カテゴリー: Isaiah

In our lives fear and insecurity are constant companions. However, when such fears surround us, what should we do? Today let’s look at this from the powerful words which the Lord speaks to us.

I. One (Vs. 1-7)
First please look at verses 1 to 7. I will read verse 1. “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the palace of judgment.”
Here the Lord says “islands”. (1) These are the islands seen from Israel, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps it is o.k. to say it includes all the islands of the world. Japan is also an island. I think it is good to think that Japan is included in those that are being spoken to. Therefore, this is not spoken to Israel, but to other countries outside of Israel who were worshipping idols. God is saying to them, “Be silent before me” (1) and “renew their strength”. (1) This is not being used as a good meaning, but is speaking sarcastically. This can be seen in the words that follow, “Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the palace of judgment.” (1) “The palace of judgment” (1) is the court. Here a court room scene is the background for what is being said. The nations and their gods are challenged to display the same power and wisdom as Israel’ God. Like a court they will each present their case so it can be decided which is the powerful God who deserves to be trusted. In order to do that, God is calling out to them to please “renew their strength”(1) and then come.
Please look at verses 2 to 4. Here first it is speaking about the power of the Lord God. “Who has stirred up one from the east,
calling him in righteousness to his service?
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust with his sword,
to windblown chaff with his bow.
He pursues them and moves on unscathed,
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
Who has done this and carried it through,
calling for the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord-with the first of them
and with the last-I am he.”
The opinions of who the “One” that is recorded in verse 2 are divided. In general scholars think that this “one” is the King of the Medo-Persian Empire, Cyrus. This is a king that appears 200 years after the age of Isaiah. In Isaiah’s age the Kingdom of Southern Judah was attacked by Assyria. It was a dangerous situation. The Medo-Persian empire hadn’t risen up yet. That didn’t occur until 200 years later. In reality after Assyria was the Babylonian empire. By the Babylonian empire the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell and the people were captured and taken to Babylonia. There they lived as slaves to Babylon for 70 years. This Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian empire. Their king was Cyrus. This is the background for the second half of Isaiah, but this actually occurred 200 years after the age of Isaiah. This is being prophesized here. “One from the east” (2) victoriously reigns over each place that he goes. Cyrus, king of Medo-Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and he victoriously reigned over each place that he went. Then King Cyrus issued the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. This is being prophesized here. Therefore, the opinion that “one” (2) is Cyrus is not wrong. He is mentioned in name in 44:28 and 45:1. The Lord through Isaiah is speaking in advance of what will occur 200 years later, and plus in reality he even cites the name in advance. This is really a surprising thing. The all knowing all impotent God is able to do this.
However, in verse 4 it says, “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD-with the first of them and with the last-I am he.” The Lord “has done this and carried it through” (4) so some people think that “one” (2) refers to Jesus Christ. Especially since here it says, “I, the LORD- with the first of them and with the last-I am he” (4) so this is what Jesus is saying in Revelations 1:8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Therefore, “one” (2) is also Jesus Christ.
In other words, “one”(2) is the Persian king, Cyrus. At the same time it is Jesus Christ who is in the background leading him. In this case, King Cyrus is described as a shadow, a pattern, of Christ. The main content is Christ. God rose up the Persian king, King Cyprus, and set them free. It is also a prophecy that in the course of time Jesus Christ, the real Savior, will come to mankind who is in the slavery of sin and will set them completely free. The King Cyrus is seen in history as a pattern of the Savior.
Therefore, the Savior that will come to the world in the course of time is beyond compare with the Persian King Cyrus. The real liberator, Jesus Christ, really helps broken people. Also we can know this reality that the Lord “has done this and carried it through” (4) through history. Babylon fell to the “one”, (2) the Persian King Cyrus, that victoriously reigned over each place that he went. Then he set the Jews who captive there free and issued the decree allowing them to return to Jerusalem. Then from then approximately 539 years later the Messiah, Savior, Christ, who since the time that Adam sinned and became depraved the Old Testament prophesized about, was born in Bethlehem of Judea and even though he lived 33 years without sin, was put on the cross and died and three days later rose again. By this those who believe in this work are given complete freedom. We know this. Our God by his only son Jesus Christ is the Savior that sets us free from sin.
How do the islands respond to this? Please look at verses 5 to 7. “The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; each helps the other and says to his brother, ‘Be strong!’ The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil. He says of the welding, ‘It is good.’ He nails down the idol so it will not topple.”
The people of the nations were fearful when they saw that there was no end to King Cyrus’ advancing forward, and forward, and forward. What they did in opposition to King Cyrus was to encourage each other. Here it says “brother” (6) shows that the people of the nations formed a coalition to oppose Cyrus. All the countries put their strength together against the conqueror King Cyrus whom the Lord had risen up. Then they tried to make their idols that would watch over them as strong, solid, secure idols so they “will not topple” (7) so they “nailed down the” (7) idols so they were stable and fixed and wouldn’t move. The idols were powerless so they had to be taken care of by the people who made the idols. If we look at the struggles on this earth it is very clear who is the real God. The real God is the God who achieves victory each place that he goes. Jesus Christ, whom the Persian King Cyprus pointed to, who sets us free from sin is the real God and who is worthy of our faith.

II. I have chosen you (Vs. 8,9)
Next, please look at verses 8 and 9. Here the reason, the basis of, why God helps Israel is recorded. That is because they are God’s servant, they are the people that belong to God. “But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corner I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you
Here the Lord is calling Israel “my servant”. (8) Israel was specially chosen by God. That is not all. Here they are also called the “descendants of Abraham my friend”.(8) The Lord not only chose Israel out of all the nations and made them his own possession, but they are his friends. When we hear the word “servant” (8) we have a negative image. We have an image of lacking freedom, and being pushed around, but in reality a servant is not so, but is in the position of being taken care of by the master. Therefore, no matter what happens God will take care of them.
Here after “O Israel, my servant” (8) it says, “Jacob, whom I have chosen.” (8) Jacob was chosen by God. He had a twin elder brother, Esau, but God chose the younger brother Jacob. The two boys were the children of the same parents, Issac and Rebekah. Moreover Jacob was the younger and Esau was the older brother. Even so, God rejected Esau and chose Jacob. Paul wrote a surprising reason as to why God chose Jacob. “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls-she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” (Romans 9:11,12)
Here the point is “before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad” (Romans 9:11) it was ordained. In other words, God chose Jacob not because he was humanly outstanding or because he did something good, but by God’s one sided free choosing.
In man’s head is a law of causality that the result always has a cause that led to it. For example, if someone is successful in business, man thinks about why he was successful. They say things like he put out a lot of effort or the timing was good so he was successful, etc. Or in the reverse, if he fails, they think it’s because he does bad things all the time or he committed some kind of huge sin that no one knows about. Jacob who was pained by many catastrophes had friends whose attitudes were like this. However, in the Bible it is written that not all is like this. Especially concerning salvation, it is not because our personality is good or bad, or because there is a cause on our end, but it is only God’s one sided grace. If you look at it humanly, you can’t understand why Esau was hated and Jacob was saved, but God chose him from way back when. He ordained his people. Therefore, no matter what he will never reject Jacob, Israel.
That is not just the people of Israel, but the same can be said of us Christians, the spiritual Israel. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 1:3-5. “praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons though Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
Christians too are also chosen by Christ. That was before we were born, rather “before the creation of the world”. (Ephesians 1:4) That we were saved has no relationship to the kind of person we are or what we have done. It was ordained “before the creation of the world”. (Ephesians 1:4) When I talk about this doctrine of election many people doubt thinking that it is unfair that from the beginning there are people that are saved and people that aren’t saved. Not only can’t they accept the doctrine of election, but there are many that stumble from such passages of the Word of God. However, the salvation that the Bible talks about is like this. Also if you a child of God, saved, and if you are God’s servant, Israel, no matter what happens, you will never be rejected. It is exactly as it says, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” (9)
We sometimes have times when we feel like God has abandoned us. We pray and pray, but the dark cloud doesn’t clear up. There are times that no matter how much there is, it is of no help. God has definitely not abandoned you. When you think that God has abandoned you in reality is when God is bearing the burden of you pains with you and He is guiding you one step at a time. God is with you also when you think it’s tough too, He is with you and will help you. God chose us. Even if we are like a valley of dry bones, we will not be abandoned.
Many times I shared the poem “Foot prints” by Margret F. Powers, but it a good poem to hear many times so I would like to share it again.

　Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
set of footprints in the sand.
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”
God will definitely not abandon you. God will never leave you, and especially while you are suffering. God will carry your sufferings with you. Let’s remember this well.
God will definitely not abandon you. God will never leave you, and especially while you are suffering. God will carry your sufferings with you. Let’s remember this well.

III. Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. (Vs. 10-13)
Therefore the third point is to not fear, to not be dismayed. Let’s look at verse 10 to 13. Let’s read verse 10 together. “So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will withhold you with my righteous right hand.”
These are really wonderful words. This is one of the passages that let’s memorize without fail. In reality I think there are a lot people that have been supported by these words. Up until now for thousands of years, lots of people in the midst of hardship many people have been helped, supported and received strength through this passage. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (10)
This is not just limited to Israel. These are words spoken to us too. Humans all fear. Indeed, there are many things that we fear so the Lord says many times over and over again “Do not fear” to encourage us. There may be many of us here today that are fearful about many different things: losing work, getting sick, not being liked by others, what will happen to your family, etc. However, don’t worry. The Lord who became your God, who loves you, who set you free from sin, will take care of you no matter what happens to you. What is the basis for this?
1. “I am with you.” (10) The creator God who made the heavens and the earth is with you. This God made man. He is not a god made in the image of man. He is not a god covered by gold or silver plating. He is the God who made the whole universe. If this God will take care of you and support you, why is it necessary to fear anything?
2. “I am your God.” (10) God is not just God. He is “your God.” (10) He is a God that has a personal relationship with you. Before God made a covenant with Israel. “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” (Exodus 19:5) God established the bonds of this covenant with us in reality through Jesus Christ. This is the new covenant. The Lord Jesus said, “This is the blood of the covenant.” (Mark 14:24) God says to those who believe and accept the blood that Jesus shed on the cross “I am your God.” (10)
3. “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (10) We think that when we are holding to the Lord, we will be o.k., but in reality we are not holding on to God, but God is holding on to us. His hand is his “righteous right hand.” (10) This “righteous right hand” (10) is a hand of power, victory and strength. God with this hand holds on to us and takes care of us.
If that is the case what do we need to fear? God will for sure bring you victory and give you prosperity. If there is someone who becomes angry with you, that person will surely be shamed. If there is someone who fights with you, that person will become nothing and will perish. That is because your God, the Lord will take care of you with his “righteous right hand”. (10)
This is a true story that happened in America. This is a testimony of what Sherman Jackson, a Christian, experienced. Usually Sherman Jackson was never late, but one day he was late to the evening worship service. However, he had a big reason.
On the way to church Sherman stopped at the gas station with his 7 year old daughter. He finished putting gas in the car and as he was leaving the gas station, a man came up to the car and said, “Just a minute, can I ask you a favor? Can you take me to where my car is? I’ll pay you.”
Sherman was hesitant for a moment. That was because he thought he would be late to church. However he told himself that he had to help the person that was standing in front of him and had the man ride in the passenger seat and had his daughter sit in the back seat. Right after taking off, the man took a pistol out of his pocket and while holding Sherman’s shoulder with one hand, he held a pistol at the side of his stomach saying” Hands up. I’m not playing around. Give me your money or I’ll shoot.”

Sherman had never been so surprised in all his life, but he said, “But I’m driving so I can’t put my hands up.” Then the man said, “Oh, so. That’s o.k., just give me your money.”
Sherman regretted that he had brought his daughter with him. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out all the money he had and gave it to the man saying, “That’s all. Take it and go.” The man didn’t believe him and pushed the pistol even stronger into his side saying, “Don’t lie to me. Give me all.”
Sherman lived in Garland, Texas and ran an insurance business, and was a member of the Gideon Society. He always had Gideon Bibles in his car and there was $1. inserted into each Bible. He had prepared them to give to the homeless. The armed man looked at the dollars in the Bible and in a loud voice said the Sherman, “You’re a big liar. There’s money there!”
Suddenly something happened to Sherman. Sherman started to pray in a loud voice. “Heavenly Father. Hear my cries. Now save me from the Devil who is in front of me.”
Amazingly, but as he was praying, he felt a peace that passed all understanding. Then all consciousness of worries and fears passed away and he received courage. 　
He lowered his speed and suddenly began to make a U turn.
The man yelled out, “What are you doing?!
Sherman answered, “I’m turning the car around. I’m not going to do what you tell me to do.
The man shoved the pistol harder at his chest threatening, “Don’t you understand. You are just a worm. Hand over the money.”
Sherman replied, “You are the one who doesn’t understand. God is for me the most important thing in the world. Christ is stronger than your pistol.”
Sherman knew that the gunned man was going to pull the trigger. With a clicking sound the gun hammer was lowered, but Sherman didn’t flinch.
He felt strongly in his heart the peace that the Lord was with him so he quietly approached the side of the road and then stopped, He said to the armed man, “Let’s talk about Jesus.”
The man for an instant flinched and then he put down his gun. He bowed his head, and next when he lifted his head, he was crying, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I was really going to kill you.”
Sherman said, “I’ll forgive you!” Then he told him to believe in Jesus Christ and to pray to God to be born again. He also invited the man to go to church with him, but the man said to take him to his car that was near there. On the way, the man became humble and started talking about many things. He introduced himself as Mike and offered to shake hands.
As Sherman was driving he continued to tell him to accept God and start a new life. When the car got near the store that the man told him to driver to, Sherman asked the man to return his money. The man who was at the point of being a strong thief, weakly gave the money back. Sherman said, “in exchange take this Bible. Read it more than you have ever read. Mike. I’m praying for you. May God enter your life.
When Sherman pulled the car up alongside the man’s car, the man got out and went to his car. The man had the pistol in one hand and in the other hand a Bible. In his eyes were tears. Then Shuman went to church. He was a little late.
This was in the International Gideon report in 2002. The Gideons pass out Bibles throughout the world. It was really interesting. Usually if we are in a situation like that, we don’t do anything and obediently do what the other person says. However, no matter how dangerous of a situation, the Lord is our God, and promises to at all times to be with us and will take care of us. What a blessing!
God is with us. Even if we walk in the valley of death, we don’t fear. That is because God is with us. Even if we lose our job we are not alone. Even if difficulties come and we are in the midst of struggles, we are not alone. Even if our families all turn their
backs on us, God will not do that. Even if our friends deceive us, God never changes. Even when we are in the wilderness alone and we are shaking in deep loneliness, we are not alone. God is with us. If God is with us, then we have no need to fear anything.
Going into San Francisco is the beautiful Golden Gate bridge. It was built in 1930. It is longest and tallest bridge in the world. It is a suspension bridge. When it was built, because of the many dangerous elements the engineers were always feeling insecure. By putting up safety nets the men believed in the nets and could work securely.
The Lord is our safety net. The Lord will take care of us with his “righteous right hand.” (10) Therefore, whatever danger comes upon us, we shouldn’t fear or have anxieties. Under us is God’s safety net. Those who believe in God are set free from uncertainties and fears.
If the Lord is with us then tomorrow is not fearful. We don’t have to worry at all about tomorrow. “Do not fear; I will help you.” (13) When you have that assurance, you to can move forward in courage.

In verses 30 and 31 of chapter 40 it says, “Even youths grow tired and weary, And young men stumble and fall;But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.” You don’t get tired because you have gotten old. Even the young “grow tired and weary.” (30) In this present age we are exposed to various kinds of stress and everyone is exhausted. How can we live lively in this stressful society? Here it says, “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” (30,31) Today I would like to talk about three things concerning “those who hope in the LORD.” (30)

I. Israel’s complaints (27)
First let’s look at verse 27. “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,‘My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God’?”
Here the complaints against Israel’s God are stated. Their complaint was their feelings of rejection, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?” (27) They felt like God had averted his eyes from their suffering, like they were “disregarded by” (27) their God. Certainly they knew that God was great. He is the creator God that created the heavens and the earth. However, they are complaining like this: what relationship does God have with me? God doesn’t have any room in his heart for me. God doesn’t have any concern for me at all.
That’s how it seemed. At that time Israel was captured by Babylon and they were in captivity. They were struggling living in a Gentile area and they called on God about their difficulties, but God was only silent. In the midst of it they felt like God wasn’t concerned about them at all. They complained that their “way is hidden from the LORD” (27) and their “cause is disregarded by…God.” (27)
We too many times feel the same way, don’t we? We normally by increasing our worldly riches, increasing our knowledge, having enjoyment, and by increasing our influence, we endeavor and try to live a life of trying to make the conditions around us better. However, it doesn’t go as well as we thought it would, and problems stack up, and even if we seek the advice of people, in the end we end with only stupid advice. Therefore, we have no hope for our future and fall into the condition of being miserable and in despair. Then we desperately try to pass through it and even if we pray to God there isn’t any change occurring. When we are still in the midst of suffering, we feel that we have been abandoned. The situation that Israel was in was exactly the same situation.
However, such complaints come not from faith, but come from their weaknesses, their lack of faith in God. 40:1 says, “Comfort, comfort my people.” Israel was God’s people of the covenant. We have become God’s children by believing in the Savior Jesus Christ’s death of atonement and resurrection. If so, it is a matter of fact that God has a personal relation with us. God will definitely not hide from us or disregard us.
Often my daughter in Tokyo sends e-mails or calls to my wife’s cell phone. When the e-mails start they don’t end in 1 or 2 times. They continue forever. Looking first hand at the situation, even though my wife is busy, she is mailing back and forth for a long time. From my viewpoint, I think all she needs to say is “I’m busy now. Later”, but they continue forever sending e-mails. My wife does that because she is her daughter. She thinks that for her daughter no matter how busy she is, she will postpone her things and take time for her daughter. The Lord became our God. God is our heavenly father. If so, God will definitely not hide from his children or disregard them.
Also God is the Creator God that created the heavens and the earth. We know that God himself created everything and under his perfect control God leads in everything. God allows situations that we think are despairing in our lives so that in the midst of such situations we will recognize our helplessness, and from our hearts look forward to help from the living God only.
Isaiah is prophesizing that the people of the covenant (Israel) too were separated from the living God, and if they yearned for the gods of the Gentiles, a situation of being destroyed will come to the country. It will be a situation that they will think is wretched and despairing. In our lives too, about the country’s vicissitudes of fortunes too, we are in a situation which is thought to be wretched and despairing where you can’t go through it by your own effort and plans. We are made to stand at the fork of life and death, but even when we are made to stand in such a condition, the magnificent, living God by far exceeds the situation, and He leads in all things with his immeasurable wisdom and by unbelievable methods.
Therefore, that Israel became captive to Babylon too was not God’s failing. That we are put in situations of various difficulties too is not meaningless. God who controls all things is in the background, and is leading in this way. If that’s the case, we must not complain that God doesn’t know our situation and isn’t taking notice of our feelings of remorse. To complain like that is to bring the Creator God down to the same level as other gods: a god that can’t see, a god that can’t hear, a god that naturally disregards us. However, our God is not that kind of god. Our God is the Creator God that made the heaven and the earth and is the God who leadings everything for the best. He has a plan that He is leading which greatly exceeds our situation.
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Ruben Torrey Jr. was a missionary to China. In 1945 when he was doing missionary work in China, while traveling in a truck he had an accident. When he was carried to the hospital, he was seriously hurt so his left arm had to be amputated. However Doctor Torrey didn’t bear a grudge on anyone, but rather was thankful. “Lord, thank you that you have given me both arms up until now and that I have lived easily. Now I am thankful that you took away one arm.”
For a while he returned to America and in 1952 returned to Korea to work. Dr. Torrey saw many people who lost their arms and legs in the war. At that moment he understood that why he had no arm was to prepare him for the work in Korea. He was able to understand the suffering and handicap of the people who had no arm and he was able to touch their hearts. Then he learned the skills of making artificial arms and artificial legs, founded a rehabilitation center, and made artificial arms and artificial legs for the people and soldiers that had lost an arm and or leg. The meaning of all his suffering was hidden there.
If it rains, the flowers that are blooming in the garden will be no good so we dislike it. If anything, we have a tendency to take it negatively, but that is wrong. If a person has experienced drought, he knows what a great blessing rain is. God “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45) watering the ground, and giving blessings to the ground. That is the same in our lives too. When the storms of life strike violently, it seems we are going to collapse from its huge force, but in reality such time are really blessings. “For theirs is the kingdom of God.” “For they will be comforted.” That too is in the will of our merciful God. It is so that God will make us even stronger. He decided it was necessary. God pours rain hitting us on the outside, and by that our insides are made stronger.
Therefore, we must look to the eternal Creator God. There is no place that God’s hand doesn’t reach in this world. God’s power is great, his knowledge is immeasurable. We need to wait expectantly for God. We can experience the hand of salvation when we realize that we are in a situation that our plans, knowledge, wisdom, and efforts are of no avail and we realize that we are powerless and from our hearts wait expectantly for only the help of the living God.

II. The Lord is the eternal God (Vs. 28,29)
Next please look at verses 28 and 29. To the Israelites who complained to the Lord, Isaiah reminds them what God is like. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.”
In verse 21 God through Isaiah is speaking to pagans. “Do you not know?
Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?” Here this is being asked of the people of the covenant, Israel. Even if we are Christians, just like unbelievers there are times that we forget God’s greatness and magnitude. We must always remember clearly what God is like. That is what is necessary for overcoming the various troubles that we face. Here Isaiah is introducing four qualities of God.
1. “The LORD is the everlasting God.” (28) God has no beginning or end. For
God it is always “now”. He is an eternal being. God is a being that stands above all time and space. The Lord always exists from the beginning of eternity to the end of eternity. There is no time when God doesn’t exist. God exists for ever and everywhere.“I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8)God is “the Alpha and the Omega”, (Rev. 1:8) the first and the last. God lives eternally. God knew you from when you were made in the womb, no, He knew you before he “formed you in the womb.” (Jeremiah 1:5) There isn’t even a moment when he didn’t know you. God definitely knows you. You are always remembered by God. Even when you are in the midst of suffering too God hasn’t forgotten you. And the eternal God that doesn’t change will work to answer your needs.
2. The Lord is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (28) All things were made
by God. There was not even one thing that was not made by him. God is the omnipotent God who is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (28) How great the power and energy of creating is is more than we can imagine.“Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.” (13-17)Here it is talking about the greatness of the Creator God. That is a great power. There is not even one thing that God who created the heaven and the earth can’t do. Even if you have a huge problem that could turn the heavens and earth upside down, for the Creator God it is no problem at all. It is smaller than dust, a tiny problem. God can’t be compared to anything else. Before God all things are useless. That is because God is an omnipotent God who is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (28)
3. God “will not grow tired or weary.” (28) In the present age everyone is tired.
All people depend on idols, make worldly wealth and knowledge the purpose of their lives, and seek pleasures. When they make effort to obtain such things and invest their energies into them, a time will come when they realize their limitations and grow tired. Also forever they can’t remain stretched tight. In the course of time the energy will weaken and decline. That is mankind. This is society. However, God ““will not grow tired or weary.” (28) (energy will weaken, decline, stop) The power of God is limitless. Then God will give the limitless energy to those who are tired. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (29) God infuses “the weary and …the weak” (29) with this flood of power. God is inviting those who are tired and those who are carrying a load to come to him. Then he will give such people strength and comfort them
4. God has “understanding no one can fathom.”(28) “Understanding” (28)
means an ability to discern. It is an ability to correctly understand and correctly discern things based upon reasoning and knowledge. God no matter how difficult a situation always understands, and God grasps well each individual person’s circumstances and situation that he is in. God has “understanding no one can fathom.” (28)
Even so the Israelites complained that God didn’t know their situation and doesn’t notice them at all. This is because they lost sight of the nature of God. We are the same. “Do you not know? Have you not heard?” (28) There is no place in this world that the Creator God’s arm does not reach. “He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (28) We must look to this God.

III. Hope in the Lord (Vs, 30,31)
Therefore, the third point is to “hope in the LORD”. (30) Please look at verses 30 and 31. “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah recommended the people of Judah that were captured by Babylon to look to the Lord. They were exhausted in their life as captives and had complaints and despair. Isaiah encouraged them to overcome their sufferings by depending upon the Lord who gives them strength and vigor.
Here it says, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.” (30) Here “youth” (30) is used because it represents the generation that can boast of physical strength. “Youth” (30) compared with the elderly have strength. However, “even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.” (30) Even if you brag about your strength today, there are cases of suddenly falling into helplessness and despair the next day. You have the kind of feeling of depression, and are reluctant to do things. You lose your desire to eat, and you can’t sleep well at night. Throughout the whole body has a washed out feeling and you can’t concentrate on things. You don’t understand the meaning of things. You think you are the bad person, and blame yourself for everything. You think there is no other way except suicide. There are cases like this.
In such cases, what should you do? Here it says, “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (31) “Those who hope in the LORD” (30)

means those who depend completely on the Lord who gives strength. The source of that strength is the Lord God. When we bind ourselves to the Lord who is the source of strength those people “will renew their strength.“ (31) and they can live.
Dr. Toshihiko Tokizane who is a brain physiologist, and an honorable professor at the University of Tokyo wrote in the book “Being human” that the way to relieve stress needs four things. 1. Sleep 2. Alcohol 3. Songs 4. Gambling (only winning) Then he summarized in the end, “However, no matter what is said, the most effect method for dealing with stress is to have joy of the heart.” In other words, a person that has joy springing up from the depth of their heart will not lose to stress, but can use stress as a spring to move forward.
Then how can we have real joy? To have that it is necessary to know two things. 1. To know the real meaning and purpose of life.
2. To connect with a certain, solid, and reliable thing. That is said to be Jesus Christ.
John 14:6
Matt. 11:88
Jesus Christ is the only certain road. He is God who became man. “He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (28, 29) If you go to Jesus, if you are connected to Jesus, you can rest. To be at rest spiritually is to find peace with God through Jesus Christ. This rest is promised to all who put their trust in God and obey him. To be at rest spiritually also allows us to experience psychological rest too. When we at rest in Christ, no matter the stress we are in we will “not grow weary” (31) or tired and we will be able to run.
That is like soaring “on wings like eagles”. (31) Once up in the air the eagles can soar. They are known to soar great distances which they would be exhausted flying pumping their wings. Those who “hope in the LORD” (31) don’t have to go around using up their energy flapping their wings. They can rest in the Lord and soar boldly in the sky. Those who “hope in the LORD” (31) know what God is like, believe in the power of the Lord, and put all in the hands of God. They soar in the sky on the winds of the Holy Spirit. They receive strength from the Holy Spirit.
Is there any one here today that is tired? It is necessary to “hope in the LORD.” (31) Jesus will give you rest. He will renew your strength. By the power of the Holy Spirit that God gives you, you “will run and not grow weary”. (31) You “will walk and not be faint.” (31) Let’s be Christians that don’t know tiredness.
Lastly I would like to finish by telling you the story of Eric Liddell, the main character, in the movie, Chariots of Fire. The stage is the 1924 Olympics held in Paris. When Liddell learns the news that the heat for his 100 meter race will be on a Sunday, he refused to run the race – despite strong pressure from the Prince of Wales and the British Olympic committee – because his Christian convictions prevent him from running on the Lord’s Day.
Hope appeared in the form of Liddell’s teammate, Lord Andrew Lindsay. Having already won a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles, Lindsay proposed to yield his place in the 400 metre race on the following Thursday to Liddell, who gratefully agreed. His religious convictions in the face of national athletic pride made headlines around the world.
Liddell delivered a sermon at the Paris Church of Scotland that Sunday, and quoted from Isaiah 40, ending with:
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (31)
No one expected Eric to win the 400 meter run. The first half he ran at top speed and at 200 meters he was in the lead. Everyone assumed he would be exhausted and soon fall behind. However, Liddell then threw his head back and with mouth wide open ran and did not grow weary. The Lord renewed his strength He won the Gold medal in the race. He also made a world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. His record was unbroken for 12 years. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (31)
We too, let’s like Eric Liddell “hope in the LORD”. (31) Let’s always look to heaven and the power of the Lord that springs up from there, and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and run the race of faith.
Andrew Murray in his book, “Waiting on the Lord” he says, “If our waiting begins by quieting the activities of nature, and being still before God; if it bows and seeks to see God in His universal and almighty operation, alone able and always ready to work all good; if it yields itself to Him in the assurance that He is working and will work in us; if it maintains the place of humility and stillness, and surrenders until God’s Spirit has quickened the faith that He will perfect His work: it will indeed become the strength and the joy of the soul.”
This week let’s find time and be silent before the Lord, and put into practice waiting on the Lord. “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (31) Let’s receive God’s strength that is never ending, and move forward this week.

Today let’s look at the middle section of chapter 40. From chapter 40 we enter the latter half of the book of Isaiah. From here on Isaiah speaks a message of restoration and hope. Israel who turned their backs on God was destroyed by Babylon and became captives. However, God is speaking a message of liberation from Babylon. Please look at verse 9. Here it says, “You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’”
The “good tidings” is that God is going to set them free from Babylon. They won’t be bound as slaves. You won’t be bound as a slave of sin. Christ atoned for your sin on the cross. You don’t have to agonize about your sin. You can go to heaven. God has saved you. That is the “good tidings”. If you look to God, you will receive comfort. Today let’s look at what God is like.

I. God is powerful (Vs. 10,11)
First of all God is powerful. Please look at verses 10 and 11. Verse 10 says,
“See, the sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.”
“The sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him.” (10) No matter how much power Babylon has, our Lord is more powerful. This powerful “sovereign LORD comes with power” (10) and breaks down all worldly powers and rulers and will rule his people in Jerusalem. This unfair world will not continue forever. In the course of time the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ will come and rule over this unfair world. At that time he will reward those who followed him faithfully with eternal life. Here is comfort and hope.
That’s not all. If you look at verse 11, it says, “he tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” The Lord’s arm isn’t just a powerful arm for ruling all. It is also a kind arm that gathers the lambs and carries them close to his heart. You have nothing to fear. Even if you are an immature lamb or a small lamb, the Lord like a shepherd is taking care of the flock and with his arm “carries them close to his heart.”
(11) In our lives we make mistakes, are disappointed and lose hope, but even at those times the Lord is carrying us “close to his heart.” (11) God’s powerful arm reaches down to the depths and brings the lamb “close to his heart”. (11)
Please open your Bibles to John 10:11. Here it says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) There is no other shepherd like this except for Jesus Christ. No matter how much I love my ferret, I don’t love him enough to die for him. I wouldn’t die in his place. However, Jesus Christ is different. He laid “down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Christ died in exchange for mankind who is nothing more than dust. That is Jesus Christ.
Let’s also open our Bibles to Hebrews 13:20-21. “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Here it says that Jesus Christ is the eternal “great Shepherd”. (Hebrews 13:20) He not only died for us, but rose from that death. Even now he is alive and is praying on our behalf in heaven. That is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Also please open your Bibles to I Peter 5:4 too. Here it says, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” “The Chief Shepherd” (I Peter 5:4) is Jesus Christ. He will appear again. Jesus Christ died and rose again. Not only is he now alive and praying on our behalf in heaven, but in the course of time will once again come back to this earth.
This is our “Chief Shepherd,” (I Peter 5:4) Jesus Christ. Please remember that his arm is always underneath you. We are really stupid, lost lambs, but the Lord carries such lambs “close to his heart.” (11) With his arms he carries them and feeds them and watches over them. This is real comfort, isn’t it?

II. God, the Creator (vs. 12-17)
Secondly, the Lord is God, the Creator. Please look at verses 12 to 17. I will read verse 12. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
And the hills in a balance?
No one can measure the amount of water on the earth. No one can measure this huge universe. No one can hold “the dust of the earth in a basket, or” (12) or weigh the hills and “the mountains on the scales” (12) However God can put “the waters in the
hollow of his hand,” (12) and the universe in “the breadth of his hand.” (12) He can hold “the dust of the earth in a basket.” (12) That is because the Lord is God, the Creator that created the heavens and the earth.

Actually it is said that there is approximately 1,400,000,000 Km3 of water which is hard for us to comprehend. However, almost 97% of it is sea water. That’s a huge amount of water! There is a song “How wide the ocean is”. It would be impossible to measure that much water. However, God can gather all that the water and put it in “the breadth of his hand.” (12)
Also the huge universe too fits into “the breadth of his hand.” (12) The breadth of a hand is from the little finger to the thumb, but the universe fits in “the breadth of his hand.” (12) My hand is small only about 20 cm, but the breadth of God’s hand must be really big. That is because the big universe can fit in it.
For example, it is said that the distance for the earth to the sun is about 150,000,000 Km. It is hard to compromise how far away 150,000,000 Km. are, but a car that is going 100Km. would take 171 years of driving to go that distance. It would take without any breaks, driving continuously 24 hours a day for 171 years to go that distance. However, the sun and the earth fit in God’s hand.
Not only that, but our galaxy that the sun is in which is called the Milky Way, that galaxy has approximately 200,000,000,000 fixed stars. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, also fits in God’s hand. It is said that the diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 100,000 light years. One light year is the amount of distance that light travels in a year so at the speed of light it will take 100,000 years. It is that huge. How much bigger it would be if it was the entire universe! According to one person’s calculation the universe’s radius is 46,000,000,000 light years. To go from the center of the universe to the edge at the speed of light would take 46,000,000,000 years. How greatly vast an expanse the universe is, is very far above our limits of comprehension. However, even such an immense universe fits in God’s hand.
God is that great and powerful. No matter how big a problem you have, looking from God’s eyes it is nothing more than a tiny thing. Your God is the Creator God who made the heaven and the earths. No matter how big a problem it is, it is not a problem that God can’t solve. How powerful it is to live a life of believing in God. If you know this, you will receive a huge comfort.
Please look at verses 13 and 14. “Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?”
Even though God is the Creator God who made the heavens and the earth, there are people who as if they were God, they teach God.　“The mind of the LORD” of verse 13 is the Creator God’s knowledge, God’s plans, and God’s abilities. There are some people that think they understand “the mind of the LORD” (13) and as if they were god, they instruct “him as his counselor.” (13) They tell God that he should do this or that and give him advice. In prayer, in our life what is called “reverse order” occurs. However, God is absolute. He doesn’t consult. He is enlightened by himself. He knows the right way and has knowledge. There is nothing that we need to teach him. We need to recognize him as absolute, bow down to him and worship him.
Please look at verses 15 to 17. “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
Before him all the nations are all nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.”
“The nations” (15) are not Israel, but the Gentile nations. They are the nations that do not worship the God of Israel as God, but who worship idols. They “are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales.” (15) For God “the nations” (15) are nothing more than “like a drop in a bucket” (15) or like “dust on the scales”. (15) If they were blown at, they would fly somewhere.”
“he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
Before him all the nations are all nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.” (15-17)
The Lord regards the islands too “as though they were fine dust.” (15) “Lebanon” (16) is the wood of the Lebanon cedar trees. No matter how much splendid high-grade Lebanon cedar trees there were, they were “not sufficient for altar fires.” (16) Also no matter how many animals they gave for burnt offerings, there won’t be enough. All “the nations” (15) too were before the Lord equaled nothing, and were completely powerless. That is because God made the heaven and the earth. He is your God. He saved you.

III. The incomparable God (Vs. 18-26)
The third point is that God is incomparable to any other gods. Please look at verses 18 to 26. First of all verses 18 to 20 say, “To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?
As for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
A man too poor to present such an offering
Selects wood that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not topple.”
Whoever “will you compare God” (18) to? Stupid man overlays the cast metal “with gold and fashions silver chains for it” (19) and makes it look like as if it is actually god. In Japan a fat cedar tree hundreds of years old is decorated with a sacred straw rope and is worshiped as god. Japanese treasure small little papers that say “safe home” or “perfect health” or “business prosperity”, etc. However, they are nothing more than just a piece of paper, or just a tree or a stone, or just metal. Unless man is supporting it, it can’t stand up on its own. Therefore such things can’t be compared to God who made us.
Please look at verses 21 and 22. Here it says, “Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”
Don’t you know how “the earth was founded” (21) and how the heavens were stretched out? The Lord “sits enthroned above the circle of the earth…He stretches out the heavens like a canopy.” (22)
From this passage of Isaiah the famous Christopher Columbus said that the earth was round. At that time no one believed that the earth was round. They believed that the earth was flat. However the earth is round. More than 2700 years ago Isaiah by the Holy Spirit said that the earth is round. The Lord “sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.” (22) From God’s eyes the people of the earth “are like grasshoppers.” (22) We are such small beings.
Also here it says, “He stretches out the heavens like a canopy.” (22) The words, “stretches out” (22) is also used in 42:5. There it says, “He who created the heavens and stretched them out.” God “created the heavens and stretched them out.” (42:5) The universe was stretched out. It expanded. God expanded the heavens, but we don’t know how. The Lord “stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” (22)

“Do you not know? Have you not heard?” (21) Don’t you know how the earth was founded or how the heavens were stretched out like a canopy? That was by God who created the heavens and the earth. It wasn’t by idols made of wood and stone. All those things were made by man and are just wood and stone. They are so frail that they have to be supported by man or they fall over. Such things can’t be compared to the Creator God.
Of course, princes and rulers are the same. Verse 23 says, “He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.” God can’t be compared to any of the kings or rulers of this world nor can he be compared to any political leaders. God is not equal to the president of America, the super major power, The President of the People’s Republic of China、nor the prime minister of Japan. God can’t be compared to them at all.
Last year (2012) according to the world ranking of multimillionaires the number one for 3 straight years is a Mexican businessman. He has 5600,000,000,000 yen in assets. Number two is an American, Bill Gates. He too has 4800,000,000,000 yen in assets. However, no matter how much assets they have they are not equal to God. They can’t be compared to him at all. Such people just like a storm scatters straw, they will be scattered. God can’t be compared to anything or to anyone. He is unequaled.
Therefore, you must “Lift your eyes.” (26) If you look to God, then you will receive comfort. Let’s look at and read together verse 26. “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”
God made the heavens and the earth. He “brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name… not one of them is missing.” (26) Jeremiah 33:22 says, “Countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” Now it is said that there over 100,000,000,000,000,000,000　stars. That is said to correspond to the amount of sand on the earth. That many stars exist! The Lord brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.” (26) God has that much “great power and mighty strength.” (26) He is the God you believe in.
If that is the case, what do you need to fear? You have nothing to fear. This great God is with you. What you must do is not look at your problems and be fearful, but look to God. Put your eyes up high, and look at who created all these things. Then God will put his eyes on the tiny us who are inferior to dust. Pour out your heart, and remember that God will save you from sin and leave everything in his hands. Don’t solve your problems by humanistic ways, but have faith and look to God. This is the solution. From there you will receive comfort.

At the beginning part of the Second World War, a ship of English nationality in order to execute an important mission, it left for America. To the ship’s captain who was worried how they were going to be able to avoid the enemy ships and head for America, the person who commanded him to go on the mission said, “If you meet a dangerous situation, use the code on the radiogram. You will make contact.”
The ship’s captain believed those words, and continued on the dangerous voyage. Then suddenly an enemy ship appeared. Then just like he was instructed he sent the code on the radiogram. Then this kind of answer was returned, “I’m aware of everything. I too have my eye on the enemy ship. Don’t forget that I’m also watching over your ship.” The ship captain who received the reply became a hundred times braver and was able to continue the voyage. When the ship entered the port of San Francisco the captain found that there was a huge boat coming from behind. That was a submarine. From a place that couldn’t be seen the submarine watched over the little ship. Because of the message, “Don’t fear. We are next to you watching over you” the ship’s captain received courage and was able to execute an important mission.
Our life is just like a voyage on a ship. There are various dangers and problems lying in wait for us. However, no matter how big a danger, the Creator God is with you loving you and watching over you. That is real comfort, isn’t it? “Lift your eyes” (26) on Him. If so no matter what dangers you have, you will be able to execute your voyage of life.

Today I would like to talk about God’s message of comfort from the first half of Isaiah 40. From here we enter the last half of the book of Isaiah. The content changes completely from the content up until now. In the first half Isaiah talks about God’s judgment on Israel, but from here on he talks about comfort and hope. Also up until now the age that Isaiah lived in, in other words the age when Hezekiah was king of Judah was the background for what he was saying. However, from now on the background for what he is saying are events that will occur 100 years after Isaiah’s age, in other words, being set free from Babylon. In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and the citizens were captured. In the course of time the Persian king Cyrus appeared, and set the people of Judah free. This age is the background for what is being said. This is written so concretely that some liberal scholars or higher critics say that Isaiah did not write this, but someone different wrote it much later. However, the omniscient and omnipotent God not only knows everything including about what will happen a 100 years from now, and everything that will happen until the end of world, but he can have it recorded too. If you believe that then there is no problem with Isaiah being the author. Scripture“never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:21) It is the word of God. Whether it is about something 100 years from now, or how many years in the future, certainly it can be proclaimed. This is the biggest difference between the Bible and other literature. The reason for this is the Bible is the Word of God.
I. Comfort, comfort (Vs. 1, 2)
First look at verses 1 and 2.
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
That her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,
That she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”
From chapter 1 to chapter 39 it was “Punish, punish”, but for here on it becomes “comfort, comfort”. (1) After punishment comes comfort. The Lord is not always angry. Just like a parent hugs a child after punishing him, God hugs you. He made atonement for all your sins. In the first half of Isaiah, Isaiah spoke a message of judgment, but now that all sin has been atoned for Isaiah speaks a message of comfort.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her.” The Lord speaks tenderly. God won’t condemn you for your sin. That is because God died on the cross for you. He received the punishment in exchange for you. He paid the penalty of sin. It is not necessary to agonize over sin. You don’t have to be saddened forever over it. Our Lord Jesus received the punishment for all our sin. Therefore, it is not necessary to agonize over sin. What you need to do is only repent and believe in the work of God’s salvation. God’s wrath on your sin was taken away by Christ. God is no longer angry because of your sin. He is speaking tenderly.
“That her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for.” (2) This is what God is speaking to you. Your “hard service has been completed” (2) and your “sin has been paid for.” (2) This word that is translated “hard service” (2) is also translated as “war”. Are you facing war every day? There will come a day when that war will be over. A day will come when “hard service” (2) will be over, when war will be over. At that time sin will be completely paid for. “That she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” (2) This “double” means “fold back”. A trader when one payment was over, he folded a detailed statement in half and pinned it on the customer’s door. This was called “double”. In other words it was folded back. This expresses that half and half are exactly equivalent, sin and sin’s payment fee balance out. It means that the compensation for sin was fully paid. Colossians 2:14 says, “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” He has really “canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness.” (Col. 2:14) That debt was completely paid. It was nailed “to the cross.” (Col. 2:14) When Jesus died on the cross, he cried out “It’s finished”. The debt of your sin was fully paid. It is not necessary for you to be agonized by your sin anymore. Christ took upon himself the punishment in your place so the price of your sin was paid. Your sin is forgiven. This is the good news. This is the message of comfort.
Just a little before this I said that the liberation from the captivity of Babylon is the background of this passage. This is a proclamation that the people of Judah will be liberated, become free from their 70 years of being captive under Babylon. It is just like a person that is chained in a prison whose time of sentence is finished and he is told by the jailer, “You can go home. Your time is up. Your ‘sin has been paid for.’ (2)” For the person who is serving the sentence his life seems hopeless, inconvenient, lonely, and solitary. However, when the prison doors are opened for him, how joyous he will be! For Judah their sin will not only be paid for, but they will receive “from the LORD’s hand double” (2) in exchange for all their sins.
Right now on NHK they are showing a drama, “Someday a place where the sun shines”. This is a story that describes the deep friendship of two women who are set free from prison. One person served a prison sentence of 7 years for a crime she committed for the man she loved. The other person served a 5 year sentence for killing her husband to protect her son’s life from her husband’s violent abuse. The two people finish their sentence and are set free. The two of them met in the prison and made deep bonds. They were deserted by their families and while hiding their past and encouraging each other, they are earnestly living in the downtown section. No matter how much their sin has been paid for, living carrying the past on your back is not easy. After this a dark phantom is dropped on them.
However, God has promised that we have “received from the LORD’s hand double” (2) in exchange for all our sins. He didn’t just forgive us. We have “received from the LORD’s hand double” (2) in exchange for all our sins. Your sin has been completely paid for. Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and received all your punishment. Your sin has been paid for. It is not necessary to agonize over your sin any more. Your “hard service has been completed.” (2) Your “sin has been paid for.” (2) How full of comfort these words are!

II. A voice of one calling in the wilderness
The second point is that God has set you free from the chains of sin so “prepare the way.” (3) Please look at verses 3 to 5.
“A voice of one calling:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
The rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all the people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’”
This road is the road that the Lord will take. The Lord who set you free from Babylon, the Lord who set you free from the chains of sin is now going to take a road and return to the city of Jerusalem. They are to prepare that road. In reality when the king of a country took a trip, he would send a troop in advance to prepare the road to the places he was going to visit. They widened the road, made it bigger, made it “straight”, (3) and “level”. (4) Valleys were “raised up” (4) and mountains and hills were “made low”. (4)
Before when I lived in Fukushima the national sports festival was held there. Throughout the city the roads were prepared for it. The streets were widened, and they were paved level. That was because the emperor was going to take the road. Even though he was only going to take the road one time they worked on the road for

many years in advance and splendid roads were made. In this passage greater than the emperor, The King of Kings that can’t even begin to be compared with the emperor, The Lord Jesus Christ is coming so they are told to “prepare the way of the LORD.” (3)
Is the road to you prepared? Like the bottom of a valley is your heart not depressed? Are there valleys like inferiority complexes, self-pity, guilty conscience, or feelings of defeat that need to be filled up? Also are there mountains or hills that are sticking up high? The mountains or hills of pride or arrogance must be shaved down. We must get rid of all obstruction and make the road “straight”. (3)
By the way, the words of verse 3 are quoted in the New Testament. In the New Testament “a voice of one calling in the wilderness” refers to John the Baptist. He appeared a half a year before Christ came. He prepared the way so that the Lord could come at any time by proclaiming a message of repentance. He lived a life like the Old Testament prophets wearing clothes made of camel hair, wearing a belt of leather around his waist, and eating locust and honey. It was thought that possibly the great prophet Elijah had come again or because of his powerful message they wondered if he was the Christ. When the crowds asked John who he was, “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’’” (John 1:23)
He said that his in Elijah and not Christ, but just “the voice of one calling in the wilderness.” (John 1:23) This was John’s ministry. Also this is our ministry. Our ministry is to become a voice. You can’t see a voice. Truly we are to penetrate as a voice that can’t be seen. Like John we must proclaim Jesus Christ. Like John led the people to Jesus who came to him, we must lead the people who come to us to Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” (Matt. 11:11) John the Baptist is greater than anyone else “among those born of women.” (Matt. 11:11) He is greater than Abraham or Moses or Elijah. He was that great because he was a “voice”. (John 1:23) He didn’t do anything that stood out, he didn’t show off himself. He only became a “voice” that shared Jesus so he was great.
You too can become a great person. Become like John a “voice…in the wilderness.” (John 1:23) If you become a “voice…in the wilderness” (John 1:23) and prepare people’s hearts, you too will be called a great person by Jesus. 2000 years ago when the Lord Jesus came he said that he would come again. Before the Lord comes again we must become a “voice…in the wilderness” (John 1:23) to “prepare the way for the LORD.” (3) Before the Lord comes again we must call out, “prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” (3,4) If we welcome Jesus in this way, we will receive comfort. Real comfort is welcoming Jesus in our heart. Then we “will be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (I Thess. 4:17,18) These are the real words of comfort. We must be “a voice…calling in the wilderness” (2) to prepare hearts for the second coming of Christ.

III. The word of God endures forever (Vs. 6-8)
The third point about the message of comfort is that the word of God endures forever. Please look at verses 6 to 8. The first part of verse 6 says, “A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?”
“A voice says, ‘Cry out.’” (6) Isaiah answers the voice saying, “What shall I cry?” (6)　Then the voice answers, “All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
Because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
But the word of our God endures forever. (6-8)
“All people are like grass.” (6) They are also “like the flowers.” (6) They wither “like grass“. (6) Also they fall “like the flowers.” (6) In the morning they sprout and flower, but in the evening they wither and fall. “All people are like grass, and…flowers.” (6) Even if a person becomes a professor, a doctor, a prime minister or a president, in 70 or 80 years his life is over. No matter the heights of glory, if we could stop there for 10 or 20 years, it would be one’s utmost. In Buddhism this is called “impermanence”, the vanity of all things. It is quoted in the opening paragraph of the “Tale of the Heike”.
The sound of the Gion Shoja bells,
Echoes the impermanence of all things;
The color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline.
The proud do not endure,
They are like a dream on a spring night;
The mighty fall at last,
They are a dust before the wind.
Gion Shoja is what the Japanese call Jetavana. Jetavana was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries in India and the place where Buddha gave the majority of his teachings. The sound of the bell there is impermanent. The ring sounds like the appearance of everything in the world is constantly changing and thus vanity.　 The color of the sala flowers shows the truth that no matter with how much impetus they bloom, they will for sure wither. Those who proudly prosper in the world too, their prosperity will not continue forever. “They are like a dream on a spring night.” The prosperous will perish in the end. It is like “dust before the wind.” It is recited like that. In reality man is a vain being.
There are some people who think that to say this isn’t comforting at all, but in reality this is comfort. To firmly look at this reality, and to accept it at face value just as it is, will bring comfort. If you are stabbed with this reality then you may become shocked. You definitely won’t want to accept it. However, it is a fact. If you accept a fact as a fact it becomes comfort. You are a being that withers. You won’t bloom forever. You will gradually wither and in the course of time die. It could be tomorrow. It may not necessarily be after you get old. You may die tonight. Life is not so long. “Like grass, and …like flowers” (6) you wither. Accept this truth, and if you live in the hope of what’s after that, you will have comfort. When a person realizes that all the things in this word are impermanent, then he can receive comfort.
Many people even though they are grass or a flower, are desperate to bloom gorgeous flowers forever. They are doing this and that trying to keep their health, and beauty. However, if you can accept this, you won’t have to be desperate in this temporary time on earth. You won’t have you use so much time, money, and effort. Of course taking care of your health is important. I am not saying to have no interest in being beautiful and to go around all day filthy. It is important to be concerned about such things. However, if only things that you can see weigh on your mind, then you will imagine that those things are everything and you will not have comfort.
Have you heard of the law of entropy? The idea of irreversibility is central to the understanding of entropy. In thermodynamics, one says that the “forward” processes-pouring water from a pitcher, smoke going up a chimney, etc. are “irreversible” –they cannot happen in reverse. All real physical processes involving systems in everyday life, with many atoms or molecules are irreversible. The statement of the fact that entropy never decreases is found in the second law of thermodynamics. Put easily, this means that everything degenerates. You don’t need science to tell us that. Everyone knows that. All things degenerate. A new car is not a new car forever. A newly built house too eventually becomes old. That is a fact that we can’t get around. This is the law of entropy. This is also a law that is used to deny the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution goes against the law of entropy. That’s because you wonder why it is not degenerating, but evolving. However, everything does not evolve, but degenerates.

Please open your Bible to Psalms 102:25 to 28.
“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
They will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
But you will remain the same,
and your years will never end.
The children of your servants will live in your presence;
Their descendants will be established before you.”
These things “will perish”. (Psalm 102:26) They will not continue forever. There will come a time when health and beauty too will be gone. The things that you can see with your eyes will not continue forever. If your heart is captive to such thing, if you are putting your whole life into such things, there is no greater vanity. You won’t be comforted by that. “But you remain.” (Psalm 102:26) God eternally remains “the same.” (Psalms 102:27) His “years will never end.” (Psalms 102:27) If you depend upon Him, you will be comforted.
This is what the book of Isaiah is saying. Let’s read verse 8. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” “The word of our God endures forever.” (8) This is what we need to put our dependence in. If we look intently at it, and live in it, then we will definitely not be disappointed.
Our Lord Jesus said, “Behold, I am always with you, even to the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20) This is a promise of the word of God which “endures forever.” (8) The Lord Jesus is “always with you, even to the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20) He will definitely not abandon you. He will not forsake you. No matter how the world becomes, even if a tsunami wipes everything out, even if you get sick and you have only a few remaining days, God’s promises will not be broken. Just as the Word of God says, God will watch over you. There is no greater comfort than this, is there?
Paul said, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Even if our body perishes, that is not the end. Our spirit will continue living forever in heaven. Not only that when Jesus Christ comes again we will be resurrected in an imperishable, glorious body. Also we will be forever with the Lord. This is the Word of comfort. Christians are given the Holy Spirit “as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (II Cor. 5:5) By the Holy Spirit, we have the assurance that we will have eternal life and that we will have real

peace. “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (II Cor. 4:16-17
If there is anyone here this morning that needs comfort, please know this. Also from a life of altering between joy and sorrow by the things that are before your eyes, please live a full life standing on the unchanging Word of God’s promise. This is the real message of comfort.

Today let’s look at the last part of the first half of Isaiah. Hezekiah, the king of Judah, “became ill and was at the point of death.” (38:1) Hezekiah prayed while crying to the Lord. As a result the Lord heard his prayer and added 15 years to his life. Hezekiah who was saved from death was overflowing in joy and was thankful to the Lord and praised Him, but at the same time he did something stupid that brought God’s judgment upon him. This is recorded in today’s passage. However, in the end he said, “The word of the LORD…is good” (8) and then died. There is a saying that if the end is good then the whole thing was good. He completed his life of upheaval in faith.
Today let’s look at his mistake and the judgment of God upon it. Let’s learn from Hezekiah who didn’t give up and until the end depended upon the Lord.

I. Hezekiah who became prideful (Vs. 1-4)
First of all let’s look at Hezekiah’s mistake. Please look at verses 1 to 4. I will read verses 1 and 2.
“At that time Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses-the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil-his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.”
“At that time” (1) was when Hezekiah was miraculously cured from his deathly illness. “Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift” (1) by envoys. That was because Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon “had heard of his illness and recovery.” (1) At that time Babylon was still a rising nation. At that time Assyria dominated the world. However, Babylon was the country that replaced Assyria and later became a super major power. Until then Babylon many times revolted but each time was driven away. In reality in 710 B.C. Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon rebelled against Assyria and fought but lost the war and by the Assyrian King Sargon II he was banished from Babylon. However, after the death of King Sargon, once more he became the ruler of Babylon. Therefore, the reason that “Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift” (1) was because he intended to form an alliance with Hezekiah and oppose Assyria. Marduk-Baladan king of Babylon “had heard of his illness and recovery” (1) and used the opportunity to come close to Hezekiah.

What Hezekiah did was he “received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses-the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil-his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.” (2) Doing this became the root cause of the Southern kingdom of Judah being completely destroyed by Babylon in the course of time. It was Hezekiah who made the source of the root cause. This triggered the incident. 15 years were added to Hezekiah’s life, but during that time what he did was unthinkable. He made a mistake that couldn’t be undone.
This passage’s parallel passage is in II Chronicles chapter 32. Please open your Bibles to it. Let’s read verses 24 and 25.
II Chron. 32:24 & 25
The problem was that he had become prideful. He was proud of his riches and strength. What he needed to show was the acts of God who is alive and working, but he showed his own achievements. Rather than taking the envoys to the temple and witnessing to them that Israel’s God that made the heavens and the earth is the only God, full of grace and mercy, and that he shows mercy to all who fear the Lord. Rather than singing and playing the harp with the temple choir; rather than looking at and being excited about the gifts he received from the king of Babylon. Rather than being in ecstasy, and testifying to the miracles of God, he showed them everything that was in his store houses. He displayed his power and his prosperity. Put in a single word, for humanistic desires he lost the center of his faith. The center of faith is to depend only on God. Until now when he was threatened by the Assyrian King Sennacherib king of Assyria who attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them and then “sent his field commander with a large army from Lacish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem”,(36:2) he went up to the temple, spread the letter before the Lord, and prayed. When he “became ill and was at the point of death.” (38:1) Hezekiah just prayed while crying to the Lord. However, when he got out of the danger, he became proud imagining that he overcame by his own strength. Up until now he only depended on God and prayed, but now in his heart a crevice opened up.
If you say he was stupid, he was stupid, but occasionally man has this tendency. Man more than being thankful for God’s grace, tends to show his own glory. When we are healed of illness, or the family recovers from the danger of following apart, more than being thankful for the Lord’s grace and testifying to the mighty works of God we show our own wonderfulness. We have such an ugly nature. When threatened by King Sennacherib and his field commander there was the danger of falling away from the faith. However, more dangerous than that, the real danger is when you have victory over troubles and others say that you are really wonderful. When such letters and a gift arrive with envoys, our heart becomes elated and we must remember Paul’s words in I Cor. 10:13.
I Cor. 10:13
Let’s be modest and humble.

II. Everything will go to Babylon (vs. 5-7)
Next let’s look at the Lord’s judgment on Hezekiah’s pride. Please look at verses 5 to 7.
“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
This is a prophecy of the Babylon exile that occurred 115 years later from this time in 586 B.C. Jerusalem fell to the Babylon king, Nebuchadnezzar. Not only the people that were there captured and deported, but all the treasures that Hezekiah had shown the envoys were plundered by the Babylonians. Hezekiah’s sons were captured and became “eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (8) How humiliating it was for the rulers of Judah to serve as eunuchs in a Gentile palace! They were destroyed not by the Assyrians who they were on the watch for, but by an attack of Babylon.
The root cause of this was that Hezekiah asked for help from Babylon, not God. It was because he wasn’t thankful for God’s grace, but persistently was prideful about his own glory. If he had depended on God and sought God’s help, Jerusalem would not have been destroyed. However he wasn’t thinking about God, but only about himself. If everything was o.k. for him, then it was o.k. He sought his own glory. That’s why it was destroyed.
In the literary world, the main character in a tragedy has a defect in personality. There is a pattern that the personality defect destroys the main character. This is called “the tragic flaw”. Uzziah King who appears in the Bible, was also like that. Uzziah became King of Judah when he was 16 and for a long time sought after the Lord and followed the Lord. God blessed such an Uzziah and gave him prosperity. “His fame spread far and wide…But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (II Chron. 26:15, 16) Probably he thought that he was special and that he was excluded from the commands that God had given all of mankind. When the priests came and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to LORD.” (II Chron. 26:18) He became defiant and got extremely angry. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Then the Lord afflicted him with leprosy.
In the literary world too, in the real world too, there are many cases of people who are proud of their good reputation lose their honor, their name is soiled, and they struggle. That is not just in the literary world, but can be said to be true in our world too. We too need to be careful that the sweet honey of praise isn’t changed into the poison of anger. To do that the only thing we can do is with a humble heart follow God.

III. Nevertheless don’t give up (Vs. 8)
Lastly, let’s look at verse 8. Hezekiah failed. He became ecstatic and showed the Babylon envoys what he wasn’t supposed to show them. As a result it brought a result that could not be undone. However, Hezekiah’s life was not over. If you look at verse 8, you will see that he repented and stood up. Please look at verse 8. “’The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,’ Hezekiah replied. For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my lifetime.’”
Here Hezekiah says to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good…For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.” (8) This is really selfish. It is selfish thoughts of if I’m o.k., then its o.k.
However, if you look at this in context, you will see that that is not necessarily so. Previously in the parallel passage that we opened our Bibles to before, II Chron. 32:26, it says, “Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.”
Hezekiah realized that the cause of God’s judgment coming upon them was he himself and because he had been prideful. He did away with his pride and humbled himself. “Therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.” (II Chron. 32:26) In other words, Hezekiah wasn’t thinking that it was good that the Lord’s wrath wasn’t coming upon them during his lifetime, but that he learned from his mistake and repented and humbled himself so he realized that the Lord’s wrath would not come upon him in his lifetime. Certainly Hezekiah was prideful and it resulted in a result that Judah and Jerusalem could not undo. However he did not give

up, but from there once more repented and turned to the Lord. Through this mistake, through the painful events, he learned an important lesson. This is expressed in the words, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” (8)
If you look at chapter 38 it describes what he was like when he was 39 years old and he was told that he was going to die. He is completely different now from that time. At that time he was obstinate that he didn’t want to die. Even though God said, “You are going to die; you will not recover,” (38:1) Hezekiah refused to accept those words, and cried out in a loud voice. He didn’t think the word of the Lord that was spoken was good. That comes naturally from the human heart, and expresses natural emotion, but this time is different. After Isaiah’s proclamation he didn’t cry and say even one thing about God’s judgment, except, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” (8) The reason that he said these words this time is because he learned from his mistakes. Even though 15 years were added to his life the reason that he made such a big mistake was his conceit of assuming that he was a good person. He forgot that it was by the one way grace of God. Everything was by the grace of God. He is faithful and every promise of God is fulfilled. There isn’t even one thing that is not fulfilled. It was because of God’s faithfulness that his sickness was healed. It definitely had nothing to do with his accomplishments. It was only by God’s mercy. Therefore, the Word of God is the best. Therefore, he realized that to follow it is the greatest blessing. He expressed this in these words. “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” (8) He repented of his mistakes, and learned from them so he could say words like this. About Isaiah’s proclamation of God’s judgment, he didn’t cry or say anything. Also he didn’t protest against it. He only accepted it saying, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” (8)
Therefore, if you look at Hezekiah’s words that follow this, they look like a selfish, irresponsible attitude. However, when you compare it with chapter 38, in fact, more of a spiritual attitude can be read from it that he recognized his mistake and accepted the proclamation of God’s judgment. If you look at II Chron. 32:33, this can be seen. About Hezekiah’s end of his life the Bible says the following, “Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.” (II Chron. 32:33)
When Hezekiah died “all Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him.” (II Chron. 32:33) He was able to die in honor. That was because no matter how old he got, he learned lessons from his mistakes and failures, and sought to walk in the will of

God. Even if we get old, there are times that we sin. Even in one’s later years, we still are not perfect. We always make mistakes. If we accept this seriously, then like Hezekiah we can learn lessons.
C.S. Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people in the end; those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Hezekiah before was a person that God said, “Thy will be done” to. He was the type of person that God’s will makes no difference, just do as I say, do as I want. Through that mistake he learned a lesson and said to God, “Thy will be done.” In other words, he was changed into a person that says, “Do whatever your will is”.
Kanzo Uchimura who was a Christian during the Meji period in Japan said, “Dying is also good. I don’t want to be separated from God. If I live in God, I have nothing to fear.” These are wonderful words. This is what Hezekiah learned and the state he reached. Do your will. Living is also good. Dying is also good…
However, Kanzo Uchimura didn’t from the beginning have such a powerful faith. It is said that his daughter’s death led him to such a faith. The daughter’s name was Rutsuko. They took her name, Rutsuko, from Ruth in the book of Ruth. When Rutsuko was 19 years old she went to heaven from a serious disease of unknown cause. 3 hours before she died, Kanzo Uchimura, his wife, and Rutsuko, the three of them celebrated the Lord’s supper. When Rutsuko partook of Lord’s Supper she said, “I’m thankful. I’m thankful. I’m going.” That was her last words. 12 minutes later she stopped breathing and went to heaven.
Kanzo Uchimura who saw this in the midst of sadness was deeply moved and at Rutsuko’s funeral said this, “This is not Rutsuko’s funeral. It is Rutsuko’s wedding. My daughter has entered marriage in heaven.”
Then at the entombment at the grave he took a handful of dirt, and raised that hand high and in a loud voice yelled, “Rutusko, Banzai! Rutusko, Banzai!” That was because through Rutsuko’s death Kanzo Uchimura for the first time was awakened to the faith of the resurrection, the faith in the second coming.
Therefore, in his later years Kanzo Uchimura tried to live so that no matter when Jesus Christ came back that it would be o.k. Also more than anything he looked forward to meeting Rutsuko in heaven again. It is said that he gave his life to powerfully witnessing and evangelizing.
Up until then he had been married four times. One time they were separated by death, but 2 times it was by divorce. Even though he was a Christian he had been divorced 2 times. Rutsuko was the daughter by his last wife. For him that this daughter went to heaven was a huge shock for him. By this happening he realized how up to this point his life was really irresponsible and was shown how sinful he was. Also he was thankful and able to accept that the daughter was really a blessing from God. He also was able to repent. So to speak by the daughter, Rutsuko’s death, his faith was regenerated. .
Kanzo Unchimura wrote a poem entitled “We are 4 people”. He says 4 people because besides Rutsuko there was one other child.

We are Four People
We were four people. However, we are still four people.
On the city registry of the family one name disappeared, one side of the square dining room table is empty.
One part of the four part chorus is missing. Even if the hymn doesn’t come out right.
However, we are still four people.
We are four people. On the earthly records one name disappeared, but on the records of heaven, one name appeared.
There is an open seat at the three meals, but the remaining 3 people became closer.
She is still in their midst. One person tied the three people in the bonds of love.
However, they will not be three forever
When they hear the sound of the trumpet, when all those who are sleeping awake,
When the Lord comes again to this earth, when the New Jerusalem comes down out of the heavens,
We will be four people again.
What faith! This is the faith of one who knows Christ. This the faith of one who believes in the resurrection. “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21) It is the faith that doesn’t want to be separated from God. It is the faith of one who says to God, “Thy will be done.”
Kanzo Unchimura was able to say this because by Rutusko’s death, through her death, he was able to experience real faith. This is also Hezekiah’s faith. At that time Christ had not been resurrected, so it was a little vague. However, through many mistakes and failures he too reached the point that “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.” (8)
Even when we get older, there are times when we sin. Even though we are in our later years, we make mistakes and bring the judgment of God upon us. David was also like this. In his later years he sinned by “taking a census of Israel” (I Chron. 21:1) and brought judgment upon himself. He relied on his military strength more than on God. As a result, “the LORD sent a plague on Israel and 70,000 men of Israel fell dead.” (I Chron. 21:14) In the same way, we too, no matter how old we get, we don’t become perfect. We sin, we fall to mistakes. However, God gives us another chance to stand in faith. There is for sure a lesson that we should learn from our mistakes and failures. Therefore, those words, those actions, those mistakes, have brought about the results of today. We shouldn’t be just crying, “It has affected my children, and my grandchildren. I regret that I pulled the people around me into the effects of my sin;” but we need to learn from our mistakes. We must never give up, and even then hang on to the Lord. So that we can say like Hezekiah, “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” (8)
let’s learn from our mistakes.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (I Peter 5:10)
The Lord will “restore you”. (I Peter 5:10) The Lord will change us. It is by the one way mercy of God. When we talk about others and evaluate them, it means we have forgotten that we are all being constructed. In other word’s we are in the process of being changed. Peter knew that it took time for him to be changed. Therefore, he was able to wait patiently for others. He said, Christ will “restore you”. (I Peter 5:10) Now you are not completely restored, but you will be. You are still in the process of being constructed. He “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (I Peter 5:10) Let’s believe God’s promise and leave all in his hands. Then humble yourself, and serve him. Don’t be discouraged by your weaknesses. Like Hezekiah in order to be changed, come before the Lord with your weaknesses and learn from them. While praying for change for the things that should be changed, receive the Lord’s encouragement and stand up again. The Lord’s love and grace is inexhaustible. No matter how old you get, you will be changed anew. Believe that, don’t give up, believe in the Lord’s mercy, and let’s stand up each time. That was Hezekiah’s life, a life of glory.

Today let’s look at “what supports us in life and death” from the last half of Isaiah 38. At the time when Jerusalem was surrounded by Assyria and was being cornered into almost surrendering, the King of Judah, Hezekiah had one other serious anguish. That was he was ill at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah went to him and told him he was going to die saying, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (1) Then Hezekiah put his face to the wall and while loudly weeping, prayed to the Lord. Then the Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and added 15 years to his life. In today’s passage is “a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery.” (10) From this passage let’s think about what supports us in life and death.

I. Hezekiah’s lament (Vs. 10-16)
First let’s look at Hezekiah’s lament. Please pay attention to verses 10 to 16. First I will read verse 10.
Vs. 10
At this time Hezekiah was 39 years old. He said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death?”(10) The word that is used here for “death” is “Sheol”. “Sheol” in Hebrew is “Hades” in Greek. This a place where the dead wait until the final judgment. The word “Gehenna” also appears a lot in the Bible. This is where sinners will be put and there will be everlasting torment. “Hades” is so to speak the place where people are kept until the decision of the judgment is made. At the final judgment a decision will be given to some people that they must go to “Gehenna”, something like a prison.
What happens when a person dies? In the age of the Old Testament they thought that when a person died, he went to “Sheol”. There they would wait until the judgment after death. However, if you look at the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke, in Hades there was a distinction between “Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22) and a place of “torment”. (Luke 16:23) Lazarus died and went to “Abraham’s side.” (Luke 16:22) However, the rich man died and he went to a place “where he was in torment.” (Luke 16:23) In other words, when the people of the Old Testament died they all went to Hades, but those who believed in God, in other words, those whose who were called saints went to “Abraham’s side”, a place of blessedness where they receive God’s comfort.
Here Hezekiah says, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death?”(10) To lose the rest of his life in the prime of his life must have been very saddening. That sadness is expressed in verses 11 to 14 by four similes.
1. First it is “like a shepherd’s tent” (12) Please look at verse 12. Here it says, “Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me.” (12) A person’s life is just like a tent that can be easily “pulled down and taken” (12) away. Even if it is a King’s or a rich man’s, life is brief. A life in a grand palace and a healthy body “like a shepherd’s tent” (12) are “pulled down and taken” (12) away.
2. It is “like a weaver”. (12) The second half of verse 12 says, ”Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom.” Just like when the weaver is finished without hesitation cuts the string, God suddenly one day cuts the string of life. Man’s life is that brief.
3. It is “like a lion”. (13) “I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones.” (13) A lion without mercy chews up everything. In the same way, the Lord with pain and illness without mercy comes upon man. All men are “like a lion” (13) chewed up. That is death.
4. It is “like a mourning dove”. (14) “I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove.” (14) Have you ever heard “a swift or thrush” (14) cry? It is really a sad cry. Also here it says, “like a mourning dove”. (14) Those who do not know God’s salvation, when they receive the sentence of death, they mourn “like a mourning dove”.
Why was Hezekiah so depressed? Let’s look at the famous words of Paul. Paul said the following words in Phil. 1:23 “I desire to depart and be with Christ.”
What a confession” Paul said that it was his “desire to depart” (Phil 1:23) from this world “and be with Christ.” (Phil 1:23) This is completely different from the lament of Hezekiah that we just saw. Hezekiah thought that if he died it was the end. He would go to “Sheol”. He wouldn’t see the Lord any more. He thought his life was just “like a shepherd’s tent”. (12) “Like a weaver” (12) who cuts him “off the loom”. (12) “Like a lion” (13) he will be chewed up into powder. He “cried like a swift or thrush”. (14) What caused the difference between Hezekiah and Paul?
That depends on whether you have the hope of resurrection after death or not. Hezekiah’s faith was weak about life after death, eternal life and the resurrection of the dead. Of course in the age of the Old Testament too there were references to the resurrection after death. (Psalms 49:15; Dan. 12:2, etc.) However, it wasn’t so clear. That was because Jesus Christ had not been born yet. That became clear when Jesus came and was put on the cross and died and then 3 days later rose again. Jesus died and rose again so we could clearly know that like the Bible promises we too will die and rise. We know clearly that even if the body that we live in on this earth “is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven.” (II Cor. 5:1) “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savor from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20) At that time we will be resurrected into an imperishable, glorious body.
However, Hezekiah didn’t know this. No, he knew, but he didn’t know clearly. Since Jesus Christ hadn’t come yet, he could only see it vaguely. Therefore, he didn’t have hope. He was lamenting that if he died he must “go through the gates of death”. (10)
However, if you look at the latter half of verse 14 you will see that there is a change occurring in Hezekiah’s heart.
Vs. 14 to 16
Hezekiah prayed, “O Lord, come to my aid!” (14) If God comes to his aid, there is nothing to fear and worry about. All he has to do is put everything in the hands of God. He said that if the Lord would lengthen the years of his life he would “walk humbly” (15) all the rest of his life. He was able to say that by faith “men live”. (16) That faith restores health.
The Lord who comes to his aid is the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose 3 days later. In the age of Hezekiah that was vague and he couldn’t see it clearly, but he was able to put all in the hands of God’s salvation.
In the end, what supports man’s life and death is faith. It is faith in the forgiveness of sin and in eternal life. It is the hope of the resurrection. Please open your Bibles to I Cor. 15:56 to 58.
I Cor. 15:56-58
When we have this faith even when we are facing death, we can be thankful to God. Even if our hearts are shaken up, we can stand firmly, not be moved by anything, and can always give ourselves “fully to the work of the Lord.” (I Cor. 15:38) What strength!
There was a man, Natsuki Iijima who was close to the age of Hezekiah when he too was told he was going to die. He represented Japan as a world wind surfer, but he died at the age of 38 from liver cancer. When he was told that that he had cancer, his life completely changed. At first he wasn’t pessimistic thinking that cancer wasn’t an incurable disease. However, in the midst of 2 huge surgeries, 130 scars from stitches and being hospitalized 17 times gradually he became depressed and had panic syndrome and gradually became reclusive and unsociable. He had a very difficult time. Then, the doctor gave what was thought to be the final stroke, the warning that he was dying. However, he who was a Christian was given advice to write a novel. He thought about how to express his love to his family and how to comfort them and wrote the novel, “If I meet you in heaven”, He wrote this novel because he was a Christian. In the novel he says that in the Bible it says that those who are saved will go to heaven so being separated from this world is only a short time of being separated. Everyone thinks that death is fearful, but we Christians have hope in heaven. He wrote about the hope of heaven and that there he will meet them again. That was the real comfort that he wanted to share. Then in joy and thankfulness he went to heaven.
How blessed are those who put their hope in God! Even if they get sick, even if they are told they have cancer, there is eternal life there. Death is swallowed by victory. The hope that they can go to heaven in a real meaning encourages people, stands people up, and gives life.
In our life we have various troubles. Like Hezekiah we may be told that we are dying. There are times that we run into situations that we have no control over. However, even in such troubles, those who believe in Jesus Christ are not despaired. That is because they are promised eternal life and have the hope of the resurrection. They can accept the reality and put that reality in the hand of God and “walk humbly”. (15)

II. Hezekiah’s praises (Vs. 17-20)
Next let’s look at Hezekiah’s life of praise. Please look at verses 17 to 20.
Vs. 17-20
Here Hezekiah says, “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.” (17) In the midst of his prayer with God, he was able to have such hope. His anguish wasn’t just anguish, but instead he could accept it as being for his own benefit. Hezekiah could have faith that what has happened to him had happened within the Lord’s sovereignty and the Lord will lead things to be for his benefit. He was able to realize that he “suffered such anguish.” (17) for his benefit and it was a good plan of God. More than anything, Hezekiah did not brag that he was healed. As verse 20 says, The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.” Hezekiah was able to sing from his heart and be thankful for the one way mercy of God.
Genzo Mizuno who at the age of 9 came down with bacillary dysentery and as a result of high temperatures suffers from cerebral paralysis. Since then he became bed ridden and couldn’t speak. From his neck down he can’t move at all. The only way that he can communicate is by blinking his eyes. At the age of 12 he read the Bible and at 13 he was baptized. Genzo Mizuno who died at 47 by only blinking his eyes wrote poems. Therefore, he was called the “blinking poet”. Among the poems he wrote was the poem entitled “In order to know Christ”
In order to know Christ
When I got sick, tears flowed in agony, but when I realized that was in order that I might know Christ who cured my spiritual sickness then they changed into tears of joy and thankfulness.
When I was betrayed by my friend, bitterness kept me from sleeping at night in order that I might know Christ who is my eternal never changing friend and then the bitterness changed into joy and thankfulness.
When I made mistakes, my heart was confused and full of regret in order that I might know Christ who paid for everything I did, then my heart was changed into joy and thankfulness.
Everything was so that I might know Christ. My illness that made me bed ridden too was so that I might know Christ. Because I was sick I was able to know Christ. When I knew that, the agony of sickness was changed into joy and thankfulness.
How about you? When you get sick do you realize that is in order that you might know Christ who cures spiritual sickness and are you joyful and thankful? When you are betrayed by a friend, do you realize that the bitterness that keeps you from sleeping at night is so that you will know Jesus Christ who will eternally never change and are you giving thanks and praising Him? When you make mistakes do you realize that your confused heart and regret is so that you will know Jesus Christ who prays for all your sin and are you happy and thankful? The reason why we can have thankfulness towards God and praise God is because of the faith that God is working and he will lead us the best way. It is because we believe that the troubles and agonies are for our benefit and a part of God’s good plan. Such a person no matter what happens, does not fall. He always looks to God, looks at God’s wonderful plan, and with joy can give praise and thankfulness. The Lord will respond to such faith.

III. God heals (Vs. 21,22)
Lastly, let’s look at how the Lord answered Hezekiah. Please look at verses 21 and 22.
Vs. 21, 22
In answer to Hezekiah’s faith, the Lord healed him of his illness. The prophet Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.” (21) The Lord used a poultice of figs” to heal him. God used this method to heal Hezekiah. God can do anything. He doesn’t have to use this method. However, God used this method shows that he uses many methods to heal.
This is shown throughout the Bible. For example in Exodus 15 when the Israelites came to the Desert of Shur they finally found water, but “they could not drink its water because it was bitter.” (Exodus 15:23) The Lord made the water sweet by having Moses throw a piece of wood into the water.
Also if you look at John there is recorded the healing of the man who was born blind from birth. He was healed by Jesus spitting on the ground and making mud and spreading it on the man’s eyes. Then he told the man to go the pool of Siloam and wash. When he went to the Pool of Siloam and washed the blink man could see.
The Lord doesn’t have to do anything at all to heal, but he also uses methods like these. This is to show that the Lord can use any method to heal. God can heal without using any methods at all, but he also uses medical treatment.to heal. Therefore, going to the hospital is not being unfaithful. To say that to take medicine is a lack of faith is wrong. That is dangerous thing that lacks balance. That’s because God uses medicine to heal. At times God uses medicine to heal.
When Paul’s disciple, Timothy’s stomach was weak Paul said, “Use a little wine because of your stomach.” (I Tim. 5:23) This too was a method that God used to heal. Paul who was so filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul who was able to raise the dead, that Paul on the other hand said, “Use a little wine because of your stomach.” (I Tim. 5:23) That was also God’s method. God uses all things to heal. If it is the Lord’s will he heals instantly without a doctor. At the same time, if it is God’s will, he heals by various methods. Believe that the Lord heals through the method that the Lord prepares, and thankfully accept the method given to you. Anyway, the important thing is to believe that God is the healer, pray to him and depend on Him.
Exodus 15:26
According to this faith, God will work. May you depend on the Lord like Hezekiah, and pray and experience the healing of the Lord. Then the life of lamenting and sadness, complaining and the life of despair become a life overflowing with thankfulness and praises to the Lord. The hope of the resurrection, and eternal life is really what supports us in life and death.

In our lives we are attacked by trials that burden us with more than we think we can carry, but at such times what should we do? In today’s passage the King of Judah, Hezekiah appears. When he is told that he is going to die, he was helpless, but he didn’t give up. He “turned his face to the wall and prayed.” As a result his prayer was heard and 15 years were added to his life. The door to life was opened in the wall of helpless death. No matter what trials attack us, we must not become helpless. At times like that we must pray to God. We must pray holding onto God’s mercy. Then God will hear those prayers. Real hopelessness is not being able to pray. Even if we have just a little faith left, there is still hope. Today I would like to talk about three things on the theme that prayer breaks through walls.

I. Put your house in order (Vs. 1)
First please look at verse 1. “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’”
“In those day” (1) is at the time that Jerusalem was surrounded by Assyria. That was 701 B.C. Hezekiah died in 686 B.C. Here 15 years were added to his life so you can see that it was exactly this year. “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.” (1) We don’t know what sickness he had, but verse 21 says, “Isaiah had said, ‘Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.’” Therefore, it is thought that it was some kind of skin cancer, a malignant tumor. It had worsened and he was “at the point of death”. (1) Hezekiah was at that time not only struggling with Jerusalem being surrounded by Assyria, but he was ill “at the point of death”. (1) From this too we can know the acuteness of Hezekiah’s worries. Even though it was hard just under the condition of Assyria surrounding them, on top of that he was sick “at the point of death”. (1) In other words, he was being crushed by 2 things at the same time. I’m sure he was suffering greatly wondering why God allowed this.
Moreover, Isaiah whom Hezekiah looked to as his teacher and counselor came like he was pursuing him and warned him, “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” He is telling him that he is going to die. He will not recover from the illness. This is not to just clean his house. It also means to leave a will. So that those who are remaining will not be confused he is to write a will arranging everything. However, that is not all. Including all these things, moreover he is to prepare to meet God.
Amos 4:12
The greatest preparation is to prepare to meet God, to prepare to arrive at Christ’s throne of Judgment. The reason is written in Hebrews 9:27.
Hebrews 9:27
No matter how much you pay attention to your health, even if you exercise every day and diet, even if you eat organic vegetables, even if you take vitamins that revive you, every person will without fail die. Such a day will come at a time that you weren’t expecting it.　Therefore, before that you must “put your house in order.” (1) It is necessary to arrange the care of your assets and property. However, more than that you must think about spiritual things, eternal life. Is your house in order?
Hezekiah was 39 when he was told this. “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (1) I think he must have been really shocked. In some cases to be attacked by trials of your own body is more bitter than trials that come from the outside. Certainly Assyria surrounding Jerusalem and attacking was a bitter thing. However, more than that his own body attacked by disease was even bitterer. This is such a bitter thing, a shocking thing. It is not unusual to not tell someone that he is dying. That is because it will become a very difficult situation if the person hears that and goes into shock and depression. There are cases when it really because the end because he thinks it is the end and loses his will to live.
However, this is the difference in whether you believe in God or not. For those who believe in God, this is really a crucial moment. In fact, this time can be taken as a real opportunity to give God the glory. The works of God are displayed more when looking at it humanly the situation is hopeless and helpless rather than when we are doing things well all the time, or things are going better than what we asked for.
For example when Jesus was invited to the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, the incident of running out of wine occurred. At the marriage feast they ran out of wine. That would be embarrassing for the relatives. Jesus’ mother, Mary, went to Jesus and whispered to Jesus that there was no more wine. Usually if it is thought that if they run out of wine, it is the end, but in reality this was a time when their dependence on God is really shown. Jesus told the servants to fill the big stone jugs with water. There were all together 6 jugs. The filled the jugs up to the brim with water. Then they were told to bring them to the master of the banquet. It became choice wine. The master of the banquet said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:10) It had changed into that good of wine. “He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.” (John 2:9) Jesus had changed it into wine.

This was the first of the miraculous signs Jesus performed. By this miracle Jesus “revealed his glory.” (John 2:11) When the wine ran out, was the time when God’s glory was really revealed.
Truly Hezekiah was put in such a situation. When he was put in a hopeless situation, it was the time that God’s glory was revealed. You may meet things that are difficult to accept, miserable things, and trying things. There may be some people who may be exactly in the same situation today. However, please remember that such times are times when God’s glory is revealed. We are always loved by God. The life relationship of believing and loving God glows here.

II Hezekiah who turned his face to the wall and prayed (Vs. 2,3)
What Hezekiah did at this time is recorded in verses 2 and 3. Please look at them.
Vs. 2,3
When Hezekiah was told that he was going to die, he didn’t just get upset and become hopeless. He stood up and ran to God and he prayed to God. “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” (2) is not because he was sick and couldn’t go to the temple. The situation that he was put in was like a no-win situation of being walled in. He only concentrated on God and prayed so that other things would not be allowed to come into his view. This is really the attitude that we must take when we face difficulties. In our lives too things happen that stir up our hearts like the trials that Hezekiah experienced. At such times what we must just turn to God, concentrate on God and pray. Real prayer isn’t words and content. Real prayer is directed to God and depends on God and concentrates on God.
How Hezekiah prayed is recorded in verse 3. Here it says, “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”
Here Hezekiah is saying that he realizes that by his own power he can’t do anything. It was only by throwing himself on the mercy of God.
Here Hezekiah says, Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”(3) If he hadn’t had such a relationship with God, he wouldn’t have been able to say such words. If his relation with God was weak, he wouldn’t have been able to pray such a prayer. However, this was not that Hezekiah had not sinned at all, that he was perfect, but he is praying frankly that he depended on the mercy of God, and “with wholehearted devotion” (3) followed God. In reality Hezekiah has up until now made one mistake after another. When Assyria attacked, he was afraid that they would be destroyed so he secretly formed an alliance relationship with Egypt. Also he sent a tribute of money to the King of Assyria. He thought that he could solve the problem with money. However, such human plans end in failure. He was definitely not perfect. However, he said, “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes” (3) because “with wholehearted devotion” (3) he followed God’s covenant of grace. He was throwing himself on the mercy of God.
This is what we must not forget. When we want God to hear our prayers we need to trust in how merciful God is, and how faithful God is. No matter how much we fail, how much we stumble, God does not leave us. Instead we need to trust that God’s mercy will take care of us so we won’t slip.
In Japanese religious views there is the thinking that if you do this, then you will be punished or if you do that you will be cursed. However, the God of Israel, the real God who made heaven and earth is not like this. Our God loves us infinitely. He pours out grace and mercy. That is the God of the Bible, the faith of the Bible. No matter what we are like, God will never leave us. Therefore, when we meet various trials, when we face various troubles, we shouldn’t think that the reason this happened was because we did this or we did that. God shows infinite grace. We must believe that even if someone forgets us, He will never forget us and pray.
A little while ago I watched the DVD, “Les Miserables”. When I watched it what made me think was the attitude of the priest who appears in it. Jean Valjean who was imprisoned and served a 19 year sentence to strong manual labor for stealing a slice of bread when he was starving came to a convent and the priest welcomed him as a guest. Jean Valjean said that he might kill him, but the priest said that they had to trust each other and accepted him. He showed hospitality with a warm room and a warm dinner, and a warm bed, but even so Jean Valjean returned the priest’s good favor with evil. He stole the kitchen silver and ran away. He was caught and when he was brought to the priest because he claimed that the priest gave him the silver, the priest said that he had given Jean Valjean the silver and that he had also told him to take the candlesticks too, but in his hurry he had forgotten them. When Jean Valjean asked the priest why he covered for him, the priest answered to never forget this night and become a new person. He said, “Brother Jean Valjean, you are done with evil. I have redeemed you with silver. I saved you from fear and bitterness and I return you to God’s hands.”

My heart was deeply hit by the mercy and affection of the priest. He accepted Jean Valjean no matter what. Jean Valjean whose heart was his by his love changed completely. In the course of time he became a mayor and he kept his promise to a woman and put his life on the line to take care of the woman’s daughter. He also forgave from his heart his enemy, a police officer.
This is the compassion of God. No matter how unfaithful we are, even if we ignore God, God is merciful. Through Jesus Christ he redeemed us. By the hand of God, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we became the children of God. We can call him “Father”. When we call him “Father” God accepts us as his own child. That must be the roots of our faith towards God. God is almighty, but we must not forget that God is also merciful.
Therefore, Hezekiah prayed like this. “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes” (3) Then “Hezekiah wept bitterly.” (3) He didn’t cry to people “I’m having a bad time. Help me” He didn’t cry out, “I hurt”. He cried before the Lord. He came as he was and poured himself out before God, and threw himself on the mercy of God. This kind of prayer surely moves God’s heart. Such an earnest prayer opens the door of hope in a no-win situation wall.

ⅢⅢ．I answered your prayer. (verses 4~8)

Then, how did God answer to Hezekiah’s prayer? Let’s look at verses 4 to 8. (verses4~8)
God spoke through Isaiah. “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.” What a word of comfort this is. This is God’s great mercy. God listened to Hezekiah’s prayer, and He said He saw his tears. And He added 15 years to his life. Moreover, God listened even to the prayers that he didn’t pray. He promised to deliver them from the hands of the king of Assyria. This is the God that we believe in. This is the God that is taught in the Bible.
Let’s look at Ephesians 3:20. Here it says that our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Why? Because He is merciful. After all, Hezekiah’s prayers were answered not because of his achievements, nor because of his personality. It was not because of his faithfulness nor his religiousness, neither. Hezekiah’s prayers were answered because God was merciful, and faithful. God keeps His promise. God answers your prayers not because you’re great. Not because you’re doing your best. It is because God is so merciful, and He answers to your prayers based on His character.
And God made the shadow cast by the sun to go back the 10 steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. These 10 steps is a lot if you consider that in a day. In Joshua, it is written that the sun stopped for a day, but sometimes there are people who say that they can’t believe the Bible or that the fact that the time stopped. They think it is impossible for things like this to happen. However, God does things that can’t be proved by science. Our God who created time can control it. He can expand the time, or shorten it. God isn’t bounded by time. “God created heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) If you believe in this, you can believe this fact easily. Our God who controls time also prolonged Hezekiah’s life.
How great is that. God saw Hezekiah’s crying prayer and tears, and He richly answered his prayer. Hezekiah prayed for his healing, but God not only answered that prayer, but He also prolonged Hezekiah’s life for 15 years. He also saved Assyria from Judah, and promised to save the town of Jerusalem. He also made the shadow cast by the sun go back the 10 steps. Even in times of trials that you feel you cannot handle, if you pray and seek eagerly, God will listen to you, and answer your prayers. God will open the door to the eternal life.
After injuring her leg, Margaret Michael started writing, and she completed one novel after 7 years. She visited several publishers with her papers, but she was rejected by them. No one showed interest in her writings. Usually people might give up and start looking for another job, but she didn’t. She heard that the president at Macmillan publisher would visit Atlanta, and ran to the train station to see him. And she begged handing the writings to him saying, “Please read my papers.” The president put the papers into his bag, but he didn’t think of reading the papers at all. Later, the president got a telegram from her saying, “please read my papers.” A day passed, and the same telegram came again. “Please read this.” That continued. Gradually the president was moved by her enthusiasm and he started reading the papers that she sent. He was absorbed in the story so much that he didn’t realize that the train reached the place where he wanted to go. This novel is what we call now, “Gone with the Wind”.
Through her strong enthusiasm, “Gone with the wind” is now known to the people around the world. Our prayers should be like this. We shouldn’t be discouraged by any trials. In times like this, we ought to pray towards God with passion. We should seek God’s mercy. Then God will listen to your prayers, will see your tears, and will answer to them. As God’s child, I hope you will experience His blessings through prayers. Such prayers will help you go through trials that you cannot handle.

Today let’s look at the last part of chapter 37 of Isaiah. King Hezekiah who heard the words of the Assyrian King Sennacherib “went up to the temple of the LORD” (14) and bowed before the Lord and prayed. The Lord heard his prayers and through Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah. He said that God controls all things. God who knows all things and controls all things has a plan and performs that plan. Everything is planned by the Lord. When we accept that the Lord is doing everything, we have peace of mind. That is because “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Therefore, we can have peace of mind. That’s not all. God will bring us a complete victory. In today’s passage it is recorded how complete victory is brought about.

I. A sign for you (Vs. 30-32)
First please look at verses 30 to 32.
Vs. 30-32
A wonderful promise is proclaimed to Hezekiah. The message is that Assyria will withdrawal and Judah will survive. The sign is “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (30) “Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.” (36:1) 46 of Hezekiah’s cities were conquered by Sennacherib so the land was really devastated so there was no hope of a harvest right away. The first year “you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year” (1) you will do the same, but the third year you will get a harvest from what you plant. At first you can’t expect much of a harvest, but gradually and steadily it will be restored and in the course of time you will be able to have a stable life. This is the principle of God. First there is nothing. You must “eat what grows by itself”. (30) However gradually and steadily it will bear fruit.
Rev. Itakura who is on the board of KDK, the Domestic Evangelistic Church Planting Association, 40 years ago started evangelizing to plant a church with his wife. 40 years is the same amount of time that the Israelites wandered in the dessert. In the dessert, you can’t plow the fields, nor plant seeds, nor harvest. They survived life by eating Manna that fell from heaven each and every day. By that they would come to completely understand who sustained them, who provided their clothing and places to live. The second year since Rev. Itakura started evangelizing to plant a church was ending, but there was no money to buy mochi for the New Year. He received only a few yen for each milk bottle that he delivered as a milk delivery man. There wasn’t any one he could depend upon. When he was praying a Christmas card from America arrived. It had “Merry Christmas. This year’s Christmas present, I am sending to you.” written on it. Inside it was a check.
Ever since then for forty years the Lord has blessed him and the church. It is just as these Words of the Bible promise. “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (30) This is God’s promise. God a little at a time, a little at a time certainly restores and in the course of time bears fruit reliably. Even if things don’t go the way you want them to go, you must not complain about each and everything. You must believe in God’s promises, endure and wait for the timing.
Also to do that we must “take root below”. (31) Verse 31 says, “Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.” This is a promise that even though the towns of Judah were ruined by Assyria, God has left a remnant. By that remnant Judah will be restored and within the course of time it will increase and spread out. What supports it is the root. By firmly taking root below, it is able to bear fruit above. Therefore, it says here, “a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.” (31)
Ueda Coach from Yamanashi Gakuin College who won the 1992 Hakone Cross country race said that on cold days when nothing blooms to put your roots down deeper and deeper. I like these words. In the 6th year after Yamanashi Gakuin College’s cross country race club started, it entered the Hakone cross country race. Then it raised its ranking from 15th place to 11th place to 7th to 4th to 2nd. Then that year it was able to go the top and win. In the background there was so much practicing, and in reality I think there were times when there were no results.
Of course, if you do “take root below” (31), it doesn’t mean that you will see the results right away. Even when fruit isn’t born above, we shouldn’t be silent and sit on our hands, but in the deep earth that we can’t see we need to take root deeper and deeper. Without taking root, we can’t bear fruit. The fruit we can see, but the root can’t be seen above the soil. We are prone to seek the results that appear like magic. However, without the process of firmly rooting in the earth, we can’t bear fruit. Therefore, the thing that we must do is “take root below” (31) If we do that the Lord will make it bear fruit.
Please look at verse 32. It says here, “the zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” This means that Israel’s recovery is by the one way grace of the Lord. It is not by your zeal. It is not by your effort. It is not because you did this or you did that. It is only by the grace of God. It is by the grace of the Almighty Lord. Therefore, we must only believe in God’s promises, endure, be humble and faithfully do the work of God. We must “take root below”. (31) If so, when the time comes, in the course of time we will be restored. God will cause fruit to be born.
This is the sign that was given to Hezekiah. No matter how much he suffered he accepted this sign and waited expectantly for God’s promise. On the other hand, his father, King Ahaz, refused the Word of the Lord to seek a sign. When the allied forces of Aram and Ephraim came to attack, he made a mistake and depended on the strength of Assyria. This is a sign for you. You must accept it. “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (30) At first you can’t expect much of a harvest, but gradually and steadily it will be restored and in the course of time you will be able to have a stable life. Let’s accept God’s sign. Then while taking “root below” (31, let’s wait expectantly for God’s timing.

II. He will not enter this city (Vs. 33-35)
Next please look at verses 33 to 35. “Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!’”
Here the Lord is clearly speaking about the king of Assyria. The Lord says, “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here.” He won’t be able to fully attack Jerusalem and will withdraw. That is because God “defends” (35) Jerusalem. God “saves” (35) Jerusalem. “The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (32) This is for God’s “sake and for the sake of David”. (35)
The Lord promised David, “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (II Samuel 7: 12, 13) Accordingly, if Southern Judah, if Israel is ruined, then this promise would not be fulfilled. As a result, the promise of God that David’s offspring, Jesus Christ who will establish the kingdom of God, who “will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (II Samuel 7:13) would not be fulfilled. That will definitely not happen. “The LORD is faithful to all his promises.” (Psalms 145:13) Not even one thing that Lord says fails to be fulfilled. God is faithful. “The LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (32)
III. A complete victory (Vs. 36-38)
Lastly, let’s look at the result. Please look at verses 36 to 38. “Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. One day, while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.”
“The angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp” (36) in one night! “When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! “ ((36) “The angel of the LORD went out and put” (36) them to death. God worked in a way that humans can’t conceive. The Lord fulfilled His promises. “The LORD Almighty”(32) accomplished this.
Psalm 46 is a celebration of the security of Jerusalem as the city of God. Some think that Hezekiah sang this psalm. Please open your Bibles to this Psalm.
Psalm 46
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Hezekiah experienced this. Martin Luther was inspired by this Psalm to write the great hymn, “A mighty Fortress is Our God”. “A mighty fortress is our God” comes from verse 7 and 11. “God…is our fortress.”
1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood ”The enemy is strong. “For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate…”
2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbath, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.”
He is singing that “The LORD Almighty is with us.”(Psalm 46:7,11) It is he who fights “and he must win the battle.”

Hezekiah’s prayer moved history. This was the result of God answering his prayer. This is not fiction. This is a historical event. Also this victory wasn’t just on the level that they are saved and the enemy is gone, but when the enemy “was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons…killed him with the sword.” (38) This resulted in a complete victory. God answered Isaiah’s and Hezekiah’s prayers. This brought a complete victory.
That is not just Hezekiah, but this can be said of all people who seek God’s glory, who live for God, who earnestly seek in prayer. God hears the prayers of such people. At times we are threatened by Satan who tempts us to doubt, and comes to deceive us by saying things that seem right, but even in such crisis be assured of the Lord’s presence, believe “that in all things God works for” (Romans 8:28) your good and only look to the Lord and seek Him in prayer. Then the Lord will answer your prayer and turn things around.
In Enterprise, Alabama in the U.S. there is a monument celebrating the bug that is commonly called the boll weevil. A plaque on the monument says, “In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil, and what it has done as the Herald of Prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.”
Originally Enterprise, Alabama was famous for its cotton, but in 1915 the boll weevil destroyed 60% of the county’s cotton. No matter what they did, they couldn’t solve the problem. What had been one of most prosperous areas in the nation became one of the poorest. After prayer and studying the profitable crops in Virginia and North Carolina, it was decided that peanuts were the best crop for the county.
A local farmer C.W. Baston planted his 125 acre farm with peanuts in 1916. Baston’s 1916 peanut crop thrived, while cotton farmers suffered increased losses to the boll weevil. Farmers in southeast Alabama were now convinced they should grow peanuts, and the banks began to finance that effort. The County produced more than one million bushels of peanuts in 1917, and became the USA’s largest peanut producing county in 1919. Growing and processing peanuts became a very lucrative industry in southern Alabama, and Georgia during the early 20th century. This change benefited the soil, farmers, consumers, and communities. They were so thankful to the boll weevil that on December 11, 1919, Enterprise, Alabama, installed a monument celebrating the bug for its role in the region’s prosperity growing and processing peanuts following the fall of cotton.
God answered their prayers and turned things around. In our lives too there may be things like the boll weevil. We might face something like being completely surrounded by Assyria. However, when such things happen God is your “refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) If you seek God’s glory in prayer, God will answer that prayer and save you. He will give you complete victory. The problem is whether you believe this or not; whether you earnestly seek him in prayer or not. Being logical isn’t good. Thinking that things like that are something of the past is not good. Now, in the present, at this moment too God is working. We need to seek in prayer God’s help. We need to experience the living God. That is what God wants us to do. We need to believe that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) We need to seek in prayer God. God will give you complete victory.

Today let’s look at Hezekiah’s prayer in Isaiah 37. The Assyrian King Sennacherib who had completely surrounded Jerusalem sent a letter to the king of Judah, Hezekiah and threatened him.　In the past Hezekiah responded to the harsh and abusive language of the field commander that was sent as a plenipotentiary ambassador to negotiate by sending people to the prophet Isaiah asking for prayer. Towards that the Word of God that was spoken was, “do not be afraid of what you heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.” (37:6) However, the condition didn’t change at all. Rather it became more serious. At the beginning of a problem by one’s own faith and prayer one is able to overcome it, but as it continues it becomes difficult to overcome. How was Hezekiah able to overcome the difficult situation?

I. First before the Lord (Vs. 14)
First of all Hezekiah went before the Lord. Please look at verse 14. “Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.”
When Hezekiah saw the terrible contents of the letter which hurt him, “he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.” (1) He prayed before the Lord putting everything in the Lord’s hands. This a model of what a person of faith should be like. When we see the contents of a letter that hurts us or when we are showered with terrible words, first of all we must bring it before the Lord and “spread it out before the LORD.” (1) We mustn’t quickly go to a lawyer for advice, or to talk to the consumer loan specialist, or see a counselor for counseling, but first of all go to the Lord “and spread it out before the LORD.” (1) The Lord knows everything, but even so we “spread it out before the LORD” (1) and make it known to God. That is because surprisingly we are weak to other people’s words. Even just small trivial words can keep us from sleeping all night. The tongue is a small organ, but it brags with great exaggeration. “It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire.” (James 3:6) Words are a very small thing, but they have very strong power. When we are hurt or agonized by words we shouldn’t try to solve it by ourselves, but bring it to the Lord. All we have to do is let the Lord know about it. The Lord is able “to empathize with our weaknesses.” (Hebrews 4:15) He became exactly like us, “yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) He can understand our weaknesses well. Also he can give us help in a fitting way. Therefore, at such times you should first go to “the LORD and spread it out before the LORD,” (14) reveal it to the Lord and confide in Him.
Phil. 4:6, 7
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:7) is given to us by not being “anxious about anything” (Phil. 4:6) and “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,” (Phil. 4:6) presenting our “requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6) If we do that, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7) We have been given the privilege of prayer. However, we don’t find it easy to use that privilege, we don’t find it easy to come before God because we don’t completely believe in God. More than God we believe in ourselves. Because we are depending on other things than God we don’t try to pray. Before we do anything else we need to come to God and let Him know our thoughts. If you do that you will be freed from the problem and you will be able to have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.” (Phil. 4:7) If each time like Hezekiah we show our true selves before God and pray, then the Lord will clearly show you how magnificent God is and give us the courage and strength to stand up. Until now you may have not been able to stand up in front of the king of Assyria’s words. You may have put your head down and stayed inside your covers, but if you bring each individual thing before the Lord and pour out your hear in prayer, everything will begin to change. The prayer will change and your situation will change too.

II. Hezekiah’s prayer (Vs. 15-20)
Next, let’s look at how Hezekiah prayed. Please look at verses 15 to 20. Here Hezekiah’s wonderful prayer is recorded. He starts his prayer with verse 16. “LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”
Hezekiah first of in his prayer recognized God as God and praised him. “Cherubim” (16) are among the angels the highest ranking angels. In the Garden of Eden they had a sword of fire to protect the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24) Also they are the angels that are above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant watching over it. (Exodus 25:20)”God is enthroned between the cherubim” (16) so he is the highest of highest in heaven. As you know the Assyrian King brought the God of Israel down to the same level as other Gods, but the God of Israel is not on the same level. The God of Israel surpasses all other gods. He is the creator that has “made heaven and earth” (16) and the whole universe. In other words, Hezekiah in prayer first of all recognized God as God and praised Him. This is what we in prayer must at the very beginning do. Especially when you are in a time when you have been put in a predicament, when you are in a pinch, first of all recognize the Lord and praise the Lord.

This is also a common feature with the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus told them to pray like this: “Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed by thy name…” (Matt. 6:9)
The prayer that Jesus taught was “Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed by thy name…” (Matt. 6:9) First we must put our eyes on the Lord’s greatness and praise that greatness. That is because by at the very beginning putting our eyes on God’s greatness and praising that greatness, you will realize that the problems that you were holding became very tiny without you realizing it. You thought you never have had such a big problem, but as you praise the mighty God, you will see the problem becomes so small and so tiny. You realize that the problem that you were so worried about is in fact not a problem at all. ”God is enthroned between the cherubim.” (16) When we realize that only God is the creator that has “made heaven and earth” (16) and when we know that he loves us so much “that he gave his only begotten son,” (John 3:16) Jesus Christ, then an assurance that he will never forsake us, and that he does things for our good is born. If that’s so, it is not necessary to be distressed. There is no need to worry about anything. There is nothing to fear. All you have to do is put everything in God’s hands. You can do that when you put your eyes on God’s greatness and recognize that.
Do you believe that God is omnipotent, the creator of the heavens and the earth? Do you believe that God knows all things and can do all things? If you believe that, if you believe that from the bottom of your heart, you definitely don’t need to be distressed. But what about the bills? How am I going to pay them? But if you really believe that God is the richest in in the world, then it isn’t necessary to be distressed. God will do something for you. God is your heavenly father. All you have to do is ask your Dad. Your Dad will do something about it. God is the creator that “made heaven and earth.” (16) He is the omnipotent God who can heal you. God, your Savior, will as the Bible says put forth his hand and heal you. Even sicknesses that the doctors that are called super doctors can’t heal, God can completely heal.
“If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
Of course, it is important to go to the doctor and get appropriate and adequate treatment. That is because God uses such methods to heal us. Therefore, for those who believe in God, “hopelessness” is not in their dictionary. If you pray, “I will depend on you; I put all in your hands. You are the Healer”, then God will not leave you hopeless. Money is not the solution. Medicine is not the solution. Medical care and skill is not the solution. The only solution is God. If you believe in in God, if you pray in faith, there is nothing to be distressed about. No matter what the present situation is, even if you are in the depths of poverty, even if you have been told you only have a few more months to live, the Lord who “made heaven and earth” (16) will do things for your good.
Next, please look at verse 17. Here it says, “Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.”
Here Hezekiah says, “Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see.” (17) If God is all knowing and all mighty, if He knows everything, then why is he praying like this? That is because the Lord wants to have a face to face relationship with us and wants to directly hear the cries of our heart firsthand. The Lord wants to hear everything from you. God wants to “give ear” to your cries, to listen to your distresses, your troubles, your agonies and give you answers. He wants you to ask more.
Before the T.V. reported about a father who endlessly sent e-mails to his teenage daughter’s cell phone. To his teenage daughter to receive e-mails from her father, especially e-mails with pictures seemed annoying. They asked the father why he continued to send e-mails to his daughter. He wanted to talk with his daughter. He wanted a deeper relationship with his daughter. For the father his daughter is always his daughter. When his daughter was little she always said, “Daddy, Daddy”, but as she got bigger, around the time of adolescence she put distance between him, and conversation disappeared. With that reality the father felt lonely. He knew his daughter, but he wanted a relationship with his daughter.
In the same way, God wants fellowship with you. He wants you to talk to Him, to ask of Him, to walk with Him. Therefore, He wants you to pray to Him more, to call out to Him more. We must not keep our problems within ourselves, but like Hezekiah so that God will listen, so that God will see them, we must pray “Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see.” (17)
Please look at verses 18 and 19. Hezekiah continues praying like this, “It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.”
Hezekiah is describing the reality of idols. “It is true… that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.” (18) That is because they all “were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.” (19) No matter how splendid a thing it was, even if it was a national treasure or it was designated as an important cultural asset, they still “were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands” (19) nothing more. Therefore, the Assyrian kings could lay “waste all these peoples and their lands” (18) very easily. However, Israel’s God, the Almighty Lord is different. He is a different case from the gods made by “wood and stone”. (19) God is the living God who “made heaven and earth.” (16) This is connected to the prayer of Hezekiah that can be seen in verse 20. “Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God.”
This is the ultimate goal of prayer: “Know that you, LORD, are the only God.” (20) In other words, Hezekiah sought to praise the name of God. This is the goal of prayer when we pray. The pressure that Hezekiah received was that their God was treated as being on the same level as the other gods. When God is treated like that, God’s glory is hidden. Therefore, he is praying “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God.” (20) Of course, he wanted to be saved from Assyria. It is natural that he wanted somehow to be set free from that problem. However, more than anything he wanted by the drama of deliverance for God’s glory to be seen. He prayed that Israel’s God, the real God domestically and in foreign lands will be known. .
God’s glory is hidden. Many people don’t believe in Jesus so the Lord’s glory is hidden. If you still have things that you haven’t been able to surrender to the Lord, if there is something else that you are holding on to that is also hiding the glory of God. We must pray that we can show the glory of God more and more.
However, in most cases, the prayers of us, Japanese, are only requests to God. If you listen to the words of prayers, in most cases they are in trouble and it is like calling on a god in distress. Even so that is better than not praying at all, but real prayer is communication with God, not a one way conversation. The ultimate goal of prayer is for the glory to God to be seen.
At this time for Hezekiah to avoid the threats of Assyria it was necessary for them to be saved by a method that only God can do. If they overcame by Hezekiah’s strength, it would been done by Hezekiah’s strength and wouldn’t show God’s glory. What Hezekiah sought was for the Lord to deliver them by God’s method which only God can use from the hand of Assyria. Even if he was surrounded by Assyria and by that he would have to continue to struggle, if that will show the glory to God, then let it be. He prayed like that. He didn’t just pray for God to help him, to deliver him from this predicament, to set him free from this problem, to heal this sickness, but he prayed only for the glory of God to be seen. Even if the problem isn’t solved, even if this sickness isn’t healed and it leads to death, even so he prayed that God’s glory will be seen.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 26. Here Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane is recorded. Jesus in agony with the cross before him said to his disciples Peter, John, and James, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (Matt. 26:38) Then Jesus went a little ways from there, and knelt and prayed. At this time the prayer that he prayed was this: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt. 26:39)
This is really the essence of prayer. “If it is possible…Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt. 26:39) Hezekiah’s prayer is the same. “Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God.” (20) He prayed, “Not as I will”, (Matt. 26:39) but may your will be accomplished. May your glory be seen.

III. The answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (Vs. 21-29)
Next, let’s look at the result of Hezekiah’s prayers. Let’s look at verses 21 to 29. First look at verse 21. “Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah; ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.”
God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and in response to Hezekiah’s prayer “concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria” (21) the Lord speaks against Sennacherib king of Assyria. The contents are in verses 22 to 29. Verse 22 says, “Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.”
“You” (22) is Assyria (the Assyrian king, Sennacherib). “Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks” (22) Assyria. “Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as” (22) Assyria flees. This is the attitude that Assyria took towards Jerusalem and other countries. This will be returned to Assyria in exactly the same way. Matt. 7:2 says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” It is exactly like this. Assyria despised and mocked Zion, Jerusalem. In the same way next they will be despised and mocked.
“Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!” (23)
This “you” (23) is also Assyria (the Assyrian king, Sennacherib). Assyria was not conscious that they were prideful to God. They thought they were speaking to Hezekiah, but in reality it was wrong. It wasn’t against Hezekiah, but it was pride towards the God that Hezekiah believed in. For example, even if a person is a non Christian, he hears the word of God. Even so if he doesn’t look to God as God, if there are times that he blasphemes God, that is rebelling against God, and is nothing other than pride. We must be careful.
Please look at verses 24 to 26.

“By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said, ‘With my many chariots
I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost height of Lebanon.
I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk water there.
With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.
26 Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass,
That you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
The words of verse 26 are really important words. Assyria spoke proudly about their achievements, but they were able do this because everything was in God’s providence. They were nothing more than a tool that God used. Everything is in the hands of God.
It is important to know God’s sovereignty. Everything is planned by the Lord. When we accept that the Lord is doing everything, we have peace of mind. Even if things are bad, misfortunate, troubled, not a good situation, unfair, if we know that God’s hand is working there, we are able to accept that condition.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Since January I have been enjoying reading thru the Bible again this year. As I was reading the Bible there is a verse that was left in my heart. That is Exodus 6:1. “Now you will see.” Now you may not understand what God is going to do to the Pharaoh. No matter how much you preach the Word of God, his heart is hardened and he can’t hear. That is because I have hardened his heart and by that God’s great works a performed. That is so that all people will know that the Lord is God. Now you don’t understand, but “you will see”. (Exodus 6:1) Then we read about the result and as you know by the Lord killing all the first sons of the Egyptians, Israel was able to leave Egypt. At that time they didn’t understand that, but now they “will see”. (Exodus 6:1) If so, we can enjoy the situations we are facing. If we think about what God is going to do for us, we can be excited. Also we can leave everything in the Lord’s hands.
Please look at verse 27 to 29. I will read verse 28. “But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me.”
These are wonderful words. The Lord knows each and everything thing that the Assyrian King Sennacherib does. God knows where he is and when he comes and goes and how he rages against God. He can’t deceive God. God knows everything about what he is thinking. No matter how much we rebel against God, no matter how much we complain in our hearts, God knows all things. Even so God is now here inviting me. Even so God is leading you. God’s intentions are there; He has a plan. There is not even one thing that is beyond the dominion of God’s sovereignty. God plans everything, and is related to everything that happens. Therefore, we can have a deep feeling of relief. It is not necessary to fuss about anything. It is not necessary to get angry. It is not necessary to be fearful. Rather, we only need to have a peace of mind and leave it all in the Lord’s hands. .
This was the answer of the Lord to Hezekiah’s prayer. When are distressed about something or in agony, when we know that God’s hand is there working, there is no greater peace of mind. Hezekiah in prayer was able to have that assurance. He received the promise that prideful Assyria will be destroyed. In our lives we too may be threatened like Hezekiah. However, we must not fear the words of blasphemy of the Lord. Rather like Hezekiah we need to “spread it out before the LORD” (14) and pray to the Lord. If you do that, God will listen to the prayer. Then by the Lord’s hand everything will be changed for our good. Therefore, let’s pray. Change your bitterness into prayer. Then God will do an amazing work and that bitterness God will change into blessings.

Today let’s look at chapter 37 of Isaiah. In our life little and big, various problems come upon us. How should we deal with such problems?
In today’s passage it is recorded how the King Hezekiah dealt with the dangerous situation of Southern Judah being threatened. At this time Hezekiah was facing a national high level crisis. “Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lacish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.” (36:1,2) The field commander that King Sennacherib sent said this and that to shake them up and called out to King Hezekiah to surrender. What should they do? They were in a condition of despair thinking that they too would be destroyed by Assyria like the surrounding countries were. How did Hezekiah deal with the situation?

I. Hezekiah who entered the temple of God.
First please look at verse 1.
Vs. 1
When Hezekiah heard the commander’s prideful words, “he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.” (1) “Sackcloth” (1) was worn in morning. It showed sadness and repentance so it showed that he was of no worth, of self- humbleness. When the priest really prayed especially when they fasted and prayed they put on sackcloth. Hezekiah even though he was king, took off his royal clothes and “put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.” (1) The enemy had pressed upon him to that point. To do such a thing the enemy might take Jerusalem. Even so Hezekiah before God handed everything over to God, depended on God and went before the Lord. Even if the enemy tried to triumph over them, no matter what happened to them, he made up his mind to pray to the end. To pray time and fasting is important, but more than anything what is important is the kind heart that you pray to God with. God looks at the heart. Hezekiah poured out his heart before the Lord. The Lord will attach weight to such a heart. If you earnestly cry in prayer to the Lord, the Lord will know the meaning of the tears and surely will do a huge work.
Samuel tied the history of Israel from the age of the judges to the age of the kings that started with Saul. He was a vessel of God that was born from his mother’s, Hannah’s, crying in prayer.
Hannah’s situation was very complicated. Under one roof there was one husband and two wives. Moreover Hannah was barren. The other wife, Peninnah was blessed with children. Peninnah “kept provoking her in order to irritate her.” (I Samuel 1:6) Hannah’s pride as a woman was hurt. “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” (I Samuel 1:10) She was praying in her heart so her lips were moving, but her voice couldn’t be heard. Therefore, the priest, Eli, thought that she was drunk. He said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” (I Samuel 1:14)
She replied, “Not so, my lord…I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. …I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” (I Samuel l: 15, 16)
Then she received through the Priest, Eli, the word of God. “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” (I Samuel l: 17)
This is how the great Samuel was born. Trouble brings the tears of prayer. Such strong heartful prayer with an indomitable determination in the course of time surely calls for the mighty works of God.
How about you? When like Hezekiah you face a dangerous situation, do you go to the temple and direct your prayers to God? Do you tear your clothes “and put on sackcloth”? (1) Even when we are in such situations we make various excuses, and don’t try to enter the Lord’s temple. We don’t try to go to church. This too is also Satan’s clever plan. Satan attacks us using a whole bag of tricks to keep us from going to church. That is because he knows that if we go to church all schemes will not work. Therefore, at all costs he doesn’t want you to go. “Today I’m not feeling up to par so I’ll stay home.” “I thought I would go but unexpectantly guests came so I can’t go.” “My child feels feverish so I’ll give up going.” Satan uses various reasons to keep us from going. However, the real solution begins by you tearing your clothes, putting on sackcloth and entering the Lord’s temple and pouring out your heart before the Lord in prayer.
In Jewish history, the age of Isaiah was really horrible. They were threatened by other countries. Internal law and order and morality were confused, faith was forgotten, corruption and in the midst of desperate storms it was on the verge of ruin. However, it is the same in this age. In this age too each individual lives selfishly, forgetting about faith, the condition is such that it would not be strange for the Lord’s second coming to occur at any time. However, because of this more than ever we need to look to the Lord. Now especially when we are dismayed about everything we should put our hope only in the Lord and wait expectantly on the Lord. We can always receive blessings from everywhere. The key no matter where we sink depends on whether we seek in prayer God who can lift us up or deny Him.

II. Pray (Vs. 2-4)
Next please look at verses 2 to 4. I will read verse 2.
Vs.2
Here King Hezekiah “sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth to the prophet Isaiah.” (2) This means that he didn’t just pray himself, but he sought prayer support from Isaiah, his counselor who always guided him.
What he said to Isaiah is in verses 3 and 4.
Vs. 3 & 4
What an expression! “When children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.” (3) I don’t think anyone can understand the pain of labor unless he has had a baby. However, it is said that it hurts the most, and the most agony is just before the baby is born. At that time the pain reaches its peak. It would be o.k. if the child is born, but even though the baby has “come to the point of birth,” (3) he can’t be delivered. In other words, the pain that has reached its peak continues on at its peaked level. “There is no strength to deliver.” (3) It is even a more vivid description than that of the pains of childbirth.
“This is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace as when children come to the point of birth.” (3) However, “there is no strength to deliver.” (3) Hezekiah realized that he was completely helpless. Those who realize their helplessness say like the end of verse 4, “Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
When we meet struggles, of course it is important to pray, but at the same time, it is important to have our prayer friends pray for us. We need to ask others to pray for us. Now we have phones and computers so it is not necessary to send a messenger like Hezekiah sent to Isaiah. All we have to do is push a button and we can ask for prayers.
There is no reason to be embarrassed to ask your friends or the pastor to pray for you. When we realize that “there is no strength to deliver.” (3) then we are able to say, “pray”. (4) Such a person is really humble.
Humanly speaking Paul was a strongperson. He was intellectually, spiritually, and in gifts too, also educationally, and by authority God gave him as an apostle, and by the special commission that God gave him, he was an outstanding person and by such strengths he spread the Gospel and was able to move forward. Paul by moving people’s hearts he sought, aspired, and pleaded to give strength to all the believers. He sent a letter like this to the brothers in Rome.
“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” (Romans 15:30) Paul said, “join me in my struggles by praying to God for me…that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. ” (Romans 15:30-32) Paul said, “join me in my struggles by praying to God for me.” (Romans 15:30) He thought that through prayer he would have victory over the struggles and would be able to complete his commission. Therefore, he was able to say “join me in my struggles by praying to God for me.” (Romans 15:30) However, that is not something that is easy to say. That is because we can’t show our weaknesses. Even though among the apostles he was specially called, he wasn’t supported by the prayers of others, he wouldn’t have enough skills. Therefore, he wrote letters to various people and asked them to pray for him.
Therefore, we too must not make excuses to each other. I want to ask you, “Please pray for me.” Please pray that I can fulfill God’s ministry to this church, and faithfully fulfill the commission that God has given me, and in the midst of various trials, only by the strength of God powerfully fulfill this work. Before when Israel fought the Amalekites at Rephidim, “Aaron and Hur held his hands up.” (Exodus 17:12) Please pray that my arms won’t be lowered. Also let’s pray for each other. If so those prayers one by one will gather together like drops of water and in the course of time reversely will be like a huge sea that repels all evil. I believe this.

III. Do not be afraid of those words (Vs. 5-13)
Lastly let’s look at Isaiah responded to Hezekiah’s request. Please look at verses 5 to 13. First I’ll read to verse 7.
Vs. 5-7
In response to Hezekiah’s words, Isaiah spoke the Word of the Lord. That was, “Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.” (6) “What you have heard-those words” are the words of the field commander especially those of 36:18 to 20 where he especially blasphemes the God of Israel saying that the Lord can’t save Jerusalem from the hand of Assyria. More than making fun of King Hezekiah and the people of Judah, he blasphemes the Lord, the God Israel that they trusted in. We too must be careful. When we criticize someone there are times when we are blaspheming God. More than criticizing the person we are criticizing God, we are blaspheming God. Also we shouldn’t be fearful of such words. “Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words.” (6) The Lord gave King Hezekiah words filled with encouragement. He is saying not to be fearful of the words of the field commander.

We’ll never know how much these words encouraged King Hezekiah. For him I’m sure that God’s Words probably led to the solution of all that problems that he faced. That’s because fear is what really makes our lives weak. When we fear, we lose strength. The strength of our bodies is all soaked up. We can’t stand up. We become weak and fragile. We are like a balloon that has lost air; we are deflated. We can’t stand up. We may not be able to live. That is how much fear makes us weak. To Hezekiah God said “Do not be afraid.” (6) and encouraged him.
That’s not all. The Lord showed Hezekiah concretely how He was going to work. As verse 7 says, The Lord is “going to put a spirit in” the field commander so “when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there” God” will have him cut down with the sword.”
This will actually happen. This is recorded in verses 8 to 13. In verse 8 it says, “the field commander…withdrew.” The field commander and the army had surrounded Jerusalem, but the field commander heard a rumor and “withdrew”. That rumor was as it says in verse 9, “Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him.” Cush is Ethiopia. King Tirhakah was Taharqa who was a pharaoh of the Ancient Egyptian 25th dynasty and king of the Kingdom of Cush. This Egyptian army marched out to fight against Assyria. At this time Assyria was divided into 2 groups so their military strength was weak. Therefore, the field commander was afraid that if Tirhakah, the Cushite king was to attack, that they might lose so he withdrew for a while from Judah and joined forces with King Sennacherib. However, this was nothing more than a rumor, but the field commander really took it seriously and feared it and withdrew. It happened just as the Lord had told Hezekiah it would. After that the Assyrian King, Sennacherib sent people from Libnah to King Hezekiah to shake him up but, in the end the Lord miraculously entered history and in one “night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp.” (II Kings 19:35) Therefore, Sennacherib king of Assyria withdrew and returned to his own country. There he was killed by his own two sons. This is recorded in II Kings 19. In other words, it happened just as the Lord had said to Hezekiah.
The Lord didn’t just say, “Don’t fear”, but in reality God fought with them and brought victory. Therefore, there was nothing to fear. We have to “fear him who, after the killing of the body has power to throw you into hell.” (Luke 12:5) We must fear Him. If he is with you, you have nothing to fear. The words of God that Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah showed Hezekiah this. When Hezekiah realized his own sin and weaknesses and bowed himself before God, he was able to hear the Word of God. Then that led him to a perfect solution.

Are you listening to the Word of God? Like Hezekiah are you tearing your clothes, putting on sackcloth, and bowing to God? Are you desiring to hear the Word of God and humbly listening to it? If you come before God in that way, God will speak His word to you. Then he will set you free from the problems that you are facing. He will save you from dangerous situations. I pray that you will always depend on the promises of God and experience God’s salvation.