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Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends.
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We'd like to welcome you to
Sabbath School Study Hour, here
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at the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church in
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Sacramento, California.
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We always want to welcome our
online members who are joining
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us across the country and around
the world, as well as those who
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are viewing us maybe on a
television network a little
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later, maybe
you're watching this live.
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Welcome, we are so glad
that you are studying with us.
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We're studying through a great
series of lessons on the book
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of Isaiah.
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The prophet Isaiah is sometimes
referred to the gospel writer of
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the Old Testament.
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There's a number of great themes
and important lessons that we
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find in our study.
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Today, we're on
lesson number seven.
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It's entitled, "Defeat of the
Assyrians," and there's a lot of
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information we've got
to try and cover today.
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But before we get to our study,
we'd like to remind you of our
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free offer.
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We have a study guide, one of
the "Amazing Facts" study guide,
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entitled, "Saved
from Certain Death."
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And if you have not yet
read the study guide, we want to
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encourage you to do so.
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It is a great resource.
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To receive it, just call the
number, 866-788-3966, and you
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can ask for offer number 109 and
we'll mail the study guide to
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your home.
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If you'd like to receive a
digital download of the study
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guide, you want to text the code
"SH060" to the number, 40544,
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and you'll be able to receive a
digital copy of the study guide,
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"Saved from Certain Death."
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Well, before we get to our
lesson, we want to invite you to
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join us as we lift
our voices in song.
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We're singing that great
hymn, "My Hope is Built on
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Nothing Less."
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¤¤¤
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¤ My hope is
built on nothing less ¤
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¤ Than Jesus'
blood and righteousness ¤
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¤ I dare not trust
the sweetest frame ¤
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¤ But wholly
lean on Jesus' name ¤
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¤ On Christ the
solid rock I stand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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¤ When darkness
seems to veil His face ¤
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¤ I rest on His
unchanging grace ¤
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¤ In every high
and stormy gale ¤
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¤ My anchor
holds within the veil ¤
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¤ On Christ the
solid rock I stand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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¤ When He shall
come with trumpet sound ¤
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¤ Oh, may I then
in Him be found ¤
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¤ Clad in His
righteousness alone ¤
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¤ Faultless to
stand before His throne ¤
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¤ On Christ the
solid rock I stand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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¤ All other
ground is sinking sand ¤
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Jean: Let us pray.
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Dear Father in heaven, we thank
You for our beautiful Sabbath
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that You've given us
here in northern California.
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We thank You for the opportunity
that we have to open up and
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study Your Word in such
an important book, such an
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important lesson that we
need to be looking at today.
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So we invite Your presence.
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We ask the Holy Spirit to come
and speak to each of our hearts
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wherever we might be, Lord, and
impress upon us the things You
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would have us to know.
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For we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson today is going
to be brought to us by Pastor
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Rod Thompson.
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Rod Thompson:
Good morning, everyone.
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I want to invite you to
open up your Bibles to Isaiah
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chapter 36.
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We are continuing our study
in the book of Isaiah and today
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we're going to be looking
at four chapters, chapter 36
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through 39, and we've
got a lot to talk about.
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Pastor Ross prayed for us but
let's offer another prayer up
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quickly to the Lord.
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Father in heaven, thank You that
You have pulled us up out of the
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mud, the muck, the mire, the
clay, and You have set us on a
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firm foundation and, Lord, You
have begun a good work in each
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of us and we pray that You would
continue that work and bring it
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to completion.
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Give us ears to hear now as You
speak to our hearts in Jesus'
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name, amen.
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The Bible tells us that
Solomon was the wisest man that
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ever lived.
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And in the book of Ecclesiastes
he tells us there is nothing new
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under the sun.
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In Romans chapter 15, verse 4,
the apostle Paul tells us that
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everything that was written
in Scripture was written for
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our learning.
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In 1 Corinthians he tells
us that it was written for us,
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those who are alive in the last
days, that we might have hope.
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And in the book, "Christian
Experience and Teachings,"
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chapter 33, Ellen White tells us
that we have nothing to fear for
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the future, except that we
forget how God has led us in
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the past.
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The prophets in Israel were
called to proclaim and interpret
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the actions of God in
the events of history.
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They tried to keep alive the
memory of the exodus and all of
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the miracles that God had
done for them, and they were to
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interpret the meaning of their
ancient faith and they were to
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try and help the people in their
day to understand and to apply
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God's Word to their
lives in their time.
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They were to identify to the
people God's will in a national
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crisis and when that crisis was
over, they were to bring hope
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and comfort.
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And Isaiah was one of those
prophets that had served God and
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had been a--had been an advisor
to the kings for over 60 years,
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and he had his ministry
throughout four kings of Judah.
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That is, Uzziah who is
called--also called Azariah; his
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son, Jotham; his
grandson, Ahaz; and his
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great-grandson, Hezekiah.
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The fact that he doesn't talk
about Hezekiah's son, Manasseh,
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indicates to us that his
prophetic ministry was done
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right about the time of
the end of Hezekiah's life.
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And so it's very interesting
that we have these four kings
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and you can see in 2 Kings
chapter 15, verse 3, it says
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that Uzziah was the king and he
did what was right in the eyes
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of the Lord.
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And then in 2 Kings chapter 15,
verse 32, it tells us that his
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son, Jonathan--Jotham, became
king and he did what was right
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in the eyes of the Lord.
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And then we see his son, Ahaz,
become king and he does not do
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what's right in
the eyes of the Lord.
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And then his son, Hezekiah,
becomes king and he does what is
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right in the eyes of the Lord.
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And so we see this up-and-down
rollercoaster of Israel,
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sometimes following
the Lord, sometimes not.
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And it's interesting, friends,
that when we look at a son and a
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grandson and a great-grandson,
if you have a godly man and you
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would expect that his children
would follow the Lord too.
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But it's not automatic.
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Every single one of us has
to choose whom we are going
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to serve.
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And even when we see Ahaz,
who is a wicked king, his son,
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Hezekiah, when he comes on
the scene, he follows the Lord.
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So even though a person may
not be following the Lord, their
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children can.
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Every single one of us has
a choice to make: whom are we
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going to serve?
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So our study today is in
Isaiah chapter 36 through 39.
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Look with me at verse 1.
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It says: "Now it came to pass."
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This chapter marks the beginning
of a new section in the book of
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Isaiah, and chapters 36 through
39 are actually more historical
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than they are prophetic.
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And as we look at that, we might
think, "Well, that's a nice
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history lesson but
what's that got to do with me?"
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But, friends, we want to apply
the Word of God to our life and
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there's actually a lot for us to
learn from these four chapters.
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In these four chapters,
we're going to see three very
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important historical points.
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We're going to see the war that
Israel has with Sennacherib in
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the Assyrian army.
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We're going to see and talk
about the illness of Hezekiah,
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and then the visitation
of the Babylonians to Israel.
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And in these four chapters
in Isaiah 36 through 39, they
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actually have parallel chapters
in 2 Kings chapter 18 through
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20, and then in 2
Chronicles chapter 29.
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So there is a lot more
information that we can pull
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into these four chapters
and we're going to take a look
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at that.
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And so let's read verse 1 again:
"Now, it came to pass in the
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14th year of King Hezekiah that
Sennacherib king of Assyria came
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up against all the fortified
cities of Judah and took them."
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History shows us that
Sennacherib became the king in
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705 BC and four years later,
in 701, is when he comes up and
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makes his first campaign against
Israel, and specifically the
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cities of Judah.
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And in his own account of this
campaign, he tells us and he
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claims that he had captured
46 fortified cities of Judah.
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Forty-six cities.
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And he lists many reasons why he
comes against them, but three of
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them we want to
look at in particular.
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Number one is the fact that
Hezekiah refused to pay tribute.
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Now, Sennacherib's father had
already come against Judah and
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he was already forcing them to
pay tribute, but now Hezekiah is
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rebelling against him.
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Number two, because Hezekiah
has called on Egypt and he has
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called on the Ethiopians to
join him in rebelling against
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Assyria, and number three,
because Hezekiah had gone up
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against the Philistines and
he had imprisoned their king who
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was loyal to the Assyrians.
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And so for those three
reasons, he says, he came up
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against them.
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But I would add a fourth reason,
and we're going to read about
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that in a minute.
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It says because the children
of Judah and Israel were not
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following the Lord.
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So let's look at
verse--look at verse 2.
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Chapter 36: "Then the king of
Assyria sent the Rabshakeh with
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a great army from Lachish
to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.
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And he stood by the aqueduct
from the upper pool, on the
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highway to the Fuller's Field."
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Now, I want to point out to you
that the Rabshakeh is not a name
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but rather, it is a title.
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And the Rabshakeh is
the cupbearer of the king.
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In other words, he's the person
that tastes the food and drinks
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the cup before the king does in
case someone has been trying to
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kill the king and poison him,
that person would die rather
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than the king.
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How'd you like to have that job?
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But we tend to look at that and
we think that that may be the
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lowest person in the
kingdom, someone that's easily
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replaceable, right?
00:13:14.82\00:13:17.36
But, in fact, in the Assyrian
kingdom, the Rabshakeh was a
00:13:17.39\00:13:20.70
very important
military official.
00:13:20.73\00:13:24.20
He was the assistant
to the king, if you will.
00:13:24.23\00:13:28.77
And I want you to
notice what he says.
00:13:28.80\00:13:31.74
I want you to hold your place
here in Isaiah chapter 36, but
00:13:31.77\00:13:34.64
let's go back and let's look at
the parallel passage in 2 Kings
00:13:34.68\00:13:38.45
chapter 18.
00:13:38.48\00:13:41.95
2 Kings chapter 18, and I
want you to notice what it says,
00:13:41.98\00:13:46.62
starting in verse 1.
00:13:46.65\00:13:49.86
The Bible says: "Now it came to
pass in the third year of Hoshea
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the son of Elah, king of Israel,
that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz,
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king of Judah, began to reign.
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He was 25 years old when he
became king, and he reigned 29
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.50
years in Jerusalem.
00:14:01.54\00:14:04.24
His mother's name was Abi
the daughter of Zechariah.
00:14:04.27\00:14:06.78
And he did what was right in the
sight of the Lord, according to
00:14:06.81\00:14:09.14
all that his
father David had done.
00:14:09.18\00:14:11.88
He removed the high places and
broke the sacred pillars, cut
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down the wooden image and broke
in pieces the bronze serpent
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that Moses had made; for
until those days the children of
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Israel burned incense to
it, and called it Nehushtan.
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He trusted in the Lord God
of Israel, so that after him was
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none like him from among all
the kings of Judah, nor who were
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before him.
00:14:30.13\00:14:33.03
For he held fast to the Lord;
he did not depart from following
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Him, but kept His
commandments, which the Lord
00:14:36.10\00:14:38.97
had commanded Moses.
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The Lord was with him; he
prospered wherever he went.
00:14:41.61\00:14:44.11
And he rebelled against
the king of Assyria and did not
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serve him.
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He subdued the Philistines, as
far as Gaza and its territories,
00:14:48.82\00:14:51.09
from watchtower to
the fortified city.
00:14:51.12\00:14:53.66
Now it came to pass in the
fourth year of King Hezekiah,
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which was the seventh year of
Hoshea the son of Elah, king of
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Israel, that Shalmaneser king of
Assyria came up against Samaria
00:14:58.53\00:15:02.56
and besieged it.
00:15:02.60\00:15:05.07
And at the end of
three years they took it.
00:15:05.10\00:15:07.44
In the sixth year of Hezekiah,
that is, in the ninth year of
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Hoshea king of
Israel, Samaria was taken.
00:15:10.41\00:15:13.48
Then the king of Assyria carried
Israel away captive to Assyria,
00:15:13.51\00:15:17.01
and put them in Halah and by the
Habor, the River of Gozan, and
00:15:17.05\00:15:21.28
in the cities of the Medes,
because they did not obey the
00:15:21.32\00:15:24.62
voice of the Lord their God, but
transgressed His covenant and
00:15:24.65\00:15:27.99
all that Moses the servant of
the Lord had commanded; and they
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would neither hear nor do them.
00:15:31.46\00:15:34.73
And in the 14th year of King
Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of
00:15:34.76\00:15:38.53
Assyria came up against all the
fortified cities of Judah and
00:15:38.57\00:15:41.34
took them.
00:15:41.37\00:15:43.91
Then Hezekiah king of Judah
sent to the king of Assyria at
00:15:43.94\00:15:46.91
Lachish, saying, 'I have
done wrong; turn away from me;
00:15:46.94\00:15:50.08
whatever you
impose on me I will pay.'
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.71
And the king of Assyria assessed
Hezekiah king of Judah 300
00:15:52.75\00:15:55.35
talents of silver
and 30 talents of gold.
00:15:55.38\00:15:58.32
And so Hezekiah gave him all
the silver that was found in the
00:15:58.35\00:16:01.86
house of the Lord and in the
treasuries of the king's house.
00:16:01.89\00:16:05.03
At that time Hezekiah stripped
the gold from the doors of the
00:16:05.06\00:16:08.16
temple of the Lord, and from the
pillars which Hezekiah king of
00:16:08.20\00:16:11.30
Judah had overlaid, and
gave it to the king of Assyria.
00:16:11.33\00:16:15.10
Then the king of Assyria sent
the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and
00:16:15.14\00:16:18.41
the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with
a great army against Jerusalem,
00:16:18.44\00:16:22.34
to King Hezekiah.
00:16:22.38\00:16:24.81
And they went up
and came to Jerusalem.
00:16:24.85\00:16:27.62
And when they had come up, they
went and stood by the aqueduct
00:16:27.65\00:16:30.52
from the upper pool,
which was on the highway to the
00:16:30.55\00:16:33.29
Fuller's Field."
00:16:33.32\00:16:35.96
And we read already in Isaiah
chapter 36 where it talks about
00:16:35.99\00:16:38.66
him coming to
the Fuller's Field.
00:16:38.69\00:16:41.50
But here we see a lot more
information added to the story.
00:16:41.53\00:16:46.70
And so there are some very
interesting things there that I
00:16:46.74\00:16:50.04
want to point out to you.
00:16:50.07\00:16:52.41
Number one, Hezekiah did
what was right in the eyes of
00:16:52.44\00:16:56.34
the Lord.
00:16:56.38\00:16:58.78
And we see here, it's talking
about how he tore down the high
00:16:58.81\00:17:01.52
places, how he tore down the
altars, how he told the people
00:17:01.55\00:17:05.59
of Israel that they needed to go
to Jerusalem, to the temple, to
00:17:05.62\00:17:10.09
worship there.
00:17:10.13\00:17:12.89
And so he was trying to
bring about a reform in the land
00:17:12.93\00:17:16.73
of Judah.
00:17:16.77\00:17:19.90
We see that he also rebels
against the Assyrian oppression
00:17:19.93\00:17:23.64
of God's people.
00:17:23.67\00:17:26.94
But then we see that the
Assyrian king defeats him and so
00:17:26.98\00:17:32.08
Hezekiah says to him, "I will
pay to you whatever you ask."
00:17:32.11\00:17:37.82
And so he gives him this
great tribute to be paid.
00:17:37.85\00:17:41.46
But then we see that the
Assyrian king still comes up
00:17:41.49\00:17:45.23
against Jerusalem to besiege
it even after he has paid him
00:17:45.26\00:17:49.86
this tribute.
00:17:49.90\00:17:52.37
Now let's go back
to Isaiah chapter 36.
00:17:52.40\00:17:55.84
You see, the king sends the
Rabshakeh to the children of
00:17:55.87\00:18:00.91
Israel to directly speak to
them and he asks them a very
00:18:00.94\00:18:06.82
important question.
00:18:06.85\00:18:11.15
And if I could paraphrase that
question, it's simply this: "In
00:18:11.19\00:18:16.09
whom are you going
to place your trust?"
00:18:16.12\00:18:22.13
In whom are you going to trust?
00:18:22.16\00:18:25.30
And he starts telling them, "You
are putting your trust in the
00:18:25.33\00:18:29.80
king of Egypt but
he can't help you.
00:18:29.84\00:18:33.64
And you are putting your trust
in the king of Israel but he
00:18:33.68\00:18:38.08
can't help you either."
00:18:38.11\00:18:41.88
And then he says, "You're
putting your trust in your God
00:18:41.92\00:18:45.22
and He's not going to be helping
you either," because, after all,
00:18:45.25\00:18:48.36
Hezekiah is taking
down His high places.
00:18:48.39\00:18:52.49
He's taking down His altars.
00:18:52.53\00:18:55.40
He's killing false prophets and
he is--he's telling people that
00:18:55.43\00:18:59.70
they have to worship in
Jerusalem at the temple, and so
00:18:59.73\00:19:03.87
"your God is offended and He's
not going to help you either."
00:19:03.91\00:19:07.74
Now, of course, that
wasn't true, but that's what
00:19:07.78\00:19:10.28
he's saying.
00:19:10.31\00:19:13.31
And then he comes and he
says something very important.
00:19:13.35\00:19:18.12
He says, "And oh, by the way, it
is your God who has told me to
00:19:18.15\00:19:23.49
come up and destroy this place."
00:19:23.53\00:19:27.86
But then he adds one more thing.
00:19:27.93\00:19:31.13
He says, "You can't trust Egypt,
you can't trust your king, you
00:19:31.17\00:19:34.54
can't trust your
God, but you can trust me.
00:19:34.57\00:19:41.21
You can trust me, that if you
pay me a tribute I'll protect
00:19:41.24\00:19:45.25
you from me."
00:19:45.28\00:19:49.32
Brothers and sisters, does
that remind you of someone else?
00:19:49.35\00:19:55.32
That should--we should recognize
in that argument that the
00:19:55.36\00:20:01.46
Rabshakeh is making that there's
something else going on here.
00:20:01.50\00:20:06.13
There is a spirit behind
all of this, isn't there?
00:20:06.17\00:20:12.24
And we know that that is
the spirit of the enemy of
00:20:12.27\00:20:16.51
our souls.
00:20:16.54\00:20:19.85
He is promising peace
and safety, and he cannot
00:20:19.88\00:20:23.05
provide it.
00:20:23.08\00:20:25.59
Look with me here in Isaiah 36.
00:20:25.62\00:20:27.96
Look at verse 12 through 16:
"But the Rabshakeh said, 'Has my
00:20:27.99\00:20:32.09
master sent me to your master
and to you to speak these words,
00:20:32.13\00:20:35.93
and not to the men who sit on
the wall, who will eat and drink
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.73
their own waste with you?'
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.54
Then the Rabshakeh stood and
called out with a loud voice in
00:20:41.57\00:20:44.01
Hebrew, and said, 'Hear the
words of the great king, the
00:20:44.04\00:20:46.88
king of Assyria!
00:20:46.91\00:20:49.48
Thus says the king: "Do not
let Hezekiah deceive you, for he
00:20:49.51\00:20:52.45
will not be able to deliver you;
nor let Hezekiah make you trust
00:20:52.48\00:20:55.65
in the Lord, saying, 'The Lord
will surely deliver us; this
00:20:55.68\00:20:58.42
city will not be given into the
hand of the king of Assyria.'"
00:20:58.45\00:21:02.19
Do not listen to Hezekiah; for
thus says the king of Assyria:
00:21:02.22\00:21:05.63
"Make peace with me by a present
and come out to me; and every
00:21:05.66\00:21:10.37
one of you will eat from his
own vine and every one from his
00:21:10.40\00:21:13.54
own fig tree, and every one of
you will drink the waters of his
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.71
own cistern."'"
00:21:16.74\00:21:20.68
Here we see the enemy of God's
people and what he's trying
00:21:20.71\00:21:25.38
to do.
00:21:25.41\00:21:28.48
First of all, I want you to
notice that he makes it appear
00:21:28.52\00:21:32.32
that he is--has your best
interests at heart, that he is
00:21:32.35\00:21:39.63
more interested in the
welfare of God's people than God
00:21:39.66\00:21:46.90
Himself is.
00:21:46.94\00:21:50.17
And then notice that he is
also portraying Hezekiah as
00:21:50.21\00:21:53.81
being vainglorious.
00:21:53.84\00:21:56.75
He is portraying him as
someone who is a self-interested
00:21:56.78\00:22:00.52
deceiver who does not have God's
people and their interests in
00:22:00.55\00:22:05.35
his heart.
00:22:05.39\00:22:08.09
And he says: "Don't let the king
deceive you into thinking that
00:22:08.12\00:22:12.36
your God can save you."
00:22:12.39\00:22:15.86
And so here we see that
the issue is directly and
00:22:15.90\00:22:19.70
distinctly drawn.
00:22:19.73\00:22:23.27
Are you going to give your
loyalty to God or are you going
00:22:23.30\00:22:26.74
to give your loyalty to me?
00:22:26.78\00:22:31.01
Now, brothers and sisters,
we know the prophetic Word,
00:22:31.05\00:22:34.15
don't we?
00:22:34.18\00:22:37.05
We know that history
is going to repeat itself.
00:22:37.09\00:22:40.42
In fact, we are living in some
pretty strange times, aren't we?
00:22:40.46\00:22:43.89
And as we look at our situation
today, we could ask ourselves,
00:22:43.93\00:22:49.90
"Are we going to put our trust
in doctors that they can save us
00:22:49.93\00:22:55.14
from COVID-19?
00:22:55.17\00:22:57.97
Are we going to put our trust
in the governor that he has our
00:22:58.01\00:23:02.14
best interests at heart when
he tells us that we shouldn't
00:23:02.18\00:23:05.38
gather together for
worship on a Sabbath morning?
00:23:05.41\00:23:09.85
Are we going to trust those
leaders of the nations around us
00:23:09.88\00:23:12.95
that are telling us we
all need to do this thing?"
00:23:12.99\00:23:18.49
And so, we have a very important
question: in whom are you going
00:23:18.53\00:23:24.73
to trust?
00:23:24.77\00:23:28.10
I want to point out to you
something that it says in Psalm
00:23:28.14\00:23:31.34
91, verse 5 and--5 through 7,
and thinking about the present
00:23:31.37\00:23:35.98
time in which we live, and
this pestilence all around us.
00:23:36.01\00:23:40.38
Notice what it says: "You shall
not be afraid of the terror by
00:23:40.42\00:23:43.18
night, nor of the arrow
that flies by day, nor of the
00:23:43.22\00:23:48.22
pestilence that walks in
darkness, nor of the destruction
00:23:48.26\00:23:51.29
that lays waste at noonday.
00:23:51.33\00:23:54.50
A thousand may fall at your
side, and ten thousand at your
00:23:54.56\00:23:57.20
right hand; but it
shall not come near to you."
00:23:57.23\00:24:01.94
The question that we want to
answer is, "In whom are we going
00:24:01.97\00:24:05.77
to place our trust?"
00:24:05.81\00:24:08.38
Are we going to
place our trust in doctors?
00:24:08.41\00:24:11.25
Are we going to place it in the
governor, in the president, in
00:24:11.28\00:24:13.65
the nation.
00:24:13.68\00:24:15.82
And the nations around us, are
they going to be able to protect
00:24:15.85\00:24:18.55
us from what's going
on in the world today?
00:24:18.59\00:24:23.89
And I know that there might
be someone out there right now
00:24:23.93\00:24:27.03
that's thinking to themself,
"Pastor Rod, are you telling me
00:24:27.10\00:24:30.27
that if I put my trust in God
that I will not get COVID-19?"
00:24:30.30\00:24:37.97
Friends, please understand.
00:24:38.01\00:24:40.84
That is not what I'm saying.
00:24:40.88\00:24:44.11
I'm simply saying this: In
whom are you going to place
00:24:44.15\00:24:48.22
your trust?
00:24:48.25\00:24:51.85
Are we going to put
it in the government?
00:24:51.89\00:24:54.56
Are we going to expect that
the government who has our best
00:24:54.59\00:24:57.49
interests at heart, there's the
ones telling us to stay at home
00:24:57.53\00:25:00.63
and are you going to expect them
to bail you out financially?
00:25:00.66\00:25:06.50
And so whom are
we going to trust?
00:25:06.53\00:25:14.88
I want you to think about those
three Hebrews boys who were told
00:25:14.91\00:25:22.38
by the government, "You either
do it our way or we're going to
00:25:22.42\00:25:26.72
throw you into
the fiery furnace."
00:25:26.76\00:25:30.83
And, friends, what
did those three boys say?
00:25:30.86\00:25:34.96
"Our God is able to save us.
00:25:35.00\00:25:40.97
But even if He doesn't, we're
still going to put our trust
00:25:41.00\00:25:46.91
in Him."
00:25:46.94\00:25:51.01
I love the way Job put it.
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.85
Job chapter 13, verse 15: In the
midst of all that was going on
00:25:53.88\00:25:57.52
with Job, he said, "Though You
slay me, yet will I trust You."
00:25:57.55\00:26:05.99
You see, friends, Sennacherib's
challenge is in reality a direct
00:26:06.03\00:26:13.90
defiance of God.
00:26:13.94\00:26:19.21
"Your God is not
able to save you."
00:26:19.24\00:26:24.18
And the Rabshakeh makes this
grandiose promise that if you
00:26:24.21\00:26:27.98
trust him and you are disloyal
to your king, you're disloyal to
00:26:28.02\00:26:33.36
your God, then he
will do something for you.
00:26:33.39\00:26:37.66
Let's look at it again.
00:26:37.69\00:26:39.86
Look with me--we're
still in chapter 36.
00:26:39.89\00:26:42.43
Look at verse 16: "Do not listen
to Hezekiah; for thus says the
00:26:42.46\00:26:45.50
king of Assyria: 'Make peace
with me by a present and come
00:26:45.53\00:26:48.97
out to me; and every one of you
will eat from his own vine and
00:26:49.00\00:26:52.47
every one from his own fig
tree, and you'll drink from your
00:26:52.51\00:26:55.24
own cistern.'"
00:26:55.28\00:26:58.81
Think about this for a minute.
00:26:58.85\00:27:02.05
He is saying, "If you give me
a present, I won't attack you."
00:27:02.08\00:27:06.69
But guess what?
00:27:06.72\00:27:09.26
He already had and Hezekiah had
already given him a tribute so
00:27:09.29\00:27:13.26
that he wouldn't attack them.
00:27:13.29\00:27:16.03
You know, friends, the enemy
of your soul never has enough.
00:27:16.06\00:27:20.74
If you give him an
inch, he'll take a mile.
00:27:20.77\00:27:23.64
And if he--they give in to him,
they pay that tribute, and now
00:27:23.67\00:27:28.11
he's coming for another tribute.
00:27:28.14\00:27:32.55
Isn't that what the
enemy of your soul does?
00:27:32.58\00:27:37.12
But notice, what he says
in the next verse, verse 17.
00:27:37.15\00:27:43.09
He says, "You're going to get to
stay in your house, you're going
00:27:43.12\00:27:45.63
to get to stay in your own land,
you're going to eat from your
00:27:45.66\00:27:48.36
own garden, until I
come and take you away."
00:27:48.40\00:27:54.44
Here we see this mockery of
the words that he had just said.
00:27:54.47\00:28:01.44
Here we see a vain promise:
"I'm going to let you stay there
00:28:01.48\00:28:04.68
until I come and take you away."
00:28:04.71\00:28:08.48
The enemy is never satisfied
with what you've given him; he
00:28:08.52\00:28:12.49
always wants more.
00:28:12.52\00:28:15.79
Look with me, verse 19 and 20:
"Where are the gods of Hamath
00:28:15.82\00:28:20.03
and Arpad?
00:28:20.06\00:28:22.63
Where are the
gods of Sepharvaim?
00:28:22.66\00:28:25.20
Indeed, have they
delivered Samaria from my hand?
00:28:25.23\00:28:28.27
Who among all the gods of
these lands have delivered their
00:28:28.30\00:28:31.01
countries from my hand, that the
Lord should deliver Jerusalem
00:28:31.04\00:28:34.48
from my hand?"
00:28:34.51\00:28:37.88
Samaria had fallen to the
Assyrians years earlier, and the
00:28:37.91\00:28:43.49
fact that the capital of the
northern kingdom had fallen into
00:28:43.52\00:28:48.19
their hands was, in their eyes,
proof to them that the same
00:28:48.22\00:28:52.16
thing was going to
happen to Judah in Jerusalem.
00:28:52.19\00:28:57.60
But, friends, let me read
you a verse that you're very
00:28:57.63\00:29:00.77
familiar with.
00:29:00.80\00:29:03.94
Revelation chapter 13, verse 4,
talking about the first beast of
00:29:03.97\00:29:08.51
Revelation 13: the Antichrist.
00:29:08.54\00:29:11.91
This is what it says: "So they
worshiped the dragon who gave
00:29:11.95\00:29:14.88
authority to the beast; and they
worshiped the beast, saying,
00:29:14.92\00:29:17.25
'Who is like the beast?
00:29:17.29\00:29:19.85
Who is able to
make war with him?'"
00:29:19.89\00:29:22.56
We see it repeat in
history here, don't we?
00:29:22.59\00:29:24.79
Because that's exactly what
the king of Assyria was doing.
00:29:24.83\00:29:27.96
And we really know the spirit
behind the king of Assyria, we
00:29:27.96\00:29:31.83
really know who this is.
00:29:31.87\00:29:34.27
This is the dragon, right?
00:29:34.30\00:29:37.24
And the Rabshakeh is essentially
saying the exact same thing:
00:29:37.27\00:29:40.64
"Who can make war
against the king of Assyria?
00:29:40.68\00:29:43.81
He's too powerful for you."
00:29:43.85\00:29:47.02
But notice, verse 21: "But they
held their peace and answered
00:29:47.05\00:29:54.46
him not a word; for the
king commandment was, 'Do not
00:29:54.49\00:29:58.26
answer them.'"
00:29:58.29\00:30:02.40
Friends, there was no
effective answer that the people
00:30:02.43\00:30:07.37
could have given to
the Assyrian leaders.
00:30:07.40\00:30:12.94
There was nothing that they
could do to turn Sennacherib
00:30:12.97\00:30:16.95
away from his purpose.
00:30:16.98\00:30:20.08
Nothing they could do to turn
the real enemy behind that from
00:30:20.12\00:30:24.15
his purpose.
00:30:24.19\00:30:27.46
And so, wisely, the king
said to them, "Say nothing."
00:30:27.49\00:30:32.19
Friends, don't ever try to get
into an argument with the devil
00:30:32.23\00:30:38.80
because you are
not going to win.
00:30:38.83\00:30:42.54
Don't think that you're going to
be able to convince him that he
00:30:42.57\00:30:45.94
is wrong.
00:30:45.97\00:30:48.78
And so the king wisely
tells them not to say a word but
00:30:48.81\00:30:52.61
Hezekiah trusted--he had
faith that God would be able to
00:30:52.65\00:30:57.45
deliver them.
00:30:57.49\00:31:00.39
And so, the people come to
Hezekiah and they tell him what
00:31:00.42\00:31:03.59
the Rabshakeh has said.
00:31:03.63\00:31:06.23
And if you look at chapter 37,
verse 1, it tells us that when
00:31:06.26\00:31:09.43
Hezekiah heard it, he tore his
clothes, he put on sackcloth,
00:31:09.46\00:31:13.87
and he went into
the house of the Lord.
00:31:13.90\00:31:19.34
You see, friends, the king had
done everything that he could do
00:31:19.37\00:31:23.75
to prepare the people to protect
themselves in this confrontation
00:31:23.78\00:31:30.02
with the enemy of God's people.
00:31:30.05\00:31:33.76
He strengthened
his fortifications.
00:31:33.79\00:31:36.86
He further equipped
and organized his army.
00:31:36.89\00:31:40.43
He increased the security of
Jerusalem's water supply, and
00:31:40.46\00:31:44.53
you can go back and read that
for yourself, how he did that.
00:31:44.57\00:31:48.60
But when he was done doing
everything humanly possible, he
00:31:48.64\00:31:54.88
goes to the one
who can truly help him.
00:31:54.91\00:31:59.45
And, friends, we find ourselves
in the same situation today.
00:31:59.48\00:32:03.42
We have a global pandemic and
we want to do everything that we
00:32:03.45\00:32:06.89
can to protect ourselves.
00:32:06.92\00:32:09.42
Yes, we need to social distance,
yes, we need those masks, yes,
00:32:09.46\00:32:12.16
we need to wash our hands.
00:32:12.19\00:32:15.40
But when it's all said and
done and we've done everything
00:32:15.43\00:32:18.00
humanly possible, whom
are we going to trust in?
00:32:18.03\00:32:21.70
Who are we going to go to
and trust that He is able to
00:32:21.74\00:32:25.07
help us?
00:32:25.11\00:32:28.14
And so, Hezekiah goes to the
Lord and he prays and while he
00:32:28.18\00:32:32.31
is in the temple, pouring out
his heart to the Lord, I imagine
00:32:32.35\00:32:37.69
that the Lord impresses him
with something because he does
00:32:37.72\00:32:41.52
something very important.
00:32:41.56\00:32:44.43
Look with me, chapter 37,
verse 2: "Then he sent," that's
00:32:44.46\00:32:48.20
Hezekiah sent, "Eliakim, who was
over the household, Shebna the
00:32:48.23\00:32:53.00
scribe, and the elders of the
priests, covered with sackcloth,
00:32:53.03\00:32:56.34
to Isaiah the
prophet, the son of Amoz.
00:32:56.37\00:32:59.51
And they said to him, 'Thus says
Hezekiah: "This day is a day of
00:32:59.54\00:33:03.75
trouble and rebuke and
blasphemy; for the children have
00:33:03.78\00:33:06.82
come to birth, but there is
no strength to bring them forth.
00:33:06.85\00:33:10.92
It may be that the Lord
your God will hear the words of
00:33:10.95\00:33:13.76
Rabshakeh, whom his master
the king of Assyria has sent to
00:33:13.79\00:33:17.09
reproach the living God, and
will rebuke the words which the
00:33:17.13\00:33:20.36
Lord your God has heard.
00:33:20.40\00:33:23.10
Therefore lift up your prayer
for the remnant that is left."'"
00:33:23.13\00:33:27.74
Friends, I don't know about
you, but I see that Hezekiah's
00:33:27.77\00:33:31.67
doing something
very important here.
00:33:31.71\00:33:35.48
He is trying to
bring about reform.
00:33:35.51\00:33:39.11
He is taking
down the high places.
00:33:39.15\00:33:41.98
He is tearing down the altars.
00:33:42.02\00:33:44.55
He is telling the people to come
to Jerusalem and worship the one
00:33:44.59\00:33:47.36
true God.
00:33:47.39\00:33:50.09
And he says, "We are about to
break out of this idolatry and
00:33:50.13\00:33:53.90
we have come to the point
of birth but we don't have the
00:33:53.93\00:33:57.10
strength to go out.
00:33:57.13\00:34:00.24
We need God."
00:34:00.27\00:34:03.10
And he does
something very important.
00:34:03.14\00:34:05.44
Friends, I don't know about
you, but when I am in trouble, I
00:34:05.47\00:34:08.78
spend more time on my
knees than I normally do.
00:34:08.81\00:34:12.75
How about you?
00:34:12.78\00:34:15.38
And he does something very
important and I do this too.
00:34:15.42\00:34:18.29
Because when I'm in trouble,
I want to seek out those prayer
00:34:18.32\00:34:23.22
warriors that I know that God
listens to them, because I've
00:34:23.26\00:34:28.43
seen God working in their lives
in the past and I call that
00:34:28.46\00:34:32.20
friend and say, "I'm in trouble.
00:34:32.23\00:34:34.77
You've got to pray for me."
00:34:34.80\00:34:37.24
And that's what
Hezekiah's doing.
00:34:37.27\00:34:39.57
He goes to the man of God, he
goes to the prophet of God, and
00:34:39.61\00:34:42.41
he says, "Pray for the remnant."
00:34:42.44\00:34:46.92
And notice what happens.
00:34:46.95\00:34:49.38
Look with me in verse 5.
00:34:49.42\00:34:52.09
Chapter 7, verse--37, verse
5: "So the servants of King
00:34:52.12\00:34:54.96
Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
00:34:54.99\00:34:57.49
And Isaiah said to them, 'Thus
you shall say to your master,
00:34:57.53\00:35:00.33
"Thus says the Lord: 'Do not
be afraid of the words which you
00:35:00.36\00:35:03.16
have heard, with which the
servants of the king of Assyria
00:35:03.20\00:35:06.10
have blasphemed Me.
00:35:06.13\00:35:09.14
Surely I will send a spirit upon
him, and he shall hear a rumor
00:35:09.17\00:35:12.04
and return to his own land; and
I will cause him to fall by the
00:35:12.07\00:35:15.04
sword in his own land.'"'"
00:35:15.08\00:35:17.95
Friends, when you pour out
your heart to God, when you pray
00:35:17.98\00:35:21.18
to Him, God is
already there with an answer.
00:35:21.22\00:35:25.89
And here we see that
Isaiah tells him, "Your God is
00:35:25.92\00:35:30.06
with you.
00:35:30.09\00:35:32.93
He is going to save you."
00:35:32.96\00:35:36.30
Now, the Rabshakeh asked a very
important question: "In whom are
00:35:36.33\00:35:42.30
you going to trust?"
00:35:42.34\00:35:45.41
And friends, we might ask
another question: "Can God
00:35:45.44\00:35:50.15
be trusted?"
00:35:50.18\00:35:53.31
Can God be trusted?
00:35:53.35\00:35:57.29
I love what it says in the
parallel passage that we read
00:35:57.32\00:36:01.49
earlier in Isaiah, or, excuse
me, in 2 Kings chapter 18,
00:36:01.52\00:36:06.06
verse 5.
00:36:06.09\00:36:08.50
Do you remember it?
00:36:08.53\00:36:11.13
It said that "he," that is
Hezekiah, "trusted in the Lord
00:36:11.17\00:36:14.30
God of Israel so that after
him was none like him among the
00:36:14.34\00:36:19.54
kings of Judah nor none before."
00:36:19.57\00:36:22.44
Friends, how would you
like that said about you?
00:36:22.48\00:36:26.75
That you trust God so much
that there was no one like that
00:36:26.78\00:36:29.55
before you and there ain't gonna
be anyone after you like that
00:36:29.58\00:36:31.99
but you have put your
complete and total trust in God.
00:36:32.02\00:36:37.39
And Hezekiah believes the
word of Isaiah and he sees that
00:36:37.43\00:36:41.93
prophecy immediately fulfilled.
00:36:41.96\00:36:46.33
Sennacherib gets the word that
Ethiopia is attacking Assyria,
00:36:46.37\00:36:51.64
and so he takes his army
and he goes back to Assyria to
00:36:51.67\00:36:54.84
fight him.
00:36:54.88\00:36:57.68
Like a hook in his jaw, God
just pulls him away and there is
00:36:57.71\00:37:01.95
relief in Israel.
00:37:01.98\00:37:05.25
But, friends, your enemy
doesn't give up that easily.
00:37:05.29\00:37:09.69
I think this was an opportunity
for Sennacherib to repent of
00:37:09.72\00:37:14.30
his blasphemy.
00:37:14.30\00:37:17.33
It was an opportunity for him to
give his heart to the Lord, but
00:37:17.37\00:37:20.44
he doesn't take God up on that
opportunity because then, right
00:37:20.47\00:37:23.94
after this, he writes a letter
to Hezekiah and he essentially
00:37:23.97\00:37:28.28
tells him the exact same thing.
00:37:28.31\00:37:31.28
He reiterates what he
has already said through the
00:37:31.31\00:37:34.28
Rabshakeh, that your
God is not able to save you.
00:37:34.32\00:37:41.12
And so Hezekiah returns to the
house of the Lord and this time
00:37:41.16\00:37:50.10
he spreads out that letter
before the Lord and he prays a
00:37:50.13\00:37:56.34
beautiful prayer.
00:37:56.37\00:37:59.01
Let's look at it.
00:37:59.04\00:38:01.48
Look with me, chapter 37.
00:38:01.51\00:38:03.98
Look at verse 33.
00:38:04.01\00:38:07.32
Or, excuse me, look at verse 16.
00:38:07.35\00:38:10.32
He says, "O Lord of hosts, God
of Israel, the One who dwells
00:38:10.35\00:38:15.09
between the cherubim, You
are God, You alone, of all the
00:38:15.12\00:38:19.36
kingdoms of the earth.
00:38:19.39\00:38:21.90
You have made heaven and earth.
00:38:21.93\00:38:24.30
Incline Your ear, O Lord, and
hear; open Your eyes, O Lord,
00:38:24.33\00:38:26.70
and see; and hear all the words
of Sennacherib, which he has
00:38:26.74\00:38:29.47
sent to reproach the living God.
00:38:29.50\00:38:32.57
Truly, Lord, the kings of
Assyria have laid waste all the
00:38:32.61\00:38:35.11
nations and their lands, and
have cast their gods into the
00:38:35.14\00:38:39.18
fire; for they were not
gods, but the work of men's
00:38:39.21\00:38:41.82
hands--wood and stone.
00:38:41.85\00:38:44.02
Therefore they destroyed them.
00:38:44.05\00:38:46.25
Now therefore, O Lord our God,
save us from his hand, that all
00:38:46.29\00:38:48.66
the kingdoms of the earth
may know that You are the Lord,
00:38:48.69\00:38:52.56
You alone."
00:38:52.59\00:38:57.57
Well, friends,
you know the story.
00:38:57.60\00:39:01.44
God sends Isaiah to Hezekiah,
and notice what God says.
00:39:01.47\00:39:09.21
Look at verse 33: "Therefore
thus says the Lord concerning
00:39:09.24\00:39:13.31
the king of Assyria: 'He shall
not come into this city, nor
00:39:13.35\00:39:16.79
shoot an arrow there, nor come
before it with a shield, nor
00:39:16.82\00:39:20.72
build a siege mound against it.
00:39:20.76\00:39:23.66
By the way that he came, by
the same shall he return; and he
00:39:23.69\00:39:27.66
shall not come into
this city,' says the Lord.
00:39:27.66\00:39:31.00
'For I will defend this city, to
save it for My own sake and for
00:39:31.03\00:39:34.87
My servant David's sake.'"
00:39:34.90\00:39:38.97
Here we see God already there,
already ahead of Hezekiah, He is
00:39:39.01\00:39:45.11
there to immediately respond
to his need and He says to him,
00:39:45.15\00:39:50.35
"I'm going to take care of this
because the real enemy behind
00:39:50.39\00:39:56.06
this is blaspheming Me
and I'm going to do it for my
00:39:56.09\00:40:00.36
name's sake.
00:40:00.40\00:40:02.86
And I'm going to do it
for David's sake as well."
00:40:02.90\00:40:06.63
Friends, in whom are you
going to place your trust?
00:40:06.67\00:40:13.27
Is God the kind of
King that you can trust?
00:40:13.31\00:40:21.78
And then there's a third
question, and that is where is
00:40:21.82\00:40:26.49
God in your calamity?
00:40:26.52\00:40:31.73
You remember the story of Job.
00:40:31.76\00:40:34.96
Job is unaware of all that's
going on, but Satan and God come
00:40:35.00\00:40:41.20
together and God says, "Have
you considered My servant Job?"
00:40:41.24\00:40:45.74
And Satan, if I could paraphrase
it, he simply says, "Well, of
00:40:45.77\00:40:50.31
course, Job loves You,
You've blessed his little Hebrew
00:40:50.35\00:40:53.62
socks off.
00:40:53.65\00:40:56.12
But You take away that hedge
of protection, You take away
00:40:56.15\00:40:58.85
everything he has, and surely
he will curse You to Your face."
00:40:58.89\00:41:04.63
And of course,
you know what happens.
00:41:04.66\00:41:07.00
He allows Satan that activity.
00:41:07.03\00:41:09.03
He takes away everything that
Job has, but Job hangs on to
00:41:09.06\00:41:11.43
his integrity.
00:41:11.47\00:41:13.77
Job does not curse God.
00:41:13.80\00:41:15.87
He said, "God has
given; God has taken away.
00:41:15.90\00:41:18.07
Blessed be the
name of the Lord."
00:41:18.11\00:41:20.54
And so the enemy of his soul
just walks away and says, "Well,
00:41:20.58\00:41:22.61
I guess I was wrong.
00:41:22.64\00:41:24.68
I'm going to have to
repent and You were right, God."
00:41:24.71\00:41:26.95
Is that what happens?
00:41:26.98\00:41:29.58
No, he continues on the attack.
00:41:29.62\00:41:33.15
He says, "Well, okay, You got
me there, but You take away his
00:41:33.19\00:41:36.02
health and surely he
will curse You to Your face."
00:41:36.06\00:41:43.03
Now, friends, that's exactly
the same thing that we're
00:41:43.06\00:41:48.10
seeing here.
00:41:48.14\00:41:50.74
Hezekiah has had
this high spiritual
00:41:50.77\00:41:54.01
mountaintop experience.
00:41:54.04\00:41:58.91
And usually after a mountaintop
experience, trouble comes.
00:42:02.65\00:42:08.59
Do you ever notice that?
00:42:08.62\00:42:11.33
He has this great victory.
00:42:11.36\00:42:13.56
I'm not going to read it to you
but you go back and you look at
00:42:13.60\00:42:15.60
the story and you'll see that
God sent an angel of the Lord
00:42:15.63\00:42:20.47
and in one night 185,000
Assyrians are slaughtered.
00:42:20.50\00:42:28.31
God took care of the matter.
00:42:28.34\00:42:31.38
There was this mountaintop
victory because this is the
00:42:31.41\00:42:35.18
great
controversy that's going on.
00:42:35.22\00:42:38.99
This war between
Christ and Satan.
00:42:39.02\00:42:41.96
And we see that God has won the
victory here and there's this
00:42:41.99\00:42:45.09
high mountaintop experience and
so the devil just says, "Well, I
00:42:45.13\00:42:48.90
guess I can't do anything about
that," and he walks away, right?
00:42:48.93\00:42:53.13
No, no, now he's going to
attack Hezekiah's health, right?
00:42:53.17\00:42:59.07
And Hezekiah has this illness
that is going to take his life.
00:42:59.11\00:43:04.01
In fact, God sends Isaiah to
him to tell him, "Put your house
00:43:04.05\00:43:08.98
in order.
00:43:09.02\00:43:12.42
You're about to have an end of
life," and, of course, Hezekiah
00:43:12.45\00:43:18.46
does what we all should do.
00:43:18.49\00:43:22.53
Rather than going and trusting
the doctors, rather than
00:43:22.56\00:43:25.57
trusting the government to
help him, he goes to the one who
00:43:25.60\00:43:29.17
truly can help, and he goes back
into the house of the Lord and
00:43:29.20\00:43:32.94
he pours out his heart to the
Lord, and the Lord immediately
00:43:32.97\00:43:36.51
answers that prayer and sends
Isaiah back to him, and tell him
00:43:36.54\00:43:40.72
that God is going to
give him 15 more years.
00:43:40.75\00:43:46.82
And He's going to give him
a supernatural sign that He is
00:43:46.86\00:43:51.53
going to do this.
00:43:51.56\00:43:54.66
I want you to look with me in
Isaiah chapter 38, starting in
00:43:54.73\00:43:58.37
verse 6.
00:43:58.40\00:44:02.40
Notice what God says.
00:44:02.44\00:44:05.91
"'"I will deliver you and this
city from the hand of the king
00:44:05.94\00:44:08.61
of Assyria, and I
will defend this city."
00:44:08.64\00:44:11.58
And this is the sign to you from
the Lord, that the Lord will do
00:44:11.61\00:44:14.32
this thing which He has spoken:
Behold, I will bring the shadow
00:44:14.35\00:44:18.22
on the sundial, which has gone
down with the sun on the sundial
00:44:18.25\00:44:21.92
of Ahaz, ten degrees backwards.'
00:44:21.96\00:44:24.76
So that the sun returned ten
degrees on the dial by which it
00:44:24.79\00:44:28.90
had gone down."
00:44:28.93\00:44:31.17
Now jump with me to verse 21.
00:44:31.20\00:44:34.27
Verse 21 and 22 say: "Now Isaiah
had said, 'Let them take a lump
00:44:34.30\00:44:39.17
of figs, and apply it to a
poultice on the boil, and he
00:44:39.21\00:44:42.14
shall recover.'
00:44:42.18\00:44:44.88
And Hezekiah had said, 'What is
the sign that I shall go up to
00:44:44.91\00:44:47.48
the house of the Lord?'"
00:44:47.52\00:44:50.35
So here we see that Hezekiah
is told that he is going to get
00:44:50.39\00:44:55.39
15 more years of life.
00:44:55.42\00:44:59.03
And Hezekiah essentially says,
"How can I be sure of this?"
00:44:59.06\00:45:04.33
And so God says, "I'm going
to do something very important.
00:45:04.37\00:45:10.51
I'm going to do something
supernatural here to prove to
00:45:10.54\00:45:14.84
you that you can trust Me."
00:45:14.88\00:45:19.68
Friends, in whom are you
going to place your trust?
00:45:19.71\00:45:23.28
Can God be trusted?
00:45:23.32\00:45:27.29
Where is God in the
midst of your calamities?
00:45:27.32\00:45:34.30
God had revealed Himself to
Hezekiah in a very powerful way.
00:45:34.36\00:45:41.40
And perhaps He's done
the same thing for you.
00:45:41.44\00:45:45.04
I can tell you from my own
experience, God has done some
00:45:45.07\00:45:48.41
miraculous things, some
supernatural things, for
00:45:48.44\00:45:52.21
my behalf.
00:45:52.25\00:45:55.52
But, friends, Hezekiah
makes a critical mistake.
00:45:55.55\00:46:03.66
Friends, even those who belong
to God, even those who love God,
00:46:03.69\00:46:09.13
can make mistakes.
00:46:09.16\00:46:11.33
We see that in
David with Bathsheba.
00:46:11.37\00:46:14.10
And now we see it with Hezekiah,
but remember how we started our
00:46:14.14\00:46:17.11
message this morning.
00:46:17.14\00:46:19.61
There's nothing
new under the sun.
00:46:19.64\00:46:21.94
Everything that was written down
was written for our learning and
00:46:21.98\00:46:24.51
we have nothing to fear from the
future except that we forget how
00:46:24.55\00:46:28.52
God has led in the past.
00:46:28.55\00:46:31.39
And, friends, we don't want
to make the same mistake that
00:46:31.42\00:46:34.06
Hezekiah did.
00:46:34.09\00:46:36.42
Because God did something
supernatural, this was the
00:46:36.46\00:46:39.76
perfect opportunity for Hezekiah
to share his amazing God.
00:46:39.79\00:46:46.87
You see, the Babylonians, you'll
remember that later in history
00:46:46.90\00:46:52.14
several hundred years that
the wise men from the East, from
00:46:52.17\00:46:56.68
Babylon, are going to follow
a star to Bethlehem and worship
00:46:56.71\00:47:01.18
Baby Jesus.
00:47:01.22\00:47:04.05
The Babylonians were very
interested in the stars, in
00:47:04.09\00:47:08.29
astrology, and it would not
have been beyond them to notice
00:47:08.32\00:47:13.50
something
supernatural had happened.
00:47:13.53\00:47:16.80
And they have heard about this
great victory and the Assyrian
00:47:16.83\00:47:20.24
army slayed and so they send
an envoy to Israel to find out
00:47:20.27\00:47:25.91
the story.
00:47:25.94\00:47:28.94
What has truly happened here.
00:47:28.98\00:47:32.21
And this is the perfect
opportunity for Hezekiah to
00:47:32.25\00:47:36.62
share his great and
amazing and powerful God.
00:47:36.65\00:47:40.89
But Hezekiah takes
the glory for himself.
00:47:40.92\00:47:44.09
And when they come, he
shows them all the splendor of
00:47:44.13\00:47:48.63
his kingdom.
00:47:48.66\00:47:52.23
Friends, in whom are you
going to place your trust?
00:47:52.27\00:47:56.57
Can God be trusted?
00:47:56.60\00:48:00.28
Where is God in your calamities?
00:48:00.31\00:48:04.08
And number four, when God
delivers you from all of your
00:48:04.11\00:48:07.92
troubles, are you going to give
Him the glory or are you going
00:48:07.95\00:48:11.82
to take it for yourselves?
00:48:11.85\00:48:15.36
Friends, we want to learn from
history so that we don't make
00:48:15.39\00:48:20.06
the same mistake.
00:48:20.10\00:48:24.33
Is that the
desire of your heart?
00:48:24.37\00:48:27.67
You want to make sure that you
learn from these things so that
00:48:27.70\00:48:30.57
you don't make these mistakes,
because, friends, we are heading
00:48:30.61\00:48:33.74
into some difficulties.
00:48:33.78\00:48:36.71
Do you think that this is
the end of it with COVID-19?
00:48:36.75\00:48:39.58
No, we are heading into
some very challenging days.
00:48:39.61\00:48:43.82
And are you going to give God
the glory when He delivers you
00:48:43.85\00:48:47.66
or are you going to try
and take it for yourself?
00:48:47.69\00:48:53.06
Well, while you're thinking
about that question, we're out
00:48:53.09\00:48:56.23
of time so let's pray.
00:48:56.26\00:49:00.10
Father in heaven, Lord, You
are truly amazing and we are so
00:49:00.14\00:49:08.04
grateful and thankful for all
that You've done and all that
00:49:08.08\00:49:10.88
You are doing, but, Lord, there
are certain things that we have
00:49:10.91\00:49:14.38
to do ourselves and then
there are things we can't do.
00:49:14.42\00:49:18.49
And so, Lord, it's in those
times that we pray that You
00:49:18.52\00:49:22.16
would work mightily with an
outstretched arm and a powerful
00:49:22.19\00:49:27.66
hand, and You would deliver
us from the enemy of our souls.
00:49:27.66\00:49:32.23
And we ask in Jesus' name, amen.
00:49:32.27\00:49:35.50
Friends, I want to remind
you that our free offer today is
00:49:35.54\00:49:38.04
"Saved from Certain Death."
00:49:38.07\00:49:41.94
And you can get that by calling,
866-788-3966, or you can--and
00:49:41.98\00:49:49.28
ask for number 109 or you
can text the code "SH060" to the
00:49:49.32\00:49:54.22
number, 40544.
00:49:54.26\00:49:57.46
God bless you
and have a great day.
00:49:57.49\00:49:59.39
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
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free resource.
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Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
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download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
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mobile device.
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To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
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the keyword on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
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shown on your screen and be sure
to select the digital download
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option on the request page.
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It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
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Amazing Facts
wherever and whenever you want.
00:50:28.09\00:50:31.46
And most important,
to share it with others.
00:50:31.49\00:50:34.56
Andrew: When I was eight years
old, I brought home a 5-foot
00:50:40.97\00:50:43.57
rattlesnake and it's
gone downhill ever since.
00:50:43.61\00:50:46.98
Rattlesnakes, sharks, cliff
diving, free diving, I wouldn't
00:50:47.01\00:50:50.55
call myself an adrenalin junkie;
I just realize that the closest
00:50:50.58\00:50:54.02
that I've ever been to
being alive is when I'm so close
00:50:54.05\00:50:57.35
to death.
00:50:57.39\00:50:59.42
I was raised in the
northern mountains of Mexico.
00:50:59.45\00:51:02.46
I learned English because there
was missionary groups that were
00:51:02.49\00:51:04.96
coming from Colorado and then
going to the northern mountains
00:51:04.99\00:51:07.66
of Mexico.
00:51:07.73\00:51:09.50
And they were all changed in
these short-term mission trips
00:51:09.53\00:51:12.73
and they had these unbelievable
experiences and there were close
00:51:12.77\00:51:16.04
encounters with God, and I would
share their testimony and I
00:51:16.07\00:51:19.11
would translate for them.
00:51:19.14\00:51:21.74
And I was jealous.
00:51:21.78\00:51:24.05
I was jealous because I
didn't have a testimony.
00:51:24.08\00:51:27.72
I didn't have
something like that.
00:51:27.75\00:51:29.52
I didn't have that life-changing
experience, that close encounter
00:51:29.55\00:51:32.62
with God.
00:51:32.65\00:51:34.46
I knew He was there; I just--I
couldn't understand Him and I
00:51:34.49\00:51:39.03
didn't really want anything
to do with Him and part of me
00:51:39.06\00:51:42.93
wanted Him not to want
anything to do with me.
00:51:42.96\00:51:45.87
I felt like I was
unworthy of God's love.
00:51:45.90\00:51:49.87
I left Mexico
to come to college.
00:51:49.90\00:51:54.64
Once I got to college,
I realized how expensive
00:51:54.68\00:51:56.54
college was.
00:51:56.58\00:51:58.61
And so, in order to pay for
college, I became a commercial
00:51:58.65\00:52:01.68
salmon fisherman in Alaska.
00:52:01.72\00:52:04.42
And the first time that I
stepped on a boat, I knew I was
00:52:04.45\00:52:06.69
going to be a fisherman
for the rest of my life.
00:52:06.72\00:52:09.82
I met this man in Tennessee, in
one of the rivers, and I found
00:52:09.86\00:52:13.36
out that he had an
orphanage in Honduras.
00:52:13.40\00:52:16.70
And he said, you know,
"You can come down to Honduras.
00:52:16.73\00:52:19.00
You can help us put a
support video together."
00:52:19.03\00:52:21.70
And you know, he was like,
"Maybe you can get some college
00:52:21.74\00:52:24.07
credits out of it."
00:52:24.11\00:52:26.07
I said, "You know,
that would be great.
00:52:26.11\00:52:27.54
I would do that.
00:52:27.58\00:52:28.94
I would love to do that."
00:52:28.98\00:52:30.45
And so I flew down to Honduras
and one of the conversations
00:52:30.48\00:52:32.38
that we had during dinner,
we were talking about this and
00:52:32.41\00:52:35.68
that, and somehow I brought
up Rapture and they said, "Well,
00:52:35.72\00:52:39.02
find us a place in Scripture
where it talks about Rapture."
00:52:39.05\00:52:42.62
And I said, "It's
all over the Bible."
00:52:42.66\00:52:44.69
They said, "Is
it, really, though?"
00:52:44.73\00:52:46.76
So they gave me a DVD that said
"Amazing Facts," and I remember
00:52:46.80\00:52:50.20
coming back to America and I
started watching it and it said,
00:52:50.23\00:52:54.70
"Amazing Facts Presents."
00:52:54.74\00:52:56.84
And Doug
Batchelor started talking.
00:52:56.87\00:52:58.84
One of the things that he said
is the word "rapture" wasn't
00:52:58.87\00:53:00.88
in Scripture.
00:53:00.91\00:53:02.94
And that was the first time
that I actually heard Pastor
00:53:02.98\00:53:05.11
Batchelor speak.
00:53:05.15\00:53:07.32
And then I run into YouTube,
a video series called "The
00:53:07.35\00:53:12.52
Prophecy Code," and I
said, "Oh, this is going to be
00:53:12.55\00:53:14.49
good, sweet."
00:53:14.52\00:53:17.13
But it was just torture because
everything I knew, it was just
00:53:17.16\00:53:21.26
getting tossed out the window.
00:53:21.30\00:53:23.60
He was just using Scripture
after Scripture to take away
00:53:23.63\00:53:28.97
everything and all--everything
that I thought was normal and
00:53:29.00\00:53:31.61
everything that I knew
about the book of Apocalypses.
00:53:31.64\00:53:36.34
Ever since I've learned
scriptural truth and I've seen
00:53:36.38\00:53:38.81
the light, I feel like
there's been a fire rekindled in
00:53:38.85\00:53:42.15
my heart.
00:53:42.18\00:53:44.22
And I have this knowledge that
I want to share with people.
00:53:44.25\00:53:48.26
It brings me peace and I think
that it does that for other
00:53:48.29\00:53:51.99
people we've
managed to share with.
00:53:52.03\00:53:55.30
My name is Andrew.
00:53:55.33\00:53:57.03
I am a fisherman and a dreamer.
00:53:57.07\00:53:59.83
I want to thank you
for changing my life.
00:53:59.87\00:54:03.04
¤¤¤
00:54:03.07\00:54:09.38
announcer: "Amazing
Facts Changed Lives."
00:54:13.98\00:54:17.52
Bill Powell: Well, we lived in
pretty much a secular household
00:54:22.42\00:54:25.56
up until Mom started
sending us to Sunday school.
00:54:25.59\00:54:29.36
Pretty soon my mom started
getting caught up in it and she
00:54:29.40\00:54:31.67
started coming too.
00:54:31.70\00:54:33.87
But, unfortunately, about the
time that my dad started getting
00:54:33.90\00:54:36.77
interested, I started becoming
less and less interested.
00:54:36.81\00:54:41.41
It finally came to a head
one day where I just told him I
00:54:41.44\00:54:44.28
wasn't going anymore.
00:54:44.31\00:54:46.92
My attitude was just I could
party and do what I wanted to do
00:54:46.95\00:54:49.42
and have fun and as long as
I'm not hurting anybody, it's
00:54:49.45\00:54:52.75
nobody's business.
00:54:52.79\00:54:55.59
The whole time I was in
high school, the Vietnam War was
00:54:55.62\00:54:58.46
going on and I just assumed that
I was going to be in Vietnam.
00:54:58.49\00:55:03.26
Five days after I graduated
high school, I was in the Navy.
00:55:03.30\00:55:07.07
I became more and more secular.
00:55:07.10\00:55:10.64
I went from occasionally
drinking to drinking almost
00:55:10.67\00:55:13.41
every night.
00:55:13.44\00:55:15.81
When I came home from the Navy,
I started going to school and
00:55:15.84\00:55:18.51
gained an IT degree so
I could get into being a
00:55:18.55\00:55:21.55
database administrator.
00:55:21.58\00:55:24.09
Was willing to work hard but I
was going to party just as hard.
00:55:24.12\00:55:27.86
I remember one day having a
conversation with myself after a
00:55:27.89\00:55:30.79
particularly rough night and
I realized that I was going to a
00:55:30.83\00:55:35.43
dark place so I stopped drinking
for a while, but I still looked
00:55:35.46\00:55:39.67
to solve things on my own.
00:55:39.70\00:55:43.57
I remember very
vividly 9/11/2001.
00:55:43.61\00:55:47.64
I was very conservative,
politically, and I began
00:55:47.68\00:55:49.84
thinking that there was
something really, really satanic
00:55:49.88\00:55:53.18
about the forces
that had attacked us.
00:55:53.21\00:55:56.95
So I began to accept
that there might be a Satan.
00:55:56.99\00:56:02.72
I came to the conclusion that if
there was a Satan, there must be
00:56:02.76\00:56:05.39
a God.
00:56:05.43\00:56:08.23
Sometime around 2005,
my dad had a heart attack.
00:56:08.26\00:56:11.27
It was devastating to me, and
my wife was kind of feeling the
00:56:11.30\00:56:15.07
same thing.
00:56:15.10\00:56:17.24
So she started going to church.
00:56:17.27\00:56:19.77
I was a very firm believer
in evolution and the science of
00:56:19.81\00:56:22.88
the world.
00:56:22.91\00:56:25.18
She came home one day and
brought a brochure and begged me
00:56:25.21\00:56:27.98
to read it.
00:56:28.02\00:56:30.29
And the brochure was
about creation science.
00:56:30.32\00:56:32.92
And I realized as I was reading
through this that evolution
00:56:32.95\00:56:35.46
wasn't cut and dried like
they had led me to believe.
00:56:35.49\00:56:38.26
You know, I wanted to learn more
and, at the back, I saw a logo
00:56:38.29\00:56:40.66
that said amazingfacts.org.
00:56:40.70\00:56:43.33
So I got on my computer and went
to amazingfacts.org and I found
00:56:43.37\00:56:46.60
Bible studies.
00:56:46.63\00:56:49.30
So I'm reading the Bible now and
doing these studies and I get to
00:56:49.34\00:56:53.21
a point in the study that
he was talking about hell.
00:56:53.24\00:56:57.95
And I began to understand that
if I went to hell, that it was
00:56:57.98\00:57:01.68
going to be a second death.
00:57:01.72\00:57:04.65
I just fell down and
asked God's forgiveness.
00:57:04.69\00:57:08.16
I accepted
Christ to be my Savior.
00:57:08.19\00:57:12.19
I know that God is good and that
He has saved me from myself in
00:57:12.23\00:57:16.00
that sense.
00:57:16.03\00:57:18.37
The Holy Spirit
is not your enemy.
00:57:18.40\00:57:20.80
He's your friend and
you just need to listen.
00:57:20.84\00:57:24.97
My name is Bill Powell and
Amazing Facts played an amazing
00:57:25.01\00:57:27.64
role in changing my life.
00:57:27.68\00:57:30.51
¤¤¤
00:57:33.25\00:57:39.42