#10
(The “Remember” Series)
“REMEMBER MY FAITHFULNESS!”
TEXT: 2
Kings 20:1-11; 18:3-7
INTRO: When is it
the hardest time to say “NO” to your kids? For me it was when they had just done
some wonderful thing like dishes without being asked, or they followed through
on important helpful tasks without being asked, and THEN they came and asked for
a favor!
Why is it so hard to say “NO” after
they have been good beyond expectation? Because you want to capture these moments
and reward them as part of the process of their maturing character, those kind
of actions and attitudes that reveal a maturing, caring, thoughtful and
unselfish person need rewarding. It
is hard NOT to reward good behavior and attitudes! (Unless of course you sense it is being done
only for manipulation – and kids can be good at this
too!)
While attempts to manipulate God’s
blessings and favor will always fail the Bible does teach that those who walk
faithfully with the Lord DO find they are generally under the blessings and
attention of the Lord.
Our heavenly father also likes to
reward faithfulness by His children, nothing is more satisfying in this life
than to be able to come before the Lord at a moment of crisis and be able to say
“Lord,
remember my faithfulness” – not as a form of manipulation, but as a
reminder to self and to others that faithfulness counts, that God’s heart is
always on the remnant that walk faithfully with Him!
PROP.
SENT: The Bible teaches us that being
faithful to the Lord opens the door for God to move in our life in unique ways
that He otherwise could not or would not be able to do so, God has always kept a
unique hand on the faithful remnant who follow Him!
I. THE PLACE OF A FAITHFUL SERVANT
18:3-7; 20:1-3
A. Righteous! 18:3-7
1. Hezekiah was one of the few great
kings of Judah!
a. His rule was one of the longest;
because he walked faithfully with God the Lord blessed
him.
b. Hezekiah tore down all the altars
and high places, he set his heart to serve God and cleanse the nation from
sinful practices.
c. This was remarkable in light of the
fact that his father Ahaz had been such a wicked man and
king!
2. It was King Hezekiah that took and
destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people of
3. Hezekiah exemplified trust in God,
it was the pattern of his life, this is the stuff of true
righteousness.
a. He was a man who constantly checked
up on himself to see that he was pleasing the Lord, not just during times when
he needed something but all the time!
ILLUS: LIKE THE
BOY WHO WENT INTO A DRUGSTORE TO USE THE PHONE. AS THE BOY CALLED, THE PHARMACISTS
LISTENED TO THE BOY’S PHONE CALL. HE HEARD THE YOUNG MAN ASK ON THE PHONE;
“HELLO SIR, I WAS CALLING TO SEE IF YOU NEEDED A LAWN BOY TO WORK FOR YOU? ...
OR DO YOU HAVE ONE ALREADY? WELL,
IS HE DOING A GOOD JOB, IS HE ADEQUATE?
OH, HE IS! SO YOU ARE HAPPY
WITH HIM, O.K., THANK YOU SIR, I WAS JUST CHECKING!” WHEN THE BOY HUNG UP THE PHARMACIST WHO
NOW FELT SORRY FOR THE BOY SAID TO HIM, “I‘M SORRY SON YOU DIDN’T GET THE JOB,
DON’T GIVE UP TRYING.” TO THIS THE
PHARMACIST WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THE BOY’S RESPONS: “OH, NO SIR, I’VE GOT THAT
JOB ... I WORK FOR THE MAN ... I WAS JUST CALLING TO CHECK UP TO SEE HOW WELL I
WAS DOING!” – Source
Unknown
b. Hezekiah was not an “emergency 911 Christian,” he was
walking faithfully with the Lord before a crisis hit!
4. There is a big difference between
the appearance of righteousness and real
righteousness!
5. Too many people make great efforts
to look righteous without practicing it in their normal
living!
ILLUS: LIKE THE
WOMAN ONE DAY WHO FOUND THE PASTOR VISITING HER HOME UNEXPECTINGLY. AS SHE NERVOUSLY GREETED THE PASTOR SHE
DECIDED SHE WANTED TO PUT ON A GREAT IMPRESSION OF GODLINESS SO SHE INVIVTED THE
PASTOR IN AND STARTED SHARING HOW MUCH SHE LOVED THE LORD AND HIS WAYS. TO PROVE HER P0INT SHE ASKED HER YOUNG
DAUGHTER TO RUN AND “GET THAT GOOD BOOK WE ALL LOVE SO MUCH IN THIS FAMILY AND
BRING IT HERE.” THE YOUNG GIRL
RETURNED A MINUTE LATER AND TO THE EMBARRASSMENT OF THE MOTHER SET DOWN PROUDLY
ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF THE PASTOR THE SEARS CATALOG! – Source
Unknown
6. Righteousness means living right,
not just in a moment, but as a lifestyle!
a. This was
Hezekiah!
b. When Hezekiah later died Isaiah
deeply mourned over his death because it was such a great loss to the nation,
gone was a godly ruler.
B. Reality
20:1
1. Righteousness does not exempt us
from human suffering however, just look at Jesus – and the day came when
Hezekiah found himself facing a difficult personal struggle with illness, one
that was severe!
2. Hezekiah was not afflicted with
disease because of some personal sin issue but because he was
human!
a. We need to be careful in judging
other Christians when sickness and disaster strikes.
b. Human suffering is the norm and not
always the result of some specific personal sin!
3. Hezekiah though not yet that old,
was afflicted with some illness that normally resulted in
death!
a. Even a very righteous man like him
felt the pangs of human frailty.
b. As a gesture of love God sends
Isaiah to him to at least let him know of his impending death, this would enable
him to make important decisions and not be caught off
guard!
4. Even the best Christians are not
exempt from suffering and loss!
C. Request
20:2-3
1. Hezekiah however understands that
God is not just a God of rules but a God who loves
relationships!
2. Hezekiah calls out to God in prayer
with a request for healing so that he might live longer to praise and worship
the Lord – and lead others in God’s ways!
a. This becomes even more clear in
ISAIAH 38:10, 18-19 – here Hezekiah’s prayer
is recorded, the prayer that he prayed when he was healed, and he states how in
his prime of life he asked God to heal him so he could yet continue to worship
and praise and influence others for righteousness!
b. Notice that Hezekiah’s request was
not for some personal whim, it was for ministry!
3. The appeal for healing is based on
a very important point here; he appeals to God by asking the Lord to “REMEMBER HIS
FAITHFULNESS!” 2
Ki 20:3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have
walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what
is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept
bitterly.”
a. This is not an appeal to force
God’s hand by good works however!
b. It is simply an acknowledgement
that God does honor faithfulness, a principle stated earlier in 2 Sam. 22:21.
4. In fact, this appeal recognizes
that he is not NOW trying to be faithful to get something from God but is proof
that if the Lord would heal him the Lord can count on him to continue what he
already has done; in this sense it is then just the opposite of trying to
manipulate God!
5. What a testimony to be able to
appeal to the Lord based on a clear conscience of faithful walking with the
Lord!
a. God does take notice of the
faithful servants He has!
b. Faithfulness does
matter!
c. It doesn’t mean Hezekiah was
perfect and flawless, just that he for the vast amount of his life lived
faithfully for the Lord; his heart was always yearning and living for God.
II. THE PROMISES OF FAITHFULNESS SHOW! 20:4-7
A. Reward! 20:4-6
1. It is interesting to note the
response from God to a man who had walked faithfully with Him! It was an immediate
response!
a. Isaiah hadn’t even left the courtyard yet from delivering
the terrible news of impending death when God responded!
2 Ki 20:4-6 “Before Isaiah had left the middle court,
the word of the LORD came to him: "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my
people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard
your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you
will go up to the temple of the LORD.
I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this
city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake
and for the sake of my servant David.'"
b. God’s eyes and ears are tuned to
His faithful servants!
2. Isaiah is instructed to return
immediately and tell Hezekiah that the Lord has heard his prayers and seen his
tears and would heal him completely in 3 days!
3. Not only this, but God even
tells him how much longer he will live – exactly! An extra 15
years!
a. Not only would he be healed but he
would know the real time of his death so that these years could be carefully
planned and made to count for God the most effectively! This is something an already faithful
man who certainly want to do!
b. This would also give Hezekiah the
advantage of being to plan a smooth transition from his life and rule to the
next king of
4. True to
God’s nature, this was far more than Hezekiah had asked
for!
a. God was moved by this man’s
faithfulness over the years; the reward of that consistent service was now being
realized!
b. God does reward the
faithful!!
ILLUS: A PERSIAN
LEGEND TELLS THE STORY OF A KING WHO NEEDED A FAITHFUL SERVANT AND HAD TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN 2 CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICE. HE TOOK BOTH THESE MEN AND ASSIGNED THEM
A SMALL FIXED WAGE AND ASKED THEM TO FILL A BASKET WITH WATER FROM A NEARBY
WELL, SAYING THAT HE WOULD RETURN THAT EVENING TO INSPECT THEIR WORK. AFTER DUMPING ONE OR TWO BUCKETS OF WATER
INTO THE BASKET ONE OF THE 2 MEN SAID, “WHAT IS THE GOOD OF DOING THIS USELESS
WORK? AS SOON AS WE POUR WATER INTO
THESE REED BASKETS THE WATER RUNS OUT THE SEAMS!’ THE OTHER MAN ANSWERED, “I DON’T KNOW
WHY HE WANTS US TO DO THIS, BUT WE ARE GETTING A FAIR WAGE, THE USE IS THE
MASTER’S BUSINESS, NOT OURS!” THE
FIRST MAN THEN SAID, “IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE DOING A FOOL’S WORK THEN FINE, I’M
NOT ... I’M LEAVING!” THROWING DOWN
HIS BUCKET, HE LEFT. THE OTHER MAN
CONTINUED TO POUR WATER FROM THE WELL INTO HIS LEAKY BUCKET ALL DAY LONG UNTIL
THE WELL HAD BECOME DRY! LOOKING
DOWN INTO THE WELL HE THOUGHT HE NOTICED SOMETHING NOW THAT IT WAS DRY. SOMETHING SHINING IN THE BOTTOM, IT
PROVED TO BE A DIAMOND RING! HE
THEN EXCLAIMED, “NOW I SEE THE USE OF POURING WATER INTO THE BASKET. IF THE BUCKET HAD BROUGHT UP THE RING
BEFORE THE WELL WAS DRY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REVEALED IN THE REED BASKET AFTER THE
WATER SEEPED OUT. IF NOT, ONCE THE
WELL WAS DRY IT TOO WOULD BE FOUND! OUR WORK WAS NOT USELESS OR FOOLISH; THE
MASTER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE!” THIS MAN GOT THE KING’S
POSITION OF TRUST! – Source Unknown
5. Hezekiah was now to become the
recipient of the Lord’s favor, favor that certainly was influenced by his
faithful walk for many years!
a. Don’t despair when terrible news
come, stay faithful, the Lord will not neglect your faithful
service!
b. It is never too late to start
living faithfully!
B. Reasonable! 20:7
1. It is interesting to note here the process
of healing God chooses to use!
a. While Isaiah is clearly told to
tell Hezekiah that the Lord would heal him, Isaiah uses a known pharmacological
mixture to administer as medicine to Hezekiah’s boil to enable the cure to take
full effect! 2 Ki 20:7 “Then
Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the
boil, and he recovered.”
b. God’s healing doesn’t require us
to run away from doctors or medical knowledge!
c. Many times God uses the medical
discoveries of the day to carry out His healing! God may have told Isaiah what to use, or
what to mix for this, we only know that this was used as part of the process in
healing Hezekiah, but clearly it was God who initiated the
healing.
2. The idea here is to do everything
that is reasonable for the times we live in, and believe the Lord for what
cannot be done reasonably!
3. It is not ok to pray to the Lord
for something and then ignore what can be reasonably done on our
part!
a. If there is nothing that can
reasonably be done then trust God with it all.
b. But if there is something that you
or someone else can do, do it unless the Lord clearly instructs you not to do
something!
c. Isaiah gives instructions to mix
up this medicine and administer it to Hezekiah!
ILLUS: LIKE THE
LITTLE GIRL WHOSE FATHER WAS A GREAT SCOTTISH PREACHER, IN A MORNING SERVICE SHE
HEARD HER FATHER PRAY FOR BADLY NEEDED RAIN IN THE SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE,
ASKING FOR RAIN BY EVENING. AFTER
LUNCH BACK HOME HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE AGAIN FOR THE CHURCH TO GET READY FOR THE
EVENING SERVICE WHEN HIS DAUGHTER MET HIM AT THE DOOR WITH AN UMBRELLA THOUGH IT
WAS SUNNY OUTSIDE! SHE SAID TO HIM,
“HERE IS YOUR UMBRELLA PAPA!” HE
SAID, “WHAT DO I NEED IT FOR?” SHE
SAID, “YOU PRAYED FOR RAIN THIS MORNING, FOR IT TO START TONIGHT, DON’T YOU
EXPECT GOD TO SEND IT?” SO, HE TOOK
IT AND WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE THAT EVENING AGAIN FOR HOME HE WAS SO GLAD
HE HAD LISTENED, FOR IT WAS POURING OUTSIDE! HIS DAUGHTER BELIEVED GOD AND TOOK
REASONABLE MEASURES TO PREPARE FOR THE ANSWER! –
Source Unknown
III. THE POWER OF A FAITHFUL SAVIOR! 20:8-11
A. Restoration! 20:8
1. 2 Ki
20:8 “Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What
will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple
of the LORD on the third day from now?"” On the surface this might seem like a
strange question by Hezekiah, asking for a sign that his healing was from God,
but it is not strange because a reasonable approach was being followed –
medicine; Hezekiah wanted to know if the healing was the result of the medical
herbs alone or was it the response of a sovereign God?
2. Perhaps he wanted it clear that God
was the healer not just for himself but for the nation, after all it was he that
had had the bronze serpent destroyed that Moses had made ... the bronze serpent
that had been a symbol of healing by the Lord ... but that had been corrupted by
the idolatry of the people!
a. Perhaps Hezekiah’s destruction of
that bronze serpent made the people of God wonder if God would still heal, or if
God was punishing Hezekiah for destroying it, or the people may have thought
Hezekiah was jinxed by destroying it!
b. Asking for a sign would make clear
the healing was from God for all to know, and would allay any thoughts that God
was displeased with destroying the bronze statue that they had begun to worship
as an idol!
3. True to God’s Word (as always!) as
spoken from the prophet Isaiah Hezekiah is healed!
a. Perhaps this whole episode of near
death was for this reason alone.
b. When God allows suffering in His
faithful servants it is to achieve some purpose or
goal!
c. This is one of the big differences
between Christians and non-Christians, non-Christians look back for cause &
effect in suffering to somehow explain it; but believers look forward in time
for goals or purpose in what God is wanting to do through this, not cause £
effect from the past! Like
the man who was born blind in John 9:3 ...
Jesus stated that it was strictly for showing his healing to reveal the “glory of
God” that he was born blind, not because of any personal past
sin! It wasn’t about past cause and
effect, it was about God’s purposes in the future!
4. We
view suffering different from the world, we look for what purpose it will
accomplish for God’s glory while the world looks back for
reasons!
5. For Hezekiah – he is healed, and
God grants a miraculous sign to give testimony of His healing power and His
sovereignty!
6. The sign would signal Hezekiah’s
return to the “
a. Hezekiah’s fellowship in God’s
house would be fully restored!
b. Thus, his healing was not just so
he could be feeling good again physically, but so he could get back to the house
of God!
c. Restored physically, restored
fellowship with God, restored fellowship with God’s people, restored leadership,
restored image of God as healer!
d. GOD IS IN THE RESTORATION
BUSINESS!
B. Ruler! 20:9-11
1. Hezekiah is asked to choose which
way he wanted God to make a statement, by either:
a. Making the shadow on the stairs
move forward 10 steps or backwards 10 steps!
b. Hezekiah realized that moving
forward 10 steps might not be viewed as that supernatural, a scientist might
find natural laws to explain this away! – But to have it go backwards 10 steps
is contrary to all known laws!
2. Hezekiah wants no mistakes about
God’s power, he chooses the radical sign of time reversing
itself!
3. WHO IN HEAVEN’S NAME COULD DO
THIS? ONLY A RULER OVER ALL
CREATION COULD PULL OFF THIS STUNT! – EXACTLY!!!!
a. Healing a middle aged man would be
nothing compared to this miracle!!!
b. This would involve overriding the
laws of the universe!!!
c. They weren’t dealing with some
deity that can occasionally fix a man’s body; they were dealing with the RULER
OF ALL THINGS!
4. What a God they served, a God who
is faithful to them and has all power!
5. The God of Hezekiah was not some
localized deity like the ones the other nations served; HE WAS EL SHADDAI – the “almighty
God!”
6. While some scientist in town might
have found a way to explain Hezekiah’s healing by the poultice of figs given to
him by Isaiah how could anyone explain time flowing
backwards!!!
7. The prophet Isaiah was smarter than
any scientist, he knew the power of God, they sought answers and Isaiah had
the answer!
ILLUS: ROBERT
JASTROW … A SELF-PROCLAIMED AGNOSTIC WROTE AN INTERESTING PIECE CALLED, “GOD AND
THE ASTRONOMERS” – a sound explanation
may exist for the explosive birth of our universe, but if it does, science
cannot find out what that explanation is. THE SCIENTIST’S pursuit of the past ends
IN the moment of creation. This is
an exceedingly strange development, unexpected by all but the theologians. Theologians have always accepted the Word
of the Bible,
“in the
beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”
8. The ruler of all things responds to
the faithfulness of a servant!
a. To the point that He will reverse
the effects of time to demonstrate His power!
b. That He will heal and restore those
who walk with Him!
9. Don’t underestimate the response of
God to those who can say with an honest heart, “REMEMBER MY
FAITHFULNESS.”
a. And if you can’t say it now start
making today the first day of your walking faithfully with the
Lord!
b. He also sees honest intentions to
begin to live faithfully!
c. The journey of a million miles
begins with one step! Take the
first if you haven’t been faithful before, start the
journey!
d. If you have been faithful keep on
keeping on!
CONCLUSION:
The Lord does respond to
faithfulness on the part of His children! God does hear the cries of faithful
servants and His heart is moved to consider the requests of His faithful
children. The man or woman who can
say to God, “Remember my faithfulness” is indeed a
blessed soul! God will move the
heavens (and like in Hezekiah’s day … the Earth!) to help His faithful
children.