Sermon: Seen Tears & Answered Prayers

Well good evening. You are see. So this evening we are continuing in our study of King Hezekiah looking at second Kings chapter 20 verses 1 through 11. And if you are using a Pew Bible in front of you you can find this evening's passage on page 327 and then the beginning of page 328 again 327 through three Twenty Eight. So before we read this passage, it's going to be helpful here to set the scene and address a looming issue, which is not the main

focus of our text, but it kind of hangs over it. If we do not address it. It will distract from the meaning of the first part of this chapter. And may affect our Hearing in comprehension. Of God's word. So first to set the scene in this chapter. last week pastor Kevin shared the history of when the Lord through his zeal. Put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand. in the camp of the Assyrians Which led to sennacherib departing from

Judah? Our passage in Second Kings 20, it's breaking from that chronological order and it's looking back in time. to a moment when King Hezekiah Is near death? and the prophet Isaiah comes to pay him a visit. King Hezekiah is indeed sick. But this is the time at the height of his rule. Is not yet stripped of gold from the doors of the Temple. All that has been stored up has not been carried off. That's our scene here.

But the looming issue in our passage revolves around the question. Does God change? There have been those in history who come to a text like ours and they ask is this evidence? That God changes his mind. And is the future open? Or does God ordain all things? And perfectly know the future. And we're not going to spend the majority of our time expounding that. Rather we will expound what the author wants us to see. but that is a good question.

And history shows us the way that this has been addressed. Faithful Christians throughout all church history have been Crystal Clear. God does not change. You may hear this referred to in Sunday school or other settings as God's immutability. Herman Bob Inc. A 20th century Dutch Theologian helpfully states that if God were not immutable. He would not be God. but there is still a problem of language which seems to imply

that God changes his mind. So how do we answer this? It's a good question. We have to have an answer because people are going to post this to us. To quote Calvin here. God is described to us humanly. Any description which we receive of him must be lowered to our capacity in order for it to be intelligible. We understand the language of relenting from our perspective. Not knowing the Eternal decrees of God. but at the same time

we do not want to minimize the power of Prayer. Prayer indeed has great power. It is prayer that God has appointed as one of the means. To accomplish his ends. With all this said let us pray and then we will jump into the text. father we ask for you to Enlighten us through your word. We approach your word knowing that it is the word of life. Your word is not to be handled lightly. So we approach it with all in humility.

We thank you that you have given us a scripture which is not leave us in darkness or confusion. But brings us closer to you. So we pray the treasure your word. And to never take it for granted. We pray all these things in the name of your son Christ Jesus. Amen. Here now the words of God. In those days Hezekiah became sick. And was at the point of death. In Isaiah the prophet the son of ammotes. Came to him and said to him thus says

the Lord. Set your house in order for you. Shall die. You shall not recover. Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. And prayed to the Lord saying now O Lord. Please remember remember how I walked before you and faithfulness. and with the whole heart and have done what is good in your sight. and Hezekiah wept bitterly and before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court the word of the Lord came to him. Turn back and say to Hezekiah the

leader of my people thus says the Lord the god of David your father. I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears behold. I will heal you. On the third day. You shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I would add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you in the city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. And I would defend the city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. And Isaiah said bring a cake of figs and

let them take and lay it on the boil that he may recover. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah what shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me? And that our show go up to the house of the Lord on the third day. In Isaiah said this shall be the sign to you from the Lord that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised. Shall the shadow go forward 10 steps. So go back 10 steps. and Hezekiah answered It is an easy thing for the shadow to length

in 10 steps. Rather let the shadow go back 10 steps. In Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord and he brought the shadow back ten steps by which I had gone down on the steps of ahaz. amen

We will see two points from our passage this evening. first God Sears sees tears and he hears Christ. He sees tears and he hears Christ. and second God answers Covenant prayers so the first point God sees tears and he hears Christ. We want to enter into hezekiah's World. This is not the main theological point. But let us set foot in the hezekiah's residence. in verses 2 through 4 We see Hezekiah turning his face to the

wall. And praying to the Lord all while weeping bitterly. He just found out he was about to die. And this is not Hezekiah standing up and looking to the wall. No Hezekiah is filled with pain. Infection bacteria from an open wound is spreading through his body. poisoning his blood houses in the ancient east would have reclining couches next to the wall where the sick would lie. So we can Envision Hezekiah after speaking with Isaiah rolling

over with the last bit of energy in his body. Staring to the wall. And pleading with the Lord to heal him. This is not a triumphant King here. And while he is pleading our texts that he wept bitterly. This word bitterly in the Hebrew is godol. And a literal translation would be great or large. Sometimes it is used to describe a great king. Or a large army. The writer of Second Kings is drawing our attention to the fact.

That the tears of Hezekiah. Were compared to a mighty nation in battle. In the same manner Christian it is not wrong for you to weep. In a times to do so greatly. your tears the same as Hezekiah Are often a heartfelt cry for God to wrap his arms around you? your signifying that you cannot walk through life alone. But must depend on the love of God. Tears are indeed a part of our Human Condition. And especially so for the Christian as sea

as Lewis wrote in his book a grief observed. We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told blessed. Are they that mourn? And I accept it. I've got nothing I have in bargained for. However, one of the most beautiful parts of our texts. As we are about to see here. Is a Hezekiah in his grief in his despair in his cries. He is not left alone. In verses 5 through 6 the Lord commands Isaiah to

turn back. And tell Hezekiah that he has heard his prayer of Deliverance and he has seen his tears. So what does it mean to hear? Kind of an odd question, but I think it's important for us to focus on. To hear carries with it a certain level of intentional listening of leaning in closely. in a moment of confession to all of you I can find it easy after busy day. to come home to look at my phone. Listen to my wife. My daughter just trying to get my attention.

But I'm not hearing them. Words are being said. But they are going in one year. And out the other. And I need to apologize for not listening. Well. Not hearing well and to be gently reminded what was just said. Our God is not like that. And praise God for that. Now I I do not want you to be confused. There are certainly instances recorded in scripture where God says, I will not listen. I will not hear prayers one instance is

Isaiah chapter 1 where God will not listen for the hands of the one praying have shed innocent blood. But to you Christian the one with a contrite heart he hears. and he listens It may be odd to some of us when we're reading this text. That the Lord has truly seen. and heard Hezekiah Hezekiah is tearful prayer does not begin with a confession of sin. It does not begin with how depraved he is before the Lord. No verse 3 relates to

us the Hezekiah. Is asking to be remembered because he has walked in faith. with a whole heart and he has done. What is good? in the sight of God kind of Catches Us off guard when we initially read that. It goes against how should he be praying and we would not get this is the way. But the Bible is clear. We do not earn God's favor. And we do not earn his Blessing. And because of that there has been some confusion and even

some debate. surrounding hezekiah's prayer one commentator says his prayer is characterized by self-centeredness. Not his faith. on the other hand is the prince of preachers Charles Spurgeon who went writing about this passage said I do not think this was intended to be a self-righteous prayer. Though it reads like one. So, how do we address this dilemma? What we can understand about hezekiah's prayer. Is a Hezekiah is in a covenant relationship

with the Lord? Hezekiah he knows the Covenant Promises to the nation of Israel. He is well familiar with promises such as Deuteronomy chapter 4. Where Moses is charging the Israelites to keep the statutes of God. saying therefore you shall keep his statutes and his Commandments which I command to you today. That it may go well with you and with your children after you. And that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.

Hezekiah in a real heartfelt manner is saying to the Lord I have walked with you. Will you hear the prayers? of your Covenant King I am a covenant keeper not by works. but by grace hezekiah's prayer 2700 years ago should greatly inform your prayers. Hezekiah was praying a covenant prayer in an age of types and shadows. Where God's people could only look forward? to the time of Christ for you in Christ Jesus. You have a

more intimate understanding of the Covenant of Grace. You pray and fully know that only Christ has truly fulfilled the Commandments. And yet this should strengthen. your prayer life Sometimes in your life you will have pain and you will have suffering and you feel it is for no reason. And is at this point is not wrong for you to say to the Lord in prayer. If I've done something wrong, please show me. but to the best of my knowledge

I've been following you. in obedience I am walking with you Lord. I'm continuing in the word. I am in Christ. the Covenant keeper Please God. See my tears. and hear my supplication What a blessing that our God. is one of Covenants Who invites us into a relationship? Or he does not turn a blind eye. or a deaf ear to our pains in difficulties and the same God who Sears sees and hears is the Covenant God. Who does not remain silent?

Which brings us to our second Point God answers Covenant prayers? Immediately immediately following the Lord hearing hezekiah's prayer and seeing his tears. We read in verse 5 that God is going to heal Hezekiah. And in verse 6 add 15 years to his life. Hezekiah prayed for healing and the Lord answered him and this is the greatest proof that the Lord was not upset. or angry at the language of hezekiah's Prayer and yet it is not for hezekiah's own

Glory. Or righteousness that God heals him but rather. It is to fulfill his Redemptive purposes. verse 6 I will deliver you. I will defend this city for my own sake. and for my servant David's sake God does not answer. Hezekiah's prayer. only on account of Covenant obedience and faithfulness but he also in arguably primarily does so on account of the faithfulness of King David. Now remember let us bring to mind the promise that

God made to David. That he would always have a son. and the throne at this point the son of Hezekiah Manasseh. Had yet to be born. The death of Hezekiah at this moment in time it would have resulted in no immediate familial successor. The Throne of David would have been empty. the line would have been broken. But God made a covenant promise that this would not be the case. That one day a descendant of David will rule on the throne and his kingdom will be

forever. In Matthew 1 we have a composed genealogy of Christ. Which in part reads. Hezekiah the father of Manassa Hezekiah is Deliverance. And healing was pointing to the day of Christ. And this is a good reminder to not assume why God answers prayers the way that he does. God's answer may have Redemptive purposes. Which are not to be seen for hundreds of years. or even fully understood until you are in glory. our passage continues in verse 7 with the words

of Isaiah bring a cake of figs. and let them take and lay it on the boil. That he may recover. It says if God is saying to Hezekiah you need proof that it is me healing you and not your own immune system. Here are a bunch of figs. Go and have your servants servants rub it on your boil.

figs don't heal until this moment Hezekiah could have spent every waking moment rubbing figs over his boils and nothing would have happened.

Again figs do not have healing properties. Let alone the ability to stop an infection. The figs serve as a sign of God's healing power. It is God who makes them able or efficacious to heal? And this is not a foreign idea to the whole counsel of scripture. In the Gospel of John we read of Jesus granting sight to a blind man by rubbing mud on his eyes. And then commanding the man to go and wash. Mud does not cure blindness.

But Christ made it efficacious. If we were honest this seems kind of like a proper end to our passage. Hezekiah will be healed with figs. What more do we need to see? It is a god initiated and it is a god ordained miracle. Yet our texts records. that immediately after Hezekiah asks, Isaiah in verse 8 What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord. On the third day. Picture with me a small child here and they are a

Michigan State fanatic. They bleed green and white. They know the rosters of all the athletic teams up and downs. They go to Every home game imaginable. And the parents of this child are planting a birthday party. And to show their child how much they love them. They get their child a mission and say Jersey some Nike LeBron shoes and even Sparty shows up. And instead of being thankful the child response. But how do I know that you really love me?

Do you have any other presence hiding in the closet? You would respond without rage. Your sense of right and wrong it would almost demand for you to say to the parents. Take back the gifts. And to have a serious conversation with your child. Over the way they acted. and the way that they are behaving and if you're being honest. This may be how you're responding to hezekiah's request for a sign. How dare Hezekiah asked for a sign he was already promised by

God through Isaiah that he would be healed with figs. He should not be needing any more convincing.

This is not the main takeaway here. But hezekiah's response to a promise of healing does not necessitate the way that you should respond to God. Your heart posture to God should not be show me more show me more. You should be able to rest in God in his Providence. You may hear text like these in scripture and we may say they are descriptive and they are not prescriptive. And this can be helpful. nevertheless hezekiah's request does have

a deeper theological meaning it is not out of a place of arrogance. Or prideful heart that Hezekiah is asking for a sign. Hezekiah really here is asking for a sign because he remembers his dad. hezekiah's dad was King ahaz and in Isaiah 7 the Lord says to ahaz that he will give him a sign. and this sign is found in one of the verses that we love to read around Christmas, Isaiah chapter 7 verse Therefore the Lord himself will give you a

sign behold the Virgin shall conceive a bear embarrassed son. They shall call his name Emmanuel. Now here's the thing preceding this sign the Lord spoke to King ahaz. and told him to ask a sign of the Lord your God. Let it be deep as she'll or high as heaven. King ahaz answers like many of us would If we were being honest. I will not put the Lord to the test. Seems to be a good answer. In kind of unexpected but understandable since

God told him to ask him for a sign. the Lord rebukes him So all the while we can picture Hezekiah grows up and he becomes king and in the back of his mind is the constant thought. Of don't blow this. Don't be like Dad. When the time comes I will not shy away from God. and his signs and Hezekiah does not shy away. and when the moment comes he asks And he is answered. And it is important to note the Lord also gave a sign

when Hezekiah sought deliverance from Seneca. He gave Moses Gideon. and other signs to it seems to be a part of the old Covenant economy. Today God still provides signs of his grace. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper provide a permanent testimony of what God has accomplished and because of the greatness of that work, we do not need to seek new signs. But now two signs are enough. To continually assure us of his grace.

Now back to our text and verses 9 through 11, Isaiah says this shall be the sign to you. Shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back. And Hezekiah says well Shadows, they naturally lengthen. That isn't much of a sign. It's kind of a show me more scenario have the shadow go back. In Isaiah calls to the Lord. And the Lord brings a shadow back by ten steps on the steps of a has now the steps of a has a function as a sundial some believe.

This is just your typical staircase found somewhere throughout the residence. And as the day goes on a shadow descends and they would use this as a sundial. Others believe this is an actual sun dial but in the shape of steps. But what matters here in regardless of if it's a little model or if it's an entire staircase, is that the sundial? It tells you the time. Based on where the sun casts its shadow. As the day progresses the shadow progresses.

It is the natural outcome. But in the sign to Hezekiah the shadow is brought back. This is indeed. a miraculous Sovereign work of God It is a moment in Redemptive history where God exhibits his authority over the laws of nature. You may be thinking of other moments in scripture such as when the sun Stood Still. in the Book of Joshua or where Jesus calms the winds. and the waves and the disciples cannot help but ask what manner

of man is this that even the Seas and the winds. Obey him? As Christians we were spoiled reading and seeing with faith God's Majesty in his might. overall creation but is there a deeper meaning when the shadow goes back ten steps? Yes. there is now the text is silent if Hezekiah catches onto the deeper meaning. Regardless of hezekiah's understanding the shadow being brought back 10 steps would visibly show time moving back.

It ought to bring the hezekiah's mind the years of his life moving back. the shadow of his own life has been moved back by 15 years.

And moreover the Sundial it would serve as a daily reminder. to the faithfulness of God Hezekiah would now be sustained through seeing shadows. And is those very Shadows which answer to God? And in this sign you see a restoration of lost time. A restoration of what is indeed lost? Isn't that like our God? The God Who makes all things new The God Who is not only restoring us to the Garden but is transforming the garden to a

Garden City. It is like the future goes back. the shadow travels back before the fall figs in the shadows Hezekiah's prayer to be healed is answered. He is given a sign. He will be healed. And is indeed healed from his illness. And there's a big question looming here. And I would even bet some of you have been wrestling with this throughout this text. Should we take away? From this passage that we expect God to heal. You have told us that God answers prayers.

And in this instance, the prayer is one of healing and deliverance from pain. and sickness you may know deep down with everything in you that God is a healing God and yet you may be thinking. God did not answer my prayers to heal me. He did not answer my prayers to heal my loved ones. He did not answer my prayer for healing. He healed Hezekiah, but I am not him. I don't care what he did for Hezekiah. Where is my answered prayer?

And you may even be angry with God. first we must be adamant that God does answer prayers for physical healing. We should not sidestep this truth. James instructs Us in his new testament letter to call together the outers of the church when a member is sick. to anoint that member with oil and to pray for their physical healing James does not tell us to avoid prayers of healing.

but the reality in our fallen world is that there is death. And there is tragedy all around us. So, how do we harmonize all this? Yes, God does physically heal. And not every prayer. Will be answered even understood in this life. Every prayer it will be answered at the consummation. We are instructed to pray and we are instructed to ask for healing in this life, but we can rest. When healing does not come. You can rest in the character of God.

That the God of all the Earth will do what is just and right. Today the gospel the gospel offers you a bomb all those who come to Christ. the great physician will be met with healing. Healing which is not restricted to this earth. But a healing which is sustained for eternity. Would you receive that healing that he offers you today? You will not find the healing that you are seeking outside of the savior Christ Jesus.

If you are in Christ today. You are healed. You are made whole again. This is not to minimize or preach away the very real pain that you may be feeling. Yet there will be a day when all things will be made new. Your legs which have failed will run a thousand miles in the presence of Christ. Your brain has broken as it feels with your OCD and your anxiety and your intrusive thoughts. They will be remedied. Your mental images of Anguish it will be gone.

And the family member that you lost too soon. That you love dearly. and expected to spend all the days of your life with You have a blessed hope. being reunited in glory worshiping before our God for all the days of returning Days, I have no end. the prayers of God's covenant people including the prayers of healing will be answered in this life or the next. Do not be envious of Hezekiah. The God who answered him is the same God who answers

you. and the Cure ultimately provided to Hezekiah Is the same cure provided to you? Christ Our Lord again to quote Spurgeon we have Christ. like the lump of figs ready to heal the wound. And make a strong again. church family keep praying have confidence and faith in your Covenant keeping God. Who answers back? This moment and hezekiah's life. We got a first-hand view into the life of a prayer man walking by faith. I'll be it in perfectly.

And what did we see? We saw his tears. We saw his Earnest prayers. And a heartfelt plea to God for healing. And we saw God saying I will answer your prayer. And here is the proof. Christian continued to cry out to God in all moments of your life. on the Mountaintop Pray, Thanksgiving. And in The Valleys filled with tears. Approach god with you, please and approach god with your Christ. God loves his Covenant people he

loves you. He sees your tears. He hears your prayers. And he gives the perfect answer. Is The God Who sustains Kings? And he is The God Who sustains you? Let's pray.

father

As we respond with him of Thanksgiving. I pray for all of us through the work of the spirit to leave the sanctuary tonight with a greater sense of your heart. You are a God who loves his people? A God who hears her prayers sees our tears and does not leave us in despair. Oh, what a good and kind father. You are to your children. Open our hearts, so we do not only sing. But truly believe the words. Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song.

the joy of my heart and the both of my tongue we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Amen.