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 souls.

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 a sin. The first 39 chapters are full of prophecies about God’s judgment.

1. GOD JUDGES SIN BEFORE COMFORT

There is no mistake. One has to account for sins. So, Isaiah penned these words of judgment. There were great prophesies of glory that 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 bandaged or treated with olive oil.

God was long-suffering and patient, but the people continued to commit sin. In chapter 39 of Isaiah, something interesting happens in 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 and Hezekiah worried a lot. 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 requests, but it can accompany some problems. 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. He got His request. But alas! 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. Hezekiah invited the Babylonian emissaries while living these extra years to show them all of his wealth. He took them into his own personal treasures and armory. 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.

God rebuked Hezekiah.

Isaiah 39:5-6

5 Then 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, you will loose as plunder all that you showed to enemies with pride. You will lose your kingdom.” 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 says that people also will become slaves along with losing these treasures as plunder.

So naturally, we may think that Hezekiah can become crushed at heart. 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.

See his response:

Isaiah 39:8

So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.” He was not concerned about the judgment. He was satisfied that his days would be happy. I will be able to die in peace and forget about my sons and grandchildren. Oh! What a picture of self-centeredness and selfishness. This is the mindset of the people even in our generation. There is no concern about the children, no mind about the future, just living for the moment, squandering all that God has given.