Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Like to turn first of all to Second Chronicles chapter 28 and the 24th verse. Second Chronicles 28, verse 24. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the House of God, and cut in peace the vessels of the House of God, and shut up the doors of the House of the Lord, And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
In the 29th chapter in the first verse.
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five years, 5 and 20 years old, and he reigned 9 and 20 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Ahijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
He in the first year of his reign, and in the first month, opened the doors of the House of the Lord and repaired them.
And he brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together unto the Eastgate. Well, it was on my heart this afternoon just to speak a little bit about Hezekiah and some of the lessons that I believe God was teaching him. But I think it's always interesting to see the setting in which these circumstances are found. God doesn't only teach us the truth by laying down doctrine in his Word, which He does most clearly.
But he sets before us.
Real living people like ourselves, people who had feelings something like we have and who are faced with difficulties similar to those that we face, especially in this our day. And we think of what kind of a father this man, Hezekiah had. Just think of him closing up the doors of the House of the Lord, cutting in pieces that which belonged to the Lord. And so he was living in a very, very difficult day. That is Hezekiah living.
See all this going on? But there's something also that I believe is interesting and that the Spirit of God mentions the name of his mother. And this shows the influence that I have no doubt his mother had upon him. And I just like to say that to those who are sisters, you might feel that because you don't take apart publicly that you don't have the same influence, but you might even have a greater influence.
Because mothers are with their children a lot more.
And perhaps, in spite of all that was going on in his home, here was a mother who had the fear of God before her, and we see the blessing that resulted. Hezekiah is one of the brightest lights in the history of Judah, A man who really sought to act for the Lord. Not perfectly, as we'll learn a little of the lessons in his life, but nevertheless one that really had a desire to please the Lord.
And I like to say this too, don't blame your background.
Don't say I can't help but because things weren't just the way they should be in our home. You know, because you were an individual. You stand before God as an individual. Thank God if someone has helped you. But some of the brightest lights in the Scripture are people who didn't always have the help that they might have even in their home and certainly not in their generation. But nevertheless, if we look to the Lord, we have a perfect example.
Looking to man, we see oh is that, oh is that which faiths?
There's no perfect one, only the Lord himself. And so I would just like to encourage you, dear young people, to have your eyes upon the Lord. Look to him, because if you look at me or some others, you may be disappointed, King David said. I've seen an end of all perfection, but thy commandment is exceeding broad, and that is if you look at man, you will see an end of all perfection. No matter how much you think of anybody, you're going to be disciplined.
If you look at them too much, but if you have your eyes upon the Lord, you'll find in him a perfect object for your heart. And I think that expression, thy commandment is exceeding broad is just the thought that it covers every situation in our lives. The Bible doesn't just tell us how God would have us together. That's a precious thing, how?
We can be saved.
It doesn't just give, shall we say, the highlights, but God is interested in every detail of your life and mine. He knows your background, just as He has recorded us of the background of Hezekiah. You might say, well, it's difficult. It must have been difficult for Hezekiah, but we think of the courage of that man when he came to this possession. We see him.
Immediately it says he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.
And I just like to encourage you, dear young people, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord. You may face criticism, criticism from those that you didn't expect it, but it's a great thing to live our lives before the Lord and make His word that which guides our footsteps. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
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When it says a lamp to my feet, it means that God may just give you light for one step.
But he'll also, in his word, give you light for the whole pathway.
Some of us who are a bit older realize that when we were young we needed certain things to encourage us and help us. But that doesn't mean we don't still need the direction of the Word of God as we get older. We need it for every step of the pathway, regardless of age. For I realize I'm speaking to older ones as well as those who are younger and how precious it is that the Word of God covers every stage of life and suited to.
Every civilization, every culture. The Word of God is unlike any other book. It's written for all times. Just imagine a book, the last page of it written will say 1900 years ago and perfectly suited to the day in which we live. More up to date than the daily newspaper, because it tells us not only conditions as we see them today.
But also, what's going to happen tomorrow?
That is the word of God looks on. And I just like to encourage you, dear young people to value the word of God. Value it, keep it. I always remember our dear old brother Big. He said every time I pick up my Bible, I say precious word of God, precious word of God. It's good for us too. Always think of it as that which gives us all things that pertain unto life and godly.
What I would like to just look at a few little things in Hezekiah's life. If you turn to Isaiah chapter 38, I think it is.
Right. First of all, in 37, I'd just like to read a little 37th of Isaiah, the first verse, and it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, that was a letter railing upon the God of Israel.
He read his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the House of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet.
The son of Amos. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy. For the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. It may be that the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria, his master has sent to reproach the living God.
And will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard.
Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. So the servants of the king of Hezekiah came to Isaiah, and Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master.
Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria hath blasphemy me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Well I I won't read the whole chapter but.
Read 3630 fifth verse.
For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. Then the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 104 score and 5000. And when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Well, we see this great threat that came in life of Hezekiah. When this army came up against him, he felt so helpless. And there may be somebody who's sitting here that you're just in such a position. You feel the odds are all against me. Everything seems to be lined up and going the wrong way. What hope is there? Isn't it nice to see the simple faith of Hezekiah? He turns to the Lord at this time.
And we see how marvelously the Lord came in.
He didn't even have to fight. In fact, the command that the king gave to the ones on the wall was answer him not. And so he just counted on the Lord, and the Lord sent the Angel, just one Angel, and slew 185,000.
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There is nothing too hard for the Lord. It doesn't matter how difficult and impossible a situation might be that you're facing, the Lord is able. The Lord can handle it better than any of us can do. And so we see how well the Lord took care of the situation and delivered His people.
But you know, there come times when God does work miraculously and everything seems to turn out well and we see the Lord working and maybe you can see things like this in your life. There may be some things are just working out nicely in your life and you're just so thankful and so happy, just as Hezekiah must have been at this time. But life is ups and downs. We don't always have things going just happily and so on.
And so God was testing.
Hezekiah here in a time when he was to learn dependence and how the Lord was able to come in now a very personal matter came into his life in the.
In the next chapter, in the 38th chapter, notice how it begins. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto his unto death?
And we see here how.
The Lord had come in so wonderfully in the case of delivering him from this great general and giving deliverance to his people, but now he takes sick and he doesn't understand why perhaps there's been a set back in your life too. You're very discouraged. You think why is the Lord ordered things this way? Why has this happened to me and this was now a test of another kind because this is this is a school of God brethren that we're.
And we never graduate. And God doesn't give any diplomas. No, we don't graduate because we're such sole learners and we have to learn the same lessons over and over again. And so Hezekiah is going to learn a different kind of a lesson. Maybe there's something very personal that's come into your life. Very disappointing, very upsetting, and you cry to the Lord.
And in this case, Hezekiah didn't ask what was the Lord's will.
He thought he knew what was best. Sometimes we think that we know what is best too, and if God would just work out things the way we would like them to work out, that would be the best for us. But it might not. It might not be the best.
We were older, can look back in our lives, and if things had turned out just the way we thought were best at certain times we see they wouldn't have been for good at all. They would have been entirely otherwise. And so isn't it good just to say, Lord, make me willing to accept thy will? I might just mention this. I've mentioned it before, but perhaps it bears repeating. I used to have a little difficulty. Perhaps others do in first Peter 5 and verse 7.
Where it says.
Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.
And you have a care and it's really getting you down and you bring it to the Lord and you carry it away. Again, you say I wanted to leave it there, but I just can't seem to leave it there. But you know, if you notice the context there, it says in the verse before, which is part of the same sentence, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.
That he may exalt you in due time.
Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because the adversary, your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Why do I say the first part of that verse is so important? Well, perhaps I could tell you my own experience when I find it difficult to cast some matter on the Lord.
I just say to myself, and how Gordon, supposing the Lord came to you and said, Gordon, you're not happy the way I've ordered circumstances in your life, I'll change them and I'll make them just the way you'd like them. It's not my will for you, but I have power and I can change them and make them just the way you'd like.
What would I say? What I say, oh Lord, please do that. Or would I say, Lord, help me to accept this situation from thy hand. That's what it means. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. He's mighty. Yes, He could change it. He could make it just the way I'd like, just the way you'd like. But if he has ordered otherwise, would you want him to change it to be your will instead of his?
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I'm sorry to say in this instance.
Hezekiah wanted it his way.
He wanted to live on when God had told him that the time had come when he was going to take him home, if I could use that expression. But he wanted his own way. Brethren, isn't that a lot of our trouble? We want our own way, our own way, and it's not for our good.
We want the Lord's way. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies. So his way is best. And you'll find at least I, I think I could say I have found that when I take that position and say Lord, I accept it.
And I just want Grace to be able to meet at why you can leave the care there.
And Satan doesn't get a victory because it says if we don't, if we don't accept his will. And Satan gets a victory. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh the boat, seeking whom he may devour.
What does the devil do? Well, he always tells us our own way as best. Our own way is best. As someone has said, our natural hearts. There's nothing that we like better than to have our own way.
All we like sheep, have turned astray. We have turned astray. We've got everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Well, so we see Hezekiah desired, he says here in the second verse of this.
Well, I'll read right from the first verse in those days, Hezekiah sick unto death in Isaiah.
The prophet, the son of Amos, came unto him, and said unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live in. Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, Remember now, I beseech thee.
How I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is right in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father. I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will add unto thy days.
15 years and I will deliver thee in this city.
The hand of the king of Syria and I will defend this city.
I believe that we learn in these verses here too a very important thing, that there is such a thing as the real will of God for us, and what perhaps could be called the permitted will of God, because the first message from the Lord to Hezekiah was to set his house in order that the Lord was going to take him home.
But when he pled and asked that the Lord would lengthen out his life, second message also from the Lord added 15 years to his life.
Brethren, do you and I want to live in the real will of God, or do we want to live in the permitted will of God? There is such a thing in our lives because God is over all the circumstances. Absolutely nothing happens by chance in your life and mine. God is over everything. And oh, may the Lord teach us, and I am talking to myself as well as to each one here, that no matter what that we will say, Lord teach me to do.
I will, there will be our desire that we might have His will.
Well, the Lord added the 15 years to Hezekiah's life and.
He delivered the city. He didn't allow the land of Judah to be overrun. In the life of Hezekiah, the Lord was exceedingly good.
And God is good.
Surely we can say like it says, He hath not rewarded us according to our sins. How good He has been to us if we look back on our lives. And surely we can thank Him that He was better to us than all our hopes. He was better to us really. We praise Him for His goodness in so many ways.
But Hezekiah now is raised up and he is restored to health. But there's something I want to notice.
In the 39th chapter.
Perhaps to read from the first verse, and at that time Merodach Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick and was recovered.
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And Hezekiah was glad of them and showed them.
The House of his precious things, the silver and the gold and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the House of his armor, and all that was found in his house, found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men, And from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, Here come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All just in my house have they seen. There is nothing among my treasures.
That I have not showed them.
Well, we see then that these men came from Babylon to hear about the wonder. Perhaps I should mention that the wonder that was done in the land was Hezekiah asked for a sign, and God gave him a sign, and the shadow and the sundial went back, and that was, of course, the most miraculous sign. They had never seen such a thing, nor could have ever seen it if God interfered in the whole universe to make the shadow on the.
Go back. And so they came to see what was done. And Hezekiah doesn't give one bit of credit to the Lord. He talks about it. It was just something that their land was a wonderful land and that he had a lot of treasures that he was protecting and so on. Brethren, what do you and I want to live for? We want to live for our treasures. Do we want to live just that we might have something here in this world? Have a nice smooth path, a nice easy home and things.
Required for us? Is that what we want to live for?
The Lord Jesus said to the early disciples, He said, In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Paul said to the Philippians. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in his name, but also to suffer for his sake. And again we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.
Are are you and I? I can ask myself and you can ask yourself, are we just living to make life easy and pleasurable for ourselves? It seemed that Hezekiah might have wanted to see his life lengthen. Perhaps you noticed the last verse, the eighth verse of this 39th.
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken, He said, Moreover, for there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Are we only thinking of our days?
This speaks to my heart, brethren. Are we only thinking of our days? I think all of us, some of us who are older, can ask this. Or are we preparing the generation to come we find?
The Apostle Paul, at the end of his life, what was he doing still in prison? He didn't have things very easy. All those in Asia had turned away from him. What was he concerned about? Always concerned that Timothy would hold the precious deposit of truth that had been committed to him.
Brethren, are we really anxious for this?
That the truth that God, in His wondrous grace and goodness, has given to us will continue with us, and that we will value it, and that we will walk in it.
Are we just thankful if everything goes well in our day? Is that all that really matters to us?
Perhaps now I'm talking to those of us who are a little older.
No, there's a saying about throwing the torch. And really that's what Paul was doing when we read in Second Timothy. He was, as it were throwing the torch. He was saying to Timothy, Timothy, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be difficult. But if I can help you and cause you to value the things of God and value the truth and walk in it, he said that's my desire for you. That's my desire as I get older. But Hezekiah.
I was only concerned if he could only keep things quiet in his day, in his day. But if the Lord doesn't come, some of the older ones may be taken on.
And that's why I think of you, dear young people. I look at you and I hope you'll value the truth that God has committed to us who are older, that you will value it and that you will walk in it, and that you will seek grace to go on in the path that God has marked out in his precious word. So we see then Hezekiah, as I say, he didn't have a good background because his father was an ungodly man.
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But apparently his mother was a woman of faith.
We see him beginning so nicely. I didn't mention everything, but he had a wonderful Passover in Jerusalem and there was a great revival that took place in his day. It was marvelous what God did. But then God allowed a sickness, something he couldn't understand why it should ever come when he had tried to live to please the Lord. Perhaps you have tried to live to please the Lord in some big disappointment has come. Maybe it's the Lord's will to leave you in the problem and help.
You help you to shine, help you to have a fresh valuation of the truth. And so Hezekiah, when he got well, he seemed to think more of the treasures of his house and more of peace in his own lifetime than the good of the generation to come. Well, may the Lord help us to learn some of these lessons, brethren.
I say these things were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
Now this 40th chapter, I just like to read a little bit of it. Our brother read the last part of it this morning, Isaiah 40 verse one.
Comfort she comforts ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned.
For she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And the voice said, Cry, and he said, What shall?
They cry. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
Oh Zion, that bring us good tidings, Get thee up into the high mountain, O Jerusalem, that bringeth good tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God.
Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand in his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heaven?
With a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains and scales, and the hills in a balance. Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor, hath taught him with whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket.
And are counted as a small dust of the balance. Behold, he taketh.
Up the aisles is a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beast thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.
I'll read a little more after.
Perhaps you were a little puzzled. I think I was when I first read this. Comfort she, comfort she my people. Seth your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
I just wondered why it came together that all that they had gone through double for all their sins. What comfort was there in that?
But I believe, brethren, that the comfort is this, that when we in some measure have learned what I believe the Spirit of God is teaching us here.
And that is what we have further on in the chapter. All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. That's the great lesson that God is seeking to teach us, and it's so hard for us to learn it.
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Someone asked Mr. Darby.
How it was that he had such a great knowledge of the Word? How did he study the word of God?
And his answer was.
I'll just give you 4 words, he said. Study well these 4 words. The flesh profiteth nothing.
You know, that's the thing that we learned in the Bible. It's not like any other book. Any other book will perhaps make you feel good that you have attained, that you know, something that you really can handle, whatever your subject may be.
But the more we read of the Word of God, the more we realize that the flesh profits nothing. Nothing now that is. God is teaching us, and it takes us so long. We have to go through so much to learn this lesson. Not that we ever fully learn it, but the Lord passes us through. Thank God there's a day when we'll see that all this is the first man has come to an end.
And all that was of the second man and last Adam, all that was for the.
Of God's Son that's going to abide forever.
Not surely as we look upon this world, think of the history of the nations nations have come up, come to the.
High extent of glory. And then the nations have fallen again. Some other nation has come forward. We see it over and over again in the history of this world. Nations rise up and then nations come down. Oh, brethren, may we learn this lesson, it says.
All flashes as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. I hope the result of these meetings will be that Christ will become more precious to us. If you have been disappointed in someone, someone that you expected something from and they disappointed you, remember God has allowed that it wasn't a very pleasant experience to be disappointed in someone, perhaps that you look to, but if that has caused you to turn to the Lord.
And see in him the altogether lovely one, the one who has all power, the one who's able for every situation. Then there's a comfort in that, because you won't be looking to man, you'll be looking to the one whom God delights to honor God delights to honor his beloved Son. And so it says in the third verse.
Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough place is plain.
Yeah, we look forward to that time, but God is seeking to teach it to us in some measure now. Every valley shall be exalted. That is in that coming day when our lives pass into review. Maybe those valley experiences, those times when we are really cast down and cast upon the Lord.
Will be the most important times in our lives.
When we learned that the Lord was sufficient, that He is everything, and that He is going to have all the honor.
I've often said when I meet Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego up in the glory, I'd like to ask them, tell me what's the best experience you had when you were living down on this earth?
And I wouldn't be surprised to have them say, oh, it was when we're in the fiery furnace. I said that wasn't that terrifying thing to be tied up and thrown into a fiery furnace all over. They said the Lord walked with us. It was wonderful. We'll never forget it.
And you know, the Lord delights to draw near in those valley experiences. The mountain shall be, the valleys shall be exalted in the mountains where we thought we'd got somewhere and we were really important and we'd climb to the top. It'll be brought low. We'll just see that that.
Only build up our pride and hindered us.
Oh, brethren, there's a day when we're going to see things in the light of God's presence, and he wants us to learn that now. And so the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. The crooked is going to be made straight, the rough places will be made plain.
And all flesh shall see it together. And then the Prophet said, What shall I cry?
He said all flesh is grass and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. I think Isaiah must have expected a different message than that, but that was what he was told to cry.
And he said, The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord shall bloweth upon it in the last part of the eighth verse, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
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May we continue, I say this again, the value, this precious book, may we measure everything in the light of this precious book.
His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. There isn't a question that arises in our life. There isn't a situation that comes whether you're young or whether you're in middle life or whether you're old, that there's not a blessed answer. And what I enjoy is that God not only gives us direct instruction, but He gives us the lives of people, men of like passions with ourselves.
Have often said I sometimes do a little work on my car and I like 2 Things. I like to read the instructions, but I also like it when there's a picture and I can look at the picture and the picture and the instruction go together to me and they help me a great deal. If I just look at the picture, I might just do it right because I might just see all the points. Or if I read the instructions, don't look at the picture.
But God gives us not only instruction in his Word. But I don't.
Believe that there is a single truth in the Word of God, that there isn't a pattern of somebody who went through that kind of an experience and who God showing us, whether they acted wisely or unwisely, what was the result of their actions. Isn't it wonderful there's no book like the Bible?
All fleshes as grass.
The glory of man, and goodliness thereof, is the flower of the field. The grass withereth the flower.
The word of our God shall stand forever. Yes, it tells us forever. O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. And I just have this little thought. I don't know whether everyone has the same thought, but I expect to find a Bible in heaven, and I expect to understand every verse in the Bible that I didn't understand down here.
Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven, and I think God is going to show us what a purpose He had in His Word. Now we know in part, and we prophecy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. If you're having a difficulty with a verse, you'll understand someday. Then shall we know, even as also we are known. And so if you have a difficulty, ask the Lord to show you. Maybe He'll show you now. Maybe He'll show you in six months.
But he'll show us if we're just willing to know his mind and to do his will.
And then we pass on.
The ninth verse O Zion, that bringeth good tidings, get thee up unto the high mountain. O Jerusalem, that bring us good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God, behold the Lord God.
Will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and gather them with his bosom.
And gently lead those that are with young. Here we find, as it were, a note of triumph. Looking forward to the time when everything's going to be set right and the Lord will bring blessing to his people and brethren, isn't it a glorious day to look forward to that we're going to see not a company here, many of us not in the best of health and some of us having heavy burdens on our hearts, but to think that you and I are going to look over.
That vast company of the redeemed in company with our precious savior. And there won't be a person who has a care. There won't be a person that has anything that he doesn't fully enter into and understand what a marvelous scene is ahead of us.
That's what we're waiting for, and God is leading us in his school through these experiences and teaching us. And these two great lessons, I believe are set before us in the life of Hezekiah, set before us in this chapter.
That when we have seen the end of the flesh and then we've seen the power of God, we make plans and we're not always able to carry them out. But as we read in the rest of this chapter, why?
It's talking about the power of God, says the nations are about a drop in the bucket. He weighs the mountains and balances and the hills and scales. That's the great God that we have to deal with.
We think of the little problems that we have, and this is the great God that we have created the universe, who upholds all things by the word of his power. And as he looks down in this room, he calls each one of us by name.
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And he knows everything that we're going through and he cares. And that's what it brings on the end of the chapter.
And says look, look at everything in the world. And then it says here in the 26th verse.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things.
That bringeth out their hosts by number, He calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might. For that he is strong in power, not one, Faileth says. If you see wonderful things in this world, and he weighs the mountains and balances in the hills and the scales, then look up.
Greater telescopes that man make, the more they see the extent of God's vast universe.
And that's the one that cares for you.
Verse 27 verse Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? He says, can you look at all this great display of God's power and then think that he doesn't know about you, doesn't know about those things that are perhaps troubling you at this very moment, those problems that you're facing?
He says, are you saying the Lord doesn't know about these things? All He does know, He does care. He's concerned, He's interested in us all, every detail of our lives. He puts our tears in his bottle. He sees us and is interested in everything in our lives.
And then it says.
In the 28th verse, Hast thou not known, Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?
Sometimes when we have big jobs to do well, we get tired. When is this going to be finished? I wish it was all over.
He doesn't faint, he doesn't get weary, there's no searching of his understanding. And then it says He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the used shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. In other words, it isn't the strength of youth, it isn't the strength of natural energy, it's the strength that he gives.
The strength that he gives and so.
I want to encourage you who are young.
I'm sure that many of you are facing real problems in your life. You're having to make decisions that are going to affect all your life. And I just like to encourage you, dear young people, to commit your way unto the Lord.
Ask Him. Don't take one step alone. What you think may be best may not be the best for you. We were older, I say again. As we look back, we see that if the Lord hadn't stepped in and hindered some of our plans, there would have been a lot worse in our lives.
And He is working things out. And when your life is projected in a coming day, and you see it all in the Lord's presence, do you think you'll regret?
One single instance where you said, Lord, I want to do thy will, even if it's difficult, even if it costs me a few tears, even if I can't understand. Lord, just give me grace. Do you think you'll ever regret those decisions in a coming day? Oh, I plead with you, while you're still young, put the Lord. Put the Lord first in your life.
Seek to give him honor. Life is so short down here as compared with eternity.
There are three positions mentioned in the end of the chapter here.
Mounting up with wings as eagles running and walking. Sometimes I think of these three positions. Seems mounting up with the wings as eagles mean being able to rise up above them and look down on them and be entirely above them. Perhaps something like the thought of what we read in the Revelation being an overcomer. Because there's two ways to face problems, to go down under them or to rise above them. And I believe the overcomer is the one who rises above them. But here we see the three.
And you say, oh, I just can't mount up with a wing as an eagle. Then he says, well run and don't be weary.
Maybe you can't rise up above it, but you can still keep running. You say I can't even keep running. I just, it's really slowed me down. Says they shall walk and not faint.
What a God we have. What a one who is interested in US and cares for us. And then I just like to look at a few little thoughts on this next chapter too.
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We see in the first part of the chapter how there were those who worked together in idolatry, it says in the sixth verse.
They helped everyone, his neighbor and everyone said to his brother, be of good courage. So the Carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith and he smoothed with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying it is ready for the soldering, and he fastened it with nails that it should not be moved. Here's the people of the world working together for something that's of no avail at all.
And don't you find it? And just think how the nations are trying to get together, trying to work out a way that they can make peace in this world, but they're only building idols of their own wisdom and strength. But notice the next verse. But thou, Israel, art my servant, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham by friend.
The 10th verse Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. What a contrast. People getting together to build idols of their own making, thinking that something that they can do by all working together is going to prosper, he said. But that isn't the way we as Christians are.
Are we as Christians, we turn to the Lord and says fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. How can you help your neighbor? How can you help your brother?
Encouraging them in the Lord, encourage him to look to the Lord sometimes when I've been down and some brother or sister said, oh, Gordon, the Lords in control. He's overall, he'll help you, he won't fail you. That was the person that really helped me. He turned me not to not to something that I could do getting all working together in human plan, but to put the Lord first, to follow his direction, to make him.
The one.
Who is the 1St and the last? And so we see in this chapter how God is working. And then I just want to before I close, I just want to notice the 42nd chapter.
Here's the one that we look to.
Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor 'cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruise that read shall he not break? In a smoking flax shall he not quench?
He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have said judgment in the earth, and the Isles shall wait for his law.
Who is this person that is talking about? Well, I know we all know who it is. It's the Lord Jesus. Is he going to get discouraged? No. Is he going to bring about all the councils and purposes of God? You remember how the Lord Jesus, when he was here in his pathway, he quoted this.
Everything was wrong. The people were rejecting him. People were under the Roman yoke at the time. Everything was wrong. Did the Lord fail or be discouraged? No.
He committed everything into his Father's hand. He did his will and they rejected him. They put him to death. They crucified him. Is He going to set everything right? Yes, in his own time and in his own way.
Oh, brethren, what lessons for us. As I say, we learn it in the life of Hezekiah, and we see how, if I might say again, his background was difficult, but he had a purpose. He wanted to please the Lord.
We see how he turned to the Lord in a time of trouble, and the Lord came in so wondrously for him.
But then even after that, even after that, when he was sick, then what the devil couldn't accomplish by bringing up the army of Sennacherib against him, he accomplished just by sickness that took place in his life.
The enemy never gives up.
He never gives up, he's always right there. Take the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand.
You go away from these meetings. I have often thought of how the Lord brought the disciples up onto the Mount of Transfiguration and Peter said it's good to be here. They saw the Lord in his glory. They saw Moses and Elias, they saw a little preview of the Kingdom. But when they came down from the mount, there was a Father who came to them, and his child had an unclean spirit, and they couldn't cast him out.
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And maybe it's going to be so you say, well, I enjoyed the meeting so much, but as soon as I'm just afraid to go back, there's going to be somebody meet me with that problem too as soon as I get back.
And the Lord said, they said to the Lord, why couldn't we cast him out? He said this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. I trust that we enjoy these meetings. I'm sure all of us enjoy the portion the Lord brought before us here this morning occupying us with.
Lord Jesus.
We all have these situations to meet and you say, I just dread going back because there's problems I'm going to have to face. The Lord is able. The Lord cast out the evil spirit and delivered the boy back to his Father. There is nothing too hard for Jesus. There's nothing that he cannot do. But brethren, may we learn what I think is the great lesson in that 40th chapter of Isaiah.
God's all sufficient power and the nothingness of man.
God's all sufficient power and nothingness of man, and when we have learned that in some little measure, then our hearts are comforted.
As Mr. Darby, I believe, was said when we have learned that there's no disappointment and no deluded hope. No disappointment because we didn't expect anything from the first man. No deluded hopes because we expect everything from our blessed and wonderful Savior. He's able for all the situations that we meet in life. He's able for all the big things and the little things. Oh, dear young people.
I want to encourage make the Lord your object.
Seek to make him the one that you set before you.
I know life is full of difficulties and lessons. There's a lot of disappointments and we all have them. But remember Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
Want to encourage you to value your Bible? Turn to the Lord in these problems. Even when others can't help you, the Lord can, and He will give you the grace and the wisdom and the strength that you need. 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. They shall walk and not faint.