II Kings 20
Isaiah tells Hezekiah to set his house in order verse 1
In those days was Hezekiah sick to death
and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him
and said unto him
Thus says the LORD
Set your house in order – for you shall die – and not live
Hezekiah prayed to the LORD for life not death verse 2- 3
Then he turned his face to the wall – and PRAYED unto the LORD
saying
I beseech you – O LORD
remember now how I have WALKED before YOU in
TRUTH and with a PERFECT HEART
and have done that which is GOOD
in YOUR sight
And Hezekiah wept sore
LORD promises fifteen years to Hezekiah verse 4- 6
And it came to pass – afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court
that the word of the LORD came to him
saying
Turn again – and tell Hezekiah the captain of MY people
thus says the LORD – the God of David your father
I have HEARD your prayer – I have seen your tears
BEHOLD – I will heal you – on the third day you shall go up
to the house of the LORD
I will add to your days fifteen years
I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of
the king of Assyria
I will defend this city for MINE OWN sake
and for MY servant David’s sake
Hezekiah recovered from his illness verse 7
And Isaiah said
Take a lump of figs and they took and laid it on the boil
and he recovered
Hezekiah wanted a sign from the LORD verse 8
And Hezekiah said to Isaiah
What shall be the SIGN that the LORD will heal me
and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD
the third day?
Isaiah gives Hezekiah a choice of a sign verse 9
And Isaiah said
This SIGN shall you have of the LORD
that the LORD will do the thing that HE has spoken
shall the shadow go forward ten degrees
or go back ten degrees?
Hezekiah picks the sundial going backwards verse 10- 11
And Hezekiah answered
It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees
nay but let the shadow return backward ten degrees
And Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD
and HE brought the shadow ten degrees backward
by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz
Hezekiah shows envoy the wealth of Jerusalem verse 12- 13
At that time Berodach-baladan – the son of Baladan
king of Babylon
sent letters and a present to Hezekiah
For he had heard that Hezekiah
had been sick
And Hezekiah hearkened to them
and showed them all the house of his precious things
the silver – gold – spices – precious ointment
all the house of his armor – all that was found in his treasures
there was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion
that Hezekiah showed them not
Conversation between Isaiah and Hezekiah verse 14- 15
Then came Isaiah the prophet to king Hezekiah
and said to him
What said these men?
and from whence came they to you?
And Hezekiah
said
They are come from a far country
even from Babylon
And he said
What have they seen in your house?
And Hezekiah answered
All the things that are in mine house have they seen
there is nothing among my treasures
that I have not showed them
Isaiah tells of future captivity in Babylon verse 16- 18
And Isaiah said to Hezekiah
Here the word of the LORD
BEHOLD – the days come
that all that is in your house
and that which your fathers have laid up in store
to this day – shall be carried to Babylon
nothing shall be left
says the LORD
And of your sons that shall issue from you
which you shall beget
shall they take away
And they shall be eunuchs in the
palace of the king of Babylon
Hezekiah content that he will have peace verse 19
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah
Good is the word of the LORD
which you have spoken
And he said
Is it not good if peace and truth be in my days?
Record of Hezekiah’s reign verse 20- 21
And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah – and all his might
and how he made a pool
and a conduit – and brought water into the city
Are they not written in the book
of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers
and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead
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COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 I beseech you, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in YOUR sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. (1058 “wept” [bakah] means to bemoan, bewail, complain, make lamentation, or mourn)
DEVOTION: I have talked to a number of Christians regarding them being ready to go to heaven. Some have responded by saying “Not yet, I want to see ….” It is sad but true that many Christians are looking forward to the LORD’S rapture of the church but don’t want it to happen today. They want to accomplish or see something before they go to heaven. There are others that think that they are indispensible to HIM, so that, HE can’t get along without them here on earth.
Hezekiah was sick. Isaiah came with a message from the LORD that told him that he needed to get his house in order. Hezekiah wasn’t ready to die. He cried before the LORD. He gave all that he had done for the LORD in the prayer. He told the LORD that he had “walked before HIM in truth and with a perfect heart.” His plea was answered by the LORD.
The LORD promised that he would give him fifteen more years to live. HE promised that HE would deliver the city from the king of Assyria. HE promised that HE would protect Jerusalem for HIS OWN sake.
Hezekiah had married and had children. The LORD had given him many answers to prayer. Now he reminded the LORD that he was one of the kings that did good. Here he is reminding the LORD of all that he has done in his relationship to the LORD. Does the LORD need reminding? NO! He thought he was indispensible to the LORD as king.
The LORD wants us to depend on HIM alone. Here is an example of an effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man that caused the LORD to give him a longer life. The LORD sent Isaiah back with the answer to this prayer. The LORD gave him fifteen more years. The LORD also caused a miracle to take place to show Hezekiah that HE was answering his prayer. Hezekiah wanted the sundial to go back ten degrees.
When scientists examine the time frame of the world, they had lost a day. This was part of the day that was lost. Do our prayers work with God? Does God still perform miracles?
If we follow this example, will we might see greater things happen in our lives? How is our prayer life compared to this prayer? How is our life compared to King Hezekiah?
Did greater things happen in the last fifteen years of Hezekiah’s life than happened before? Manasseh was born who was the very most evil king of Judah.
CHALLENGE: We need to watch what we pray for because we might get what we want and it not good for us.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for MINE sake, and for MY servant David’s sake. (1598 “defend” [gaman] means cover, surround, to be on the defensive, act against an attack, enclose, fence in, hedge in, protect, or shield)
DEVOTION: God give specific promises to Hezekiah regarding his future. He prayed and the LORD answered his prayer. He wanted healing and the LORD gave him healing. HE not only gave healing but a promise of fifteen more years to live. HE promised him victory over the king of Assyria.
These were great promises. Hezekiah accomplished a lot in those fifteen extra years. He also did many things wrong during that time period. He wasn’t thinking when men came from Babylon. He wasn’t concentrating on his family life during that time period as far as raising his son to honor the LORD. He seemed to think only of himself after the healing.
The LORD was doing all this promising because of David who served HIM faithfully except for the matter of Bathsheba. HE kept bring up the time of David’s reign to other kings in the future. He was a man after God’s own heart.
The LORD will bless those whose heart is right with HIM. Hezekiah claimed to have walked in truth until the healing and the LORD honored him for it.
We are to walk in truth and the LORD will honor us as well. Each day we have to continue to walk in truth. Each day we have to make a commitment to follow the LORD. The promises of God are given to us based on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We would have not blessing coming if it was not for the blood of Jesus Christ for our sins. We would only have cursing.
Are we thanking the LORD for the blessings HE is giving us each day? Are we looking forward to the future blessings HE has promised us in heaven? Serve the LORD faithfully now.
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: 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and HE brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz (7121 “cried” [qara‘] means utter a loud sound, summons, invite, proclaim, call for help, or invoke)
DEVOTION: The LORD had made a judgment that Hezekiah should die. Isaiah told Hezekiah what was going to happen and told him to prepare for it. Hezekiah didn’t like the idea and pleaded for more time. He asked Isaiah to go back to the LORD and ask for more time. The LORD was willing to give him more time.
Hezekiah wasn’t satisfied with Israel telling him that he was going to have more time so he asked for a sign that it was going to be true. Isaiah gave him two choices. The sun dial could move forward ten degrees or back ten degrees.
Hezekiah wanted the harder of the two to happen. He thought it was too easy for the LORD to move the clock ahead ten degrees. So he picked what would be harder even from our perspective. He wanted the clock to move or the sun to more backwards ten degrees.
Have you ever been disappointed with what the LORD was doing with your life? Would you have asked for more years to life from the LORD if you knew that during that time period you would have someone who would dishonor the LORD after your death?
It is hard to know what to ask the LORD for if you have a death sentence over your head. Sometimes you would like to be like Paul and state that to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD which is far better than remaining in this world. But Paul even stated that it seemed like it would be useful for him to live longer to train future leaders in the church. It is a struggle sometimes to know just what you should pray for regarding your own health issues. There are many Christians who struggle with health issues. Some of them are due to sin in their life either at present or in the past that have consequences in the present. Not all health issues are judgment for sin as Hezekiah was a faithful servant of the LORD at the age of thirty nine. He thought the LORD should let him live longer. At that age most of us would like to live longer.
Health issues can be used to prune a faithful follower of the LORD to become more faithful. So sickness can be for correction or for maturing according to the Word of God. Only the individual going through the health issue knows for sure what is going on and the reason for it. God wants us to trust HIM even with our health issues.
We are not praying someone out of heaven if we are praying for them to have good health. We are seeking the will of the LORD for them regarding their health.
CHALLENGE: When dealing with health issues we should always end our prayer with “your will be done, LORD” and be satisfied with what HE want to do with you.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 17: Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, says the LORD. (3498 “shall be left” [yathar] means remain, remain over, be left behind, to be left or left over , not used up, or spared)
DEVOTION: Here is a promise that we would never want to happen to us or to the nation of Judah. The LORD is saying that because of Hezekiah showing the people from Babylon all the riches of Judah HE was going to judge them for trusting in others instead of HIM alone.
It is sad that we can be selfish. However, there are always consequences to our selfishness. Here is the captivity of a nation because of the king’s selfishness. What is happening in our world because of selfishness?
Too often we don’t think before we speak. We open our mouths to brag and find ourselves saying things to people that we shouldn’t be saying at all.
Once Hezekiah showed the people from Babylon all his possessions, he was bragging on all that he had accomplished instead of asking the LORD what he should say and what he should show these people.
We have to watch what we say and do in front of others. We need to make sure that we brag on the LORD or honor the LORD in all we say and do. If Hezekiah had asked the LORD what he should do and say to these men it would have been better for the nation.
He didn’t care that something bad was going to happen after his death to the nation. Does this happen today where leaders only care for what is happening in their lifetime instead of caring about what is going to happen in the future to a nation or to a church?
We need to be humble before the LORD and ask HIM how much we should share with others. We need to make sure that whatever we say gives glory to the LORD alone instead of our personal glory.
CHALLENGE: We need to think before we speak. We need to consult the LORD before we face others who don’t have HIS interests at heart.
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: 19 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which you have spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days? (2896 “Good” [towb] means pleasant, desirable, efficient, friendly, having desirable or positive qualities, to be beautiful, or pleasing)
DEVOTION: Selfishness is in all of us. Here we find that Isaiah predicted the future would affect the family of Hezekiah and he didn’t seem to care as long as it didn’t affect him.
He wanted peace and truth in his days and wasn’t worried about the future of Judah. He did work on projects to improve the city of Jerusalem during the remainder of his reign.
We have to be concerned about not only our present ministry but what happens when our part of the ministry ends and someone else takes over the ministry we have left behind.
We should not be just concerned about ourselves but also the people who will be part of the ministry after we are gone. It is good to have a good ministry but the future needs to have a good ministry as well.
Each leader has to make sure that they rise up leaders who will honor the LORD. This can only be done by proper training. Are we training our families to love the LORD and serve HIM after we are gone? Are we training future leaders in our churches who will honor and serve the LORD?
It is good if you are consistent in your ministry but that should not be your only concern. Hezekiah seemed to lose that perspective and we need to learn from his improper planning for the future.
It would have been good after he heard the message from Isaiah for him to go back to prayer for the future of the kingdom.
CHALLENGE: We should be in prayer regarding the future of our family, church and nation.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Book of Chronicles verse 20
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Hezekiah’s prayer for life verse 2- 3
LORD answered prayer verse 5
Isaiah’s cry for the ten degrees backward verse 11
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 4, 16, 19
David verse 5, 6
Book of Chronicles of kings of Judah verse 20
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 5, 8, 9, 11, 16, 17, 19
Word of the LORD verse 4, 16, 19
God – Elohim (Creator) verse 5
God of David thy father verse 5
House of the LORD verse 5, 8
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King of Assyria verse 6
Berodachbaladan – king of Babylon verse 12- 14, 17- 18
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophet: Isaiah verse 1, 4- 11, 14- 18
House in order verse 1
Prayer verse 2
Walked before LORD in truth verse 3
Perfect heart verse 3
Done good in HIS sight verse 3
Answered prayer verse 5
Healing verse 5, 8
Deliverance verse 6
Servant verse 6
Miracle verse 9- 11
Peace verse 19
Truth verse 19
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Hezekiah wanted sign of healing verse 8- 11
Manasseh – king verse 21
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
In the fourteenth year of his reign Hezekiah was only thirty-nine years old (18:2), and the news of his impending death must have been a terrible blow (20:1). But his reaction does not reflect well on his piety when compared with his reaction to the Assyrian threat. In 19:15–19 his prayer affirmed God’s sovereignty and desired God’s glory, but here he appeals to his own devotion (3). God responded with mercy and sent Isaiah with a double promise of healing and deliverance, but this would be for my sake and for the sake of my servant David (6; note the similarity to 19:34) not because of Hezekiah’s piety. The prophecy was worded in such a way as to correct Hezekiah’s attitude. The earlier reference to David as Hezekiah’s ancestor (5) also served to remind him of his context in the dynasty promised by God. (Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 380–381). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
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By whatever means the deed was accomplished, it was a miracle effected by the sovereign power of God alone and intended to be a sign to Hezekiah that he would recover and serve his Redeemer yet another fifteen years. What a comfort this knowledge ought to have been to Hezekiah throughout his remaining years! Yet the author of Chronicles records that Hezekiah did not fully respond to God’s kindness toward him. Rather he became proud so that God’s wrath came on him and his people, a judgment that was averted only when Hezekiah humbled himself and repented (2 Chronicles 32:25–26). This would appear to refer to the subsequent crisis brought on by his rashness as detailed in 2 Kings 18–19. (Patterson, R. D., & Austel, H. J. (1988). 1, 2 Kings. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 273). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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20:9–11. God let the king choose whether the shadow would go forward, as it normally would, or backward. Ahaz’s stairway (v. 11) was evidently a stairway King Ahaz had built. It may have been constructed as a sundial to measure the time of day or it may have simply been a regular staircase used by God on this occasion to provide the sign Hezekiah had requested.
By offering to advance the shadow God undoubtedly intended to advance it faster than was normal since the usual rate would have been no sign at all. Hezekiah requested the most obvious and dramatic alternative: that the sun’s shadow be reversed 10 steps. It is not necessary to insist that God reversed the rotation of the earth to effect this miracle. Some similar miracles were evidently limited in their scope, being local rather than universal (cf. Ex. 10:21–23; Josh. 10:12–13). (Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 579). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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According to the chronologers, this is the next important event in the life of Hezekiah. It took place fifteen years before his death in 687, so his sickness and healing, as well as the visit of the Babylonian ambassadors, occurred in the year 702 b.c. The next year, the Assyrians returned and attacked Jerusalem.
Did the Lord send this sickness to discipline Hezekiah because he compromised with the Assyrians? The record in 2 Chronicles 32:24 tells us that the king had become proud and this was one way that the Lord humbled him. The fact that the Prophet Isaiah visited him with such a solemn message indicates how serious this experience really was, for the king was going to die. “Set your house in order” involved most of all appointing an heir to the throne. Hezekiah had become king at the age of twenty-five (2 Kings 18:1) and died in 687. His son Manasseh became king in 687 at the age of twenty-two, which means he was born in 709, so he would have been seven years old when Isaiah told his father he was going to die. Joash had ascended the throne at the age of seven (11:4ff), but he had Jehoiada the godly priest to advise him. Obviously, the throne of David was in jeopardy.
Hezekiah’s response was to turn away from all around him and pray to the Lord. If his statement in 20:3 and Isaiah 38:2 sounds like boasting, keep in mind that Hezekiah was only claiming the promise of 2 Chronicles 6:16–17. This promise was part of the Lord’s gracious covenant with David and his descendants (2 Sam. 7:1–17), and Hezekiah was simply reminding the Lord that he had been faithful to obey His law. In other words, as a faithful son of David, he was “qualified” to live. God’s message to the king through Isaiah emphasized the importance of King David and the continuation of his descendants on the throne in Jerusalem.
God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by telling Isaiah how to bring about healing and also by giving Isaiah two great promises to share with Hezekiah. First, the king would recover and worship at the temple within three days; and second, if the Assyrians returned, the Lord would defend and deliver the city of Jerusalem. Remember, Hezekiah’s illness occurred before the second invasion of Sennacherib’s army. To assure the king of the truth of these promises, God gave him a miraculous sign: the shadow on the steps of Ahaz (a large sundial) went backward ten degrees. As the sun went down, the shadow would naturally get longer, but suddenly, the shadow became shorter. Did God reverse the movement of planet Earth or simply cause the shadow itself to go back on the steps? God doesn’t explain His miracles and it’s unwise for us to do it for Him.
God disciplines us because He loves us and wants to prevent us from disobeying Him and losing His blessing (Heb. 12:1–11). Chastening isn’t the work of a stern judge as he punishes a criminal. It’s the ministry of a loving father as he seeks to bring out the very best in his children, for the Father wants us to be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29, nkjv) (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be distinct (pp. 128–130). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)
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20:9–10 Once more the Lord provided a sign of His superintending intervention (19:29–31). Unlike his father Ahaz who cared little about a divine sign (Is. 7:12), Hezekiah welcomed it (vv. 10, 11). Hezekiah’s underlying trust in the Lord (18:5) surfaced repeatedly throughout his reign. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 487). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 10. And Hezekiah answered, it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees, &c.] That is, it was comparatively so, otherwise to go down ten degrees at once would be extraordinary and miraculous; but that was more agreeable to the nature and course of it to go forward, and so the miracle would be less apparent: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees; which was directly contrary to its natural order and course, whereby the miracle would appear more clear and manifest: these degrees are by some said to be half-hours, and not full ones, since it is observed the sun shines not twenty full hours on any dial, unless under the pole; the sun is supposed to have been now at the fifth full hour; the sun was brought back five whole hours, then came forward five, then came forward two degrees, or one hour, to the sixth hour, which made sixteen; then it was six hours to sun-set; so that day was prolonged twenty-two hours: the Chinesey relate, that, in the time of Kingeungus, the planet Mars, for sake of the king, went back three degrees. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 831). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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7–11. We can hardly say on this occasion which to admire most, the want of faith in Hezekiah, in asking a sign, or the abundant grace of the Lord in granting one by way of confirming his sacred word. Surely, Hezekiah, it was enough that the Lord promised. But, alas! are we not all incredulous and unbelieving upon a thousand less occasions? I stay not to attempt explaining how this sign was accomplished. Subjects of mere curiosity, or amusement, come not within the design of this humble Commentary. I venture, however, to tell the Reader that the 15 Songs of degrees, as they are stiled, which we meet with in the book of the Psalms from the 120th to 134th, have been conjectured by some to have reference to the degrees in the sun’s shade on this occasion, and the lengthening the king’s life. But I only mention it; I presume not to add a single thought upon the subject. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, pp. 271–272). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Faint Not
“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3)
The Christian life and ministry can grow wearisome and hard at times, but with Christ Himself as our example, the Lord admonishes us not to faint but always to press on.
If our prayers seem to go unanswered, He reminds us that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). When we grow tired and are tempted to quit, the Scriptures assure us that “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
When God has entrusted us with a certain ministry, we need to learn to say, as with Paul, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not” (2 Corinthians 4:1). As we see God’s mercy-drops of blessing begin to fall, we then can say, as he did, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). We can even encourage others to faint not, as he did: “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:13).
The same Greek word is translated “weary” in 2 Thessalonians 3:13: “Be not weary in well doing.” Finally, even when God has to rebuke us, we must learn to take it patiently. “Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him” (Hebrews 12:5).
But with all these strong exhortations to faint not, we also need to know just how we can obtain the needed strength to keep on keeping on. The answer is in God’s great counsel to Isaiah: “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). HMM (Institute for Creation Research)
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1 Peter 4 In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ’s example.
INSIGHT: Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the “easy” ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith. (Quiet Walk)
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THE SIMPLICITY OF FAITH
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:5
Simplicity of faith is one of the most difficult lessons to learn. Most of our defeats, I think, are due to the fact that we parley with sin, we attempt to fight it on our own. The rest of faith, in a sense, means that there are times when we do not even attempt to fight this battle against sin but simply look to Christ.
Perhaps an illustration will make my point clear. I once read a little pamphlet that was very simple but that, it seemed to me, shared the whole essence of this particular aspect of the doctrine. It was the story of a Christian in South Africa, traveling out in the country, and he came to an agricultural community. Owing to certain floods in the country, he had to stay where there was a kind of saloon or public house. He was amazed and saddened at the sight of the farmers, many of whom, he noticed, came there and spent in a few days all the money they had been able to earn and save as the result of their hard work through the year. They had a powerful craving for drink that they could not conquer.
He was especially attracted to one poor man who seemed to be a particular victim to this terrible affliction, and he began to talk to him. First of all he began to reason with him, pointing out the suffering that his wife and children had to endure. The poor man admitted it all and told the story of how he had been almost unconsciously led into it and found himself a helpless slave to drink before realizing that anything had happened how he would give the whole world if he could stop it, but he was now a victim of it. Then this Christian went on to tell him about faith, the possibility of overcoming, and told him about the Lord Jesus Christ who had come into this world to save us. I will finish the story in tomorrow’s meditation.
A Thought to Ponder: Simplicity of faith is one of the most difficult lessons to learn.
From Life in God, pp. 57-58 by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
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Shared Sacrifice
Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” MARK 9:35
Serving does not come naturally in the Rainey family DNA. Selfishness does.
When our children were small, we gave them chores to teach them to serve one another. Chores included setting the table, loading the dishwasher, putting the silverware away, taking out the trash and helping sweep the floor.
Naturally, this led to some of our biggest battles with our children. Chores undone, half done, poorly done. Chores done with a crummy attitude. Chores done in anger. Children who disappeared during a chore. In fact, at one point all six disappeared at the same time! We thought the rapture had occurred!
Teaching servanthood made us feel like a failure on many occasions.
I remember one specific occasion when I felt desperate to teach our children the importance of serving others. We seated our children in chairs outside on our deck, and I filled a big bowl full of warm water, donned a towel and knelt down and washed their feet. One by one I washed their feet, sharing how the God of the Universe, the Savior of the world, did the same thing with His disciples. We wanted them to have a visual picture of Jesus’ words from today’s Scripture: “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Teaching servanthood in our families seems to be a lost art today. To revive it in your home, you may want to manufacture situations in which sharing and teamwork are required: family yard projects, helping each other clean rooms, sharing responsibility for household chores, and so on.
Also, designate certain items such as games or recreational equipment for multi-person use only. Obviously, these suggestions may end up creating additional conflict, but in the meantime all of this will help break down the fortresses of me-centered, arrogant selfishness in your home. (From Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah. (Quiet Walk)
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CHRIST IS CENTRAL
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Matthew 11:25
How ridiculous it is for people to talk about arriving at God apart from our Lord! God has committed everything to Him. Christ is central; Christ is absolutely essential. He once put it in these words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). This is the content of the revelation. He, Jesus of Nazareth, claimed that He was none other than the Son of God who had come to earth, and He said that He had done so because God had sent Him. Men and women had sinned against God and were therefore under His wrath; so God would have to punish their sin, and that would mean death and separation from God. So our Lord came, sent, He said, by God in order to deal with that problem.
So these, He says, are the things that have been “hid…from the wise and prudent, and…revealed …unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Christ is the Son of God, and He has come into this world not only to teach and to work miracles. The real purpose of His coming was that He might die on the cross. God sent Him, says the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in order to “taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). He said He came to bear the sins of mankind in His own precious body on the cross on Calvary’s Hill. There He was punished for our sins. That is the message; that is the thing that “babes” have understood. These things are as simple as that, that God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross.
Therefore what have we to do? We have nothing to do but to believe that and to accept it as a free gift. For God’s way of salvation is that all my sins and failure and shame have been put upon the Son and dealt with and punished.
A Thought to Ponder: God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 116-117, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Indwelling Holy Spirit
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)
Note that in this one verse the Holy Spirit is called both “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ.” Thus, the two terms are synonymous, which means that Christ is God, and so is the Holy Spirit.
Note also that we “have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). In fact, our text assures each of us that we are actually living “in the Spirit,” because He has come to “dwell in you.” All of this has come about “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy,…by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). This glorious new birth, with sins forgiven and eternal life, is accomplished by the Holy Spirit in response to our faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.
But also note that “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” It is absolutely vital that we have the Holy Spirit, “for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The question is, just how do we know that we have the Holy Spirit?
The answer is because His Word says so! “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,” said Jesus, “hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). Furthermore, we have the testimony of internal peace and assurance. “The Spirit [Himself] beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).
Finally, the indwelling Spirit will increasingly be growing His eternal fruit in our lives—the ninefold fruit of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23), and this will testify to others also that we do indeed have the Holy Spirit. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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