“The Flood of the Enemy” Isaiah 59:19. Feb. 23,2020 @C.F.
Scripture: Is. 59:19 and 2 Kings 19 also it’s found in 2 Chronicles 31
Introduction:
The world today is confusing, for good people are called bad and bad people are called good. Chaos ruling many lives. Deception is everywhere in the world.
So as Christians it is extremely nice to have someone that we can anchor our faith to that has infinite power and knowledge.
As it says in Romans if God be for us WHO can be against us? For today’s Christian it’s a win win situation. Our victory has always been assured.
God has assured us in Isaiah 59:19 When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
Transitional:
In Deuteronomy 28 God declares blessings of obedience and curses to the disobedient and we know God keeps his word.
Israel in Isaiah’s time was extremely disobedient people. God already declared what would happen to the disobedient.
Deuteronomy 28:25 (NKJV): The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Judah followed after God and are going to look into both this morning.
Turn to 2 Kings 18:11-12
I. The Consequences of Disobeying the Truth:
1) Backdrop to these verses In 2 Kings 17 God warned King Hoshea and Israel to turn from their wicked ways.
2) There will always be consequences for sinning against God
3) Here is where Assyria took captive of Israel and reason is found in 2 Kings 18:12 (NKJV): 12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.
4) Sennacherib came and defeated all them.
5) God would not raise a standard against their enemies.
6) Time and time against you read the disobedience of Israel and the consequences that always followed.
Transitional:
God always comes to the aid of those who wholly follow the Lord their God.
II. Obedience always comes with a blessing attached to it:
1) Deuteronomy 28:1–2 (NKJV): Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
2) Furthermore In Deuteronomy 28:7 (NKJV): The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
3) 2 Chronicles 31:20–21 (NKJV): Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
4) So He Prospered, what we learn from these passages is that following God with all our hearts comes with obvious benefits.
5) Check the promise of God to Hezekiah for his obedience.
6) Here is where God keeps his promises.
Transitional:
Furthermore in Isaiah 59:19
III. When the enemy comes in like mighty rushing river The Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him causing him to flee:
1) Isaiah 59:19 When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
2) When Isaiah penned this verse by the inspiration of the a Holy Spirit, he was referring to King Sennacherib and King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19 and 2 Chronicles 32.
3) Sennacherib king of Assyria came in like a flood but the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a barrier against him causing him to flee.
4) As Paul Harvey use to say and Here’s the rest of the story.
5) Such is the case with King Sennacherib of Assyria who made a mockery of the power of God to defend Israel.
6) Here is God’s response 2 Kings 19:5–7 (NKJV): So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send a spirit 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.” ’ ”
7) The God of Israel further said through Isaiah to Hezekiah regarding Sennacherib, in 2 Kings 19:28 (NKJV): Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came.
8) 2 Kings 19:32–34 (NKJV): Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,’ Says the Lord. 34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ”
9) Here is the standard of the Lord raised against Sennacherib In 2 Kings 19:35–36 (NKJV): And it came to pass on a certain night that 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. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed
10) In 2 Kings 19:37 Sennacherib own sons killed him with the sword.
11) When God speaks it comes to pass. When God makes a promise.
12) All this God did because one man named Hezekiah followed Him with all his heart and came to the Lord with his problem.
13) When Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir came against Israel.
14) Jehoshaphat trusted in the lord with all his heart and came to the lord in prayer.
15) 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NKJV): Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16) Uncle Buddy Robison said that the promises of God are so sure that you can stretch them as thin as tissue paper and do backflips on it over the fires of hell.
17) Jonathan Evans said of this in his eulogy at his moms funeral.
18) I thought it was great to repeat it here this morning.
19) “Because victory was already given to your mom. You don’t understand because of the victory that I have given you.
20) “There was always only two answers to your prayers—either she was going to be healed or she was going to be healed.
21) Either she was going to live or she was going to live. Either she was going to be with family or she was going to be with family.
22) Either she was going to be well taken care of or she was going to be well taken care of. Victory belongs to Me because of what I’ve already done for you.
23) The two answers to your prayer are yes and yes. Because victory belongs to Jesus.”
