The Comfort Series

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INTRODUCTION

God communicates to us in various ways. Throughout the Bible we find God guiding and leading his people. Sometimes God even pronounces harsh punishments and corrects his children. You see, God does everything in love, so there is always hope and comfort in God’s words. In a comfortless world, the comfort of God is the only relief and soothing to our soul.

This morning we are going to see the message of comfort God spoke through Isaiah.

Isaiah lived in the city of Jerusalem over 700 years before Christ. The people of Israel were in bad ways – spiritually and morally. These were days of great idolatry and wickedness. There were a series of wicked kings, and these were dark days.

Isaiah’s heart was hurt. Isaiah 6:5 “How terrible it is for me!” I cried out. “I’m about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. People committed sin and the first part of the book of Isaiah, the first 39 chapters are filled with prophesies of God’s judgement.

1. God Judges Sin

Make no mistake about it, sin must be answered for, so Isaiah penned words of judgement. There were great prophesies of glory which came through from time to time in the first 39 chapters. But in those chapters Isaiah preached more about sin, and he compared the sins of the people to wounds, cuts, and open sores.

Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. There isn’t a healthy spot on your body from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. There are only wounds, cuts, and open sores. They haven’t been cleaned up or bandaged or treated with olive oil.

God was longsuffering and patient, but the people continued to commit sin. In chapter 39 of Isaiah, something interesting happens with connection to King Hezekiah. Hezekiah had become sick, and he was about to die but he did not want to die. As a matter of fact, no one wants to die but Hezekiah was really worried over the fact that he was dying. So, he was praying and pleading with God to extend his life. God granted him some more years of his life.

2. Be Careful What You Pray For

We need to be sure that we are praying in the will of God. The Bible teaches us that God sometimes grants our request, but it can accompany some problems alongside. Psalm 106:15 NKJV And He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul. This was the case to some degree with King Hezekiah. His request was granted, but oh! It was not a great time for the king.

We find in chapter 39 that the king of Babylon had sent letters to Hezekiah. We can call them get well cards in the present day. The King of Babylon sent an emissary and Hezekiah who had been promised these extra years invited the Babylonian emissaries and showed them all of his wealth. He took them into his own personal treasures and armoury. He showed them his intercontinental missiles and nuclear warheads. Here Hezekiah was forgetting that he did not pile up all of these treasures and blessings. He was forgetting the source of the blessings. These things have been provided by God. It is only by God’s blessings that we have the prosperity which we enjoy.

Hezekiah was rebuked by God. Isaiah 39:5-6 5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 6‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the LORD.

That is a devastating message from the Lord. God is saying, “Oh! Hezekiah, the day is coming when all these treasures that you showed with a heart with some pride to the enemy, all of these things are going to be plundered from your kingdom. Your kingdom is going to be conquered.” The Lord is pronouncing more. Isaiah 39:7 And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. God is telling people also will be taking captive along with their treasures.

Naturally anyone would think Hezekiah’s heart would be crushed. You may think that now he would be in tears before God like Hezekiah was when he knew he would die and pleaded for his life, but that was not the case.