1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,960 Well, please open your bible at Isaiah and chapter 38. We’re returning to this extraordinary story 2 00:00:06,960 –> 00:00:12,880 that speaks powerfully and directly to the situation in which all of us find ourselves 3 00:00:12,880 –> 00:00:22,400 today. It’s the story of a godly king who faced an unexpected crisis. The king’s name was Hezekiah, 4 00:00:22,400 –> 00:00:29,760 and we’re told in the first verse of Isaiah, in chapter 38 that Hezekiah became sick 5 00:00:29,760 –> 00:00:36,240 and he was at the point of death. Well then he received a pastoral visit from the prophet 6 00:00:36,240 –> 00:00:42,560 Isaiah who said to him, verse 2, Thus says the Lord, set your house in order for you will die, 7 00:00:43,119 –> 00:00:51,200 you will not recover. And suddenly this man’s whole life is turned upside down. All that he 8 00:00:51,200 –> 00:00:58,639 had planned was put on hold because a serious illness changes everything. 9 00:00:59,520 –> 00:01:07,360 Now last time we looked at how this godly King responded to the unexpected crisis that he faced 10 00:01:07,360 –> 00:01:15,519 and how God calls us to respond to the crisis that we are facing today. We saw first that we must 11 00:01:15,519 –> 00:01:23,919 seek the face of God in prayer. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord 12 00:01:24,559 –> 00:01:33,440 and God answered Hezekiah’s prayer. He recovered from the illness and he lived for another 15 13 00:01:33,440 –> 00:01:43,440 years. And from this we learned this very important principle that God is sovereign over all things 14 00:01:43,440 –> 00:01:51,599 but his sovereignty includes the prayers of his people. So we must seek the face of God 15 00:01:51,599 –> 00:02:00,559 in prayer. And then we saw that Hezekiah responded in another way and we too must seek to live 16 00:02:00,559 –> 00:02:08,479 with a clear conscience. Hezekiah was able to say I have walked before the Lord in faithfulness. 17 00:02:09,119 –> 00:02:18,000 He was at peace with God. He had a clear conscience and when the unexpected crisis came 18 00:02:18,559 –> 00:02:26,240 that was what gave him great comfort. And you know sooner or later all of us will leave this world 19 00:02:26,880 –> 00:02:32,960 and when you do, you will enter fully conscious into the immediate presence of the Lord. 20 00:02:33,919 –> 00:02:39,360 Live in such a way that you will always be ready for that day. 21 00:02:40,639 –> 00:02:48,479 Now today we’re going to look at the happy ending to Hezekiah’s story. I want us to see what God did 22 00:02:48,479 –> 00:02:54,720 and most important, HOW God did it. And again we’re going to find that what we see here speaks 23 00:02:54,720 –> 00:03:01,440 very directly to the situation in which we find ourselves today. We’re beginning at verse 4, 24 00:03:03,199 –> 00:03:09,600 that is after Hezakiah’s illness, after he had prayed, The word of the Lord 25 00:03:09,600 –> 00:03:17,679 came to Isaiah, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord the God of David your Father, 26 00:03:17,679 –> 00:03:27,119 I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears and behold, I will add fifteen years 27 00:03:28,080 –> 00:03:37,279 to your life. now Hezekiah then is at the point of death, he prays to the Lord 28 00:03:38,320 –> 00:03:47,839 God hears and answers his prayer and says you will live for 15 more years and verse 6 I will deliver 29 00:03:47,839 –> 00:03:56,880 the city from the enemy who seeks to destroy it now we’ll come back to verses 7 and 8 30 00:03:57,279 –> 00:04:03,759 a little later but first I want you to get the big picture of this very important chapter 31 00:04:03,759 –> 00:04:11,199 as a whole as you look at it there in your bible, you will see that from verse 9 we have a testimony 32 00:04:11,759 –> 00:04:18,399 written by Hezekiah after he recovered from his sickness in other words he gives to us in 33 00:04:18,399 –> 00:04:26,079 these verses verse 9-20 the kind of inside story of his journey through this illness 34 00:04:26,079 –> 00:04:32,399 and then his subsequent recovery, he tells us what he felt, he tells us what he feared 35 00:04:33,040 –> 00:04:39,920 and he tells us how he prayed and god willing we’re going to look at these verses next time 36 00:04:40,880 –> 00:04:48,000 but then at the end of the chapter, we have two verses that are added almost as if they 37 00:04:48,000 –> 00:04:56,239 were a kind of footnote but they’re really really important verse 21 says now Isaiah had 38 00:04:56,239 –> 00:05:06,239 said let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil that he may recover and then verse 22 39 00:05:06,959 –> 00:05:15,440 hezekiah also had said what is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord 40 00:05:15,440 –> 00:05:25,940 now these verses illustrate for us a principle that is vital for Christian wisdom and it speaks 41 00:05:25,940 –> 00:05:32,220 directly to the circumstances in which we find ourselves today and this is the principle God 42 00:05:32,220 –> 00:05:42,079 normally works through means but there are some things that only God can do God normally works 43 00:05:42,179 –> 00:05:52,399 through means but there are some things that only God himself can do now let’s look at this 44 00:05:52,399 –> 00:06:01,420 together God normally works through means Isaiah had said let them take a cake of figs and apply 45 00:06:01,420 –> 00:06:08,799 it to the boil that he may recover now you’ll see here that we’re now given a clue as to the 46 00:06:09,619 –> 00:06:18,500 Hezekiah’s illness there was a boil that indicates that some kind of infection was raging in his body 47 00:06:18,500 –> 00:06:25,720 and infection so severe that it had brought him to the point of death and Isaiah the Prophet 48 00:06:25,720 –> 00:06:35,220 comes and says to the King now you put a poultice on this that is a dressing over the infected area 49 00:06:35,380 –> 00:06:43,760 of the body and use a paste that will be made of a cake of figs now a poultice very simply 50 00:06:43,760 –> 00:06:51,260 was often used in ancient times to draw out an infection. Hezekiah obviously did not have 51 00:06:51,260 –> 00:06:57,640 the means of modern medicine that we have today but this was the means that was available to him 52 00:06:57,640 –> 00:07:04,140 and Isaiah says to him in effect now apply a poultice and cover the wound with a dressing 53 00:07:04,140 –> 00:07:13,420 make a paste out of figs and put that on the infected area over the boil it will draw out 54 00:07:13,420 –> 00:07:20,380 the infection now here’s the principal that we’re learning and it’s a very important principle God 55 00:07:21,079 –> 00:07:30,480 normally works through means so we must use the means that God has made available 56 00:07:30,480 –> 00:07:38,579 hezekiah prayed to the Lord that’s the first thing and he applied a poultice that’s the 57 00:07:38,579 –> 00:07:51,200 second and God healed him Now, you may have heard the story of the drowning man and for 58 00:07:51,200 –> 00:07:57,720 boys and girls uh watching this if you’d like to you could draw this story on a piece of 59 00:07:57,720 –> 00:08:06,440 paper there was a great storm in a town where this man lived and a warning was given by 60 00:08:06,480 –> 00:08:14,679 the the councilors of the town uh that everyone should evacuate because the banks of the river 61 00:08:14,679 –> 00:08:21,160 were likely to burst but this man said oh no I’m not going to leave my home I trust 62 00:08:21,160 –> 00:08:27,880 God and he’ll save me Well the neighbours all begged him to leave but the man refused 63 00:08:27,880 –> 00:08:33,679 and sure enough the river broke its banks the town was flooded and as the waters rose 64 00:08:33,760 –> 00:08:38,559 The man had no option but to climb onto the roof of his house and to sit there 65 00:08:40,000 –> 00:08:49,520 Then down this overflowing river came a rowing boat with a man inside who shouted out jump in 66 00:08:50,320 –> 00:08:58,159 I’ll take you to safety but the man said no no no I trust in God and he’ll save me 67 00:08:58,159 –> 00:09:01,840 and so he remained on the roof when the water rose even higher 68 00:09:02,799 –> 00:09:10,960 The next morning a helicopter flew over and dropped down a rope ladder, grab this, came the shout 69 00:09:10,960 –> 00:09:16,880 we’ll pull you to safety but the man refused he said no no I trust in God he will save me 70 00:09:18,159 –> 00:09:25,200 but the following day the waters rose even higher than the roof of the house and the man drowned 71 00:09:26,719 –> 00:09:31,599 and when he arrived at the gates of heaven the man said to one of the Angels 72 00:09:31,599 –> 00:09:39,280 now I believed in God why didn’t he save me to which the Angel replied 73 00:09:40,239 –> 00:09:47,359 God was the one who sent you the warning God was the one who sent you the boat 74 00:09:48,640 –> 00:09:58,479 God was the one who sent you the helicopter God normally works through means 75 00:09:58,799 –> 00:10:06,640 and we should use all the means that God has made available I mean think about this what 76 00:10:06,640 –> 00:10:14,239 would you make of a person who said God will give me strength in my body and so I don’t need to eat 77 00:10:15,359 –> 00:10:20,799 what would you make of a person who said well now God will keep me warm so I don’t needs to wear 78 00:10:20,799 –> 00:10:29,280 clothes yes God gives you strength but he strengthens your body by the means of the food 79 00:10:29,280 –> 00:10:36,239 you eat yes God will keep you warm but he keeps you warm by the means of the clothes that you wear 80 00:10:37,039 –> 00:10:46,559 God works through means nurses doctors medicine are God’s means of restoring health builders are 81 00:10:46,559 –> 00:10:54,799 God’s means of providing homes farmers are God’s means of providing food teachers are God’s means 82 00:10:54,799 –> 00:11:03,520 of giving us wisdom parents are God’s means of guiding children and elders are God’s means 83 00:11:03,520 –> 00:11:10,880 for guarding the Church. Now you see when you grasp this very very simple principle 84 00:11:10,880 –> 00:11:18,479 it will give you a proper sense of Christian responsibility. It will open your eyes to what 85 00:11:18,479 –> 00:11:27,359 it is that God has called you to do. And when you see that God works through means you will every 86 00:11:27,359 –> 00:11:34,320 day of your life begin to ask, how can I be the means that God uses to bring his help and his 87 00:11:34,320 –> 00:11:45,039 blessing to someone else. Now, friends, this is a very clear and a vital Christian principle. 88 00:11:45,919 –> 00:11:53,039 It goes to the heart of Christian wisdom and very clearly it speaks to the crisis in which 89 00:11:53,039 –> 00:12:02,080 we find ourselves today. A new virus is sweeping through the world. What should we do? 90 00:12:02,159 –> 00:12:14,239 Well, we should pray and we should use whatever means are available to restrain the progress of 91 00:12:14,239 –> 00:12:26,479 this virus. God works through means. So we should wash our hands, we should stay in our homes and 92 00:12:27,440 –> 00:12:34,320 we should practice, the new phrase we’ve learned, social distancing and as we do these things, 93 00:12:34,320 –> 00:12:44,880 we should pray that God will use them in order to restrain the rapid spread of this awful virus. 94 00:12:47,359 –> 00:12:56,000 Now over these last few days, several writers have made reference to attract 95 00:12:56,960 –> 00:13:05,359 that Martin Luther wrote in the year 1527 when the plague was sweeping through Europe, 96 00:13:06,159 –> 00:13:14,719 he called it, whether one may flee from a deadly plague and he speaks in this tract 97 00:13:14,719 –> 00:13:23,280 about those who are, and I quote, much too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding 98 00:13:23,359 –> 00:13:30,000 everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines, 99 00:13:30,000 –> 00:13:37,599 he says, they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make 100 00:13:37,599 –> 00:13:46,960 sport of it. He says that it is their view that if God wants to protect them he can do so without 101 00:13:46,960 –> 00:13:53,119 medicine or without our carefulness, but Luther says this is not trusting God but tempting him. 102 00:13:54,239 –> 00:14:01,919 God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the 103 00:14:01,919 –> 00:14:08,719 body so that we can live in good health. Then he speaks about how it is shameful, 104 00:14:09,840 –> 00:14:17,359 shameful, he says for a person to pay no heed to his own body and to fail to protect it against 105 00:14:17,359 –> 00:14:24,479 the plague as best he is able and then to infect and poison others who might have remained alive 106 00:14:24,479 –> 00:14:30,239 if he had taken care of his body as he should have. And then he concludes in this way. 107 00:14:31,679 –> 00:14:38,559 I shall ask God mercifully to protect us and I shall fumigate the house. 108 00:14:39,039 –> 00:14:48,719 I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated 109 00:14:48,719 –> 00:14:56,719 and thus perchance infect and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. 110 00:14:58,840 –> 00:15:06,919 So thank God that as in Luther’s day, so in our day there are some things that 111 00:15:07,000 –> 00:15:16,919 we can do to slow the spread of this virus. Let us do them and let us ask God that he will use 112 00:15:16,919 –> 00:15:25,880 these means to grant us relief. So here’s a principle that is absolutely 113 00:15:25,880 –> 00:15:35,159 vital for Christian wisdom. God normally works through means and so we must use the means that 114 00:15:35,479 –> 00:15:42,119 has made available. But there’s a second conclusion that we should draw from this principle that God 115 00:15:42,119 –> 00:15:49,799 works through means and it’s this, because it is God who works through means, we must thank God 116 00:15:49,799 –> 00:15:58,840 when he makes the means effective. Now notice that although God used the means of the Poultice, 117 00:15:59,000 –> 00:16:04,919 in Second Kings and chapter 20, the parallel passage, there’s this very clear statement, 118 00:16:06,679 –> 00:16:11,320 thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father, I have heard your prayer, 119 00:16:11,320 –> 00:16:18,440 I have seen your tears behold, I will heal you. God healed him. 120 00:16:19,159 –> 00:16:25,880 There are two ways in which we can lose the path of wisdom. 121 00:16:27,400 –> 00:16:34,760 One is to forget the means that God uses, and the other is to forget that it is God 122 00:16:35,479 –> 00:16:44,919 who uses the means. Now Isaiah had said, let them make a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, 123 00:16:45,000 –> 00:16:52,679 but God says very clearly, that through that means he says, I will heal you. 124 00:16:53,960 –> 00:17:04,119 So you see, when Hezekiah recovers he’s not saying, oh these figs are the most marvelous portion. 125 00:17:04,680 –> 00:17:09,479 No, he’s not saying that, he’s going to give thanks to God, 126 00:17:09,819 –> 00:17:17,859 because he knows that it is God who has made this fig paste effective 127 00:17:17,859 –> 00:17:25,599 and has used it as a means to bring about what has come from his own healing hand. 128 00:17:27,199 –> 00:17:37,819 Now when you know that God works through means, you will be grateful for the means that He uses, 129 00:17:37,880 –> 00:17:43,359 but you will be very careful to give all the glory to God. 130 00:17:45,180 –> 00:17:50,640 When I began studying this part of Isaiah last year, 131 00:17:50,640 –> 00:17:59,439 I was especially struck by some words of a 17th century pastor by the name of Robert Bruce, 132 00:17:59,439 –> 00:18:02,560 writing on this chapter. 133 00:18:02,560 –> 00:18:12,479 We all know that the same treatment for an illness that works well for one person 134 00:18:12,500 –> 00:18:17,160 may not work well for another. Why is that? 135 00:18:17,160 –> 00:18:21,979 Well, here’s what Robert Bruce, writing in the 17th century, says, 136 00:18:22,000 –> 00:18:27,060 God controls and commands all remedies, 137 00:18:27,060 –> 00:18:34,319 so that all cures take effect according to his will and good pleasure. 138 00:18:34,319 –> 00:18:43,079 Therefore, unless God blesses the remedy applied, it will have no effect. 139 00:18:43,079 –> 00:18:49,839 Even though the doctors instruct their patients to apply their various cures diligently, 140 00:18:49,920 –> 00:18:57,680 if the Lord chooses not to bless their work, the patient will know no improvement. 141 00:18:57,680 –> 00:19:04,300 Thus, he continues, God gives a lesson to both the sick and the doctor. 142 00:19:04,300 –> 00:19:10,859 The patient must learn to look to God that the medicines being applied will have a good effect, 143 00:19:10,859 –> 00:19:18,780 and the doctor for his or her part must pray that God will bless his or her work 144 00:19:18,780 –> 00:19:22,680 that it may be used for the betterment of the patient. 145 00:19:22,680 –> 00:19:30,199 Therefore, he concludes, in all our troubles let us turn first to the Lord 146 00:19:30,199 –> 00:19:38,699 and pray that He will be pleased to use the means that He has provided.” 147 00:19:38,699 –> 00:19:43,800 Now, friends, I read that a year ago. It was very striking to me. Very clear, very helpful, 148 00:19:43,800 –> 00:19:51,300 and it has been very useful to me over a number of months now in terms of praying for people. 149 00:19:51,300 –> 00:20:04,439 Think about this in relation to health. If you are ill Lord, use this medicine to make her well. 150 00:20:04,439 –> 00:20:15,680 Make it effective in her body. Lord, in Your mercy, use this chemotherapy to grant relief to his cancer. 151 00:20:15,680 –> 00:20:23,800 Or think about it in regards to a different sphere. Someone has lost their job, and you 152 00:20:23,800 –> 00:20:31,640 pray to God. How are you going to pray to God? If you’ve grasped the principle that 153 00:20:31,640 –> 00:20:42,939 God works through means, you’ll pray like this. Lord, give me perseverance in my networking. 154 00:20:42,939 –> 00:20:49,719 And Lord, in Your mercy, use the connections that You have given to me in order to open 155 00:20:49,719 –> 00:21:01,119 a door of opportunity.” This is how we pray. Lord, Lord, use this child’s parents to guide 156 00:21:01,119 –> 00:21:11,680 him or her. Lord, grant wisdom to the elders in order to guard the church. Think about 157 00:21:11,939 –> 00:21:19,900 this in relation to study. When Karan and I were first dating, my father-in-law, future 158 00:21:19,900 –> 00:21:27,280 father-in-law, was sizing me up. We were both students together and as we were coming up 159 00:21:27,280 –> 00:21:32,060 to a season where there were a number of important exams, I will always remember him saying to 160 00:21:32,060 –> 00:21:37,359 me, I hope you’re not going to tell me that you’re praying that God will help you with 161 00:21:37,400 –> 00:21:43,900 the exams. Pray that God will help you to study and then trust him to help you with 162 00:21:43,900 –> 00:21:50,459 the exams. It was great wisdom in what he said. God works through means, in this case 163 00:21:50,459 –> 00:21:59,719 the means of study. Now, last week we saw that our first response to this crisis in 164 00:21:59,719 –> 00:22:07,079 which we all find ourselves must be to pray. So, how have you been praying? What have you 165 00:22:07,199 –> 00:22:16,099 been asking of God? God normally works through means. 166 00:22:16,099 –> 00:22:27,219 So here’s how I’m praying. Lord, use this lockdown to restrain the virus. Lord, use 167 00:22:27,219 –> 00:22:35,780 the ministry of nurses and doctors to save the lives of many, and Lord, please use the 168 00:22:35,780 –> 00:22:45,000 work of those who are researching a vaccine against this virus. Give them success quickly 169 00:22:45,000 –> 00:22:53,959 and grant us relief. See, when you know that God works through means it will shape how 170 00:22:53,959 –> 00:23:01,439 you pray. And when a person comes home having recovered from illness, when they return from 171 00:23:01,439 –> 00:23:07,119 the hospital, you will be so grateful to the nurses and the doctors, but then you will 172 00:23:07,119 –> 00:23:14,560 give glory to God who was the One who worked through them. And when a vaccine is finally 173 00:23:14,560 –> 00:23:23,660 available, we will be grateful to the scientists, and we will praise God for what they have 174 00:23:23,739 –> 00:23:34,780 discovered. So God normally works through means. We must therefore use the means that God has 175 00:23:34,780 –> 00:23:43,640 made available, and we must thank God wherever he makes these means effective. 176 00:23:43,640 –> 00:23:52,880 Now, we’re learning a very important principle of Christian wisdom that is vital in the whole 177 00:23:52,880 –> 00:23:59,280 of our life and particularly in regards to these circumstances in which we find ourselves 178 00:23:59,280 –> 00:24:10,599 today. And it has two parts. God normally works through means but there are some things 179 00:24:10,819 –> 00:24:17,819 that only God can do. Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the 180 00:24:24,839 –> 00:24:31,839 house of the Lord? Now, let’s home in on the great significance of this verse. Remember 181 00:24:32,839 –> 00:24:39,839 Hezekiah was sick, he was at the very point of death. And being so weak it must have been 182 00:24:45,760 –> 00:24:52,760 very hard to believe that God would heal him. And so God gave him a sign. We read about 183 00:24:53,599 –> 00:25:00,599 the sign in verse eight. Behold God says I will make the shadow cast by the declining 184 00:25:04,920 –> 00:25:11,920 sun on the dial of Ahaz turned back ten steps. So the sun turned back on the dial the ten 185 00:25:12,760 –> 00:25:19,760 sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. Now of course in 186 00:25:23,979 –> 00:25:30,979 the ancient world people told the time by a sundial. And it seems clear that Hezekiah’s 187 00:25:32,859 –> 00:25:39,859 father Ahaze had built these steps and that as the sun was going down in the sky the steps 188 00:25:41,920 –> 00:25:47,939 there was a creeping shadow that moved as it were down the steps as the shadows lengthened 189 00:25:47,939 –> 00:25:54,939 as the sun was going down in the sky. And God said to Hezekiah, I will give you this 190 00:25:57,900 –> 00:26:04,900 sign. Every day when the sun is setting you see the shadows lengthening over these steps, 191 00:26:05,199 –> 00:26:11,839 the shadows lengthening over these steps. But here’s what I’m going to do to give you 192 00:26:11,839 –> 00:26:18,839 a sign. On this day as the sun is setting the shadow will go up the steps. It will go 193 00:26:21,160 –> 00:26:28,160 in the reverse order. The shadow will move in a completely different direction. This 194 00:26:28,640 –> 00:26:35,640 is the sign. I will make the shadow cast by the declining Sun on the dial of Ahaz Turn 195 00:26:36,660 –> 00:26:43,660 back ten steps. Now by any reckoning we are talking here about 196 00:26:47,260 –> 00:26:54,260 something that only God himself could do. Imagine Hezekiah lying on his bed. He’s at 197 00:26:55,219 –> 00:27:02,219 the point of death. And he looks out of the window, as he’s been looking out of the 198 00:27:03,560 –> 00:27:09,000 window each evening, and again, as is always the case, the shadows are lengthening on the 199 00:27:09,000 –> 00:27:16,000 steps outside. And then he looks, and on this day, the shadow moves up the steps. It’s 200 00:27:16,520 –> 00:27:23,520 going in the opposite direction. Only God could do such a thing! And Hezekiah thinks 201 00:27:24,359 –> 00:27:31,359 to himself, maybe there’s hope after all. Now, why did God give this extraordinary sign? 202 00:27:36,979 –> 00:27:43,979 Well, the reason is given very, very clearly in verse 7. This shall be a sign to you for 203 00:27:44,079 –> 00:27:51,079 shall be a sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he had promised. 204 00:27:53,739 –> 00:28:00,739 See, God is saying here, Hezekiah, I am the one who’s going to heal you. And when I do, 205 00:28:01,099 –> 00:28:06,800 I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m the one who did it! I don’t want 206 00:28:06,800 –> 00:28:12,420 you saying, weren’t these marvelous figs? No, I am doing to give you a sign by doing 207 00:28:12,420 –> 00:28:19,420 something that only I could do! Now, to get a fuller picture of what happened 208 00:28:22,339 –> 00:28:29,339 on this extraordinary day, 2 Kings chapter 20 gives us a couple of really important details 209 00:28:32,560 –> 00:28:39,560 that help us to grasp how God did these remarkable things. If you look over at 2 Kings, chapter 210 00:28:43,420 –> 00:28:48,859 20 you’ll see there that it begins with exactly the same words as we read from verses one 211 00:28:48,859 –> 00:28:54,680 to three in Isaiah and chapter 38. We’re told that Hezekiah became ill, we’re told Isaiah 212 00:28:54,680 –> 00:29:01,040 comes and says you’re going to die, and then the king turns to the wall and he prays. 213 00:29:01,040 –> 00:29:08,040 But then 2k20 in verse four we have something additional that’s not there in Isaiah 38. 214 00:29:08,920 –> 00:29:15,920 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court – so he has left the king’s bedroom and 215 00:29:19,959 –> 00:29:25,560 before he has even left the palace, before he has gone out of the middle court – the 216 00:29:25,560 –> 00:29:32,560 word of the lord came to him, turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people thus 217 00:29:33,560 –> 00:29:40,560 says the lord, the god of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your 218 00:29:40,599 –> 00:29:45,599 tears, behold I will heal you. And then we’re told this, on the third day, you shall go 219 00:29:50,699 –> 00:29:55,699 up to the house of the lord. So, let’s put together what happened on 220 00:29:55,920 –> 00:30:01,920 this extraordinary day, one, Hezekiah had become sick and he was at the beginning of 221 00:30:06,140 –> 00:30:11,140 the day at the very point of death. Two, Isaiah comes to the king on a pastoral visit and 222 00:30:17,739 –> 00:30:22,739 says, put your house in order, because you are going to die, you are going to recover. 223 00:30:23,339 –> 00:30:28,339 Three, Hezekiah turns to the wall and he prays. Four, Isaiah leaves the king’s bedroom, but 224 00:30:32,819 –> 00:30:37,819 before he’s even left the palace God speaks to him again. Turn round. Go back to the king’s 225 00:30:38,439 –> 00:30:43,439 bedroom. Tell Hezekiah, I’ve heard your prayer. I will heal you. This was an immediate 226 00:30:45,540 –> 00:30:50,540 answer to prayer. Isaiah hadn’t even got clear of the palace. So Isaiah fifthly comes back 227 00:30:51,540 –> 00:30:56,540 and says to the king, verse 21 of Isaiah 38, now put a cake of figs on the boil. God has 228 00:31:01,459 –> 00:31:06,459 heard your prayer. He will heal you. And on the third day, three days from now you shall 229 00:31:09,140 –> 00:31:14,140 go up to the house of the Lord. Hezekiah’s just taken so aback by this statement. And 230 00:31:14,260 –> 00:31:20,260 so, sixthly he asks, What is the sign, verse 22, that I shall go up to the house of the 231 00:31:25,319 –> 00:31:31,319 Lord? And so seventhly Isaiah tells him that God will do something that only God himself 232 00:31:32,359 –> 00:31:38,359 could do. He will make the shadow cast by the declining sun turn back ten steps. Now, 233 00:31:39,140 –> 00:31:46,140 that’s the story. Why is it in the Bible? What we have here is the story of a godly 234 00:31:51,119 –> 00:31:58,119 king who was at the point of death. And God heard his prayer and raised him up on the 235 00:32:03,099 –> 00:32:06,819 third day. Now, the whole Bible points to this. 236 00:32:07,599 –> 00:32:09,819 Now, the whole Bible points us to our Lord 237 00:32:09,819 –> 00:32:16,300 and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Great King, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. 238 00:32:16,300 –> 00:32:23,300 Friends, he wasn’t just at the point of death. He died. And when a person dies, there are 239 00:32:26,319 –> 00:32:33,319 no means by which they can be brought back to life. Raising the dead is something that 240 00:32:34,319 –> 00:32:41,319 only God himself can do, and He has done it. Jesus Christ was crucified. He was dead. He 241 00:32:45,500 –> 00:32:52,500 was buried. But on the third day, God raised Him up. And brothers and sisters, this is 242 00:32:53,800 –> 00:33:00,800 our hope. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is your hope and your assurance that when 243 00:33:01,800 –> 00:33:08,800 your days on earth are done, you will go up to the house of the Lord. See, Hezekiah’s 244 00:33:10,079 –> 00:33:17,079 question really is the ultimate question for us all. What is the sign that I shall go 245 00:33:19,800 –> 00:33:25,359 up to the house of the Lord? Of course, Hezekiah meant by that, what’s the sign that I’m 246 00:33:25,359 –> 00:33:29,500 going to recover from the illness? How do I know that I will be able to go to the temple 247 00:33:29,520 –> 00:33:38,719 and pray? But, friends, a day will come when you know that life is slipping away from you. 248 00:33:40,359 –> 00:33:47,359 The shadows are going to lengthen as the sun goes down on your days in this world. And 249 00:33:49,180 –> 00:33:54,739 when like Hezekiah, you find yourself on the point of death, there really will only be 250 00:33:54,780 –> 00:34:01,780 one question that matters, and it’s this – What is the sign that I will go up to the House 251 00:34:05,599 –> 00:34:12,600 of the Lord? And here’s your answer. Jesus Christ, your King, rose from the dead on the 252 00:34:14,199 –> 00:34:20,320 third day and because He lives, you will not only go up to the House of the Lord, you will 253 00:34:20,320 –> 00:34:27,320 dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Listen to these words of Jesus. This is the will 254 00:34:30,959 –> 00:34:37,959 of my Father, that everyone, everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him, should 255 00:34:38,860 –> 00:34:45,860 have eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day. Friends, that is the hope 256 00:34:52,040 –> 00:34:59,040 of the Gospel. And it can be your hope today if you will believe in Jesus Christ our Saviour. 257 00:35:07,959 –> 00:35:14,959 Our Saviour and our King. Let’s pray together. 258 00:35:16,699 –> 00:35:23,360 Our Father, we are so grateful that You are 259 00:35:23,360 –> 00:35:29,600 the sovereign God who works through means. 260 00:35:29,600 –> 00:35:36,399 And we pray for the nurses and for the doctors who are so extended 261 00:35:36,399 –> 00:35:39,899 that You will help them and that You will bless them and that You will use them 262 00:35:39,899 –> 00:35:44,659 as the means of saving many lives. 263 00:35:44,659 –> 00:35:50,000 We pray for the scientists who are working round the clock, 264 00:35:50,000 –> 00:35:55,919 seeking progress in regards to treatment and in regards to vaccine. 265 00:35:55,919 –> 00:36:00,719 We ask that You will aid them in their work and use what they do 266 00:36:00,719 –> 00:36:06,399 for the relief of many millions of people. 267 00:36:06,399 –> 00:36:12,060 And Father, because You work through means, 268 00:36:12,060 –> 00:36:16,199 we ask that You will help us to live in these days especially, 269 00:36:16,199 –> 00:36:18,580 always asking the question 270 00:36:18,580 –> 00:36:26,280 how might I be the means that God will use to bring help and blessing to someone else. 271 00:36:26,280 –> 00:36:28,959 Use us, dear Lord. 272 00:36:28,959 –> 00:36:32,899 Make us those who are truly Your servants 273 00:36:32,899 –> 00:36:39,120 and those who are genuinely useful to others. 274 00:36:39,120 –> 00:36:43,840 And then we thank You that in Your sovereign power 275 00:36:43,840 –> 00:36:52,199 You are able to do that for which there are no means at all, 276 00:36:52,199 –> 00:36:57,199 that You are able to raise the dead directly by Your own sovereign power. 277 00:36:57,199 –> 00:37:01,840 Thank You that You raised Your son Jesus Christ 278 00:37:01,840 –> 00:37:06,179 and thank You that because He lives 279 00:37:06,179 –> 00:37:08,459 we shall live also. 280 00:37:08,459 –> 00:37:12,219 So, Grandfather, that we may be helped to walk by faith 281 00:37:12,219 –> 00:37:14,739 that we may be sustained in faith 282 00:37:14,739 –> 00:37:19,479 and that we may look to You and serve You well 283 00:37:19,479 –> 00:37:22,500 for these things we ask 284 00:37:22,500 –> 00:37:26,540 in and through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 285 00:37:27,199 –> 00:37:28,699 Amen.