Doubt and Deliverance

In Isaiah 36 and 37 we see that the Assyrian army is preparing to attack Jerusalem.  This Assyrian army is not one to be messed with, they have devastated the land and conquered many cities including Samaria just to the north of Jerusalem.  The Assyrian king sends one of his officials to the city of Jerusalem to mock them and to cause them to doubt and have fear.  This official stand just outside the city walls with his army and speaks with some representatives from Jerusalem.  There are many Jews standing on the wall of Jerusalem who are close enough to hear the conversation.  When the representatives ask this official to speak in Aramaic (a language that those on the wall of Jerusalem would not understand) the official raises his voice all the louder with the purpose of mocking Jerusalem and God so that they would be stricken with fear.  This official warns them not to trust their king who claims that God will defend and deliver them, he points out that none of the other gods of the surrounding cities were able to stop the Assyrians.  He even warns them that soon they will be eating their own dung and drinking their own urine.  This was no light talk; this official mocked the one true and living God.

The king of Jerusalem grieves and seeks the Lord in prayer.  He offers a deep call for deliverance from the Lord, knowing and proclaiming that God rules all and is in control of every nation of the earth including the Assyrians.  He sends people to Isaiah the prophet and this is the word that Isaiah speaks on behalf of the Lord, “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:  …Have you not heard that I determined it long ago?  I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins… I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me.  Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.”  Then the Lord says this to the people of Jerusalem, “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

God is our deliverer, and he is faithful to his people.  I believe that the enemy is constantly taunting God’s people, foolishly he taunts them even though he knows that he cannot have them, he is so thwarted because of his multitude of sins that he tries anyway.  This enemy stands at the walls of our souls and hurls his mockery at our heart.  “Do you really think that Christ is enough to save you?”  “Do you truly think your faith is real?”  “Hasn’t this all just been a game?  A fabrication that you foolishly bought into about heaven and hell and eternal life?”  The Assyrians words were relentless, there is nothing that they would not say, and there is nothing that Satan and his devils will not say while trying to attack our faith.  The call is to stand firm.  When your faith is attacked do not look to yourself, there is no assurance there.  Like the king of Jerusalem we must look to God, “look to Christ the author and finisher of your faith.”  In him there is life, in Christ there is confidence and assurance.  As you are bombarded, cast your cares, concerns, and worries on him who is faithful.  He who began a good work in you will see it on to completion.  As you look to Christ and seek his face, he will reveal himself to you, “draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”  He is your great deliverer and nothing at all in this world or heaven can separate you from the love of God, he has placed it on you, and if you are a child of God then there is nothing that can change that.  Continue to look to him and the onslaught of the evil one will fade away in the light of his glory and grace and you will feel and know a “self-forgetful yes” to the promise of Jesus Christ and the truth that he is enough for you, in fact, you are his forevermore.

The Folly of Hiding in Egypt

Isaiah 28:16-17 “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:  Whoever believes will not be in haste.  And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

This stone God has laid is: tested, precious, and sure.  We will receive its protections if we believe.

God will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line.  Anything outside of these measurements will receive hail and overwhelming waters.

Judgment and Wrath are coming on this world.  That is simply a reality.  Isaiah reminds us in 28:17 that justice is the line and righteousness the plumb line.   God will make things right… something that we all desire at some point in our lives (especially when we have been wronged).  But this will entail the eternal punishment and pain of many people; this is a reality not a fairy tail. 

The Assyrian army was ravishing the land in the 8^th century B.C.  Jerusalem impulsed by their fear made an alliance with Egypt.  Egypt was soon destroyed by the Assyrians.  Isaiah calls this a covenant of death in v.15.  Again in v.20 he says this bed is too short and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself on.  Oh how I hate when I am cold at night and my wife has the covers, or when I am sleeping at a friends house and they give me the all too thin afkin that is not large enough to cover a 7 year old child much less a 6 foot 3 man.  This is the picture God puts forth of what it is like to take shelter in any other name, any other plan, any other religion, any other dream or vision.  Nothing will protect you from the wrath to come other than Christ.

Here is the good news.  God does not afflict men from his heart; he does not get his kicks from inflicting pain.  Rather, he desires that all men be saved from this judgment that is on its way.  Therefore he has set up a sure foundation, a precious tested stone that will be more than enough for you.  If you believe on Jesus and trust that he is your personal Lord and Savior you will be saved.  I pray that people would flee to him and realize after they have taken shelter that he is not merely a helpful object of protection, he is so much more…  He leads us in life everlasting, full life, in his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Are you seeking the Lord?  Searching to be found in him?  May I encourage you to seek diligently.  Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ.  Therefore, search the scriptures as a man who sees the sky turning black, a cold wind blowing, tornados circling, and storms rising…  You are not promised tomorrow and Jesus is more than enough for you.  Look to Jesus.

Are you a follower of Christ who has grown cold?  Do not take this shelter for granted.  God will not be mocked.  No one sits in a lazy boy under this precious stone, that is not the nature of those who are under Christ’s protection.  Look to the sky and see the torment that is coming, be reminded of how much Christ loves you and has done for you, look to him and find yourself assured that you are covered by this stone.

For those who have found their selves on hard times, yet trust in the Lord.  Christ did not promise you an easy life, he promised you eternal life and though you may have trouble in this world take heart for Christ has overcome the world.  He overcame it by the cross and soon he will overcome it with his mighty right hand, a physical breaking down of this sin stained world.  Therefore, be exceedingly glad because you will be saved, you are under this stone of protection and though you may feel cramped now, remember that you are hurting under the rock of Jesus and soon he will bring about your ultimate salvation; pain is coming on this world in a degree that even you have not known… indeed you will never know, be exceedingly glad. 

To the faithful follower, rejoice in your Savior.  Do not forget that you are not worthy to be under this precious stone.  This stone is so precious that for you to be anywhere near it without grace would be your end.  All who are under this rock are sinners who by God’s grace will be spared this eternal destruction that is looming just beyond the borders of this world.  Cry out to those who have taken shelter under a short blanket… you know that it will not withstand what is coming, call for them to come and shelter with you under Christ.

To the hardened sinner:  Your hard heart is not hard enough to withstand the destruction that is coming.  Your wall will come down.  Even so, you have not out sinned God… Christ stands waiting for you to come and take refuge… all who are under this stone are sinners, none are better than you, and there is room for you.  It is a sweet refuge, one that offers much more than protection, it offers life in a form that you have never known.  Maybe you are convinced that your shelter will stand.  It will not, no shelter but Christ will stand when the sky splits and wrath pours in.  There is salvation by no other name and no one comes to salvation except through Jesus Christ.  Please, run now while there is still time, flee your flimsy shack of a shelter and come to the only one who can rescue you… he stands with arms open wide, he will receive you.

Looking for a Show

John 4:48 "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."

In the gospel of John, Jesus continually meets people who are looking for a show... not necessarily a relationship.  The people he encounters are not on the same page that he is, they are focused on the physical why Christ is continually pointing to the eternal.  Starting with Nicodemus who after he was told that he must be born again, he asked how he could re-enter his mothers womb.  Then came the woman at the well who after she was told that Christ had living water, she asked to receive some so that she would not have to come back to this well everyday.  Jesus makes this interesting statement in John 4, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.  The you is plural in the original language so he was not only speaking to one person, he is saying "you all", he is describing the hearts of the people who are gathered around him.  We will see this clearly again in a couple of chapters when some people come to see Jesus because their bellies are full from 5 loaves and 2 fish, they don't want Jesus, they want dinner.

After Jesus makes this statement to an official and the surrounding people in chapter 4 of John, it is interesting that he heals the mans child immediately and from a distance so that none of the people who were gathered (including the child's father) saw the miracle occur.  If you have false motives for wanting to see Jesus move in power, he most likely will not let you see.  Again in chapter 5 Jesus encounters a multitude of invalids... and heals one.  The Christ certainly could have put on a healing show for all to see but that was not his intention, he had and still has other ultimate goals in mind.  Jesus finds this man whom he had healed later in the chapter and tells him to sin no more.

The fine line here is that Christ is so glorious that in one sense he is always putting on a show.  What I mean by that is, when we truly see him for who he is we are stunned, blown away by his glory, grace, and power.  Because I am a sinful creature I have a tendency to pursue my selfishness in that show, instead of pursuing my satisfaction in Jesus.  The people of John 4 wanted to see the miracle... not the miracle worker.  I believe that if people genuinely (I will even be as bold as to use the word selfishly) want to see the miracle worker, the God is pleased with that and he reveals himself.  He knows that he has put longings in the hearts of men and I believe he wants us to pursue him with a burning passion to be satisfied in him.  The problem comes when I try to satisfy my longings with "things" rather than God, with things that come from God rather than the things "of God" or "in God".  Jesus knew that if he healed the multitude then everyone would simply long to see the next big show.  He did not come for that kind of glory.  He could receive that kind of glory in an instant if he wanted to do so.  He is achieving something even deeper, he is transforming hearts so that they find their ultimate joy and satisfaction in him, he is absolutely the giver but may we never forget that even more so he is the gift... he gives himself, and there is no greater treasure.