but let me give you my explanation. 383 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,960 I think Hezekiah, as he entertained these Babylonian 384 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,800 guests, eventually got into a conversation about a potential 385 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,400 alliance. And when Isaiah came to confront 386 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,760 him about these visitors, he knew that he would not like 387 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,560 knowing about a potential partnership with these pagans. 388 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:23,560 And so he leaves it out of his answer, but he is eager to 389 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,920 answer the last two. It makes you wonder if it's 390 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:31,840 because he was energized by the accolades and the recognition 391 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:33,920 and it just fed his pride. So what does he say? 392 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:35,440 Well, where do these men come from? 393 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:37,360 Well, they came from a far country, from Babylon. 394 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,040 They weren't just like next door neighbors. 395 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,600 They came from Babylon, Isaiah. They came all the way from there 396 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:51,920 to pay homage to us, to me. And what we learned from this is 397 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:56,000 that pride grows when net recognition is poorly managed. 398 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:03,600 You may not be able to help how men praise you, but it is your 399 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:05,560 responsibility what you do with that praise. 400 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,400 And make it a habit. No matter what anybody says to 401 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:16,040 you, if it's a parent, a pastor, a friend, somebody you're 402 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:20,400 witnessing to, to lay every crown that you receive as 403 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:22,800 quickly as possible at the feet of Jesus Christ. 404 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:31,160 Pride grows when recognition, validation is poorly managed. 405 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:35,640 Additionally, pride can be inflated by one's possessions. 406 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:37,360 Notice the answer to the third question. 407 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,160 They have seen all that is in my house. 408 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:45,480 There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show 409 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,560 them. And unbeknownst to Hezekiah, 410 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,400 he's about to learn the foolishness of his actions and 411 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,880 just how much the Lord despises A haughty spirit. 412 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,640 You got to think about it from a military standpoint, from a 413 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,160 political standpoint. There are so many examples in 414 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,440 the Scriptures that when a foreign nation with its 415 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,800 representatives show up to your front door, you have every right 416 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,280 to be suspicious. There's so many examples that we 417 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,000 can point to. And so for Hezekiah to just 418 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,920 swing open the door and allow these people to come in and see 419 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:24,840 everything was pretty foolish. And here's one reason why you 420 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,880 don't have to turn there. But in Obadiah verse 3, we 421 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:34,800 learned there that he tells his readers, the pride of your heart 422 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,800 has deceived you. You know, sometimes you look at 423 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:40,760 people and you see the decisions that they make, especially 424 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,960 leaders. And you wonder, did you not 425 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,840 think about the potential consequences of that action or 426 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:52,520 that decision or that sin, not taking into account that perhaps 427 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,480 there was a sin harbored before that sin that manifested 428 00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:01,320 publicly pride. It blinds you and me. 429 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,080 It doesn't let you see the full picture. 430 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,880 It doesn't let you come to an answer with the equation of your 431 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:11,840 choices. Scripture says that there is 432 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:13,320 wisdom with who? The humble. 433 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,000 And so you see here that this manages as a king, as a ruler. 434 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,040 What are you thinking, just revealing every ounce of your 435 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:25,680 inventory to this nation where you don't know why they're 436 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,080 really there? You, they don't serve the living 437 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:29,080 God. You don't know what they're 438 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:33,240 planning. Pride blinds you. 439 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,200 It confuses you. And when it's not repented of 440 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,320 quickly, it leads to 1's own destruction. 441 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,640 And Isaiah the prophet is here to tell Hezekiah just that. 442 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:50,200 Let's come back to our main text. 443 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:56,640 Look at verse 16 with me. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 444 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:01,800 Hear the word of the Lord, Behold, the days are coming when 445 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,200 all that is in your house and that which is in your father's 446 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,800 have stored up till this day shall be carried to Babylon. 447 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:09,960 Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 448 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,520 And some of your own sons who shall be born to you shall be 449 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,560 taken away, and they shall become eunuchs in the palace of 450 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,800 the king of Babylon. Now, before we look into this 451 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:23,520 prophecy, can we just admire how remarkable this prediction is? 452 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,560 Again, be reminded that at this time, Babylon was just one of 453 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,240 the several small kingdoms surrounding the empire of 454 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:36,400 Assyria, all under its control and domination. 455 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:41,040 And yet you have this man making this kind of a prediction. 456 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,320 Like from a human perspective, no one could have foreseen such 457 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,480 a dramatic shift in geopolitical power. 458 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,920 You tell me, Babylon, we read it back in 2nd 17. 459 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,520 Babylon that was violated and invaded. 460 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,240 Babylon is going to have the upper hand and begin to take 461 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:02,160 over nations, including Judah. All to say that what you and I 462 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,480 have before us, even in this text, is a wonderful testament 463 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,400 to the divine authorship of the Bible. 464 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,280 And I want to encourage, I really mean this when I say 465 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:16,000 this. Be familiar with the prophecies 466 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:21,280 of the Bible. Be familiar with them and not 467 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,080 just the ones about the Messiah, as paramount as those are. 468 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,440 Be familiar with the historical ones, the ones that happened in 469 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,920 the Old Testament. Do you know why? 470 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,200 Because if anybody asks you why you believe that this is this 471 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,960 book is God's word instead of any other religious texts, one 472 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,720 of your go to answers should be the fulfilled prophecies of this 473 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:47,200 book. In fact, the Lord himself 474 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:53,960 highlights that power of his, that omniscience of his as one 475 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,720 of the determining factors that he is the one true God and that 476 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,720 he is set apart from all other so-called deities. 477 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:07,760 So I really admonish you, I encourage you be familiar with 478 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,480 the predictions of this book and the fulfillments of it. 479 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:17,200 OK, maybe you're not convinced. So in Isaiah 46, nine, and 10, 480 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,840 this is something that I myself have been memorizing lately. 481 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:22,960 Remember the former things of old. 482 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:25,000 For I am God, and there is no other. 483 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,000 I am God, and there is none like me declaring the end from the 484 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:35,360 beginning, from ancient times, things not yet done, saying My 485 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,520 counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose. 486 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,240 What is God saying there? Let me prove to you that there 487 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,400 was no one like me. I declare the end from the 488 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:50,080 beginning. I declare from ancient times 489 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:51,920 things not yet done. Do you know those things? 490 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,640 We should. Here's one of them, that 100 491 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,840 years before Babylon took over the known world, Isaiah said it 492 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:03,760 would happen. And that's what I've been 493 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,160 answering with people lately. Why do you believe the Bible is 494 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,440 God's word? Because God in this word 495 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:11,760 predicts the future and he's never failed once. 496 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:17,360 How do you explain that this is the only history book that 497 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,600 predicts the future? Does your book do that? 498 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,280 Well, no, has no has good lessons in there and maybe 499 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,280 stretch some kind of prediction that anybody can fulfill. 500 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:33,800 Not this God. He talks about nations. 501 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:35,920 He talks about names of rulers of those nations. 502 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:41,280 He talks about so many things and that should at least peak 503 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,679 your curiosity to read the Bible. 504 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:53,000 Forgive me, I got carried away. Let's look at the content of 505 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,080 this prophecy. Everything that you show to 506 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,760 these Babylonians that will be confiscated by the Babylonians, 507 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,960 and moreover, your own sons who shall be born to you shall be 508 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,400 taken away, and they should become eunuchs in the palace of 509 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,720 the king of Babylon. Question I'm actually asking if 510 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:11,880 you know the answer, where in the Bible do we have the 511 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,440 clearest answer of this prophecy being fulfilled? 512 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:18,520 Very good. That didn't take very long, did 513 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,920 it? Daniel 1123. 514 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:23,240 Why don't we just turn there to look at it? 515 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:27,120 We're in no rush, right? Some of you drove quite a bit to 516 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,280 get here. So somebody from Seattle is 517 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:30,320 here. So why are we going to rush, 518 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,600 right? Let's look at Daniel 1123 just 519 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,400 to see it. Just to see with our own eyes. 520 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:48,280 It's right after the book of Ezekiel. 521 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,160 Here it is in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of 522 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,400 Judah. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, 523 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:58,200 came to Jerusalem and besieged it there. 524 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,240 It is just over 100 years after Isaiah said to Hezekiah that it 525 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:04,360 would happen. Put that as a reference if you 526 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,000 write in your Bible. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, 527 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,800 king of Judah, into his hand with some of the vessels of the 528 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:13,800 House of God. There it is. 529 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,720 You have a descendant of Hezekiah, and you have the 530 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:19,760 possessions of the Kingdom. What what's happening? 531 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,040 And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the House of his 532 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,920 God, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. 533 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,680 Then the king commanded Aspen as his chief eunuch to bring some 534 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:34,080 of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and the 535 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,240 nobility. And who was among those of the 536 00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:40,040 royal family nobility? Daniel. 537 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,000 Here's what blessed me. As much as this was a prediction 538 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,600 of judgement, God had a redemptive threat in it. 539 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,560 He took what most believes to be a 15 year old with his friends 540 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,040 and allow them to be brought into a foreign land. 541 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,640 And it was through Daniel's ministry that we have one of the 542 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:03,440 clearest apocalyptic prophecies about the end times, among many 543 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:04,800 other things that he accomplished. 544 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:07,840 Let's come back to our main text, shall we? 545 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:19,240 If you if you're not shocked by Hezekiah's attitude yet, I think 546 00:37:19,240 --> 00:37:22,880 verse 19 will do it. Look at his response to this 547 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:28,080 pronouncement of judgement. Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 548 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,160 the word of the Lord that you've spoken is good. 549 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:37,160 For he thought, why not if there will be peace and security in my 550 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:44,560 days, Huh. Now this has disturbed students 551 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,280 of the Bible and trying to make sense of this. 552 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:50,000 This seems so out of character for this great man of God. 553 00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:53,920 And there's going to be another cross reference here that may 554 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,160 make this even more challenging. But let's just take it at face 555 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,760 value. What do you get from this? 556 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,880 That there was this sigh of relief that though judgement was 557 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:04,920 declared, it would not happen in Hezekiah's lifetime. 558 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:08,840 This doesn't happen to me and my family, at least my immediate 559 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:15,240 family. The word of the Lord is good and 560 00:38:15,240 --> 00:38:18,720 debate all you want, but it becomes very difficult to 561 00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:22,440 justify this response, especially when you compare it 562 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,600 to another king who received his own pronouncement of judgement 563 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,880 because of his own pride as a king. 564 00:38:29,720 --> 00:38:33,000 Do you know who I'm speaking about, David? 565 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,480 Yes. The answers are coming quick 566 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,280 tonight. Remember what David did at the 567 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:40,840 end of his reign, At least near the end of his reign, he created 568 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:46,400 what a census. And the crime was not just a 569 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:51,000 census. It's the motive of that census 570 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:54,080 and what the people did with that census. 571 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,240 We studied this at great length when we looked through Second 572 00:38:56,240 --> 00:39:01,520 Samuel, but let's refresh our memories and recall the words of 573 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:05,560 King David when he was told that judgement would come upon 574 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:12,120 Jerusalem in Second Samuel 2417. You can turn there if you like, 575 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,960 but I'm going to read it and I want you to compare it just by 576 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:16,880 hearing it with what we read with Hezekiah. 577 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,560 Listen to what David does in Second Samuel 24 verse 17. 578 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:23,560 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the Angel who was 579 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:29,680 striking the people, and said, Behold, I have sinned and I have 580 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:33,640 done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they 581 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:36,120 done? Please let your hand be against 582 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:38,120 me and against my father's house. 583 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,840 Take this now and place it beside what we read in Second 584 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,560 Kings 20. The word of the Lord is good. 585 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:54,640 Why not? There'll be peace and security 586 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:59,760 in my days. David was a true shepherd. 587 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:06,480 He really loved his people. Not that Hezekiah didn't, but 588 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:10,480 this is where he falls short as he seeks to emulate King David. 589 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:18,520 A true leader cares about those that he's leading, and if it 590 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,360 means that they suffer so they don't, he will suffer. 591 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,480 If it means that they will prosper and grow at the expense 592 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,000 of whatever they have to give up, they will do that. 593 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:36,200 That's a Holy Spirit thing and David is a wonderful model of 594 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,480 that because we see, yes, and Hezekiah and then David a 595 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:42,320 comparison. But we're also reminded in this 596 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:45,360 overall that leaders especially, and I'm not just talking about 597 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,040 leaders in ministry. Some of you here are fathers. 598 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,400 Some of you are aspiring fathers and mothers. 599 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:59,160 Your leadership with those that God has given to you matters. 600 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:05,880 Your attitude matters. In fact, we didn't touch on 601 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:07,680 something. I'm not sure if you noticed it, 602 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,000 but again, there's no rush, right? 603 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,840 When Hezekiah was indicted for his pride, did you notice that 604 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:17,400 he was not the only one that became proud? 605 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:20,800 OK, I know we're going to flip back and forth here, but go back 606 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,880 to Second Chronicles. We looked at this verse earlier, 607 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:27,240 but look at it again. The Second Chronicles 32, verse 608 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:36,320 25. But Hezekiah did not make return 609 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,920 according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. 610 00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:42,080 Therefore wrath came upon him. And who else? 611 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:47,960 And Judah And Jerusalem. Why? 612 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:54,920 Here's the best explanation. Hezekiah's pride was contagious. 613 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,560 His attitude rubbed off on those that were under his leadership. 614 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,640 And so this is for all of us. Anybody that looks up to you, 615 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:12,160 anybody that's under your care, how you lead is important. 616 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:16,680 And your investment is not always direct. 617 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:20,960 It's indirect. How you and I talk, how you and 618 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,600 I carry ourselves, how you and I view the ministry, how you and I 619 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:28,720 cherish the word, all these things have impact beyond our 620 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:34,040 own lives. So Hezekiah's pride became the 621 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:38,520 people's pride. When he was self absorbed and he 622 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:43,840 was receiving this praise, the people began to lose their focus 623 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:45,200 on who God was and what he's done. 624 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,680 And now they're placing it on themselves, including Hezekiah. 625 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:50,680 So parents, let me give you an example. 626 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:57,720 The way you approach the local church, how you speak about the 627 00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:02,240 church, how you express your sentiments about the church, 628 00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:05,240 your your attitude towards the church, that's not just going to 629 00:43:05,240 --> 00:43:08,600 stay with you. It will in some way affect your 630 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:13,440 children if you moan and groan when it comes to Sunday service 631 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:15,640 because you have to go. Guess who's going to moan and 632 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:21,400 groan eventually? But if you're excited and you're 633 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:25,680 passionate, then you express what a privilege it is to serve 634 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,520 God in any capacity. You're going to give your 635 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:30,280 children a better chance to imitate that. 636 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:34,680 So Hezekiah becomes proud and the people become proud. 637 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:38,240 I know that's not always the case, but it is a it is a rule. 638 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:44,840 It's a general observation. So he says here back at our main 639 00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:47,400 text, why not? If there will be peace and 640 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:52,200 security In my days, self centeredness and pride go hand 641 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,280 in hand. Self preservation. 642 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:03,360 This man for this moment did not care what would happen beyond 643 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:06,960 his life. Here's where it gets really 644 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:11,600 interesting. Go to Second Chronicles 32 again 645 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,800 and look at one verse with me in verse 26. 646 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:24,680 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he 647 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:26,720 and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of 648 00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:28,880 the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. 649 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:34,160 So this has LED some to believe that what you read back in 650 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:39,920 Second Kings 20 verse 19 wasn't Hezekiah being selfish, it was 651 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:41,760 him just expressing his gratitude. 652 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:47,400 That judgment was an immediate. I'm not persuaded, nor do I 653 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:48,720 think that this is contradictory. 654 00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:53,240 Instead, this is simply an accurate description of the 655 00:44:53,240 --> 00:44:57,600 complexity of the human heart. Here's how to make sense of 656 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,120 this. That his initial reaction is 657 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:05,120 what you read in Second Kings 20 verse 19, and shortly after that 658 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:13,200 he truly humbles himself. I'm so glad that this verse is 659 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:16,680 included in our Bibles because if you were left with just 660 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:20,560 Second Kings 20, you would have to conclude that Hezekiah ended 661 00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:23,880 bad. But because of this little 662 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:29,400 phrase, this little statement, we know that he was able and 663 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:38,160 eventually humbled himself. As powerful as pride can be, as 664 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:41,840 hopeless as proud people can seem, have you ever met somebody 665 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:43,800 who was proud and arrogant? Look at them. 666 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:45,800 You think you're, you're like, you're sealed, dude. 667 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:48,440 There's I can't imagine you any other way. 668 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:54,040 I've only known you wearing that perfume of pride and it stinks. 669 00:45:56,600 --> 00:46:00,320 But what does Hezekiah show us? That it's possible for the proud 670 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:04,680 and heart to be humble. God can uproot that. 671 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:08,880 So here's here's the encouraging note in this Bible study. 672 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:14,240 If you know yourself, if this Bible study has done some kind 673 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:17,080 of work in you to help you recognize that you crave the 674 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:23,280 validation of man, that you do take pride in your achievements 675 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:27,800 and your possessions even, or that maybe you're you're just 676 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:34,440 self-centered. The world revolves around me and 677 00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:37,040 if I get to escape, even though others around me even that I 678 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:39,440 care about them are are going to so be it. 679 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:43,200 As long as I'm good. If it's going to cost them, it 680 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:46,480 doesn't cost me. That's fine as long as there's 681 00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:50,640 peace and security in my life. If you're so upset, do you see 682 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:52,840 it? God can change your heart. 683 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:57,320 He can change my heart. He can do a miracle in your 684 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:00,040 bosom. He can radically shift your 685 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:01,760 outlook, your inlook. He can do it. 686 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:08,280 He did it in Hezekiah. And here's what's so important 687 00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:11,240 to consider. Look back at the last two verses 688 00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:14,960 of Second Kings 20. The rest of these of Hezekiah 689 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:17,600 and all his mind, how he made it, the pool and the conduit and 690 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:20,080 brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of 691 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:21,320 the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 692 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:27,400 I mean, Hezekiah's work in Jerusalem, the things that he 693 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:30,120 did for the city can still be seen today. 694 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:32,360 You can look this up if you haven't seen it for yourself in 695 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:36,720 person in Israel. Hezekiah's tunnel, incredible by 696 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:38,600 the grace of God had the opportunity to actually walk 697 00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:40,400 through Hezekiah's tunnel before COVID happened. 698 00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:43,200 It was just fascinating to walk through this and think to 699 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:48,720 myself, Hezekiah's men made this tunnel possible in order to 700 00:47:48,720 --> 00:47:50,920 bring water into the city when they were under siege. 701 00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:53,640 This is fascinating. That's wonderful, but you know 702 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:58,480 what the Scripture says in Proverbs 16, verse 32. 703 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:02,480 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he 704 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:04,840 who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 705 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:12,520 What's more impressive in Hezekiah doing all these things 706 00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:15,880 and arriving at all these feats and revolutionizing how 707 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:20,680 Jerusalem would thrive and survive economically and a 708 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:24,280 national security is a fact that he was able to overcome pride. 709 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:31,240 And that's what the Bible prizes more than anything else. 710 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:35,640 Now what we do in the world, now what we do at the workplace, now 711 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:38,880 what we do with our bank account, what you do with your 712 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:44,040 character, what you're able to achieve in the inner man by the 713 00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:46,560 power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God's Word. 714 00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:52,760 And that's something for you and I to consider as we close 715 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:57,720 Hezekiah's story. Is there anything in our own 716 00:48:57,720 --> 00:49:02,440 hearts that we know needs to change? 717 00:49:03,720 --> 00:49:05,200 Can I tell you how it's going to happen? 718 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:07,120 We have the ingredients here with Hezekiah. 719 00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:14,000 Two things, at least two things. One, hear the word of the Lord. 720 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:15,760 That's where it all started for Hezekiah, right? 721 00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:22,680 And two, somebody who loved him enough to speak the word of the 722 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:26,760 Lord to him. There's going to be any victory 723 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:29,680 in our hearts. It's for us to stand in the 724 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:34,200 presence of God's Word and sometimes be willing to be the 725 00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:38,360 recipient of the rebuke of a God fearing man or woman. 726 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:44,720 God's voice and community will help us stay humble. 727 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:50,480 That's why it's so important that you go to a Bible teaching 728 00:49:50,480 --> 00:49:54,000 church. Has the Lord's Word touched your 729 00:49:54,000 --> 00:49:56,560 heart today? I hope it did. 730 00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,840 Can I tell you how it touched mine when I studied it this 731 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:04,600 week? Hezekiah was so close to 732 00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:12,440 finishing badly and didn't come when he was youthful and when he 733 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:15,080 started out as a king at the age of 25. 734 00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:21,840 It came when the Lord added 15 years to his life and he knew 735 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:23,720 that his days were numbered. Imagine that. 736 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:26,400 He knew that his days were numbered. 737 00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:29,440 He knew the exact year he was going to die, and he still 738 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:34,040 became proud. If I knew when I was going to 739 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:36,120 die, I mean, every day is going to count. 740 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:41,000 I'm going to make sure that I'm as close to Christ as possible 741 00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:44,760 every day. And even with that kind of an 742 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:48,560 insight, he let his heart become proud. 743 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:55,640 And I found myself praying. Lord, if there's an overarching 744 00:50:55,640 --> 00:50:58,880 lesson in the study of kings, yes #1 there's no king like 745 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:03,720 Jesus, but #2 I want to finish well. 746 00:51:04,720 --> 00:51:09,440 Help me, help me finish well. They're, they're all these vices 747 00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:13,200 and temptations waiting to destroy my testimony. 748 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:17,880 David had Bathsheba, David had the senses. 749 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:20,560 Hezekiah in this moment, pride of his achievements. 750 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:25,400 Uzziah wanting to be a priest, not satisfied and content with 751 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:27,320 his own calling. All these different things that 752 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:30,520 we've been studying, I hope and I pray that you're taking it to 753 00:51:30,520 --> 00:51:33,640 heart. These have been given to us for 754 00:51:33,640 --> 00:51:37,040 our instruction and our example, that we may not desire evil as 755 00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:39,680 they did, Paul tells us in first Corinthians 10. 756 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:42,760 I think that's enough for Bible study tonight. 757 00:51:43,720 --> 00:51:49,400 Let's bow our hearts before the King of Kings and ask Him, Lord, 758 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:56,320 even if you choose to leave us to ourselves, help us stay close 759 00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:00,400 to you. Help us trust you, help us seek 760 00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:04,960 you. Help us remain in your presence 761 00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:10,120 even when all is well. That is our heart. 762 00:52:10,120 --> 00:52:15,400 Cry tonight, Lord, we we see what we are capable of and in a 763 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:21,040 holy way. It inspires A godly fear and it 764 00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:25,920 drives us to your feet. And we ask that you would remove 765 00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:28,080 anything that is beginning in our hearts. 766 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,000 Even if it's beginning, if it's at that larva state, we pray 767 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:35,760 that you would deal with it, and Your great power might. 768 00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:42,040 With all that was said, we pray that You would help us recall 769 00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:45,840 these things. We need you, Lord. 770 00:52:48,520 --> 00:52:53,720 We can't do this without you. Help us now, even as we open our 771 00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:57,600 hearts to You in your presence this evening in Jesus name, 772 00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:00,560 Amen. The praise thing will come, but 773 00:53:00,560 --> 00:53:05,080 listen, don't rush, don't rush. When God speaks to us, it is 774 00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:06,560 appropriate to speak back to Him. 775 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:10,400 And so I want to encourage you, just commune with the Lord 776 00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:12,240 before we sing any note, any lyric. 777 00:53:12,720 --> 00:53:16,800 Ask the Lord to guard your heart, to keep your heart and He 778 00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:18,480 will do it. He's faithful.