September 21
Isaiah 37:1-38:22 | PS 65:1-13 | Prov 23:24 | Gal 6:1-18
In the Webster's 1828 dictionary, logic is defined as the "art of thinking and reasoning justly". In Hebrews 11:1, we read the Bible's definition of faith, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". By being a student of Scripture, from cover to cover, and forming a relationship with the One True God, much of our faith is indeed, logical. But while logic is often constrained by the dimensions in which we live and work in, God has no such constraints, and whenever He so chooses can work supernaturally. There is therefore this continuum within all of us, of when we depend more upon human logic and when we rest upon faith. If we were honest, in our day to day lives, much of what we do is done so through our human logic. But faith should not be just for those moments when we spend time in prayer, spend time in His Word, assemble together in fellowship, it should be something that we, in the faith, grasp onto and lean on in our daily lives. When we interact with others, when we share the love of Jesus, there must be that time that we don't make sure that all of our arguments are covered with human logic, but we can step out in belief, knowing that we serve a God, are filled with the Holy Spirit, who is looking to use us mightily as His vessels. Relying on human logic often makes us filled vessels, relying on God enables us to be the empty vessels that He uses.
None of us would ever want to be in the predicament that King Hezekiah finds himself in. The Assyrians were the original terrorists and did unconscionable things to those they conquered. They had already shown themselves powerful destroying anyone and everyone in their path. Now, having taken Israel, and most of the towns of Judah, the ravenous Assyrians surround the walled city of Jerusalem. The people of Judah were completely outmatched, humanly speaking, in terms of the number of fighting men, weaponry, etc. From a human perspective they were without hope. Truth be told, before this event. King Hezekiah did try to act through his logic and pay off the Assyrians, then failed again trying to form an alliance with Egypt (never forget Egypt is a typology of the flesh). With all human logic failing, we read in Isaiah 37:1, "And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord." That is a great start. We then see him seek intercessory prayer, as Hezekiah is in the Temple, he sends his officials to Isaiah in 37:4, "It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ” After this, Hezekiah receives a final threatening letter, from the Assyrian chief of staff, and this is when you see human logic completely abandoned, and complete faith exemplified, as we read in 37:14, "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord." God then spoke through the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah that victory was at hand, and we read the culmination in 37:36, "Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead." Realize that "the angel of the Lord" is a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we continue to walk on this often difficult road of life, may we seriously consider Paul's words in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." We also read in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." What Hezekiah did, and what Paul so strongly exhorts in us, is to step out of the way, rely less on our human intuition, and learn to rely more on God, stepping out in faith, and giving all of the glory where it is deserved, onto God.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: