Unwavering Confidence in Overwhelming Times: 2 Kings #24
This is an exposition of 2 Kings 19:1-37. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, January 15, 2017.
Intro:
It just didn’t seem right. He was a good king. A godly king. One who did right in the eyes of the LORD just as David had done. The LORD was with him and he prosper in all that he did. God gave great military success. Not since the days of David had any king of Judah defeated the Philistines. Yet now Assyria threatens. How is that possible? If Hezekiah is as good and righteous as the biblical writer claims, why the hardship? Why the threat of disaster? The king is in mourning. Torn cloths and sackcloth is the uniform of the day. It is a time of distress, rebuke and disgrace. Do you ever find yourself wondering if is “pays” to serve God? Ever wonder if it is worth it? Isn’t it God’s job to bless? Isn’t He supposed to supply us with ever-present joy, peace and prosperity? Aren’t we, as God’s people, supposed to walk in health and wealth? The prosperity Gospel may play well here in this culture but it’s a hard sale in places where believers are dying daily for the faith. How are we to live in days of difficult, even overwhelming hardship? Our text this evening is found in the 19th chapter of 2 Kings.
Text: 2 Kings 19:1-37
The Northern kingdom of Israel is gone.
Judah is in her last days.
There has been this brief moment of sunshine.
This time of refreshment and revival, the gift of God’s grace.
But dark clouds are rolling in.
Assyria has taken some of the chief, fortified cities.
2 Kings 18 ends with Judah in mourning.
2 Kings 19 begins with the king overwhelmed with sorrow.
As we work our way through the chapter we are going to see that…
Thesis: Times of crisis demand an unwavering trust in the goodness of God, His faithfulness and His sovereignty over all things.
God’s grace and mercy today is no guarantee of a cloudless tomorrow. We live in a fallen world. We sinners in the process of being made holy. Sanctification is a life-long process that will not be completed until we are taken to glory and see Him as He is. In this world we will have tribulation. How are we to respond to that tribulation? How are we to cope with the heartache and pain that are inevitably part of this life?
We must trust in our God. His person. His goodness. His faithfulness and above all things, His sovereignty. Again, the sovereignty is no “coffee table” doctrine it is an everyday doctrine. It’s not a show piece it is a workhorse. It is the bread and butter of our theology. Sovereignty is at the heart of this chapter. It is the foundation, the bedrock of Judah’s confidence.
I want to point out three things as we move through our text.
- When faced with overwhelming circumstances believers cling tenaciously to the promise of God. (19:1-13)
- While clinging to God’s promise believers pray for God’s deliverance and for God’s glory to be revealed. (19:14-19)
- Ultimately, believers must rest in the sovereignty of God, His faithfulness and might. (19:35-37)