A Life Worthy of the Gospel - Philippians 1:27-2:11

Preached at Grand Avenue Baptist Church

March, 2014

Do you live a life that is worthy of the gospel?  Have you ever asked yourself this question?

In the passage we’re looking at this morning, Paul addresses the Philippians and gives them the exhortation to let their life reflect gospel realities, and to live in a manner that’s appropriate to the good news (the gospel) they have received.  My plan this morning is to walk through Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians verse by verse, and give us vision for what it looks like to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. 

You’re going to need a Bible in your lap this morning.  There is a good chance I will lose you if you’re not following along in the text.

Before we get too far, I want us to look at a couple things that sit in the background of the passage. 

The first one is a theme that is often missed by English speakers that would not have been missed by a first century Greek speaker.  To find it, you need to understand something about grammar, specifically Greek pronouns.  Now hang on, I don’t want to lose you…

In English our pronouns have basically six types:

1^st person singular – I.  2^nd person singular – you.  3^rd person singular - he/she/it.

1^st person plural – us. 2^nd person plural – you, 3^rd person plural – them.

In the 2^nd person, singular and plural use the same pronoun.  This means that when I write, or when I speak, it is difficult for me to say the 2^nd person plural.  I just say “you,” and that is proper English.  Now if we were in the South, they correct this problem by saying “you all”, or “ya’ll” for short.

In Greek, they have a word for the second person plural, but we miss it because it doesn’t get translated.  They, like many other languages have the word “ya’ll” ((and its good grammer!)).  Usually, this word just gets translated as “you,” which is unfortunately not clear.  It is just a consequence of reading something in English. 

The New Testament uses the “plural you” a lot.  It was a natural part of the language of the day.  And in this first chapter of Philippians, we find the plural “you”, but it’s a little different.  It has the word “all” attached to it.  At first glance it may appear that the translators were just trying to communicate the 2^nd person plural “ya’ll.”  However, that is not what’s happening here, because the word for “all” also exists in the greek text.  When Paul here say “you all,”  it is as if he is saying “ya’ll all”. Lets look at it.  Chapter 1 vs. 4

 ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,^[1]

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ^[2]

⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. ^[3]

²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, ^[4]

What is the purpose of Paul saying it like this?  He is laying a lot of emphasis on the corporate nature of what he is saying.  Whatever it is he wants to say, he wants the Philippians to understand that he is addressing them as a coporate body, not individuals, not even the group generally, but specifically them as they function together.

This concept of everyone being involved, continues the use of words related to group relationships.

            Vs. 5 because of your Partnership in the gospel

             Vs 27 that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind, side by side

            Vs 30 engaged in the “same” conflict that you saw I had

            2:2 “same” mind, “same” love, full “accord”, “one” mind

From the beginning of the letter Paul is hammering hard the importance of the community: a unified body of believers.  In the midst of everything he talks about from here on is an undercurrent call to be unified.

The second piece of background I would like to draw your attention to is the story that Paul tells leading up to our passage.  It functions as the introduction to the book and an important part of Paul’s exhortation.  Noah talked about this a little last week, but in case you couldn’t make it, the jist of the story is this.

Paul is writing the letter from prison.  He had been put there because of his pursuit to preach the gospel.  As most of you know he ended up in prison a lot.  Yet, he it doesn’t matter much to him, as long as the gospel is being preached. He writes in verse 14 “most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” ^[5]  He “rejoices” because his imprisonment has served to advance the gospel. 

He also talks about certain people who seem to be preaching Christ out of selfish ambition, and an aim to cause trouble for Paul in his imprisonment.  Again, he doesn’t care, he says,  (1:18)“Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”^[6]

This passion for the gospel was so encompassing for him, that living and dying were of no consequence.  For him to live, meant that the gospel would be advanced through him, he would have fruitful ministry, but if he dies he would be present with Christ, which is the source of all his joy.  He says in verse 20 “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”^[7]

So approaching our passage, we see an emphasis on the coproate body of believerse.  And we see the example of Paul unflinching pursuing to know Christ and make him known to the world at any cost.

Now we come to our passage starting in 1:27. 

Only let your (2^nd person plural) manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ

This statement is central to the passage.  Paul’s story led up to this statement.  AND what follows continues to support and explain it.  Paul desires that their manner of life reflect the reality of the gospel.  I don’t want you to stumble on the word, “worthy.”  It is not a statement of paying back God for the gospel in any way, nor is it a statement that you must earn the gospel in some way.  Paul’s exhortation is to live life appropriately in response to the gospel.  

The phrase “let your manner of life,”  – πολιτεύεσθε is a very unusual term, in fact.  Normally for this conept Paul uses the word that gets translated as “walk,” like in Ephesians 4:1 where he says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,”^[8]  

In fact Paul uses this term only one other time in Scripture.  It is built off the Greek word for city, and has a very strong connotation of citizenship.  So it would have stood out to the original readers.  In Roman life being a citizen was very important.  It entitled you to certain rights that no one else had.  It would have been a little like being an American citizen now.  When Paul uses this word, he is intending to invoke the reality that we are citizens of heaven, like in 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, “^[9]  We are citizens of a new kingdom.  God’s kingdom which has come to earth.  An alternate reign and rule in the midst of the world.  This is “new kingdom” language.

You see, becoming a follower of Christ is more than simply embracing a doctrinal statement, or a new set of to do and not to do.  When you become a Christian, you are “transferred into Christ’s kingdom.”  You are defecting into a whole different life, realm, and kingdom.  Everything changes.  Your loyalty changes.  The motivation for your life should be different; your value system is different.  Your enemies are different. The new kingdom is a different reality.  It is not a little change on the old one that exists.  It is completely different.

So, when he calls us to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, he is in essence saying that the life of a new kingdom citizen should look a certain way, and its defined by the gospel.

Next he describes exactly what he is hoping to see.  Look back at verse 27.  He says, ²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

There are two parts to what Paul longs for.  First, he longs for them to be firmly united together for the faith of the gospel.  Second, he wants to see them un-frightened by those who stand in opposition.  Paul’s vision for the Philippians is that they stand together as they live and proclaim the gospel.  The two longings are two aspects of one idea: stand united and don’t be frightened.  The idea he is describing here is a picture.

I can’t help but think of a story from the movie Gladiator ….. In case you haven’t seen the movie, its set in ancient Rome and is oriented around the gladiator competitions.  At one point in the story Maximus, the protagonist, arrives at the Colosseum, as part of Proximo's fighting team.  They are put in a match against very unfair odds, in what is meant to be a reenactment of some famous battle.  Maximus and his teammates are on foot, armed with spears and shields, against a very well-equipped force of fighters on horses and archers on chariots.  Maximus had been a leader in the Roman military and so new what it would take to win this battle.  Maximus instructed his team that they had to act as one organism and they could not be afraid.   Anyone who broke out from the group because of fear or ambition would not survive.  In the end, the team was able to win the battle, dramatically overcoming their opponents despite how uneven it was.  This is the type of unity and fearlessness Paul is calling for: one mind, one organism fighting together side by side for the gospel.

Next, verse 28, This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

This fearless unity predicts both salvation and destruction: salvation for the Philippians, and destruction for their opponents.  A team unified and fearless is nearly impossible to beat, and the opponents knows this.  Paul says it clearly signifies their imminent destruction.  Yet, it is not a sign only to them.  It also speaks to the believers. 

Paul grounds the sign of their salvation in something in verse 29.  Generally speaking, the word “for” in the Bible designates a “ground”, or the “reason why” for something in the text.  In this case, Paul grounds the testimony of their salvation.  He gives them the reason why their united fearless stand is a sign of salvation for them and destruction for their opponents.  He says in verse 29 “ For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰ engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

As they stand together fearlessly for Christ, their suffering and persecution demonstrate their salvation, because suffering for the sake of Christ is a gracious gift.  There is some really provocative theological stuff here about suffering, but suffice it to say the suffering experienced on behalf of Christ -- the suffering that God sovereignly and graciously grants has a way of bolstering faith.  It gives confidence and confirms their salvation as they persevere.  There is joy in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.

----

Paul starts his next sentence with the word “so”, which can also be translated as “therefore”.  “…if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

More unity language… “same” love, “same” mind, full accord and of “one mind”.  The drive here is for there to be more than simply a half-hearted functional agreement.  He calls them to have the same outlook, to love the same things, think like one being, rather than many. 

³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

It feels a little like a turn, but it is intimately connected.  The goal of one who has selfish ambition and one who is conceited is the same.  They value status and position at the expense of another.  The ambitious person is trying to gain status, while the conceited person has attained some sort of perceived status over someone.   It is significant that Paul starts introducing pride and ambition into the discussion of unity. 

Paul also calls the Philippians to look to other peoples’ interests. 

Often we have this concept of humility that it’s the shy guy in the corner who doesn’t say anything, or the person who is constantly self-degrading, or down playing what they do.  In reality humility probably looks a lot more like love than we realize.  If you had a conversation with a truly humble person, you most likely would walk away not knowing much about them.  The proud person tends to be obsessed with themselves.   Whether they think or say good things or bad things, their obsession is themselves and their interests.  On the other hand the humble person tends to focus away from themselves.  Everything, everyone else, seems more important to them.   Paul’s call is this, “Do not be obsessed or love your own interests, rather care about others and their interests.”

--- So far Paul has communicated that his longing for them is that they live in a manner appropriate to the gospel.  He wants them to live in a humble, self-sacrificial, fearless unity. 

Now what follows is a passage that for many years, I found really confusing.  I use to skip over this passage without really thinking about it.  It’s a pretty easy thing to do with the Bible. We read and read, then hit a spot that we don’t understand, and move on to the next.   What I discovered, is that the Bible rarely operates like a string of pearls.  A pearl of wisdom for pride, a pearl about confidence, a pearl of wisdom to help me be patient.   In reality a lot of the Bible more like links in a chain.  It argues, has purpose, plan, order, and builds on itself.  AND usually the difficult passages are the ones we should look at the longest.

This passage is likely a hymn from the early church.  Its incredibly rich with theology.  There are few passages in Scripture that have as much written about them as this one.  While I would love to spend more time here, I want to key in on the basic meaning of it, and the reason Paul used this hymn as opposed to another.  Paul’s inclusion of this hymn points primarily to the example of Jesus’s attitude, his outlook.  He was the ultimate example of one without personal ambition, or conceit.  In submission to the Father, he humbled himself further and further and further to the point of a terrible and gruesome death.

Lets walk through it together

. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶   Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (or held onto), but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

The concept of Jesus being in the form of God, and having equality with God is mainly in reference to the rights and privileges of being God.  When he left the Father, he did not cease to become less than what he was, BUT he released all his rights.  He was God, and the difference in value between the human and God was nearly infinite.  He deserves worship inherently. However, he chose to release his inherent rights as God, to become a man.

⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus’s status and rights were released again and again.  Jesus humbled himself and surrendered is life extremely to the Father.  It was a full and utter submission that ended in a gruesome death.

(9)Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ^[10]

After Jesus humbled himself, serving the Father’s will, even to the point of death, the Father exalted him.  God lifted him up and gave him a name that causes every knee to bow in submission to him, and every tongue to recognize him as King.

So, do you see the connection?  If the exhortation is to surrender pride and ambition, and look to others’ interests, Jesus is the person to look at.  He humbled himself to the point of death to rescue us.  He set aside his rights.

Shouldn’t we also be willing to set our interests and our rights aside for the sake of the body of Christ?  To bind together in unity and humility without fear for the sake of the gospel.    

Jesus released his inherent rights due him as an equal to God the Father.  And together, united, fearless, driven by a mission, the united God-head pulled off the greatest rescue  mission ever attempted.   Our mission is the same as theirs, but the demands of our service to one another are nowhere near what Jesus had to do.  Paul is calling the Philippians, and us, to lay aside our interests for the sake of the church and the gospel, because Jesus did.

Interpretation/application

            So, How does the gospel connect to this exhortation to humble, self-sacrificing unity?

            First, We’re terrible at this.  Humble self-sacrifice is not in our nature.  You and I have a habit of pursuing our own interests, our own goals, talking about ourselves, being obsessed with our own things and interests.  We are constantly looking for ways to show everyone that we’re good, smart, pretty, or valuable, OR we are looking for ways to attain those things.  What this passage says about us is that we are in fact failures by nature. 

But guess what, the gospel comes to the needy and inept, those who are weak and unable.  That’s you and me.  In fact if you are not under the opinion that you are needy and inept before God, than you have missed the gospel.  Specifically, that you have been born as an enemy of God.  The kingdom you were born into as been at war with God since Adam fell in the garden.  You became part of this war when your were born.  So, to be a citizen of the kingdom of God you must BECOME one.

Citizenship in the kingdom of God is not attained by being a good person.  You can’t buy it with money.  You don’t get in because you look good in a tie or skinny jeans.  Citizenship is offered for free, talented and talentless, good looking and very ugly, nice and not nice, we were all enemies.  The call of the gospel is open to anyone willing to turn from their rebellion against God and trust in Jesus for forgiveness.  In other words, abandon the apparent rights and privileges of the old kingdom, and accept citizenship in the new kingdom by faith alone.

            The second way the gospel relates to this humble, self-sacrificing, fearless unity is in what the gospel produces over time.  Because the gospel is not just for those who do not know Christ, it is for us, the church.  Our ongoing embrace of the Gospel should be a journey of progressive realization that God’s standard is higher than we ever imagined, and our sin is worse than we could have ever thought.  This means that the work that Jesus did on the cross should progressively look larger and larger This growing gap should cause you to look more away from yourself daily, and more towards Christ and his kingdom.  As you look more towards Christ you realize that your joy is found there! 

Third, the picture Paul portrays is one of a people who have found all their joy in something other than their circumstances.  Persecution or no persecution, healthy or sick, wealthy or poor; It doesn’t matter because Christ has all the joy they need.  At the end of the day what we are looking for in our pursuits of power, praise, comfort, wealth, sex, and security is a lasting sense of real joy.  Paul portrays a group of people who understands that.  AND since their joy is found in one thing, namely Jesus, they cling to him at all costs.

This is my exhortation to you this morning,

First, if you have not embraced Jesus, and turned from your sin, then right now you are an enemy of God.  The Gospel is for all of us, because we were all born in the same boat.  We all need rescuing, and today you have the opportunity to leave the old kingdom behind and defect to Christ’s kingdom.  You do this, not by earning anything, or fulfilling a list of to do items, but by receiving the gift that is being handed to you.  AND It is being offered to you, right now, take it this morning.  Look at Jesus, and the work that he has done, and surrender yourself to him and his kingdom.

Second, Grand Avenue, are you finding all your joy in Jesus?  Does this church look like the one Paul exhorts us to be?  If not, why not?  Have we allowed an ethic of the old world to creep its way into the new kingdom?  Does fearless, self-sacrificing, humble unity describe us?  AND, before you say yes, look at the motivation behind the action.  Because if the motivation is, “so I can get something,” or “so you’ll do something nice for me,” or “because I want to be a good person,” you’re missing the truth.  All true lasting joy is found in Christ, AND to the degree that we look to him for our joy, and align our mindset with his, we will find true and lasting joy, and our lives will be ones that live worthy of the gospel.

Third, Grand Avenue.  Are we united around a mission like Paul?  Or is our unity mostly self-serving? Are we laboring for the cause of the gospel?  Do we stand together united like Maximus and his team, fighting for joy in Christ together, and fighting for the advancement of the gospel.  I pray that we would be a people like that, who love one another, sacrifice for one another, stick close, but oriented around the mission put before us.  To know Christ and make him known. 

---

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:6–7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:25). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Eph 4:1). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 3:20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Php 1:27–2:11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The Zeal of a Dependable Deliver - Isaiah 36-37

Preached at Grand Avenue Baptist church in Ames, IA
November, 2013

I want to tell you a story.  Not just a story from my background or out of the pages of a novel, but a true story out of the pages of Scripture.   

Father,  I want so badly for us to feel the weight of the things that happen in this story. God, would you lift these words off the pages as we read and make them land on us in a way that results in worship of you, our unstoppable, dependable, delivering God.  We want you to be lifted up.  

This passage is a story.  So we are going to treat it like a story.  I’ve broken up into three scenes.  The story is both terrifying and exciting.  And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to skip ahead, but don’t!  Walk through the progression, be drawn into the plot, wring your hands at the climax, and be filled with relief and joy at the resolution.  Lets begin.

SCENE 1

The opening credits have rolled and the movie has begun, but we must first set the scene.

¹In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.    ((((STOP))))

King Hezekiah is the king of Judah.  The cities of Judah are important because generations before, God had made a promise that a Messiah would come from their family line.  He was predicted to come from the line of David, their greatest king.

Sennacherib was the last great king of Assyria.  Assyria was a nation known in history for being gruesome and cruel.  The details of their exploits are absolutely horrific.  They made a habit of attacking, slowly torturing, and killing anyone who resisted their rule.

The people of Judah had become subject to this terrible king.  Now, coming upon Jerusalem, ancient Assyrian documents tell us that Sennacherib had trapped Hezekiah like “a bird in a bird cage.”  Hezekiah was surrounded with nowhere to escape.

² And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish 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. ((((STOP))))

Lachish was a very important city on the road from Jerusalem to Egypt.  The fact that Sennacherib had taken it effectively cut Jerusalem off from all chariot and horse support from its allies.  So from this base in between Egypt and Jerusalem, Sennacherib sent the Rabshakeh.  The Rabshakeh is an essential character in this story.  He is the leading military officer for the king of Assyria.  The Rabshakeh is Sennacherib’s right hand officer.  He would be like our countries highest ranking general.

           

³ 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.  ((((STOP))))

Hezekiah, unlike Ahaz, had reserved a little dignity for himself by sending his trusted advisors to meet with this representative of Sennacherib’s armies.  Eliakim, was second in command, Shebna who was something similar to our Secretary of State, and finally Joah had the job of recording events.  And here we begin our story.

⁴ And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria:  ((((STOP))))

The first words we hear from the Rabshakeh, are full of arrogance and rudeness.  He ascribes triple title to Sennacherib, “the Great King, the king of Assyria” and ascribing nothing to Hezekiah, only a name.  To Sennacherib King Hezekiah was no king.  Mockery and discouragement is what he aimed to give the people of Judah, to make them feel foolish and hopeless.

(continuing verse 4) On what do you rest this trust of yours? ⁵ Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? ⁶ Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.  ⁷ But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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? ¹⁰ 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.'"

The Rabshekeh was making it abundantly clear, that no one could stop them.  He wanted to undermine all confidence in any sort of dependable deliverer.  Egypt had been cut off from reaching Jerusalem, so they could not rescue them. 

Not only that, he also made it clear that The LORD, the God of Judah, would not deliver them either.

So, the Rabshekeh was making the claim that the LORD, had in essence “changed sides” for this battle because He did not like the high places being torn down.  We know from the book of 2Kings that Hezekiah had indeed torn down the high places, which the kings before him had left; but this was a good thing for the people of Judah.  These high places were pagan altars built on top of hills.  It says that Hezekiah “trusted in the LORD the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.”  But the Rabshakeh wanted to undermine any confidence the people of Judah had in a deliverer.

The Rabshakeh was certain that no one could stop his armies.  Even if Judah did have horses and chariots, they could not defeat his armies.  He was here, in effect saying, I’ll even spot you a couple horses…. A thousand horses… two thousand horses.    

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

The three officials sent from Hezekiah were scared.  The Rabshakeh was not talking in the appropriate inter-tribal language.  He was speaking in the language of Judah.  He was not only desiring strike fear in Hezekiah and his cabinet, he wanted to strike fear in the hearts of everyone who listened, and it seemed to work with these three men.  The officials begged him to stop and “play fair.”  Instead he defiantly taunted them with a second threat if they did not surrender.     

¹² But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"  ¹³ Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! ¹⁴ Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. ¹⁵ 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." ¹⁶ Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, ¹⁷ until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. ¹⁸ Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ¹⁹ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? ²⁰ Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"

The people were trapped inside the walls of Jerusalem with limited amounts of food.  The Rabshakeh claimed they would run out of supplies and get so hungry they would eat their feces and drink if they did not surrender.  But if they decided to surrender to him, he would provide for all their longings.  They would have freedom instead of being trapped, fruit instead of feces, and wine and water instead of urine.   The people must have heard this and thought about the promises that God had made them.  To Moses, God said he would take his people to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  After Joshua and Caleb took their trip into the promised land they returned with a cluster of grapes that had to be carried on a pole by two men.  Though here they were trapped, hungry and thirsty, and Sennacherib was claiming to do the thing that God could not or would not do for the entrapped people of Judah. 

Sennacherib was in essence claiming to be God. There wasn’t any other god that could stop him, why would the God of the Hebrews be any different.  For Sennacherib the LORD was not a dependable deliverer.  In fact he was no deliverer at all.  According to the Rabshakeh, the only deliverer of the people of Judah that day would be Sennacherib. 

²¹ But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him." ²² Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

The curtain falls.  This is the end of SCENE 1.  So far the story has not given us much to hope for: there is only dark threats of suffering and death, the mocking of God and his people, and foreshadowing of a disobedient king.  Is there hope for Judah?  Or will this be the tragic end of God’s people and the end to all of God’s promises?

SCENE 2

The curtain comes up:

As the scene begins we step into the royal chamber of Hezekiah, just after his officials came to him with the words of the Rabshakeh. 

37:1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. ² And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.

In the face of extreme adversity, Hezekiah ran straight to the house of the LORD.  The LORD to him was as Psalm 46 says, “a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  And he sent his three officials and the senior priests covered with sackcloth, the clothes of mourning and distress, to Isaiah.  As a prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah functioned much as the voice of God to his people.  This is why Isaiah was the obvious choice.  They needed to hear from God!

³ They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. ⁴ It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, 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.'"

To Hezekiah, there was something huge at stake.  Like Goliath, this man mocked the living God, threatening to destroy God’s king and kingdom.  God’s very name was at stake.  If God didn’t show up, he would be shown to be nothing more than a tribal deity and his promise to David would fail: the promise that stated that there would be a man in the family line of David on the throne forever.  So Hezekiah sought a word form the LORD.  What would the LORD say?  Would he give hope?  Would he answer?

⁵ When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.'"

The LORD had heard.  Hezekiah and the people didn’t need to be afraid any more.  For God would be consistent with his character as a dependable deliver.  He was promising to rescue them.  Sennacherib would not succeed against Jerusalem.   

⁸ The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. ⁹ Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has set out to fight against you."

At first glance it appears that Isaiah’s prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled.  Sennacherib had heard a rumor, and had set out to fight Tirhakah, leaving Lachish behind.  Yes, indeed the LORD is a dependable deliverer…. But wait … the story’s not over …

And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. ¹¹ Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'"

What happened?  Was the deliverance of God being delayed?  Wasn’t Sennacherib supposed to die by the sword?     Instead it appears as if has spit in the LORD’s face, believing that not even God can stop him.  Can a man do such a thing?  Is Sennacherib, king of Assyria, superior over every other god and every other king?

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: ¹⁶ "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. ¹⁷ Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. ¹⁸ Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, ¹⁹ and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. ²⁰ So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD."

Again Hezekiah ran to his fortress and strength, and begged God to hear and respond to Sennacherib.  This was not just about the deliverance of God’s people, but about whether the ends of the earth would know that he is the LORD.  God’s glory: his name and renown were at stake. 

The curtain falls, the end of SCENE 2. 

At the end of this scene, we are left with the question of whether Hezekiah’s prayer would reach the ears of God?  Will the LORD, the God of Judah truly be a dependable deliverer, or will he just be proven to be a tribal deity, like the ones made of wood and stone worshiped by the surrounding peoples of the day?  If he did reply, what was the LORD going to say?

SCENE 3

The scene opens and Isaiah has a message from the LORD. 

²¹ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, ²² this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:

         "' She despises you, she scorns you-

                  the virgin daughter of Zion;

            she wags her head behind you-

                  the daughter of Jerusalem.

     ²³ "'Whom have you mocked and reviled?

                  Against whom have you raised your voice

            and lifted your eyes to the heights?

                  Against the Holy One of Israel!

       ²⁴    By your servants you have mocked the Lord,

                  and you have said, With my many chariots

            I have gone up the heights of the mountains,

                  to the far recesses of Lebanon,

            to cut down its tallest cedars,

                  its choicest cypresses,

            to come to its remotest height,

                  its most fruitful forest.

       ²⁵    I dug wells

                  and drank waters,

            to dry up with the sole of my foot

                  all the streams of Egypt.

The Word from the LORD begins with a statement of Sennacherib’s lethal conceit.  He had mocked the LORD.  He claimed it was by his might and his strength that he had defeated all those armies.  He believed all his victories were won by himself, for himself, and to himself.

     ²⁶  "'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,

      ²⁷    while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,

                  are dismayed and confounded,

            and have become like plants of the field

                  and like tender grass,

            like grass on the housetops,

                  blighted before it is grown.

       ²⁸  "'I know your sitting down

                  and your going out and coming in,

                  and your raging against me.

      ²⁹    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.'

God now corrects their arrogance, pronounces judgment upon them and gives hope for Judah.  It was not because of their own strength that the Assyrians had destroyed cities and scattered peoples.  It was only because of the sovereign ordaining hand of God that they were able.  They could not escape God, he knew where they were, and he was going to carry out a judgment for their mockery.   In the same way they treated their enemies like animals, The LORD would put a ring in their nose and bit in their mouth and they would be His animals, doing exactly what He wanted. 

³⁰ "And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. ³¹ And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. ³² For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. ³³ "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. ³⁴ By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. ³⁵ For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David." 

They were going to survive!!  The LORD was determined to keep his promise.  There would be a remnant of his people.  There would be survivors from Jerusalem and Assyria will be sent home. 

Now the zealous word of the LORD has predicted demise for the Assyrians and survival for those in Jerusalem.  But, how is it going to happen. 

³⁶ And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. ³⁷ Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. ³⁸ And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

The result of God moving for his own sake, and for the sake of his servant David…. Against his enemies…..ANNIHILATION!!!

185,000 people, laid out over night. 

This is what the zeal of the LORD does.  He is THE unstoppable, dependable deliverer.  When he acts for the sake of his Great Name, and on the basis of his promise to David, the LORD God is unstoppable!

Our story closes with the fulfillment of God’s promises to rescue his people, bring retribution upon his enemies, and glorify his name.  The Assyrian army had been destroyed, the Assyrian king put to death, and God’s people were no longer trapped in a bird cage, but free. 

This story is not just a story though.  Scripture tells us that it is meant for our instruction.

First, it speaks to us about the glory of God.  There is without doubt, no greater motivation for God, than to glorify himself.  When I say this motivates him, I intend to say that God greatest desire is to display to the entire physical and spiritual universe all the things that make him beautiful and excellent, because there is no other thing more beautiful and excellent than Him.  When Hezekiah prays to the Lord, he expressly bases his prayer on it.  He says, (37:20) “So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD."  If God didn’t act in this situation it would have shown that God did not care about his promises, and was in fact no God at all, but just as false as any wooden statue.  He would be utterly dishonored.   This strong determination of God to be honored and glorified is in fact the core motivation of every major God-enacted event in Scripture.  He chose his people, created everything, made promises to Abraham, called Israel, rescued them from Egypt, and restored Israel from exile all for the expressly written purpose of his glory.  Not only that but in Romans 3, Scripture also tells us that God sent Jesus to defend his glory and that in fact your salvation rests squarely on God’s loyalty to himself. 

Second, this story speaks to his people.  Christians, brothers and sisters, you should have no reason to fear … ever. The God who has claimed you as his own is an unstoppable dependable deliver.  Everything seemed lost for the people of Judah.  They were being threatened with death and immense suffering, and yet they put their hope in God as dependable deliverer, and he came through.  What do you tell your children at night when they are scared of the monsters in the closet or under their bed?  To quote Veggie Tails, you could say “God is bigger than the boogie man and he’s watching out for you and me.”  Believe it or not, this is the same reason you don’t have to submit to fear, anxiety, covetousness or any other controlling sinful motivation … Our God is present, powerful, and loves his people.  He victoriously fights for the weak, miraculously provides for the poor, and sovereignly controls all things in a manner that will be good for you.  He is an unstoppable, dependable deliverer. And just like the people of Judah had nothing to offer or contribute to God’s deliverance, so also we forever can add nothing to it, or deserve it.  We cry out for help, and then enjoy and worship the God who rescues us, his weak and helpless people.  If there is any call of God on you today, it is this: Believe the truth that (1) you are weak and helpless, that (2) He is more powerful than you realize, that (3) He is aware of all that happens in your life, and that (4) he cares for you more deeply for you than you can imagine.

Third, it speaks to his enemies.  The call of God in every act of judgment we see in Scripture is to repent.  The judgment seen in this story was a swift wrathful destruction.  And yet, it does not compare to the final judgment, which is coming.  Rather it is a foretaste.  God will bring swift and decisive destruction on all those who do not repent and put their trust in Christ.  Perhaps you are saying to yourself, “I’m not an enemy of God.  I just don’t really care.”  This is not reality.  By nature we are all God’s enemies.  You and I and all of us have been born into a race of beings who have rejected God’s rightful place as creator and Lord of all things.  By not explicitly repenting and submitting yourself to God as king, you have left yourself thoroughly as his enemy.  In other words, since the fall, you are by default God’s enemy.  Something must miraculously change in order for you to stop being God’s enemy.  This miracle happens when God awakens your heart to turn from your sin and defect to God’s kingdom by faith.  Your citizenship to this world is transferred to God’s kingdom.  At this point you stop being on the wrathful and terrible end of his defending his glory.  Instead you join the rest of his people in becoming the beneficiaries of his glorious mercy and kindness on weak and underserving people.  You find yourself in the place of the people of Judah in our story, and not in the place of the Assyrians.  Both experienced God’s defense of his glory, one experienced it as magnificent, the other as terrible wrath.  If you today are an enemy of God, whether vengeful or indifferent, put your hope in Jesus today, who is the conquering, powerful deliver.  He offers you today immunity, forgiveness, and full reconciliation to God by faith in Him.

Finally, and most importantly, this story is part of a bigger story.   While the obstacle of the Assyrians may have seemed huge to the people of Judah, there was a bigger problem that needed resolved.  It was rooted in the defamation of God’s character and would have ultimately led to the eternal destruction of all people everywhere, not just Judah. 

It started in Genesis when Adam and Eve failed to obey God’s command, and were thus expelled out of the garden of Eden, and humanity was cursed.  The world had been broken. 

This situation in the garden precipitated a series of awful and more awful events.  The introduction of sin into the world brought with it corruption, suffering, and death.  All things began to move away from the purpose for which they were created, towards destruction, chaos, and death.  People began to be oriented around themselves and not their creator.  They began to covet and steal, hate and kill, abusing God’s creation and ignoring the One who made them.  Famine, pestilence, and war all stem from the fact that our world was broken when Adam and Eve sinned against God.

The mystery in the midst of this terrible chaos was that God seemed to give glimpses of resolution to the curse.  In fact, as soon as the curse was handed to Adam, God hinted that the terrible curse would end one day, and that things would be made right.  And occasionally throughout Biblical history you see the concept of a forever king come up; a king in the line of David who would bring peace to his people, justice upon the wicked, restoration to the dying and decaying, and would be a king forever… a Messiah.  Yet year after year it seemed that the promises were never going to be fulfilled.  “How long O Lord” was the repeated and regular cry of his people.

Here, in the book of Isaiah, there is one of the most exciting and clear statements that God would keep his promises.  In verse 32; the story highlights the determination of God, his zeal.  It refers to the “zeal of LORD of HOSTS,” or another way to say this is “the passionate determination of the God of armies.”  In Scripture, there is only one other situation associated with the phrase “zeal of the LORD of HOSTS.”  There, his action also occurs on the basis of his loyalty to himself and his glory, and in accordance with his promise to David of a forever King.   It is found in Isaiah 9.  Listen!

^ESV Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

In the declaration of Isaiah 9:6-7, God promises to one day send a baby, who will carry a kingdom on his shoulders, bring peace, justice, and will be called MIGHTY GOD!  God is so determined in this endeavor that it says “the zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”  The feat of Jesus’s birth is no small thing!  Christmas, the birth of Jesus is the beginning of the end to sin and death!  It is the entrance of the King for which all creation has been waiting and longing.  Reconciliation and peace!  The curse reversed!  Death annihilated! Justice for the oppressed! God come to be with us!

The same zeal that wiped out armies with a breath is the zeal that brought forth the long awaited Messiah, who would overcome the seemingly un-overcome-able enemy, Satan, sin and death. 

When you think about Christmas, remember that the birth of Jesus is the display of God’s zeal to make all things new.   Despite how it may seem at times, remember and do not forget that he is the unstoppable, all-powerful, unchangeable, immovable, dependable delivering God.  Nothing can stop him, not even death itself.  He is the one on whom we put all our hope and therefore have nothing to fear.  If you don’t want to be overly caught up in the commercialism and materialism of modern day Christmas, try daily remembering that Christmas is not just about any baby’s birth.  It is the impossible happening!  God himself putting on weak human flesh … It is our hopes and longings beginning to be fulfilled.  It is the beginning of the annihilation of everything terrible.  Making all the sad things come untrue.  Christmas is about the dependable deliverer coming on to the stage of human history.  Draw near to him and worship!  Celebrate the entrance of God’s forever King!