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Olde Timey Days Fall
Festival (September 28, 2013 (10:00-4:00) – this weekend on our historic town
square in Burnsville, NC – near Mt. Celo Church
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My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings
(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)
A Biblical Pattern
for Facing Fear, Tragedy, and Death – Isaiah 37 and 38 (What It Says –
Summarized) –King Hezekiah’s God, his reign have been taunted and ridiculed by
his enemies, the most formidable power on earth at that time. No one has escaped the onslaught of the
Assyrians. The leaders tear their
clothes in sorrow at the news of an imminent attack and go to the king. King Hezekiah 1)“tears his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth”(humbles himself
before God), 2)“goes into the house of
the LORD, 3) sends his servant to
God’s prophet, Isaiah, so that the prophet may also pray for God’s remnant,
4) awaits and receives Isaiah’s prophesy
from God, ‘Do not be afraid of the words…with which the Assyrians have
blasphemed Me…surely I will send a spirit upon him…he will return to his own
land…and I will cause him to fall by his own sword”’. The Rabshakeh returns to torment the Judean
people further to not trust in God and delivers a letter to Hezekiah from
Sennacherib. 5) “Hezekiah reads the letter 6) goes
to the house of the LORD, 6) spreads
the letter before the LORD and prays, ‘O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One
who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of
the earth. You have made heaven and
earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD and
hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib,
which he has sent to reproach the living God.
Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and
their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods,
but the work of men’s hands – wood and stone.
Therefore they destroy them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from
his hand, THAT all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD,
You alone.”’ God sends his
answer through Isaiah against Sennacherib and for Israel in the beautiful words
of Isaiah 37: 22-35. Then “the” angel of
the LORD goes out and kills 185,000 of the Assyrians in their camp. The remaining return to their land;
Sennacherib is murdered by his own sons as he is worshipping his false god,
Nisroch. In Chapter 38 Hezekiah becomes
ill, and is told by Isaiah he will die.
The king 1) “prays, pleads for
additional years, 2) asks God to
remember his loyal heart, his walk in truth before Him, that he did what was
good in God’s sight, 3) he weeps
bitterly” (in humility before God). God hears, answers the prayer, grants
the king more years of life, and gives a sign…of turning back time – ten
degrees on the sundial. 4) Godly King
Hezekiah responds with a song of praise to God and the promise that God’s truth
will be passed on to the generations to come. Unfortunately, in tomorrow's reading we will see a negative lesson from Hezekiah - shades of other kings, Saul and Solomon.
That He Might Deliver
Us From This Present Evil Age – Galatians 1 (What It Says – Summarized)
Centuries after Hezekiah’s walk with the LORD in his leadership of the Chosen
Nation and People, the Apostle Paul is reminding the New Testament church at
Galatia of “the grace…the peace…that is
theirs as a result of Jesus Christ giving Himself for our sins…that He might
deliver us from this present evil age.”
These are the called, the chosen of the New Covenant. The Promised Messiah has come, has taught and
brought the kingdom of God to earth, has completed His sacrificial Mission to
stand in the gap between sinful man and holy God on the cross. Through His resurrection He has brought many
sons and daughters to glory, who were chosen before the foundation of the
world. But now the Apostle Paul is
admonishing these 1st century Christians “for turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of
Christ…to a different gospel, which is not another…to those who trouble you…and
want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Paul reminds them of his own true apostolic authority over them, given –
not by man – but through the revelation of Jesus Christ, of his own zealous
Judaic background, of his own persecution of and attempted destruction of the
early church…”until…it pleased God,
who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His
grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the
Gentiles.”
My Lessons and Applications – This OT prophetic
reading is a recapitulation of the history of Hezekiah’s reign back in 2
Kings. It is so worthy of repetition
because it sets a Biblical pattern of how to approach adversity. Note the pattern, the steps, taken by godly
King Hezekiah. Note the pattern of the
prayer: magnifying, extolling, praising the majesty of the one true God…then describing
the truth of the situation with the unconquerable Assyrians…and then the
request, the supplication for God to deliver His people…and lastly…for His glory...THAT…all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You
alone.” Note how this follows the
pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (which is really the Disciples’ Prayer). Note that
there is not an immediate vindication. Note that there was not an immediate
vindication against Paul or for Paul on the earth, but “until it pleased God.” Often we are called to wait for God…often to
wait what seems to us a long time. Will
God always send one angel to kill 185,000 of our enemies or answer our prayer
for extra years of life? No, of course not.
We know He comes in when and how He chooses, and it is rarely in the
same way. I remember well a time in my
own life when a court document was presented to me threatening the destruction
of all I had dedicated my life to for God.
Another godly woman suggested I literally lay it before God and pray
over it as Hezekiah had done, and to go to the elders of the church to pray as
well. The destruction came, and I have
not seen the angel of the LORD destroying the tormentors yet - some 6 years
later. But…I was given His grace, His
peace, His people to surround me in the terror, tragedy and further horror that
would follow “in the midst of” this present evil age, not “out of” this
present evil age – not yet. For now, as
Charles Stanley says, we are delivered “in the midst of” the evil….THAT…we
might “become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault “in the
midst of” a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as
lights.” (Phil. 2:15) For all of us who
are waiting and trusting in God, “let us
not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do
not give up.” (Gal. 6:9) “For consider Him who endured such hostility
from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your
souls.” (Heb. 12:3) We will
share in His sufferings. (2 Cor. 1:5, 1
Peter 4:13, Romans 8:17, Phil. 3:10)
Does my walk of faith honor God and give testimony to my possessed faith
– not just my professed faith – in Him?
“By your patience, possess your souls.” (Luke
21:19)
“But
when it pleased God…” Galatians
1:15
As workers for
God we have to learn to make room for God – to give God “elbow room.” We calculate and estimate, and say that this
and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses…Do not look for God in
any particular way, but look for Him…Expect Him to come, but do not expect Him
only in a certain way…Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that
His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be
in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.
Oswald
Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
“The
Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. Isaiah 37:22
Strong faith
enables the servants of God to look with calm contempt on their most arrogant
foes. When the Lord moves…they fly away “like chaff before the wind.” (Ps.
35:5) When He wields His weapons…where are His enemies? When He
comes forth from His throne…”the potsherds on the ground will not long
quarrel with their Maker.” (Is.45:9)
Charles
Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
