God can cause confusion in the enemy’s camp - 15th May 2008
Today we look at Isaiah 37 and how God delivers his people from the devil’s lies:
When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives."
When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.' "
When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt , was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: "Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.' Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?"
Isaiah 37: 1-13 [NIV]
Lessons:
- When under attack, send for help. Do not be ashamed to ask for prayers from others- the church, your small group, friends, your vicar etc.
- Tell the Lord exactly how you feel and what the enemy is saying
- And here is the best part of God’s response - I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.
- Our God is awesome. He has the power to confuse the enemy when we pray
At the Lord’s word the enemy will retreat but not without a fight. Take note of the enemy’s threats when he retreats! Has it never occurred that sometimes things get worse before they become better? |
