1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:02,480 I’m Pastor Colin Smith, and today, 2 00:00:02,480 –> 00:00:05,020 we’re interrupting the program we’d planned 3 00:00:05,020 –> 00:00:08,720 because I want to bring a message that is on my heart 4 00:00:08,720 –> 00:00:11,760 for these extraordinary days in which we’re living. 5 00:00:12,660 –> 00:00:16,280 It was last year, when I was reading through Isaiah 6 00:00:16,280 –> 00:00:17,799 in my own times with the Lord, 7 00:00:17,799 –> 00:00:22,540 that I was really gripped by Isaiah chapter 38. 8 00:00:22,540 –> 00:00:25,160 It tells the story of an illness 9 00:00:25,160 –> 00:00:27,799 that effected King Hezekiah. 10 00:00:27,900 –> 00:00:32,259 It tells how he felt, how he prayed, and how God helped him. 11 00:00:32,259 –> 00:00:34,119 While I was gripped by this story, 12 00:00:34,119 –> 00:00:37,660 and I began making notes about a series on this chapter 13 00:00:37,660 –> 00:00:40,980 and planned for it to begin this month. 14 00:00:40,980 –> 00:00:44,099 Then in January, when I began to think about a title, 15 00:00:44,099 –> 00:00:47,160 I thought, you know, this story is about a crisis, 16 00:00:47,160 –> 00:00:49,919 something totally unexpected 17 00:00:49,919 –> 00:00:52,619 that happened in the life of King Hezekiah. 18 00:00:52,619 –> 00:00:54,919 And so I decided to call the series 19 00:00:55,119 –> 00:00:59,020 Crisis Facing the Unexpected. 20 00:00:59,020 –> 00:01:02,119 Well, who could have imagined 21 00:01:02,119 –> 00:01:03,680 that we would find ourselves 22 00:01:03,680 –> 00:01:08,019 in the middle of a world health crisis today? 23 00:01:08,019 –> 00:01:10,959 We’re going to look at this remarkable chapter, 24 00:01:10,959 –> 00:01:15,599 and I want us to see together what God has to say to us 25 00:01:15,599 –> 00:01:18,900 as we face this unexpected crisis. 26 00:01:18,900 –> 00:01:21,900 If you can, I want to invite you to open your Bible 27 00:01:22,019 –> 00:01:24,019 at Isaiah, chapter 38, 28 00:01:24,019 –> 00:01:26,699 and we’re going to look today at the first three verses, 29 00:01:26,699 –> 00:01:30,559 and I’ve called this message Shock. 30 00:01:30,559 –> 00:01:33,660 In those days, the scripture says, 31 00:01:33,660 –> 00:01:36,459 Hezekiah became sick, 32 00:01:36,459 –> 00:01:39,980 and he was at the point of death. 33 00:01:41,099 –> 00:01:43,900 Now, those days is a reference 34 00:01:43,900 –> 00:01:47,500 to a time when God’s people were under attack. 35 00:01:47,500 –> 00:01:50,500 The King of Assyria had invaded the Promised Land. 36 00:01:50,540 –> 00:01:52,160 It began in the north, 37 00:01:52,160 –> 00:01:54,339 where the 10 tribes had broken away 38 00:01:54,339 –> 00:01:56,099 from the line of David, 39 00:01:56,099 –> 00:01:59,339 and the northern kingdom was soon overwhelmed 40 00:01:59,339 –> 00:02:00,940 and its people scattered. 41 00:02:00,940 –> 00:02:04,739 It fell, it collapsed, it was utterly defeated. 42 00:02:04,739 –> 00:02:09,380 Hezekiah was a direct descendant of David, 43 00:02:09,380 –> 00:02:11,919 and he ruled in the south. 44 00:02:11,919 –> 00:02:14,179 And when the northern kingdom collapsed, 45 00:02:14,179 –> 00:02:15,539 well, then the King of Assyria 46 00:02:15,539 –> 00:02:17,500 moved against the south 47 00:02:17,759 –> 00:02:19,740 and demanded the king’s surrender. 48 00:02:20,880 –> 00:02:24,100 Well, the scripture tells us how Hezekiah took the letter 49 00:02:24,100 –> 00:02:27,880 demanding his surrender into the temple of God, 50 00:02:27,880 –> 00:02:31,100 and he spread the letter out before the Lord, 51 00:02:31,100 –> 00:02:32,619 and this is how he prayed, 52 00:02:32,619 –> 00:02:37,419 now, O Lord our God, save us, 53 00:02:37,419 –> 00:02:41,699 please that all the kingdoms of the earth 54 00:02:41,699 –> 00:02:45,720 may know that you, O Lord, are God alone. 55 00:02:46,440 –> 00:02:50,220 Well, God answered Hezekiah’s prayer, 56 00:02:50,220 –> 00:02:51,259 and you can read the story 57 00:02:51,259 –> 00:02:53,020 of how the Lord delivered his people 58 00:02:53,020 –> 00:02:55,020 from the power of the Assyrian army 59 00:02:55,020 –> 00:02:57,619 in 2 Kings and Chapter 19. 60 00:02:57,619 –> 00:02:59,619 It’s a great story. 61 00:02:59,619 –> 00:03:02,779 God brought them through a crisis, 62 00:03:02,779 –> 00:03:05,899 but then we read in 2 Kings chapter 20, 63 00:03:05,899 –> 00:03:09,740 and we have the same story here in Isaiah chapter 38 64 00:03:09,740 –> 00:03:14,699 that in those days, Hezekiah became sick. 65 00:03:14,699 –> 00:03:19,320 So, here’s the great king, whose prayer has been heard, 66 00:03:19,320 –> 00:03:22,539 and suddenly, the one whose prayer has been heard 67 00:03:22,539 –> 00:03:25,259 is staring death in the face. 68 00:03:25,259 –> 00:03:27,979 God had delivered him from one crisis, 69 00:03:27,979 –> 00:03:29,779 and now he’s facing another. 70 00:03:30,940 –> 00:03:32,699 Now, before we get into the story 71 00:03:32,699 –> 00:03:35,399 of exactly what happened in this crisis, 72 00:03:35,399 –> 00:03:38,419 it’ll be helpful to know just a little bit about Hezekiah. 73 00:03:38,419 –> 00:03:41,820 In those days, Hezekiah became sick, 74 00:03:41,820 –> 00:03:43,779 and he was at the point of death. 75 00:03:44,539 –> 00:03:47,380 Well, now, Hezekiah was one of the best kings 76 00:03:47,380 –> 00:03:50,220 that God’s people ever had, 77 00:03:50,220 –> 00:03:54,460 and that’s remarkable because he was the son of Ahaz, 78 00:03:54,460 –> 00:03:56,600 who was one of the worst. 79 00:03:56,600 –> 00:03:58,139 And that reminds us, by the way, 80 00:03:58,139 –> 00:04:00,899 that God is able to redeem people 81 00:04:00,899 –> 00:04:03,399 from the worst backgrounds 82 00:04:03,399 –> 00:04:07,520 and to move their lives in a totally different direction. 83 00:04:07,520 –> 00:04:11,759 If you have had a terrible beginning to life, 84 00:04:11,759 –> 00:04:14,600 well you know you’re just like Hezekiah, 85 00:04:14,600 –> 00:04:17,299 and God in his mercy and his grace 86 00:04:17,299 –> 00:04:19,720 can break into your life 87 00:04:19,720 –> 00:04:21,980 and take you in a whole new, 88 00:04:21,980 –> 00:04:24,140 and very wonderful direction. 89 00:04:25,200 –> 00:04:27,359 The Bible tells us of Hezekiah 90 00:04:27,359 –> 00:04:30,559 that he lived a good and a righteous life. 91 00:04:30,559 –> 00:04:33,100 2 Kings chapter 18 and verse three says, 92 00:04:33,100 –> 00:04:37,619 he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 93 00:04:37,619 –> 00:04:40,140 And he was a man of great faith. 94 00:04:40,140 –> 00:04:43,019 He trusted in the Lord, the scripture says, 95 00:04:43,019 –> 00:04:44,299 the God of Israel. 96 00:04:44,299 –> 00:04:46,480 So that there was none like him 97 00:04:46,480 –> 00:04:49,119 among the kings of Judah after him, 98 00:04:49,119 –> 00:04:52,059 nor among those who were before him. 99 00:04:52,059 –> 00:04:53,579 In all of the time after 100 00:04:53,579 –> 00:04:55,579 the division of the kingdom into two, 101 00:04:55,579 –> 00:04:58,019 there was no one who was as good, 102 00:04:58,019 –> 00:05:00,579 no one who lived a life that was as pleasing 103 00:05:00,579 –> 00:05:05,260 in the eyes of the Lord as this man King Hezekiah. 104 00:05:05,260 –> 00:05:06,500 And then the scripture 105 00:05:06,500 –> 00:05:09,920 makes clear that he stayed the course, 106 00:05:09,980 –> 00:05:13,279 he held fast to the Lord. 107 00:05:13,279 –> 00:05:16,399 For he did not depart from following him 108 00:05:16,399 –> 00:05:18,239 but kept the commandments 109 00:05:18,239 –> 00:05:20,959 that the Lord had commanded Moses. 110 00:05:20,959 –> 00:05:23,420 And then God was with him. 111 00:05:23,420 –> 00:05:24,940 The Lord was with him, 112 00:05:24,940 –> 00:05:27,600 we read in second kings 18 in verse seven, 113 00:05:27,600 –> 00:05:31,640 wherever he went out, he prospered. 114 00:05:31,640 –> 00:05:32,559 Now, very simply, 115 00:05:32,559 –> 00:05:35,720 you can’t get a better commendation than that. 116 00:05:35,720 –> 00:05:36,600 I mean, think about it, 117 00:05:36,600 –> 00:05:38,880 if someone were to say about you 118 00:05:38,920 –> 00:05:42,279 that you did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, 119 00:05:42,279 –> 00:05:43,859 that you trusted the Lord, 120 00:05:43,859 –> 00:05:45,600 that you held fast to him, 121 00:05:45,600 –> 00:05:47,079 and that the Lord was with you 122 00:05:47,079 –> 00:05:49,339 and that whatever you did prospered, 123 00:05:49,339 –> 00:05:50,760 well if that was said about you, 124 00:05:50,760 –> 00:05:52,200 if that was said about me, 125 00:05:52,200 –> 00:05:54,859 we would be greatly blessed. 126 00:05:55,839 –> 00:05:58,000 So get this clear in your mind, 127 00:05:58,000 –> 00:06:02,640 we’re looking at the story of a godly king, 128 00:06:02,640 –> 00:06:05,200 a man who walked with God, 129 00:06:05,200 –> 00:06:08,200 a man who knew how to pray, 130 00:06:08,200 –> 00:06:10,540 a man who got blessed, 131 00:06:10,540 –> 00:06:12,200 a man who got prospered. 132 00:06:12,200 –> 00:06:14,600 And yet, of this man, 133 00:06:14,600 –> 00:06:15,640 this godly king, 134 00:06:15,640 –> 00:06:17,220 there was never a better one. 135 00:06:18,119 –> 00:06:18,959 We read, 136 00:06:18,959 –> 00:06:20,880 in those days, 137 00:06:20,880 –> 00:06:23,140 Hezekiah became sick 138 00:06:23,140 –> 00:06:26,019 and he was at the point of death. 139 00:06:27,200 –> 00:06:29,859 So here’s a painful affliction. 140 00:06:29,859 –> 00:06:32,720 It happens to a godly man 141 00:06:32,720 –> 00:06:36,220 and it happens at the worst possible time. 142 00:06:37,079 –> 00:06:38,839 Well, can you see that this is a story 143 00:06:38,839 –> 00:06:40,540 that’s going to speak to us today? 144 00:06:41,519 –> 00:06:44,000 Suddenly, not only the king, 145 00:06:44,000 –> 00:06:45,640 but all of God’s people 146 00:06:45,640 –> 00:06:49,720 are plunged into an unexpected crisis. 147 00:06:51,200 –> 00:06:53,619 Now if you’re sick, 148 00:06:53,619 –> 00:06:57,440 then you will know that it changes everything. 149 00:06:58,880 –> 00:07:02,440 And some listening to this program today, 150 00:07:02,440 –> 00:07:05,839 you’re going through treatment for cancer. 151 00:07:05,839 –> 00:07:09,380 Others will be going through kidney dialysis. 152 00:07:09,380 –> 00:07:12,739 Some experiencing pain whenever you move 153 00:07:12,739 –> 00:07:14,100 because of an injury. 154 00:07:14,940 –> 00:07:16,640 And now on top of all of that, 155 00:07:16,640 –> 00:07:21,640 all of us are caught up in this World Health Crisis 156 00:07:22,739 –> 00:07:24,940 that is sweeping the globe. 157 00:07:24,940 –> 00:07:27,339 Hezekiah became sick. 158 00:07:28,660 –> 00:07:32,140 Now we’re not told what the illness was. 159 00:07:32,140 –> 00:07:34,980 But we do know that it was serious. 160 00:07:34,980 –> 00:07:39,359 Hezekiah became sick and he was at the point of death. 161 00:07:40,420 –> 00:07:43,600 Why would God allow this godly king to become sick? 162 00:07:43,600 –> 00:07:48,519 I mean, after all the years of the disastrous rule of Ahaz, 163 00:07:48,519 –> 00:07:51,500 now finally God’s people had a king, 164 00:07:51,500 –> 00:07:52,899 and God was with him. 165 00:07:52,899 –> 00:07:54,779 Whatever this king did prospered. 166 00:07:54,779 –> 00:07:59,220 What will happen to God’s people if this king dies? 167 00:07:59,220 –> 00:08:01,519 This is the king who prayed for God’s people. 168 00:08:01,519 –> 00:08:03,480 God listens to his prayers. 169 00:08:03,480 –> 00:08:04,640 We need him. 170 00:08:04,679 –> 00:08:07,720 Lord, please don’t take him from us. 171 00:08:08,859 –> 00:08:12,220 Well maybe you know what it is to feel that 172 00:08:12,220 –> 00:08:14,260 about someone you love. 173 00:08:14,260 –> 00:08:17,660 Lord, not him, not her, don’t take this person 174 00:08:17,660 –> 00:08:18,619 away from me. 175 00:08:20,299 –> 00:08:22,859 Well, then, as we follow the story, 176 00:08:22,859 –> 00:08:27,859 this godly king, Hezekiah, receives a pastoral visit. 177 00:08:28,100 –> 00:08:29,540 Verse one, 178 00:08:29,540 –> 00:08:33,500 and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, 179 00:08:33,500 –> 00:08:36,919 came to him and said to him, 180 00:08:36,919 –> 00:08:39,700 thus says the Lord, 181 00:08:39,700 –> 00:08:44,700 set your house in order for you shall die, 182 00:08:45,320 –> 00:08:47,080 you shall not recover. 183 00:08:48,280 –> 00:08:50,140 Now, I want you to imagine 184 00:08:50,140 –> 00:08:53,539 the shock that this must have been for this godly king. 185 00:08:54,640 –> 00:08:58,099 Isaiah the prophet has the awful job 186 00:08:58,099 –> 00:08:59,700 that’s often given to a doctor 187 00:08:59,700 –> 00:09:02,440 when he or she has to come to a patient 188 00:09:02,520 –> 00:09:05,080 and say, I’m sorry, 189 00:09:05,080 –> 00:09:07,520 there’s nothing more that we can do for you. 190 00:09:09,299 –> 00:09:11,700 But Isaiah was a prophet. 191 00:09:11,700 –> 00:09:15,119 He spoke the word of God. 192 00:09:15,119 –> 00:09:17,520 And so there’s absolutely no doubt about this. 193 00:09:17,520 –> 00:09:21,359 He says, thus says the Lord, 194 00:09:21,359 –> 00:09:26,080 set your house in order for you shall die, 195 00:09:26,080 –> 00:09:28,559 you shall not recover. 196 00:09:28,559 –> 00:09:31,760 That is quite a pastoral visit. 197 00:09:32,900 –> 00:09:36,080 Now, I’m going to give you a spoiler alert. 198 00:09:36,080 –> 00:09:39,080 These are tough days and we can’t wait 199 00:09:39,080 –> 00:09:41,880 until next time to hear about Hope. 200 00:09:41,880 –> 00:09:43,880 So let me tell you right now 201 00:09:43,880 –> 00:09:47,760 that this story has a really good ending. 202 00:09:47,760 –> 00:09:49,440 Hezekiah recovers, 203 00:09:49,440 –> 00:09:53,380 and God gives him another 15 years of life. 204 00:09:54,400 –> 00:09:59,400 But friends, the value of this story to us today 205 00:10:00,380 –> 00:10:03,359 is that it takes us through the five stages 206 00:10:03,359 –> 00:10:08,039 of Hezekiah’s crisis, shock, hope, 207 00:10:08,039 –> 00:10:11,919 anguish, joy, and gratitude. 208 00:10:11,919 –> 00:10:15,960 And I think that today we are exactly 209 00:10:15,960 –> 00:10:19,559 where Hezekiah was at the beginning of his crisis. 210 00:10:19,559 –> 00:10:21,299 And the reason that I don’t want to jump 211 00:10:21,299 –> 00:10:24,520 to the end of the story is that I want us to hear 212 00:10:24,520 –> 00:10:27,700 what God has to say to us right now 213 00:10:27,700 –> 00:10:30,200 while we find ourselves in shock. 214 00:10:31,059 –> 00:10:33,340 I mean, suddenly, all of our lives 215 00:10:33,340 –> 00:10:38,340 that seemed so sure, so plannable, so certain, 216 00:10:38,520 –> 00:10:43,119 well now they seem vulnerable, uncertain, 217 00:10:43,119 –> 00:10:48,119 and like Hezekiah, we are all in shock. 218 00:10:48,140 –> 00:10:51,059 What’s this going to mean for my job? 219 00:10:51,059 –> 00:10:53,919 What’s this going to mean for my savings? 220 00:10:53,919 –> 00:10:56,539 How long is this going to last? 221 00:10:56,539 –> 00:10:58,500 Will I get the virus, and if I do, 222 00:10:58,500 –> 00:11:00,159 how’s it going to affect me? 223 00:11:02,359 –> 00:11:05,599 Well, how did Hezekiah respond 224 00:11:05,599 –> 00:11:09,679 to the shock of an unexpected crisis? 225 00:11:10,719 –> 00:11:13,859 And how will we respond to the shock 226 00:11:13,859 –> 00:11:15,799 of this unexpected crisis 227 00:11:15,799 –> 00:11:17,580 in which we find ourselves today? 228 00:11:18,900 –> 00:11:22,539 I want us to see two things in this passage of scripture 229 00:11:22,559 –> 00:11:26,659 that are the way God calls us to respond today. 230 00:11:26,659 –> 00:11:31,659 And the first is to seek the face of God in prayer. 231 00:11:33,179 –> 00:11:34,539 It says, in verse two, 232 00:11:42,940 –> 00:11:45,380 Now here’s this Godly man. 233 00:11:45,380 –> 00:11:47,500 He has a serious illness. 234 00:11:47,500 –> 00:11:48,979 It’s weakened him. 235 00:11:48,979 –> 00:11:51,719 He’s lying there on his bed. 236 00:11:51,719 –> 00:11:53,159 Isaiah, the prophet, comes, 237 00:11:53,159 –> 00:11:56,039 and when the king hears this grim news, 238 00:11:56,039 –> 00:11:58,799 you’re not recover, you’re going to die, 239 00:11:58,799 –> 00:12:01,059 set your house in order. 240 00:12:01,059 –> 00:12:05,179 When he hears this news, he turns to the wall and he prays. 241 00:12:06,599 –> 00:12:08,039 Now that’s fascinating to me 242 00:12:08,039 –> 00:12:11,000 because Isaiah, the prophet, was still in the room. 243 00:12:12,000 –> 00:12:14,940 And there are a vast number of questions 244 00:12:14,940 –> 00:12:16,599 that the king could have asked. 245 00:12:16,599 –> 00:12:18,359 Questions I would have wanted to ask 246 00:12:18,359 –> 00:12:21,000 and I’m sure questions you would have wanted to ask too. 247 00:12:21,059 –> 00:12:23,840 Well, how long do I have to live? 248 00:12:23,840 –> 00:12:26,119 Why is this happening? 249 00:12:26,119 –> 00:12:29,559 And Isaiah, where is God in all of this? 250 00:12:30,460 –> 00:12:33,080 But Hezekiah doesn’t go there. 251 00:12:34,760 –> 00:12:36,099 The natural question, of course, 252 00:12:36,099 –> 00:12:39,780 always in any crisis is for us to ask why? 253 00:12:39,780 –> 00:12:42,400 What in the world is God doing? 254 00:12:42,400 –> 00:12:44,919 And I expect that in the coming days 255 00:12:44,919 –> 00:12:47,440 we’re going to be bombarded with blogs 256 00:12:47,440 –> 00:12:50,200 and broadcasts and social media posts 257 00:12:50,200 –> 00:12:51,919 from people who feel quite sure 258 00:12:51,919 –> 00:12:53,979 that they know what God is doing. 259 00:12:55,340 –> 00:12:57,479 But wise Christians will do well 260 00:12:57,479 –> 00:13:01,479 to remember Deuteronomy 29, in verse 29. 261 00:13:02,960 –> 00:13:06,900 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, 262 00:13:07,840 –> 00:13:10,200 but the things that are revealed 263 00:13:10,200 –> 00:13:14,320 belong to us and to our children forever. 264 00:13:14,320 –> 00:13:16,559 That’s Deuteronomy 29, 29. 265 00:13:16,559 –> 00:13:19,280 The secret things belong to the Lord. 266 00:13:20,200 –> 00:13:23,400 And Hezekiah knows that he can’t find out 267 00:13:23,400 –> 00:13:24,960 what God has kept secret. 268 00:13:25,799 –> 00:13:28,200 What he does is that he takes hold 269 00:13:28,200 –> 00:13:30,679 of what God has revealed, 270 00:13:30,679 –> 00:13:35,599 and that is that in any circumstance we can pray. 271 00:13:35,599 –> 00:13:39,080 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall 272 00:13:39,080 –> 00:13:41,799 and he prayed to the Lord. 273 00:13:42,719 –> 00:13:44,659 Now why turn to the wall? 274 00:13:44,659 –> 00:13:47,400 Well, I think very simply that in turning to the wall, 275 00:13:47,400 –> 00:13:50,739 Hezekiah was shutting out all of the other distractions 276 00:13:50,739 –> 00:13:53,539 that no doubt would have been there in the room. 277 00:13:53,539 –> 00:13:55,299 You know, I think that’s why I find it helpful 278 00:13:55,299 –> 00:13:58,280 to close my eyes when I pray. 279 00:13:58,280 –> 00:14:00,859 It’s not that there’s anything particularly spiritual 280 00:14:00,859 –> 00:14:03,179 about doing that, but when I close my eyes, 281 00:14:03,179 –> 00:14:05,780 I find that it keeps me from being distracted 282 00:14:05,780 –> 00:14:08,380 from things that I would otherwise see around me. 283 00:14:08,380 –> 00:14:10,179 And I think that’s the point here. 284 00:14:10,179 –> 00:14:12,619 Hezekiah turns away from Isaiah 285 00:14:13,460 –> 00:14:16,640 and he focuses himself entirely 286 00:14:16,640 –> 00:14:19,960 on seeking the face of God in prayer. 287 00:14:21,340 –> 00:14:24,020 Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, 288 00:14:24,020 –> 00:14:27,979 I’m calling us today to pray 289 00:14:27,979 –> 00:14:32,219 as our first response to this unexpected crisis 290 00:14:32,219 –> 00:14:34,460 in which we find ourselves. 291 00:14:34,460 –> 00:14:37,000 We can’t do this together right now, 292 00:14:37,000 –> 00:14:40,119 but you know, we can follow the example of Hezekiah 293 00:14:40,119 –> 00:14:44,919 and we can get serious about prayer in our homes. 294 00:14:46,159 –> 00:14:49,559 And I hope that you’re going to do that today. 295 00:14:50,799 –> 00:14:55,080 Now, I’ve already given you the spoiler alert. 296 00:14:55,080 –> 00:14:57,080 We know the end of this story. 297 00:14:57,080 –> 00:14:59,320 We know that it’s a good ending to this story, 298 00:14:59,320 –> 00:15:02,039 God heard Hezekiah’s prayer, he didn’t die, 299 00:15:02,039 –> 00:15:06,280 God gave to him another 15 years of life. 300 00:15:06,880 –> 00:15:09,840 Now, that tells us something really important. 301 00:15:09,840 –> 00:15:13,640 Prayer can change the course of history, 302 00:15:14,880 –> 00:15:18,080 and I wonder if you really believe that. 303 00:15:19,479 –> 00:15:24,159 You see, some folks have the idea that prayer changes us, 304 00:15:24,159 –> 00:15:26,359 but that the events that take place around us 305 00:15:26,359 –> 00:15:28,280 are somehow fixed, 306 00:15:28,280 –> 00:15:30,960 and that nothing can really change them. 307 00:15:30,960 –> 00:15:32,400 And I want to say to you today, 308 00:15:32,400 –> 00:15:35,719 you won’t find that in the Bible. 309 00:15:36,000 –> 00:15:39,840 When Hezekiah was faced with a threat of an invading army, 310 00:15:39,840 –> 00:15:43,880 he spread the demand for his surrender before the Lord. 311 00:15:43,880 –> 00:15:46,280 He went into the temple, laid out the letter, 312 00:15:46,280 –> 00:15:48,200 and then prayed over it, 313 00:15:48,200 –> 00:15:52,159 oh Lord, our God, save us. 314 00:15:52,159 –> 00:15:55,919 And God did save his people from an invading army. 315 00:15:55,919 –> 00:15:59,239 His prayers changed the course of history. 316 00:15:59,239 –> 00:16:02,239 And then, when this king was afflicted 317 00:16:02,280 –> 00:16:06,320 by a sudden unexpected illness, he prayed again. 318 00:16:06,320 –> 00:16:08,320 Now we’ll see what he prayed in detail 319 00:16:08,320 –> 00:16:09,719 later in the chapter, 320 00:16:09,719 –> 00:16:12,280 but you have a summary of it in verse 16. 321 00:16:12,280 –> 00:16:13,239 Here’s what he prayed, 322 00:16:13,239 –> 00:16:16,679 oh, restore me to health, 323 00:16:16,679 –> 00:16:19,000 and make me live. 324 00:16:20,140 –> 00:16:20,979 And you know what? 325 00:16:20,979 –> 00:16:22,619 God heard his prayer, 326 00:16:24,119 –> 00:16:26,520 and God raised him up. 327 00:16:27,719 –> 00:16:31,219 Now here’s what we learn from this very important story. 328 00:16:32,400 –> 00:16:37,200 God’s sovereignty includes the prayers of his people. 329 00:16:38,280 –> 00:16:41,799 See, Isaiah had said set your house in order 330 00:16:41,799 –> 00:16:44,799 for you shall die, you shall not recover. 331 00:16:44,799 –> 00:16:48,599 And if Hezekiah had not prayed, 332 00:16:48,599 –> 00:16:50,919 that’s what would have happened. 333 00:16:50,919 –> 00:16:54,559 But Hezekiah sought the face of God in prayer. 334 00:16:55,859 –> 00:17:00,460 God’s sovereignty includes the prayers of his people. 335 00:17:00,539 –> 00:17:02,419 You see that all over the Bible. 336 00:17:02,419 –> 00:17:05,099 You see it, for example, when Abraham 337 00:17:05,099 –> 00:17:07,579 prays for the city of Sodom. 338 00:17:07,579 –> 00:17:11,099 He intercedes, asks God if he wants to save the city 339 00:17:11,099 –> 00:17:13,739 for 50 people, and then the number keeps coming down. 340 00:17:13,739 –> 00:17:17,660 Would you save the city if even one righteous person 341 00:17:17,660 –> 00:17:19,739 were to be found there, he prays? 342 00:17:20,979 –> 00:17:25,680 And Abraham’s prayer changed the course of history. 343 00:17:25,680 –> 00:17:27,660 You find it in the story of Jonah. 344 00:17:28,619 –> 00:17:32,380 Jonah is sent to speak the word of the Lord 345 00:17:32,380 –> 00:17:34,439 to the city of Nineveh. 346 00:17:34,439 –> 00:17:36,260 He goes into the city and he says, 347 00:17:36,260 –> 00:17:39,680 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown. 348 00:17:39,680 –> 00:17:42,359 Sounds like that’s the end of the story. 349 00:17:42,359 –> 00:17:45,119 But the Ninevites believed God. 350 00:17:45,119 –> 00:17:46,719 They turned from their evil ways 351 00:17:46,719 –> 00:17:48,939 and they called on the name of the Lord, 352 00:17:48,939 –> 00:17:52,500 and the Scripture says when God saw what they did 353 00:17:52,500 –> 00:17:54,939 and how they turned from their evil way, 354 00:17:55,079 –> 00:17:57,959 God relented of the disaster 355 00:17:57,959 –> 00:18:00,160 that he had said he would do to them 356 00:18:00,160 –> 00:18:02,119 and he did not do it. 357 00:18:03,099 –> 00:18:06,359 God is sovereign in all things 358 00:18:06,359 –> 00:18:11,359 and his sovereignty includes the prayers of his people. 359 00:18:11,760 –> 00:18:15,300 You know we don’t claim to know what God is doing, 360 00:18:15,300 –> 00:18:20,300 but the first instinct of a godly heart in any crisis 361 00:18:21,560 –> 00:18:24,599 is to turn towards God and pray. 362 00:18:25,719 –> 00:18:28,719 Others can do the analysis. 363 00:18:28,719 –> 00:18:31,920 Only Christians can pray. 364 00:18:33,119 –> 00:18:36,640 So the first thing that we must do in response 365 00:18:36,640 –> 00:18:41,640 to any crisis is to seek the face of God in prayer. 366 00:18:42,520 –> 00:18:46,020 And the second is that we must seek to live 367 00:18:46,020 –> 00:18:48,599 with a clear conscience. 368 00:18:48,599 –> 00:18:51,719 Look at Isaiah 38 in verse three. 369 00:18:51,719 –> 00:18:54,520 Please, O Lord, 370 00:18:54,520 –> 00:18:59,260 remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness 371 00:18:59,260 –> 00:19:01,699 and with a whole heart 372 00:19:01,699 –> 00:19:05,339 and have done what is good in your sight. 373 00:19:06,459 –> 00:19:08,400 Now, what is this? 374 00:19:08,400 –> 00:19:10,300 Is this Hezekiah saying to God, 375 00:19:10,300 –> 00:19:12,359 well, I’ve lived a godly life 376 00:19:12,359 –> 00:19:15,060 and so now I’m asking you to heal me? 377 00:19:15,060 –> 00:19:17,500 As if he could do some kind of a deal, 378 00:19:17,500 –> 00:19:19,599 is he holding up his faithfulness 379 00:19:19,599 –> 00:19:22,619 as some kind of leverage for his prayer? 380 00:19:22,619 –> 00:19:25,640 Well, some commentators suggest that, 381 00:19:25,640 –> 00:19:27,660 but I don’t think so. 382 00:19:27,660 –> 00:19:30,839 Hezekiah was a godly man 383 00:19:30,839 –> 00:19:34,160 and godly people know that they are sinners. 384 00:19:35,099 –> 00:19:37,300 Now, we’ll get to what Hezekiah prayed 385 00:19:37,300 –> 00:19:39,579 in greater detail later, 386 00:19:39,579 –> 00:19:42,339 but I think that in his first response, 387 00:19:42,339 –> 00:19:44,819 he’s simply saying, well, 388 00:19:44,819 –> 00:19:48,479 if I’m going to die, I’m at peace with God. 389 00:19:49,500 –> 00:19:52,500 You see, he had a clear conscience 390 00:19:52,500 –> 00:19:54,219 and when the Prophet told him, 391 00:19:54,219 –> 00:19:56,500 set your house in order. 392 00:19:56,500 –> 00:19:59,800 You are going to die, you will not recover, 393 00:19:59,800 –> 00:20:02,660 well, when the unexpected crisis came, 394 00:20:02,660 –> 00:20:06,060 a clear conscience brought him great comfort. 395 00:20:06,920 –> 00:20:08,979 I think that what Hezekiah says here 396 00:20:08,979 –> 00:20:10,680 is rather like what Paul says 397 00:20:10,680 –> 00:20:12,300 at the end of his life, 398 00:20:12,300 –> 00:20:15,060 I have fought the good fight, 399 00:20:15,060 –> 00:20:17,619 I have finished the race, 400 00:20:17,619 –> 00:20:19,739 I have kept the faith. 401 00:20:20,660 –> 00:20:25,140 Now, why did Hezekiah have a clear conscience? 402 00:20:26,180 –> 00:20:27,939 This is very important. 403 00:20:27,939 –> 00:20:30,300 It wasn’t because he had never sinned, 404 00:20:30,300 –> 00:20:32,819 and we know that for sure, because of verse 17. 405 00:20:32,819 –> 00:20:34,099 He says to God, 406 00:20:34,099 –> 00:20:39,099 You have cast all my sins behind your back. 407 00:20:40,339 –> 00:20:45,420 God, You have removed my sins from me, 408 00:20:45,420 –> 00:20:49,099 and that’s why, if it’s my time to go, 409 00:20:49,979 –> 00:20:51,780 I’m ready. 410 00:20:51,780 –> 00:20:54,339 That’s what a clear conscience looks like. 411 00:20:54,339 –> 00:20:59,180 You know that God has put your sins behind His back, 412 00:20:59,180 –> 00:21:04,160 out of His sight, and whenever your time comes to go, 413 00:21:04,160 –> 00:21:06,099 when God calls you home, 414 00:21:06,099 –> 00:21:07,780 if your conscience is clear, 415 00:21:07,780 –> 00:21:09,859 you’ll be able to say, 416 00:21:09,859 –> 00:21:10,819 I’m ready. 417 00:21:11,819 –> 00:21:16,819 So, friend, seek to live with a clear conscience. 418 00:21:16,859 –> 00:21:18,859 The reality is that, sooner or later, 419 00:21:18,859 –> 00:21:21,180 you and I will leave this world 420 00:21:21,180 –> 00:21:23,599 and we will enter fully conscious 421 00:21:23,599 –> 00:21:26,219 into the presence of the Lord. 422 00:21:26,219 –> 00:21:28,900 So, always live in such a way 423 00:21:28,900 –> 00:21:30,959 that you are ready for that day. 424 00:21:32,599 –> 00:21:34,380 You know the Apostle Paul says, 425 00:21:34,380 –> 00:21:38,459 I always take pains to have a clear conscience 426 00:21:38,459 –> 00:21:41,339 toward both God and man. 427 00:21:41,339 –> 00:21:42,780 That’s a remarkable statement, 428 00:21:42,780 –> 00:21:46,119 he was always striving to live in such a way 429 00:21:46,119 –> 00:21:48,380 that if God were to call him home 430 00:21:48,459 –> 00:21:50,599 on any given day, he’d be ready. 431 00:21:50,599 –> 00:21:52,319 Lord, I try to live in that way 432 00:21:52,319 –> 00:21:55,119 with a clear conscience towards you 433 00:21:55,119 –> 00:21:56,540 and I try and live in that way 434 00:21:56,540 –> 00:22:00,719 with a clear conscience towards other people as well. 435 00:22:00,719 –> 00:22:02,920 And friend, that’s how we must live 436 00:22:02,920 –> 00:22:04,680 especially in these days 437 00:22:04,680 –> 00:22:08,680 of this unexpected crisis that has come upon us. 438 00:22:08,680 –> 00:22:10,599 And you know that’s what Hezekiah did, 439 00:22:10,599 –> 00:22:14,160 he walked before the Lord in faithfulness, 440 00:22:14,160 –> 00:22:17,839 with his whole heart, he did what was good in God’s sight, 441 00:22:17,920 –> 00:22:22,339 he was at peace with God, he had a clear conscience 442 00:22:22,339 –> 00:22:24,479 and when the crisis came, 443 00:22:24,479 –> 00:22:27,260 that brought him great comfort. 444 00:22:28,560 –> 00:22:31,040 Now you know, walking before the Lord in faithfulness 445 00:22:31,040 –> 00:22:35,400 and doing what’s good in God’s sight is really practical. 446 00:22:35,400 –> 00:22:37,479 You know a crisis brings out the best 447 00:22:37,479 –> 00:22:39,140 and the worst in people 448 00:22:39,140 –> 00:22:41,339 and I expect that we’ll see both 449 00:22:41,339 –> 00:22:42,920 in the coming weeks and months 450 00:22:42,920 –> 00:22:45,819 as we have already in these last days. 451 00:22:45,819 –> 00:22:49,060 Some people will become more and more angry. 452 00:22:49,060 –> 00:22:52,140 Others will just look to a portion blame. 453 00:22:52,140 –> 00:22:54,760 Already we’ve seen some extraordinary examples 454 00:22:54,760 –> 00:22:57,040 of selfishness but do you know what? 455 00:22:57,040 –> 00:23:00,579 There have also been the great deeds of kindness, 456 00:23:00,579 –> 00:23:02,739 acts of courage on the part of people 457 00:23:02,739 –> 00:23:04,579 who put themselves at risk 458 00:23:04,579 –> 00:23:07,699 in order to save the lives of others. 459 00:23:07,699 –> 00:23:10,099 So let’s pray this way as we continue 460 00:23:10,099 –> 00:23:12,619 to navigate these uncertain days. 461 00:23:12,619 –> 00:23:16,859 Lord, help me to live through this crisis 462 00:23:16,859 –> 00:23:19,900 in such a way that I am always ready 463 00:23:19,900 –> 00:23:22,439 for the day when you will call me home. 464 00:23:22,439 –> 00:23:25,540 Help me to walk before you in faithfulness 465 00:23:25,540 –> 00:23:30,540 with a whole heart and to do what is good in your sight. 466 00:23:31,780 –> 00:23:35,500 So friends, here’s the word of the Lord for us today. 467 00:23:35,500 –> 00:23:39,859 We’re facing a great crisis that none of us expected. 468 00:23:39,859 –> 00:23:42,400 We’re all feeling the shock of it 469 00:23:42,439 –> 00:23:47,239 and we need to pray and we need to be right with God. 470 00:23:48,520 –> 00:23:51,359 But there’s one more thing here that’s really important 471 00:23:51,359 –> 00:23:53,900 and it points to something very wonderful. 472 00:23:54,920 –> 00:23:59,020 You know, it says in Isaiah chapter 38 in verse 3 473 00:23:59,020 –> 00:24:02,239 that Hezekiah wept bitterly. 474 00:24:03,199 –> 00:24:04,920 Why did he weep bitterly? 475 00:24:05,819 –> 00:24:08,859 Why did Hezekiah not say, like the Apostle Paul, 476 00:24:08,859 –> 00:24:11,680 for me to depart is better by far? 477 00:24:11,739 –> 00:24:13,319 Why didn’t he say something like 478 00:24:13,319 –> 00:24:17,140 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain? 479 00:24:17,140 –> 00:24:20,880 Well, obviously Hezekiah lived before the time of Jesus 480 00:24:20,880 –> 00:24:23,719 and he did not have the clarity of hope 481 00:24:23,719 –> 00:24:27,900 that we have living the sight of the resurrection of Jesus. 482 00:24:27,900 –> 00:24:31,599 But remember that even in the Old Testament, 483 00:24:31,599 –> 00:24:36,599 Job could say, I know that my Redeemer lives 484 00:24:37,400 –> 00:24:40,500 and though worms destroy this body, 485 00:24:40,520 –> 00:24:44,439 yet in my flesh I shall see God. 486 00:24:45,699 –> 00:24:48,219 Well, if Job could say that, 487 00:24:48,219 –> 00:24:50,959 why not Hezekiah, a godly King? 488 00:24:50,959 –> 00:24:53,619 Why didn’t he say something like that too? 489 00:24:54,859 –> 00:24:58,579 Well, I think that Hezekiah knew 490 00:24:58,579 –> 00:25:01,500 his life’s work was not yet done. 491 00:25:01,500 –> 00:25:03,979 And here’s why I say that. 492 00:25:03,979 –> 00:25:07,060 God had promised that the King 493 00:25:07,060 –> 00:25:09,619 who would bring hope to the whole world 494 00:25:09,619 –> 00:25:12,619 would be born into the line of David. 495 00:25:12,619 –> 00:25:16,339 And Hezekiah was the direct descendant in that line, 496 00:25:16,339 –> 00:25:20,520 but at this point in the story, he had no son. 497 00:25:21,420 –> 00:25:24,739 We know this because after he recovered from his illness, 498 00:25:24,739 –> 00:25:29,260 God gave King Hezekiah 15 more years. 499 00:25:29,260 –> 00:25:34,260 And when he died, his son became king at the age of 12, 500 00:25:34,439 –> 00:25:38,160 So that tells you when his son was born. 501 00:25:38,319 –> 00:25:40,640 And I’m suggesting to you that the reason 502 00:25:40,640 –> 00:25:44,900 this godly king had such a strong desire to live 503 00:25:44,900 –> 00:25:48,300 was his profound conviction that his life’s work 504 00:25:48,300 –> 00:25:50,800 was not yet done. 505 00:25:50,800 –> 00:25:55,800 If Hezekiah has no son, how can the line of David continue? 506 00:25:55,920 –> 00:25:58,540 And if the line of David does not continue, 507 00:25:58,540 –> 00:26:01,760 how can God’s promise be fulfilled? 508 00:26:01,760 –> 00:26:04,859 No, Hezekiah must have a son. 509 00:26:04,859 –> 00:26:08,619 And if he’s to have a son, he must live. 510 00:26:08,619 –> 00:26:10,660 And so he prays. 511 00:26:10,660 –> 00:26:14,219 And God hears and answers his prayer. 512 00:26:14,219 –> 00:26:16,979 Hezekiah lives and he has a son. 513 00:26:16,979 –> 00:26:19,439 And so the line of David continues. 514 00:26:19,439 –> 00:26:23,540 And so Jesus Christ is born into the world. 515 00:26:24,979 –> 00:26:27,420 Now this is a marvelous story. 516 00:26:27,420 –> 00:26:29,859 And it speaks powerfully to us 517 00:26:29,859 –> 00:26:33,579 because it speaks of how we must respond 518 00:26:33,599 –> 00:26:35,739 to this unexpected crisis 519 00:26:35,739 –> 00:26:38,520 in which we’re finding ourselves today. 520 00:26:38,520 –> 00:26:42,699 We must seek the face of God in prayer, 521 00:26:42,699 –> 00:26:46,599 and we must seek to live with a clear conscience. 522 00:26:47,619 –> 00:26:50,819 And maybe my friend, you’ll be saying today, 523 00:26:50,819 –> 00:26:54,300 you know, that’s what I’ve not done. 524 00:26:54,300 –> 00:26:57,900 I’ve not sought the face of God in prayer. 525 00:26:57,900 –> 00:27:00,439 I don’t have a clear conscience. 526 00:27:00,439 –> 00:27:04,160 I can’t say that I walked before God in faithfulness. 527 00:27:04,160 –> 00:27:07,400 I’ve really not served Him with my whole heart. 528 00:27:07,400 –> 00:27:09,900 I’ve not done what’s good in His sight. 529 00:27:10,760 –> 00:27:14,099 So how can I get a clear conscience? 530 00:27:14,099 –> 00:27:16,880 How can I come before God in prayer? 531 00:27:17,959 –> 00:27:20,560 And I want to say to you today, 532 00:27:20,560 –> 00:27:25,560 this is precisely why Jesus Christ came into the world. 533 00:27:26,459 –> 00:27:30,959 You see, Jesus lived the good and righteous life 534 00:27:30,959 –> 00:27:34,079 that neither you nor I have lived. 535 00:27:34,079 –> 00:27:38,380 He trusted in God and there was no one like him before 536 00:27:38,380 –> 00:27:41,599 and there’s been no one like him after. 537 00:27:41,599 –> 00:27:45,500 He stayed the course and was obedient to the Father 538 00:27:45,500 –> 00:27:48,920 all the way to death on a cross. 539 00:27:48,920 –> 00:27:51,239 And the Lord was with him 540 00:27:51,239 –> 00:27:55,040 and the will of God prospers in his hand. 541 00:27:55,040 –> 00:27:58,239 And you know, Hezekiah got to the point of death, 542 00:27:58,239 –> 00:28:02,920 but Jesus did die and it was through his death 543 00:28:02,920 –> 00:28:06,060 that he made a way for Hezekiah’s sin 544 00:28:06,060 –> 00:28:11,060 and your sin and my sin to be forgiven, 545 00:28:11,280 –> 00:28:15,479 to be put behind the back of God, 546 00:28:15,479 –> 00:28:17,800 to be put out of his sight 547 00:28:17,800 –> 00:28:20,880 so that your conscience could be cleansed 548 00:28:20,880 –> 00:28:24,900 and your prayers could be heard and answered. 549 00:28:25,199 –> 00:28:27,719 And friend, if you will turn to Jesus 550 00:28:27,719 –> 00:28:31,199 and submit to him as your King today, 551 00:28:31,199 –> 00:28:33,420 you’re going to be able to say to God, 552 00:28:33,420 –> 00:28:37,920 as Hezekiah did, you have delivered my life 553 00:28:37,920 –> 00:28:41,099 from the pit of destrution 554 00:28:41,099 –> 00:28:46,099 and you have cast all my sins behind your back. 555 00:28:47,180 –> 00:28:50,099 Well, will you pray with me for a moment? 556 00:28:50,099 –> 00:28:53,599 Our Father, in these extraordinary days 557 00:28:53,599 –> 00:28:58,599 of unexpected crisis in which we find ourselves, 558 00:28:58,839 –> 00:29:02,900 we thank you that you are the Sovereign God 559 00:29:02,900 –> 00:29:06,300 and although we do not know what you are doing, 560 00:29:06,300 –> 00:29:09,900 all of your plans stand firm 561 00:29:09,900 –> 00:29:14,680 and all of your purposes for your people are good. 562 00:29:14,680 –> 00:29:17,920 We pray that at this time, 563 00:29:17,920 –> 00:29:21,640 you would enable us to turn to you in prayer 564 00:29:21,640 –> 00:29:25,839 and to seek your face as never before. 565 00:29:25,839 –> 00:29:29,660 And we pray that with a new sense of urgency, 566 00:29:29,660 –> 00:29:34,660 we might live and walk before you with a clear conscience. 567 00:29:36,319 –> 00:29:39,359 Lord, we thank you most of all 568 00:29:39,359 –> 00:29:42,199 for your Son, Jesus Christ, 569 00:29:42,199 –> 00:29:46,339 the Great King who came into the world. 570 00:29:46,339 –> 00:29:49,880 Thank you that he came and gave himself for us 571 00:29:49,900 –> 00:29:52,280 so that praying in his name, 572 00:29:52,280 –> 00:29:56,260 we may come before you and be heard. 573 00:29:56,260 –> 00:29:58,439 And thank you that he gave himself 574 00:29:58,439 –> 00:30:00,699 as the sacrifice for my sin 575 00:30:00,699 –> 00:30:05,180 so that my conscience could be cleansed. 576 00:30:05,180 –> 00:30:10,180 Lord, put my many sins behind your back. 577 00:30:11,000 –> 00:30:14,699 Save me from the pit of destruction. 578 00:30:14,699 –> 00:30:17,719 Make me one of your children. 579 00:30:17,719 –> 00:30:20,959 Grant Father that I will be at peace with you 580 00:30:20,959 –> 00:30:24,500 in and through faith in your dear son, 581 00:30:24,500 –> 00:30:27,160 Jesus Christ our Lord. 582 00:30:27,160 –> 00:30:29,280 Father hear this prayer. 583 00:30:29,280 –> 00:30:31,079 And in your kindness, 584 00:30:31,079 –> 00:30:34,079 hear the prayers of all of your people. 585 00:30:34,079 –> 00:30:36,199 Help those, we pray, 586 00:30:36,199 –> 00:30:40,439 who serve on the front lines as nurses and doctors. 587 00:30:40,439 –> 00:30:42,300 Help those, we pray, 588 00:30:42,300 –> 00:30:47,300 who are working to find a vaccine against this virus. 589 00:30:48,119 –> 00:30:52,599 Use their work as means of your grace. 590 00:30:52,599 –> 00:30:57,599 And oh God deliver us from this great affliction quickly, 591 00:30:57,859 –> 00:31:01,560 we pray in Jesus name. 592 00:31:01,560 –> 00:31:02,479 Amen.