Where Is Your Confidence?

Introduction

Good morning. Please open in your Old Testament with me to Isaiah chapter 36. Isaiah chapter 36. This morning we’re going to discuss the idea of where is your confidence. It’s interesting that after about a hundred or so of us gathered yesterday evening for a potluck, that it seems so many are missing. I’m going to say something heretical here. Maybe we should have less food next time. I see the speed at which some of us are moving today. And yes, I’m including myself and Ken for bonus points in that discussion. Also, though, we learned some things about each other. And while it’s great to be on a team, it’s hilarious when we’re against each other, right? The younger generation learned what this thing called a dot matrix is.

And if you weren’t there and you’re under a certain age, I’ll let you make up that line. That’s a printer. Who knew, right? A dot matric is a printer. And the older generation learned that they can’t put change the wallpaper on their phone in less than 30 seconds. We tested, they couldn’t. So you learn some things. Our confidence, while it’s great to have a family that we can get to know, that we can enjoy, that we can play games with, and even take advantage of spiritually, the way God says to in the New Testament. While it’s great to have that asset, to have those allies, our confidence must be in God, in God alone. His family because of him. The body of Jesus, because of the submission of Jesus.

And you see, anything short of that falls short. Before we read Isaiah chapter 36, think about the words of Jesus. In Matthew chapter 7 and verse 24, he said, Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who did what? Well, built his house on the rock. And then you skip down two verses, and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them, is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Now for a while you have two foundations, two homes. But what was the defining moment to decide which one will stand, which one will last, and which one would crumble? Well, verse 25 and verse 27, when the winds came, and the storms came, and the rain beat on that house.

What happened to the foolish man’s home? On sand? It fell. And what about the house built on the rock? It stood, because they heard and did the words of Jesus, the Son of God. In Isaiah chapter 36, we’re going to realize Hezekiah, king of Judah, the nation of Judah, is facing a moment not identical to what we will face. It’s not too often that a foreign power wages war on you, hopefully. But we’re going to see Hezekiah being king over from a world perspective, tiny Judah, versus very large, very ruthless, very strong and scary Assyria, has his back against the wall, and is going to be put in a position where he must decide who will trust. You see, the people of Judah had no shot at fighting the Assyrians off.

In fact, if you read me with me in verse one, notice what the Assyrians have to say about it. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennachrib, king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshaka from Lakish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the washer’s field. And there came out to him Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. Verse 4. And the Rabshaka said to them, Say to Hezekiah, thus says the great, the king of Assyria, on what do you rest this trust, or in several of your translations, confidence of yours?

Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff with which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on him, such as Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, We trust in the Lord our God, is it not he whose high places Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar? Come now, make a wager with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, go up against this land and destroy it. You see from the Rabshaka that the chief military officer of mighty, ruthless, powerful Assyria, they not only aren’t afraid of Judah, they’re telling Judah, You better look out because you have no hope. I could give you two thousand horses, I could make you battle the least in my army, and you’d still have not a single shot to repulse how powerful and mighty our kingdom, our military is.

You see, for Hezekiah for Judah, similar to for us, we face those moments where life’s storms come. And while it might seem that we have a house standing, we only find out if the foundation is true, if it won’t crack, if it won’t fall, in a moment of testing, in a moment of trial. And the devil’s crafty. Notice first how Assyria taunts Jerusalem, and then we’re going to look at how the devil speaks to us in some similar ways. First of all, you notice that first taunt. There is no one here who can help you. In verse 4, who are you putting your confidence in? Who are you putting your trust in? Verse 6, it better not be Egypt. By the way, he’s right about this.

In Isaiah chapter 7, God is trying to get King Ahaz at the time to trust in him to win a battle. And King Ahaz goes, No, no, no, I need help. I need help from a foreign power. And you know how that goes? Everybody loses. But just because he’s right, doesn’t mean it’s good advice. But here’s the chief military officer saying, All right, option number one for you, Judah, is you can try to get help. But what happens, verse 6 when you go and try to get help? How does he describe Egypt? Not only as a broken reed of a staff, but being that broken reed of a staff, it will pierce the hand of any man who leans on him. Trusting in Egypt will not only backfire, it will fail spectacularly.

You are alone.

But he’s quick to cut this off from this God fearing people, theoretically. In verse 7, he says, But if you say to me, We trust in the Lord our God, he’s not a broken reed. You can’t stamp out our God. Notice what he says in verse 7. Isn’t this the God that you made angry? Isn’t this the God whose high places Hezekiah tore down and removed? By the way, is he right that God would be mad that Hezekiah tore down these high places and altars? Not a chance. Because Hezekiah was doing the right thing. He was taking down idols. He was taking out the place and the ability to worship them. But you see, the Rab Shekha doesn’t care about truth. The devil doesn’t care about truth.

What is he trying to do? Rattle Judah. Make them give up. Make them not fight. As long as he can get them scared, and he can get them to feel like they’re alone, he can make them give in. And so he says that in verse 7, but he also continues even in eight. Come now, make a wager with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them. He’s saying, you know what? Hezekiah, your foreign power, he can’t save you. I could spot you the military. I could spot you the horses, and you won’t be able to battle us. Don’t trust Hezekiah, don’t trust Hezekiah’s God. Look with me down in verse 13.

By the way, the Rabshaka shows some tendencies here that I think Ken and I both share. In verses 11 and 12, what we’re skipping over. The Rabshekah’s message is for the three people appointed in verse 3. And they tell him, Can you not speak in the language of our people? You’re going to scare them. What do you think someone is going to do when you say, hey, don’t do this as a favor to me? I’m going to touch the button. I am going to do it in a loud voice. I’m going to speak in their native tongue. This time, as it’s described in verse 13, he says it in a loud voice in the language of Judah. He wants everyone to hear how hopeless this situation is.

In verse 14, thus says the king: do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. God can’t save you. Talk about why he won’t save you in a moment, another threat that the Rabshaka levies. Hezekiah can’t save you. Your military can’t save you. By the way, when the Rabchekah focuses on this city, don’t let Hezekiah tell you this city will stand. You know why he says it that way? Because Assyria has already annihilated most of the rest of Judah. Okay, so this isn’t just a people who are standing as a foreign nation and they’re for the first time being encroached upon by Assyria.

Assyria has wiped out most of what we would consider this area. They wiped out Israel, and they have wiped out many, arguably 45 cities or towns of Judah already. And can we stop for a moment and say, you’re those people on the wall hearing this Assyrian military officer shouting, you have no chance. And by the way, you want to rely on God? If you keep reading in this section, he goes on to say, Where were all the gods of the people we already took down? Look, we didn’t worry about the gods of this nation or that nation. By the way, we didn’t even worry about the gods of Samaria. Whose God is the God of Samaria? Judah’s God, Samaria is Israel. Your God can’t stop us.

By the way, verse 10, you know why your God won’t stop us? He sent me to destroy you. Going back to verse 10, this is clever and a lie. Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord told me, Go and destroy this land. If you are a person in the kingdom of Judah, the only fair conclusion is we are stuck. We’re finished. We’re done. We have no return. We can’t look to foreign powers. We can’t look up to God. We made him mad. We can’t look to the side to Hezekiah. We can’t take the military fight. We will get annihilated. And not only all that, God is the one pulling the strings. Even if you didn’t believe half of this, the other two reasons are enough to be terrified.

Unless your confidence transcends what a man can threaten. There’s only one way to stand up against a temptation like this. And the answer to each of them is God will deliver us. We’re going to see that in chapter 37 in one of Hezekiah’s finest moments. He takes this problem to God. And God is going to take care of the solution. I’m sorry for spoiling the ending for you. But as you look at this, no one is there to help you. The answer? I don’t need anybody. I have God. He will take care of me. Rab Zachar says, God won’t help you. You know what you say to that? Yes, he will. He has promised. God is faithful to his promises. Well, Hezekiah can’t save you. I don’t need Hezekiah.

But even if I did, he’s saying, trust in God and God will take care of me. God sent us to destroy you. No, not if we repent. God has promised life and blessings if we will submit ourselves to him. The question isn’t, will God save us? The question is, do we believe that God will save us? He has shown of his people from Genesis through Revelation, and in our own lives, if we look, he takes care of his people. It is undeniable. But it is something that the devil can make us doubt. And see, the question is, how firm is the confidence that must be in God? If our confidence was in the military, it would be shot. If the confidence wasn’t in Egypt, we’d be sunk.

1. The Devil Wants You to Think You Are Alone

If it was in Hezekiah, we would have no hope. Only God could deliver them out of this mess. And this is how Satan wants us to think. I want us to consider for a moment in our lives, when our back is against the wall, what is his messaging for us? And then how do we combat that? First of all, we’ll recognize, somewhat like the Rabshaka tells the people of Judah, the devil wants you to think you are alone. By the way, if you don’t think this is persuasive, consider 1 Kings chapter 19. Turn there with me. In 1 Kings chapter 19, not only is there somebody struggling with the idea of being alone, this is God’s great prophet, Elijah. He is wanting to die in the earlier verses of chapter 19.

He says, You know what? Just take my life. It is enough. So if we don’t think being alone can be a temptation, a struggle, or lead to some doubts, we’re not being honest with ourselves. Elijah in 1 Kings chapter 19 finds himself in verse 10 in a cave, saying, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, killed your prophets with the sword, and see this. And I, even I only am left. And they seek my life to take it away. Notice in verse 14, God says, but I want you to see me, verses 12 and 13. He shows himself. But in verse 14, he says, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I even I only am left.

And they seek my life to take it away. Elijah has been sidelined. This is amazing because in chapter 18, one of the most demonstrable miracles in world history is done. Chapter 19 comes right after chapter 18. That’s good math, right? And in chapter 18 was the miracle at Mount Carmel. And on Mount Carmel, Elijah proved with fire from heaven that God is real and Baal is a fraud. This high of highs. The people of Israel now know conclusively, or at least they should, Israel and Judah alike, although particularly Judah, that God is faithful. And then in a moment, this great prophet of God is wishing to die. And did you see what he said in there? I’m the only one. You know what’s interesting and clever about this?

Not only is he taking Elijah out of the picture, you notice what the devil does. He doesn’t have to make Elijah curse God to win. You know what’s happening in all of chapter 19 on behalf of God’s people by Elijah? Nothing. Why? Because Elijah is in a cave and he’s beaten down by the world. So Satan wins because he took God’s great prophet and put him on the sideline. He doesn’t need to make Elijah sin to take him out of God’s service. Is God taking you out of service? Maybe not leaving the faith. Maybe not cursing God. But saying, you know what, I’m by myself. I’m the only one trying. How is this possible? What am I supposed to do? And by the way, just like with the Rabshaka, the devil tells us things that have some truth in them.

Now, Elijah is wrong. We know the quote God’s going to tell him. What’s he going to say? There are 7,000 who haven’t what? Yet bowed the knee to Baal. You are not alone. But also, we see in verse 11 and 12, after Elijah first gives his complaint in verse 10 says, I have served you, nobody else is. Take my life, I’m alone. God says, I want you to look. And he shows him his power. God says, you’re not alone. You have me. Put your trust, your confidence in me. Elijah, what do I want you to do? I want you to know I am with you and I am in control. I want you to know that you are not alone. But also in verse 15, I want you to go.

2. Satan Wants Us to Think We Don’t Deserve God’s Help

Return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Haziel to be king over Assyria. 16. And Jehu, the son of Nimshe, you shall anoint to be king over Israel. I want you to know, Elijah, I have a need for you. It’s not enough just for you to believe that I’m in control. I need you to go. And I’m going to get you help. Jehu is going to serve. Elisha is going to team up with you. You are not alone. Devil wants us to think that, whether to make us turn on God or just to get us out of the picture and anybody that we should be influencing in the process. Satan also wants us to think that we don’t deserve God’s help.

Remember, that’s what the Rab Shaka was telling Judah. You know, God sent me to get you. And by the way, you don’t deserve God’s help. Hezekiah is tearing down the altars. He’s wrong. He’s lying. But it’s an interesting thought, isn’t it? You don’t deserve God’s help. But when you look at Romans chapter 5 and verses 6 through 10, I have terrible news that is truly good news. If you’re wondering if you deserve God’s help, here’s the terrible but great news. The answer is, myself included, no, we don’t. We don’t deserve God’s help. Yet in Romans chapter 5, notice what he says in verse 6. It’s not just that God cares for us. It’s not that God just likes people who serve him. In Romans chapter 5, notice when Jesus died.

Jesus is the centerpiece of salvation. But when and how was he sent and why did he die? Verse 6, while we were still weak. At the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. Do the weak and ungodly deserve Jesus to die? No. Not a chance. What about verse 8? But God shows his love towards us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Did we deserve Jesus’ death while we were sinning against God? Of course not. And then in verse 10, for if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of the Son. Much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. We don’t deserve God’s help. And when we are by ourselves, we start thinking, you know what?

I’ve made so much of a mess of my life, I can’t turn it around. What kind of God would want to forgive me anyway? Here’s the answer. It’s a true God. God has always promised his people, Old Testament and New Testament alike. You can be forgiven. Isn’t that amazing? But we have to be clear on something. This is very important. David’s sin with Bathsheba teaches us a very clear and upsetting point. That sin has two sets of consequences, and they’re very different. One of them is spiritual, and God will forgive you. But sin also comes with physical consequences. And those don’t just get poofed away. You know, David was forgiven after Nathan rebuked him and he repented. God forgave David. But you know what happened in the days to follow?

The child died. There was a physical consequence for David’s sin. But the text is clear. David was forgiven. When we are alone, when we are going through life’s troubles, we kind of think, I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t call out to God because I don’t deserve his help. But that’s a falsity because we never will be in a position where we deserve God’s help. If you look at the Old Testament, what did he do with the people? Think about the times of the judges. They would sin, not deserving help. They would repent, they would cry out for help. And what would God do? Send them a judge. Then what would they do? The judge would live, everybody would be happy, and then the judge would die.

3. Others Will Fail You

Then what would happen? The people would sin again. You’d think at some point God would get tired of it. But his love and forgiveness knows no bounds. Thanks be to God that his love, forgiveness, and grace is infinitely better than what we offer. I don’t deserve God’s help, but he offers it anyway. Don’t let Satan sideline you with that lie. Here’s another kernel of truth that the Satan wants us to believe. Now it can be wrong, but it can also be right. Others will fail you. Look, I may not be alone, but the people I have aren’t very good help. Others will fail you. I want you to notice what Jesus tells Peter in John chapter 21. In John chapter 21, many times you talk with people and we’ll ask them, sometimes at a local Bible study, like the meetup, and say, well, what brought you here?

And they say, Well, I’ve been trying to learn more about the Bible. And then we’ll start talking and try to explain, well, why haven’t we been to this church or that church? And it’s usually because somebody failed somebody. Now, sometimes people just fell away and they admit it. But sometimes I don’t go there because I had a bad experience. I didn’t like the way I was treated. John chapter 21, Peter has a problem, not identical to our problem, but notice how Jesus approaches Peter here. In John chapter 21 and verse 20, Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. The one who had also leaned back against him during the supper and said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Now, you might be wondering, what is Peter preoccupied with? Well, you can tell from the language that Peter’s trying to figure out what’s going to happen to this guy because Jesus has just finished telling him in verse 19, and frankly the verses before that, what’s going to happen to Peter? You’re going to serve me, you’re going to be faithful, and then you are going to die for me. And so Peter’s thinking, okay, well, that might be my consequence, but what about him? Is he going to have to die? And Jesus in verse 22 says, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.

So the saying spread among the brothers that this disciple was not to die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You know what’s interesting. Disciples hear, he’s not going to die for the name of Jesus, and they’re like, He’s going to live forever. Jesus goes, you know what? By the way, Jesus goes, okay, that’s not even close to what I said. He says, even if that is what I desired for him. Does that change my commandment and expectation for you? And the answer is no. Even if John, even if this apostle lived forever, and you have to die tomorrow. You serve me. It doesn’t matter what somebody else does.

Why? Our confidence has to be with God. It can’t be through somebody. It can’t be because of somebody. It has to be straight. I believe in God, and so I will serve him with my all. It’s that clear. But Satan wants us to look around and say, Well, that’s not fair. We don’t talk about what’s not fair. Let’s look at what Jesus did. We just read in Romans chapter 5. He died for the weak, ungodly sinners who were enemies of God. That’s not fair. Jesus was sinless. He was crucified. Jesus was innocent. He was spat upon. He was gentle, forgiving, and merciful, and he was beaten and tortured. That’s not fair. Jesus’ message for Peter is you follow me. Don’t worry about everybody else. Whether their life is wonderful or it’s the worst, you follow me.

And you know what Satan wants to do? He wants us to look around. He wants to say, you know what? They failed me. It’s not fair. It’s not right. Other people have something better than me. That’s not fair. Jesus says, you follow me. Whether the devil’s right or wrong about others failing us, whether you have lived through somebody harming you maliciously or ignorantly. And I’m sorry if that’s the case. I truly am. But we still have to follow Jesus. Because God is the one who meets out the revenge. It is God who has said, Vengeance is mine. I will repay. I need to follow him. One other thought Satan needs us to think before we look at how we can combat these. This is other thought that is really problematic.

Maybe I don’t deserve God’s help. Maybe I am alone. Maybe I’m feeling alone. Others are going to fail me, but you know what? It doesn’t matter if I had a great team. It doesn’t matter if I did deserve God’s help because God is causing my problems. We don’t need to turn there in Job chapter 22. Feel free to look as we kind of talk through it. In Job chapter 22, one of Job’s, I say this sarcastically, wonderful friends here, is convincing Job that he is suffering because he is guilty of sin. Quick question in recap of chapter one and two. Is Job being punished because he sinned? No. Okay. So when his friends tell him, however well intentioned they are, that you have made God angry, Job, just own it, just repent, just wear it.

God doesn’t punish people for no reason. You must be guilty because you’re suffering. He is wrong. Doesn’t matter if he’s trying to be nice, it doesn’t matter if it’s a good principle. He’s wrong. And so would you tell Job in this circumstance? You know what, Job, you deserve this. You’re not going to get better. If we would, we’d be just like his friends. But what is the truth of the matter? Satan is causing the problems to Job. Job did not deserve this. God was not doing this. Was God allowing it to happen? Yes, that’s a sticky wicket, isn’t it? That God would allow Satan in chapter one to kill Job’s children, to take out his riches. That God would allow Satan to strike Job with loathsome sores from head to foot.

To where he’s scratching himself with pottery. In chapter three, he wishes he would die. Why and how does God allow that? But please know this morning, regardless of how we feel about that, to allow something and to do something are completely different actions. God gives us free will.

Or to reject him. To try to go to Egypt. To try to fight on our own. You know what happens when we try to go out on our own? We die. We get destroyed. But he allows that. Because in his creation, he allowed free will. So when bad things happen, could God have stopped it with his miraculous omniscience and omnipotence? Yes, he can. But what God has promised is don’t worry about this life. We have to be focused on God getting us through. To what? To be with him in a place where there is no pain. Where there’s no tears. No sorrow. Satan wants us to think we’re alone. We have no options. God is doing this to me on purpose. Others failing me. It’s a good reason for me to fall away.

4. Give Everything Over to God

And all of those are lies in the end. The solution to all of them is to say, My God is stronger than my weaknesses. And when Jesus says to come, I just go. So what do we do? What is the end of the story? Turn back with me to Isaiah chapter 37 now. The Rabshek has shaken Judah to their core. They have heard the threats. They have heard that Assyria is going to come down and mow them over, just like they have all the other nations. How do we place our confidence in God? We see in Isaiah chapter 37 that we have to give everything over to him. In verse 1, as soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.

And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household and Shevna, the secretary, and the senior priest covered with sackcloth to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos. They said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, this day is a day of distress, of rebuke, of disgrace. Children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshaka, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left. Now, when the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, Say to your master, thus says the Lord, do not be afraid.

Because of the words that you have heard with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land. Who is going to take care of this problem? God. Who is the only solution to this problem? God. And do you see the first words in Isaiah chapter 37 and verse 1? This is the response. What does it mean to give everything over to God? That makes sense. That sounds good. It looks like a hallmark card. When you’re in doubt, call on God. But notice what Hezekiah does. Here is somebody who truly places his confidence in God.

What does he do, verse 1? As soon as he heard. Question. Is my faith that strong? To where as soon as I hear bad news, I stop, humble myself, find a messenger of God, and pray. Or is it after I’ve tried to fix it? Do I try to do what I can first? See if I can kind of work my way out of it, make it kind of a manageable situation. Hezekiah immediately humbled himself, sought God, and prayed to God. This is what it means to give everything over to God. When I am suffering, when I am struggling, physically, spiritually, mentally, give it all to God. What does this look like? Look at me in 1 Peter chapter 5. 1 Peter chapter 5. It’s not simply a catchphrase.

It is a lifestyle. It is a life choice. 1 Peter chapter 5, beginning in verse 6. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him. Because he cares for you. Be sober-minded, be watchful, your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith. Do you see in verse 6? Humble yourselves and what will God do? Yes, he will exalt you, but there is an important caveat there. At the proper time. You see, this is the difficulty in giving everything over to God. Verse 7 is great. I have anxieties, give it to God. He cares for me. But sometimes God doesn’t fix things the way I think and wish they would be fixed.

But giving everything over to God means I accept God’s terms no matter what they are. If I’m Peter, it doesn’t matter if John’s going to live forever and I have to die tomorrow. Jesus said, Come so I follow. Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you, is impactful, that God cares for us. But nowhere in verse 6, 7, or 8 does it say God will poof away all of your pain. That in this life the consequences of sin of others or of self will just disappear. But it does say at the proper time, whatever that is, whatever that means, in God’s divine, perfect omniscience, he will take care of you. And you know why that’s a blessing? Because God, who is in control of everything, cares for his people.

5. Trust That His Victory Is Certain

Just like he did with Judah. If we give it over to God, he has promised us, I will take care of you. Are we willing to accept his terms of complete surrender first? Second thing, give everything over to God. But we have to trust that his victory is certain. This is very important because not only does Hezekiah pray, we don’t have time to look through some of that prayer. Hezekiah’s focus is on God. The Rabshaka, Assyria, has attacked the good name of God. God, stand up for your name. Yes, save us in so doing. But God, your name has been attacked. Stand up for it. But if you go back to Isaiah chapter 37, I want you to see an important verse. Yes, we should take confidence that God will have the victory.

But notice when the victory starts. He tells Hezekiah through Isaiah at the beginning of the chapter, I will take care of you. But notice verse 21. Then, after this prayer of Hezekiah, Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the Lord the God of Israel, because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria, this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him. Namely, I will destroy him. But do you see that important word because it means before this it wasn’t going to happen. Now it will. Because you have what? Because you have prayed to me. Now it’s very simple. Do we trust God to do the rest, to dot the I’s to cross the T’s? By the way, that’s the way we treat God, as if it’s dotting I’s and crossing T’s.

That is not what God does. And when you read the end of this chapter in verse 36, the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. Then you come down to verse 38. When Sennacherib was worshiping in the house of Nizrach his God, Adrimelech and Sharazar, his son struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped to the land of Erat, Aesar had and his son reigned in his place. God did exactly what he promised. But is that just kind of doing the finishing touches that people struggled with? No, God didn’t just do the heavy lifting, he did the lifting. Trusting in his victory means I give everything to God and let him make the victory. Sometimes in the Old Testament, that meant doing something.

6. We Have to Look Up, Not Down

Sometimes it meant marching around Jericho, walking through the Red Sea, shouting at walls. May not make sense to us. But when God says it and we do it, his victory is 100.0% certain. But only if my confidence is in him will I find that victory. One final thought. We have to look up, not down. We started the lesson this morning thinking about the idea of a storm. We’ll find out where our confidence is when the storm comes. Obviously, in Paul, in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1, he says, set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. We know that we need to do that. But think about Matthew chapter 14 for a moment as Jesus is standing out on the water. And Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water.

Conclusion

We stop for a moment. That is a miracle. Peter is walking on water. And I know everyone’s thinking, but what happened? He took his eyes off Jesus. He saw the winds, he saw the waves, and he sank. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. It doesn’t matter what other people are doing. It doesn’t matter if I am or simply feel alone. And it doesn’t matter what lies the devil whispers into my ear about God not caring for me. God cares for his people. And let me tell you conclusively, if you struggle with any of these thoughts this morning, you are not alone. And you never will be, because God is always there for his people. Isn’t that amazing? If you’re here this morning and you’ve never become a Christian, recognize these blessings are for God’s people.

Judah is the old covenant people, but Christians in the new covenant can be connected to God. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. If you’re willing to confess that He is Lord and all that that means in your life, repenting of a life of stubborn rebellion, saying, I have done it wrong. I can’t do it on my own. I need the victory that only God offers. You can be baptized this morning, sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You can have your sins washed away. Or maybe you’ve been a Christian and you haven’t trusted in God fully. The winds and the rain came and it beat down your house. Recognize God is faithful, he is just. In 1 John 1 8, he will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But just like with Hezekiah, we must confess to him. Remember, because he prayed. If we can help you be right with God in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.