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And please take your Bibles and turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 39. Isaiah chapter 39. We'll actually have two texts this morning. The other one will be 2 Corinthians chapter 32. So you might find both of them. Keep your finger in both. Thomas Carlyle was one of the great thinkers of 19th century England. He was noted for many things. He was an industrialist, a teacher, a writer, a translator, a mathematician, a philosopher, and a historian. Probably most notably, he wasn't just a teacher of history, but he was a student of history. He was the formulator of a famous theory of history which says that the history of the world is the arena of heroic individuals. History is the arena of heroic individuals. If that is true in the work of the kingdom of God, what one word might we find that would describe the message of the heroes who proclaim the true faith throughout the ages. Well, I don't think that it was like the slogans we hear by many who are looked upon today as the heroes of the faith. Noah's message from the steps going to the ark was not something good is going to happen to you today. I don't think that was his message. Prophet Amos was not confronted by the high priest of Israel for proclaiming something like confession is possession. Jeremiah was not thrown into the pit for preaching, I'm okay, you're okay. Daniel was not put into the lion's den for telling the people that possibility thinking will move mountains. John the Baptist was not beheaded for preaching, smile, God loves you. The two witnesses in the book of Revelation were not killed for preaching, God is in his heaven and all is right with the world. Now, I just named some of the slogans of some famous preachers of our day. And this is not a condemnation of them, necessarily. But my question was, what was the message of all of these men of God if we had to put them into one word, put that message into one word? And I think it would be repent. Repent, for if you do not repent, you will all likewise perish. Repent. In today's passage, there are some things concerning Hezekiah that I wish I didn't have to preach. This is the closing chapter of Hezekiah's life in the divine record of him in scripture. Isaiah the prophet is called upon to take a message of repent to King Hezekiah. How will King Hezekiah respond? Well, for the answer, I'd like us to consider two passages this morning, and the first will be Isaiah chapter 39. Please follow along as I read verses one through eight. In that time, Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. And Hezekiah was pleased with them and showed them the house of his treasures, the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory, all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Hezekiah the prophet went to, or rather Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and said to him, what did these men say and from where did they come to you? So Hezekiah said, they came to me from a far country, from Babylon. And he said, what have they seen in your house? So Hezekiah answered, they have seen all that is in my house. There was nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, hear the word of the Lord of hosts. Behold, the days are coming. When all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon, nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And they shall take away some of your sons, who will descend from you, whom you will beget. And they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good. For he said, at least there will be peace and truth in my days. The second text is found in 2 Chronicles chapter 32, if you would turn there also. Excuse me for just a moment. 2 Chronicles chapter 32, beginning in verse 24. In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And he prayed to the Lord, and he spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up. Therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items, storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock and folds for flocks. Moreover, he provided cities for himself and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance. For God had given him very much property. This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of upper Gihon and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him in order to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart. Now the rest of the Acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, indeed, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Then Manasseh, his son, reigned in his place. The title of the message is Hezekiah's Sin and Repentance. In one sense, it is sad that the inspiring story of Hezekiah has to end with an account of his sin. It's a reminder that the best of men are men at best. The good news is that even when we sin, God has provided a remedy so that we might be restored. That's really what this message is about as well. So the summary of the message, the Bible's teaching on repentance, directly commanded in both the Old and New Testaments and presented by means of positive and negative examples, provides both warning and encouragement for our generation. That will be the message this morning. Before we look into God's Word in more detail, let us pray once again. Heavenly Father, once again, we are thankful for the Word of God that we hold. We're thankful, dear Lord, for the blood that has been spilled to preserve this Word throughout the ages. Lord, we're not thankful that there were many who suffered to preserve this Word for us. not happy about that fact, but that's the reality of a sinful world that is controlled by the God of this world. He has this world under its sway. We're thankful, dear Lord, that you have drawn us out of that world. You've given us faith in this word of truth, and we ask now that as we study it and examine it, you might give us understanding. For we pray in Jesus' name, amen. In Psalm 85 in verse 8, the psalmist says, I will hear what the Lord will speak. For he will speak peace to his people and to his saints, but let them not turn back to folly. Folly. The word folly in that verse actually means stupidity. Not in the sense of a lack of intelligence, but a lack of discernment that would be based on a failure to seek out wisdom in a timely fashion. I think that might describe the first sin of Hezekiah that I would like to consider. As we look at the sins of Hezekiah that led to the events that we've just read about, I think there were primarily three. The sin of folly being the first of them. Albert Barnes says that what Hezekiah did here was not mere sin, but there was in it an element of foolishness as well as wickedness. Now I think he's using the word wickedness probably in a, we would probably attribute a stronger meaning to the word wickedness. What Barnes is saying is simply that Hezekiah was not only was there wrongdoing on his part, but there was foolishness. He was not merely doing wrong, he was doing foolishly. Let's put the Hezekiah narrative in logical order. Second Chronicles chapter 32, if you still have that open, tells us how God has blessed him, beginning in verse 28. Great riches and honor, treasuries for silver, precious stones, and for all kinds of desirable items, storehouses for food items, grain, wine, and oil, so on. He provided cities for himself, verse 29. God had given him very much property. To reward Hezekiah's faith, his obedient faith, God made him to prosper. God made him to be blessed. He blessed him abundantly. He blessed him so abundantly that even the nations around Israel knew that Hezekiah had been blessed by his God. God's favor towards him and in healing him during his time of sickness, that also seems to have been known by the nations around. beyond the borders of Israel. And so therefore, if you can look back at the other text, Isaiah 39, at that time, the king of Babylon sent letters and a present to Hezekiah because he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. So because of this obedience, because of his obedience, God has blessed him abundantly But Hezekiah is now going to misuse those blessings by showing them off to this heathen king of Babylon. Apparently he shows those things off in such a way that he doesn't give God his proper place. Now we're not told that specifically, but I think we can assume that. And notice in verse 2 that Hezekiah was pleased with them. And he showed them the house of his treasures. Obviously, pleased with them is not referring to his treasures, but to the men who came from Babylon. And apparently, they came from Babylon with flattery, I think we can assume. And so he showed them the silver and gold, the spices, the ointment, the armory, and all of those things. Now this Babylonian king, as we might expect, not being a godly man, I think we can assume he's not motivated by a love for Hezekiah. He's motivated by self-interest. Churchill, by the way, said that nations don't have friends, they have interests. That was a very wise statement. And I think the king of Babylon was no exception. He comes because he has interests. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Every nation has its own self-interest. But he comes, and Hezekiah shows him his treasures. I think we know that one of the great enemies of Israel at that time was the Assyrians. It's very likely that Hezekiah saw that the king of Babylon being fairly close to Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian enemy. It's very possible that Hezekiah saw the king of Babylon as a helpful alliance for him. He also may have been curious. The king of Babylon, rather, might have been curious about Hezekiah's riches. He's not coming to rejoice with Hezekiah about God's blessings. Perhaps he's coming to scope them out for a future expedition, which actually will eventually happen. Hezekiah's foolishness was in not being more discerning about the designs of God's enemies against God's people. He forgot that the King of Babylon is also an enemy of Israel. all of these nations surrounding Israel were at their best enemies of Israel. Hezekiah was not discerning about that. For a king of Judah, He should have made it one of his highest priorities to recognize the fact that the enemies of Israel were tireless and would never give up. Jesus tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. That's not merely good advice, that's a command. We are given the oracles of God to instruct us in this world to use them for wisdom in living in this world. Hezekiah was undiscerning on this particular occasion. He gave in, committed that sin. Hezekiah failed through his lack of discernment, but I think there's also another reason for his folly, a reason for his sin, and that is the sin of false trusts, the sin of false trusts. That's really the starting point of idolatry. We've considered how this king of Babylon might benefit or rather how Hezekiah would benefit from an alliance with this king. What would be in it for Hezekiah? Well, there are a number of possible reasons that have been put forward as to why Hezekiah would benefit. I gave you one of them already. The alliance with a king whose capital was very near to the capital of Israel's enemy, the Assyrians. Expositors Bible, one commentator said, it was not natural that Hezekiah should regard this ambassage, these flattering visitors from Babylon, with intense satisfaction. It was not unnatural. It was natural that he would be flattered by them. It was flattering to the power of his little kingdom that its alliance would be sought by the far off and powerful capital on the great river Euphrates. It's also possible that an alliance with Babylon might have enticed him simply because Babylon was considered the jewel of the great river. Babylon was a very wealthy city. It was a powerful city. So all of these things seem to have enticed Hezekiah into giving in, showing these visitors his treasures. Perhaps the most significant in God's prohibition of such alliances with foreign nations was the fact that they would always become a false trust to Israel. It happened over and over. The Jews, it seemed, would too easily learn or lean towards trusting in earthly defenses. That's why God would say, don't trust in horses. Don't trust in chariots. Don't trust in armies. Trust in the living God. That's where your trust is. It's not in these alliances with heathen nations. God was their rock. He was to be their defense and their trust. That's still true today, by the way. We don't trust in great armies. We don't trust in our defenses, the defenses of our nation, which perhaps are some of the greatest that have ever been accumulated on earth. But still, we do not trust in those things. We cannot. The sin of folly, the sin of false trust, and there's a third sin, I think, that is evident in Hezekiah. And that one is stated directly in 2 Chronicles chapter 32 and verse 25. Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him for his heart was lifted up and therefore wrath was looming over him in over Judah and Jerusalem. His heart was lifted up. After having benefited so greatly from God's favor, Now in Isaiah 39, we find that when these envoys from Babylon come, if you would turn back to Isaiah 39, when they're within his very court, we read in Isaiah 39 too that Hezekiah was pleased with them and showed them the house of his treasures. Someone has pointed out that what a serious threat could not do meaning Sennacherib and all of that power that the Assyrians possessed, what a serious threat could not do, Babylon's temptation did do. As someone has said, flattery and not force proved to be the flaw in Hezekiah's heart. When Satan roars like a lion, we can fight back. When he coos like a dove, are we able to withstand him? Well, that's where Hezekiah failed. Someone has said that with naivete bordering on stupidity, he opened all of the wealth of his treasure house, his armory, and his storehouses for Merodach Baladan's delegation. Without a doubt, the lustful eyes of the Babylonians saw only the potential for conquest. This very kingdom of Babylon that Hezekiah is entertaining would be the nation that ultimately in about a hundred years would return and carry off Judah into captivity. Isn't that interesting? That's the nation that he's now entertaining and showing them his treasures. Commentator Matthew Henry points out what pride has done to this great man Hezekiah. Matthew Henry says, we know not the corruption of our own hearts, nor what we shall do if God leave us to ourselves. How true that is. Sins I just named, foolishness, false trust and pride, they may not present themselves necessarily as criminal actions, as great sins necessarily in themselves, because all three of those are common to all of us. As you know, all of us are capable of committing all three of those sins, of falling to those weaknesses. Thoughtlessness, being lifted up in our hearts with pride. Once again, Matthew Henry said, Oh, what need have great men and good men and useful men to study their own infirmities and follies and their obligations to free grace? that they may never think highly of themselves and to beg earnestly of God that he will hide pride from them and always keep them humble. Hezekiah's sin, and by the way, you know that I don't often preach on the sins of the saints. That's not one of my favorite topics. But unfortunately, it's a part of the account of Hezekiah. The sin of Hezekiah. Thankfully, the story of Hezekiah doesn't end with his sin. There's also recorded for us Hezekiah's repentance. So let's turn to that fact now, Hezekiah's repentance. 2 Chronicles 32, don't turn there, let me just read. what 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 26 tells us about Hezekiah. It says that he humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. How does Hezekiah come to repentance? Well, God uses Isaiah the prophet to deliver the message of repentance to him. Isaiah of course is one of many biblical men of God who come with a call of repentance. Look once again at Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 3. Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. And notice what Isaiah says to Hezekiah. He gives him actually a series of questions. He says, what did these men say? And from where did they come to you? Of course, Isaiah knew the answer. The Lord knew the answer to those questions. So Hezekiah answers, they came from a far country. And Isaiah said in verse four, what have they seen in your house? Hezekiah answered, they've seen all that is in my house. There's nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. Well, Hezekiah is, at least he's honest in his answers. The message from God that Isaiah brings comes in the form of questions, because questions can often be more effective in delivering truth than simple declarations can be. I've mentioned this in here many times. Adam, where are you? God said. Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you that you should not eat of it? Cain, where is Abel, your brother? I haven't seen him in a while. What have you done? Another question. Amy, did you eat one of those root beer barrels that your mother told you not to eat? I hate to say the first answer was no. But the point is that a question can often be more effective than a simple declaration. Note how Hezekiah responds to these questions. There's no lying. There's no running away. There's no snide response like the answer of Cain, who said, am I my brother's keeper? There's nothing like that at all from Hezekiah. Verse 8, Hezekiah said to Isaiah, the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good. He gives him honest answers, and then he says, the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good. For he said, at least there will be peace and truth in my days. Now let's look at that answer for just a minute. because many have been kind of hard on Hezekiah. And they suggested that his response is selfish or maybe similar to things that other less godly monarchs statements that they have made regarding after their passing. Nero, for example, said, when I am dead, let the earth be mixed with fire. In other words, when I'm gone, the whole world's going to fall apart. It's going to burn up. Louis IV of France, also he lived in opulent wealth, and he says, after me comes the deluge. After me, everything is going to fall apart. And so some have suggested that Hezekiah is saying, well, at least it's not going to happen in my time. Well, actually, I think, to me, Hezekiah's answer is actually saying, at least the things that I have done for the kingdom, for Jehovah's kingdom, or let's be even more humble than that, at least the things that God has done through me will not be undone because of my sin. They will be ultimately undone because of the sins of those who come after me. And that was the truth. That was the truth. Someone has rightly said that the language of true penitence is, let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness to me. That's really what Hezekiah says. I am rebuked by the prophet. The word that the prophet has given is good to me. Those who see the evil of sin and what it deserves will justify God in all that is brought upon them for it. and acknowledge that he punishes them far less than their iniquities deserve. Isn't that true? Because of Hezekiah's response to God's rebuke, the epitaph that is written regarding Hezekiah is not an epitaph of shame. If you'll look back at 2 Chronicles 32, it's actually an epitaph of honor. Let's look at that once again in 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 32. Now the rest of the Acts of Hezekiah and his goodness. Indeed, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Hezekiah is honored by God, not because he is perfect, But because over the general course of his life he is humble and he is faithful and he is therefore honorable. That's why he is honored by God in his epitaph. And he's also respected, you'll notice in these verses, by the subjects of his kingdom. Because when the righteous bear rule, the people rejoice. That's exactly how his subjects responded. They reserved for him a place, as the King James says, among the chief tombs, or the upper tombs, a place of honor. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him in his death. the moving tribute to Hezekiah, who was a great man. Have you ever thought about what your epitaph would be? Of course, we all pray that by God's grace, our words and our deeds would be honorable. But at least those who know us best, we would hope that when we are gone, that they would at the very least say, here was a faithful man, or boy, or girl, or woman. who loved God and did good to his fellow man. I hope that's what my epitaph would be. I hope that's what yours would be as well. Biblical example of Hezekiah. But let's move on to our second point and consider a biblical comparison and contrast. Biblical comparison and contrast. By the time Isaiah confronted Hezekiah, Israel had a long history of confrontation by God for their sins, as you know. Well, let's do a brief compare and contrast. Did you ever have to do that in a writing class? Something like compare and contrast the life cycle of a mollusk and a sponge, something like that. I don't know. No. I heard a joke about a mollusk once. I can't remember what it was. But anyway, let's consider by comparing and contrasting two leaders from Israel's past. who received a message from God to repent. Let's consider just two as an example. Which one does Hezekiah's life most resemble? The first of them is Eli. Eli was, of course, the high priest in the days of the judges. Let's consider first the message that was given to Eli when he was being commanded to repent. This story is found in 1 Samuel chapter 3, if you would turn to that chapter, 1 Samuel chapter 3. The servant that God calls upon to deliver the message to Eli was just a boy who was serving under Eli. His name was Samuel. Jesus himself said out of the mouth of babes, God's praise is perfected. God has determined that a boy would bring that message. I was reminded of Paul when he said that his message, his letters were powerful, but his bodily presence was weak. Why did God determine that that would be? Well, in any case, Samuel, this boy, is called upon to deliver a message to Eli. And notice beginning in verse 11 of chapter 3, 1 Samuel chapter 3. The Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. Both ears will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. So Samuel lay down until morning. He opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and Samuel, understandably, was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Lord, certainly you didn't mean to choose me to go into this man of God. But what was the response of Eli, the high priest? He had served really largely in an admirable way, in many ways. But his sons were reprobates, as you know, the story. They had dishonored the priesthood. They had made people afraid and loathe to come and offer sacrifices because of the vileness of Eli's sons. How does Eli respond? Notice verse 17. And Eli said, what is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me." There's an honest statement. God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you. Do you sense here that Eli senses that the message is not good? Verse 18, Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he, Eli, said, it is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him. Famous statement by Eli, it is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him. By the way, Hezekiah would have known those words. Hezekiah being a man of God who knew the word of God, he would have known that statement of Eli's. Hezekiah, it seems like, used almost those same words. We shouldn't minimize Eli's sin here, or anyone's sin. But we shouldn't lose the impact of Eli's repentance here. Let's consider another, by contrast, let's consider another Old Testament character who also met with a direct command from God to repent. And let's see how he responds. Turn with me, if you would, to 2 Chronicles chapter 24. 2 Chronicles 24, and this one is an account of King Joash, king of Judah. Many centuries later, you know the story of Joash. He was the one who, his rise to power was a miracle of God. The kingdom of Judah was oppressed by a wicked queen mother named Athaliah, who happened to be the daughter of Jezebel. Athaliah has scratched and clawed her way to the top. She now sits on the throne as the Queen Mother of Judah. And in the tradition of the heathen kings of that day, she seeks to put to death all of her rivals for the throne. But God has reserved for himself one godly priest, a priest named Jehoiada. Jehoiada, the priest, rescues Joash as a mere infant. Joash was the rightful heir to the throne and Jehoiada rescues him and preserves him, hides him in the temple and preserves him from the wrath of the queen. Keeps the boy in hiding for many years and then he orchestrates the removal of the evil queen from the throne and he sets up Joash on the throne. Okay, so now let's fast forward a number of years And 2 Chronicles chapter 24 is the account of his reign as king of Judah. And he actually begins well if you'll notice in verse 1. Joash was 7 years old when he became king and he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. I think we can assume that he didn't assume full power at age 7. He is still under the tutelage, of course, and guidance of Jehoiada the priest. So here he is, seven years old, he becomes king. He reigns 40 years in Jerusalem. Verse 2 says that Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters. And it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. There's another good thing. He gathered the priests and the Levites. He said to them, go out to the cities of Judah, gather from all Israel the money to repair the house. of the house of God from year to year. See that you do it quickly. Down in verse 13, so the workmen labored, the work was completed by them. They restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it. Now that's impressive. That's an impressive beginning to his throne. But as time goes on, we find that whatever motivated Joash in his early days under the guidance of Jehoiada was never firmly established in his own heart. Notice in verse 15, but Jehoiada grew old and was full of days and he died. He was 130 years old when he died. That was a ripe old age by that time. In verse 16, they buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and his house. Now after the death of Jehoiada, the leaders of Judah and these are not good ones by the way, came and bowed down to the king. I think we can substitute the word flattered or we can understand that that's the meaning of that word. They came and they bowed down, they flattered the king and the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and served wooden images and idols and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. And we have to assume that this is all happening with Joash's consent. So the Lord determines to confront Joash. He sends prophets, verse 19, to them, to bring them back to the Lord. And they, the prophets, testified against them to Joash and his men. But they would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest. Now this is not the same Zechariah who wrote the book of the Bible by that name. He would come much later. But the Spirit of God came upon this Zechariah the prophet, who stood above the people and said to them, thus says God, why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he also has forsaken you. Now how will Joash respond? We could take that as another command to repent. How will Joash respond? Will he respond like Eli the priest, who when he was confronted would say, it is the Lord, let him do good, what seems best to him? Would he respond like Hezekiah after him, who would say the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good? Sadly, that's not how he responds, and notice verses 21 and 22 give us the response of Joash and his men to God's prophet. This was the son of the very priest who had saved his life and had established him on his throne. Notice verse 21. So they conspired against him. And at the command of the king, they stoned this godly prophet, the son of Jehoiada. They stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus, Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. And as he died, he said, the Lord look on it and repay." Now, that's a shocking response. especially considering this particular prophet that God chose to deliver the message, obviously chosen to prick the conscience of Jehoiada. Ultimately, the Lord would repay in his time. In the case of King Joash, that payment would come soon and it would be visible to all. Notice verse 23, it happened in the spring of the year. that the army of Syria came up against him. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, but the Lord delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers." You see, they were trusting in armies, not in God. And so they executed judgment against Joash. And when they had withdrawn from him, for they left him severely wounded. This is speaking of Joash. His own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest and killed him on his bed. So he died. Now, I don't believe Joash ever knew the Lord. That's especially tragic considering all the opportunities that the Lord had given him. I believe that the people's response to him also speaks volumes. Notice the second part of verse 25. They buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. He was buried in dishonor. Contrast this with the epitaph of Hezekiah who, despite his sin, was buried in the chief tombs and honored by the people at his death. So what's the difference? Hezekiah sinned, Eli sinned, and Joash sinned. All sin is a blemish. All sin requires a penalty that must be paid. No one, even the best of men, will have a perfect record in time, every single one of us. will give an account of ourselves to God, but some will be forgiven and some will be ashamed. What's the difference between them? Are we prepared to stand before God, which could be required of us at any time? Will we be forgiven or will we be ashamed? It's an important question. I'd like us to consider For the answer to that question, our third point, which is a biblical principle. I'd like us to consider a principle that's presented in Ezekiel 18, and then we'll look at 1 John. Does it matter in what order we live our lives? Well, there's a doctrine out there called the carnal Christian doctrine. It says that as long as at some time in our life we repent and accept God's forgiveness, we're all set, regardless of how our life ends. Even if we eventually leave the church and ultimately die in unbelief, they would say that if we at one time came to Christ, then we are once saved, always saved. Well, let's examine that doctrine biblically. There's an Old Testament principle in Ezekiel chapter 18, so please follow as I read. And I'd like to emphasize a few phrases as we go. Notice beginning in verse 20. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Now there's a doctrine of repentance there, right? Verse 22, none of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him, because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. There's a message of forgiveness, right? Look down at verse 24. But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered, because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty, and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. Verse 29, yet the house of Israel says the way of the Lord is not fair. O house of Israel, is it not my ways which are fair and your ways which are not fair? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel. Everyone according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent. and turn from all your transgressions so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore, turn and live. I would suggest that Ezekiel 38 is a primer, a basic course on repentance. Ezekiel, of course, lived many centuries after the glory days of David and Solomon. And he must have thought of that original prayer of dedication at the temple, on the building of the temple in the days of Solomon. It's in 1 Kings chapter 8. You don't need to turn there. I just want to quote a few lines from that prayer. Solomon prayed these words to God on Israel's behalf. He said, when they sin, the people sin against you, for there is no one who does not sin, and you become angry with them. Yet when they come to themselves saying, we have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness, then Here in heaven, your dwelling place, their prayer, and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you. It's a prayer of intercession, prayed by Solomon. Now Ezekiel, he's writing many centuries later, when Israel's apostasy is well advanced. And Ezekiel reminds a cynical population that if they repent, God is still willing to forgive them. Now let's look at this passage from Ezekiel 18 in its context. The obvious question that's being asked here is, Do you want to follow the path of life or are you going to follow the path of death? That's the basic question. Now, some might say that this passage is legalistic. In other words, it's law and not grace. Notice God is saying, in a sense, keep my law and you will live. If you notice verse 21, if a wicked man turns from all his sins, which he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is lawful and right, He shall surely live and not die. Wow. I think we're all in trouble on this one, right? That is, of course, what God demands. It is God's standard. Perfect righteousness. It's God's standards, and it should never be taken lightly, in fact. Be holy just as I am holy, God says. But to understand this principle that Ezekiel is presenting in a merely legal sense cannot be. That would be a mistake. We know that we cannot be perfectly righteous. We cannot ignore what the scripture plainly teaches in other places. So even if the Old Testament declares multiple times The Old Testament itself declares many times that no one is perfectly righteous. Just consider a few places where the Old Testament says that. You don't need to turn to them. I'll just quote them briefly. Job said in Job chapter 15, if God puts no trust in his saints and the heavens are not pure in his sight, how much less man who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water. David said it also in Psalm 143 in verse 2. Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight, God's sight, no one living is righteous. No one. Solomon in Proverbs chapter 30 asks the question, who can say I have made my heart clean? I am pure from my sin. We know the answer. Solomon says it in Ecclesiastes chapter 7, for there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. The psalmist also of Psalm 130 makes the same declaration. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand? It's a rhetorical question. The answer, of course, is no one. Isaiah 53 and verse 6, all we like sheep. have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. You see how it's difficult to understand how Israel could have thought that they could simply be law keepers and be justified on that basis? It was repeated all throughout their own scriptures. There was not a single man upon the earth who does good and does not sin. Well, that's the universal condemnation and that continues in the New Testament, as you know. Paul said it in Romans chapter 3, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. James also said it, for we all stumble in many things. It's pretty all-encompassing. Well, to understand what Ezekiel is saying, we have to put it into a New Testament context. So I'd like us to do that before we close this morning. Turn, if you would, to the book of 1 John 1. 1 John 1. I think you know the passage well. You've probably prayed these words often, because I know you all need it, just as I do. You need these words often. 1 John 1 and verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. As we begin to draw to a close this morning, I'd like us to consider these two passages. that we've just read from, Ezekiel 38 and 1 John 1. I would say on the point of man's sinfulness, let's look at them, compare them on several points. On the point of man's sinfulness, Ezekiel and John are in perfect agreement, right? In Ezekiel, there is this absolute nature of sin, and it's in keeping with God's intention that the Old Testament system was a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. And so that's why it reminds them of when you live, you must live righteously, in perfect righteousness, keeping all the commandments. Ezekiel was acknowledging the sinfulness of man, and he was setting before them a standard that they couldn't possibly keep by means of the law. He was driving them, in other words, to beg for forgiveness, which could only be done on the basis of what they knew about God's forgiveness. Sacrifice, ultimately the sacrifice of Christ. He was pointing them to Christ. He sets them, before them, a standard that they couldn't possibly keep. He says, not only in verse 21, keep my law, all of it. He also says in verse 31, get a new heart. That's easy to say, right? Get a new heart. Of course, it's impossible. What would those impossibilities do to the ungodly? Well, ultimately, it would drive them insane. It would drive them ultimately into apostasy. But what would it do with the godly in Old Testament Israel? Well, it would drive them to confession. It would drive them to repentance and confessing of their sins. It's the place that all of us must come before we can avail ourselves of God's grace, right? Now, in 1 John, there was also this principle of universal sinfulness, only in 1 John it's stated directly. It's stated with a direct statement that if we deny that we have sin, we are liars, and there is no hope for us if we are in denial. So on the point of universal sinfulness, Ezekiel and John are in perfect agreement. How about on the point of what constitutes repentance? Well, I would say Ezekiel and John also agree on that as well. Ezekiel said they must turn from their wicked ways. John says that they must confess their sins. On the point of lifestyle, they're also in agreement. Ezekiel says they must keep his statutes and do what is lawful and right. John says that we must walk in the light, in fellowship with God, in self-examination, in regular and ongoing repentance. On the point of the consequences of our action, Ezekiel and John are also in agreement. Ezekiel says that in doing these things, they would surely live, otherwise they would surely die. John says that as we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. But if We deny our sins, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. See the agreement between those two passages? One in the Old Testament, one in the New? Having differences, differences of purpose as far as one pointing them to Christ, the other one enabling us to avail ourselves of Christ who has already come, but really they're in perfect agreement. It's a lesson on sin and repentance. What we've considered today is a lesson on sin and repentance. And we've looked at it from several points of view, biographical examples, biblical instruction. So as we draw to a close this morning, let me ask you just a few simple questions. Has God taught you the consequences of sin? What does Ezekiel say in another place? The soul that sins shall die. The consequences of sin. Has God taught you the necessity of repentance? Turn from your sins and live. Has God taught you the remedy for sin? Which is the blood of Christ. Has God taught you those things? Has God saved you by his grace? If so, then what's the commandment? Walk in the light. The blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin. God has not saved you by his grace. If you're not sure that God has saved you by his grace, if you don't have that biblical assurance based on your personal testimony, personal experience, as well as the indwelling spirit and the evidences of faith, There's only one thing to do. Throw yourself on God's mercy. Throw yourself on God's mercy. Turn from your sins. Turn to Christ, the only one that can save. Repent. Rejoice in his forgiveness. Live in God's mercy. That's the message of scripture. I pray that God will add his blessing to these words. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, once again, we are thankful for your truth, thankful for your word, thank you for the message it brings. Lord, we understand that at times the message of your word has its challenges. There are difficulties. There are passages that are indeed difficult to discern. But dear Lord, you have told us that we are to meditate day and night on these words. And as we meditate upon them, as we eat them in a sense, as apostles of old were told to do, they become a part of us. We begin to grasp things that we thought we could never understand. Their meaning becomes more clear and more powerful within us. So dear Lord, we are thankful for your truth. We ask that those who do not know it, who do not understand it, and have not invested the effort that is necessary to discern these things and to determine how they apply to them, we pray that you might do a work of grace, even today. For we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
78 Hezekiah's Sin and Repentance
Series Survey of the Divided Kingdom
HEZEKIAH’S SIN AND REPENTANCE
TEXT: Isa. 39:1-8; 2 Chr. 32:24-33
I. A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE.
A. His Sin.
B. His Repentance.
C. His Epitaph.
II. A BIBLICAL COMPARISON AND CONTRAST.
A. Eli, God’s High Priest (1 Sam. 3).
His sin
His repentance
B. Joash, king of Judah (2 Chron. 24).
His sin
His repentance
III. A BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE.
A. An Old Testament Principle (Ezekiel 18).
B. A New Testament Parallel (1 John 1).
Sermon ID | 929181711592 |
Duration | 59:12 |
Date | |
Category | Sunday Service |
Bible Text | 2 Chronicles 32:24-33; Isaiah 39 |
Language | English |
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