Thursday, 4th November 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-7 Humble and Seek God
V1-2 ‘And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.’ This time Hezekiah changed his way, he no longer went to seek the king of Assyria or the Pharoah of Egypt, he sent people to see the prophet of God, Isaiah. The name of Isaiah means ‘God will deliver’, they sought the Lord to deliver them.
V3-4 ‘And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.”’ This time, Hezekiah did not seek anything for himself, instead, he was seeking God for the people. He admitted that he was a nobody, he stood in the position as the authority and intercede for the people God’s given to him to govern. We saw the change of Hezekiah, not for his own problem but for the people of God. A lot of times, when we face God, we seek God for our own gains, we want to control God.
Why do we pray? Is it really because we want to connect with God? Or is it because of our emotions, our needs, and our personal desires? On the other hand, often we thought we have a good relationship with God, we thought as long as we go into the Temple of God then that’s sufficient, but we ignored the authority God has put in our lives and the power God has given to the church. Church is the head, and the authority of the church is appointed by God. Not only we should enter the Temple of God, but we also need to humble ourselves before the man of God, the authority of church appointed by God. The servants of king Hezekiah went into the Temple and sought Isaiah, this time Hezekiah really humbled himself in front of God and in front of men.
V6-7 ‘And Isaiah said to them, thus you shall say to your master, thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumour and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’ Hezekiah admitted he was afraid, he admitted that he could not do it without God, God knew his heart and therefore God told him not to be afraid. Even though Hezekiah did not physically come to see Isaiah, but God knew everything, and He spoke through the prophet into Hezekiah’s heart. Let us let go of our ‘to do list’ and our ‘SOP’, humble before God and let Him deal with us.
God has a mission for us, those who are called, and everything on this earth wants to stop us for revealing the Kingdom of God. The devil wants us to focus on our own ‘doing’ and ‘emotions’, so we will not be the salt and light of the world. When we feel the world is coming against us, we must know that is because we have become a threat to the devil, and therefore we must also believe that when we are doing God’s Will, He will take responsibility for us to the end! Hezekiah finally learnt the lesson, he sought God’s Way no matter what, because only God can deliver him and the kingdom of Judah.
Section Two V8-19 Present before God
Then the servant of Hezekiah, Rabshakeh, returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah. After hearing from God through Isaiah, immediate they faced temptation, the enemy came and challenged them. We will face a lot of challenges, the devil does not want us to listen to our authority, but do we listen to the voices of the devil or trust in the Word of God?
V9-13 ‘And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?”’
Hezekiah was no longer afraid, he understood why God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he also understood why God chose Judah, for them to announce to the world that God is the only God. Hezekiah understood that God wanted to use them to let the world know His Greatness, and this touched the Heart of God. Hezekiah asked God to save Judah, but not by his own personal desires, but by the Heart of God. Do we know why we are called by God today? We know we are the children of God, we know we have the authority, but do we know why God put us here in this world and in this end time? God wants us to announce to the world to know that He is God.
V15-19 ‘Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”’
Hezekiah did a lot of things in the past, trying to control God and trying to let God do his will, but he changed when he went into the Temple of God. Hezekiah realised that it was God’s business, and he only needed to seek God for help, not the other strong nations. Do we also know that all the people coming against us are actually coming against God? Do we see things from the eyesight of God? God wants to elevate us, He wants us to see things from a different perspective, because He is preparing us.
Section Three V20-37 God will Deliver
V20 ‘Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.”’ This time, God spoke to Hezekiah through the prophet that He heard Hezekiah’s prayers. Do we seek confirmation from the man of God? Do not get too carried away from our own ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ but seek confirmation from God and have the assurance that God has heard. God told Hezekiah that king Assyria was just a tool He used to fulfil His Will and carry out His plan, everything was in God’s hands, and God will deliver His people.
V29-31 ‘This shall be a sign to you: ‘You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from the same; also in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.’’ God wants us to see His promise fulfilled, when we respond to God’s calling, He will let us sow and reap. God wants us to become vineyards, that bear many fruits, so stop being afraid, start letting go, and see God’s promises fulfilled in our lives!
God wants us to take root downward and bear fruit upward, He wants us to stop being a pot plant, start taking root, and to disciple the nation. Our church will face a big turnaround in 2023, God gave us Isaiah 60, to arise and shine, people will come to us, and we will become fruitful vines in the Kingdom of God. This is the calling from God, do we see it? Do we believe in it? God is real, He can do anything, He can overcome everything, He can deliver us, and we only need to do one thing, to respond to Him and to take root.
列王纪下 19 – 转危为安
2021年11月4日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
我们的信心其实常常在与神话语相反的环境中被拉扯，我们蒙召的人要如何去面对这个世界？今天的经文给我们很好的启示。
一、谦卑求告主（v.1-7)
V1 希西家王听见的是在上一章所记录的亚述使者拉伯沙基侮辱他的话（王下18：37），于是完全放下自己，“撕裂衣服，披上麻布”，来到耶和华的殿。希西家从受伤的过去和doing的模式中回转，没有去回应敌人的挑衅，也没有再求亚述王的情或去埃及求助，而是全然的谦卑，选择走神的路。遇到困难的时候，我们是选择一定要做自己计划做的事，还是像希西家这样完全信靠神？
V2 希西家不仅自己信靠神，还找了臣仆中的高官和“祭司中的长老”这些国中最重要的人物去见先知以赛亚。“以赛亚”的意思是“耶和华已拯救”。
V3-5 希西家意识到自己因为过去生神的气而遇到如今“急难、责罚、凌辱的日子”， 求以赛亚“为余剩的民扬声祷告”。希西家站在一个权柄的位份上，完全没有为自己求什么，而是为永生神托付给他的民祷告。我们寻求神的时候是否常常只是为了自己的利益，操控神又操控人，还是单单为了能与神连结而来到神面前？此时的希西家不仅自己来到神的殿，也去找神人来求告神。我们也要如此谦卑来到神所赐给我们的属灵权柄面前，因为神在地上的所设立的教会是在万有之上的。
V6-7 以赛亚告诉希西家差派的人说，“耶和华如此说”：亚述王的仆人讲的话神都听见了，并叫希西家“不要惧怕”。我们来到神的面前时，要承认自己“惧怕”，不用假装属灵。
V7 神说他必会出手。我们祷告的时候，如果没有谦卑而是想要操控神，就没有平安。我们要愿意在神面前放下自己的想法，看到事件发生的背后真正的原因，并看清这件事对神国度的影响。神给我们每一个蒙召的人在地上都有使命，所以当有些事发生在我们身上的时候，撒旦不是冲我们而来，是冲着神的国来的，他不希望我们在世上做盐做光，不希望我们为神而活，只想要看到我们为自己而活。当我们为神而活的时候，我们要相信我们日用的饮食神都会供应，正如耶稣基督在主祷文教导我们的。此时我们的祷告就不再为我们自己，而是为了神的国度，神也必会为此出手。
二、陈明在主的面前（v.8-19)
V8-13 亚述王又派人来跟希西家王说不要听神借着先知以赛亚说的话。亚述王的使者又进一步列举其他国家失败的事实来证明自己的话。
V14-19 我们在环境中会遇到很多状况让我们动摇对神的信心，但希西家听了亚述王仆人的话，就来到耶和华神的殿，将使者给他的书信陈明在神的面前。希西家在祷告中先赞美神，再将犹大国所面临的难关告诉神，并宣告“列国的神像。。。本不是神”，他的祷告就是要“天下万国都知道，唯独你耶和华是神”。耶和华拣选亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，就是要天下万民知道唯有他是神。希西家摸到神的心意，就没有再去找其他国家求救，而是单单求神拯救犹大国。我们是否知道我们为何蒙召，是否知道我们被拣选是要让天下万国都知道唯有耶和华是神？我们要知道，那些发生在我们身上的从人而来的攻击不是冲着我们个人的，是冲着神的，这样，我们看事情才是从神的眼光出发，祷告才合神的心意。神在预备我们，我们的身量不一样了，神就会在我们身上做伟大奇妙事。
三、施行拯救的主（v.20-37)
V20 这一次神人以赛亚亲自打发人去对希西家说，他向神祷告的话，神已经听见了。他祷告的印证不是环境，而是神放在他身边的神人的话。希西家这次祷告没有去找以赛亚，因为之前亚述王对他讲的话（V10）多多少少还是影响到了他，然而神还是纪念他。我们很容易被环境中的考验影响而对我们的权柄失去信心。神的拯救不仅是除去犹大当下面对的来自亚述的危机，更是要拯救希西家对神的信心，因为王若不听先知的话，他就只是走在自己的道路里。
V21-28 神让希西家看到亚述国只是被神使用来拯救他的百姓的工具而已。
V29 神说要给他们一个证据：今年、明年就算他们不做事，神都供应他们 – 全心信靠神的百姓是不用担心自己的日用所需的；而“后年，你们要耕种收割，栽植葡萄园，吃其中的果子”- 神要使用我们，要我们成为多结果子的葡萄树，我们是否还在害怕，还是愿意放手，观看神的大作为？
V30 “往下扎根，向上结果”就是我们现在在做的事，不再是像一个盆栽一样到处游走，而是扎根在神放我们所在的地方，并要门徒万民。
V31 在2023年神会给我们教会一个极大的翻转。神给我们以赛亚书60章的异象是兴起发光，于是人都要就我们来。今年、明年神服事我们，后年我们要成为多结果子的葡萄树，“耶和华的热心必成就这事”。神在使用我们每一个人，我们以前觉得一切不公不义的事情，神都会处理，我们要做的就是回应神，“往下扎根，向上结果”。