February 24, 2011
TRUST ISSUES
Isaiah 39
Steven Sanders
Central Truth
We must trust in God alone, no matter what.
Key Verse | Isaiah 39:2
Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isaiah 39:2)
Isaiah 39
Envoys from Babylon
1 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2 And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. 7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”
Dive Deeper | Isaiah 39
In Isaiah, God brought a "lawsuit" against Judah because they broke covenant with Him and did whatever they wanted (chapters 1-6). Two kings serve as evidence: Ahaz and Hezekiah.
Ahaz trusted his alliance with Assyria for security instead of trusting God. As a result, God used Assyria to punish Judah. The lesson: God is completely sovereign, so His people should trust Him instead of men (chapters 7-35).
Hezekiah was much better than his father, Ahaz. When Assyria attacked Judah, he trusted God for deliverance, and God saved Judah (chapters 36-37). Later, Hezekiah became seriously ill. He trusted God, and God saved his life (chapter 38). The lesson: Trust God in the bad times.
Hezekiah, however, didn't trust God in the good times. In chapter 39 Babylon sent envoys to establish a relationship with Judah. Hezekiah attempted to impress them so that they might want an alliance. Consequently, God pronounced judgment on him.
This seems beyond harsh. Hezekiah showed off his stuff. What's the big deal?
The big deal is that God wants His people to trust in Him at all times. Trust is a huge issue between God and humanity. How did the serpent tempt Eve? Trust issues (Genesis 3:5). Why was Abraham declared righteous? He trusted God (Genesis 15:6). How are people saved? By God's grace through trusting Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of trusting God. This is a primary point and significant topic of the first 39 chapters in Isaiah. Judah did not trust in God alone, and the consequences were extremely bad.
We'll see the positive consequences of trusting God in Isaiah chapters 40 through 66. God saves people who trust Him from the product of their sin (chapters 40-48), from the penalty of sin (chapters 49-55), and from the presence of sin (chapters 56-66). The lesson: Consequences for people who trust God alone are extremely good.
We don't have control over much. We don't choose when we live or the situations we face. But we do choose whom we trust to get us through those situations. Do you trust God alone, or do you trust yourself and your friendships? It is a question we must answer every day.
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think trust is so important to God? Is it hard for you to trust God?
2. Ahaz had trouble trusting God in hard times, and Hezekiah had trouble trusting God in good times. Who are you more like? When you aren't trusting God, what are you usually trusting in?
3. If you don't consider yourself a Christian: what would you think are the benefits to trusting God? What are the drawbacks of trusting God? If you consider yourself a Christian: We tend to think of trusting God in terms of salvation. The Bible also portrays trusting God as an ongoing choice of living in proper relationship to Him. If God sent an Old Testament prophet to your place tonight, would he say to you that you have or haven't been trusting in God in the way you've been living recently?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
ISAIAH 36-40 (FEB 21-25)
Read Isaiah 40:25.
What questions does God ask? Is there anything in this world that can be compared to God? What things does this world try to say are as powerful, smart, or loving as God?
Read Isaiah 40:12-31.
Make a list of all the things that you learn about who God is. What new things did you learn? Which truth about God is your favorite?
Read Isaiah 40:26.
Go out into your backyard tonight and look up in the sky. Try to count all of the stars. How many can you see? Talk about what this verse says . . . God has a name for every one!!! He knows exactly how many there are!!!