2 Kings Chapter 20

Lord, I Need More Time

 

Have you ever found yourself saying- I wish I had more time!

A) There is not enough time in the day or week to get done everything I need to get done.

 

B) Time is a Precious commodity that there just never see’s to be enough of.

 

C) I am sure that there are times when we could call say: Lord I need more time

1) But here is the Question - What would you do if you were given more time – How use it.

 

1 Corinthians  4:1-2

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

 

Now the Word Steward there is house manager

A) Paul was a house manager of the gospel – God had given him the gospel to preach –

 

B) But you also are a Steward a house manager –

1) Work Time

2) Play Time

3) Family Time

4) Free Time – how use it for what purpose

 

C) House manager of our finances –

D) House manager of our gifts and talents and abilities – how are they being used

1) Our glory or God’s glory

2) Our Kingdom or God’s Kingdom

 

E) Listen we are all going to give an account for what we have done with what God gave us

1) Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

 

F) That is what God is looking for – Faithful servants

1) What am I doing with the time that I already have.

 

Now with that as a back drop let’s focus here on 2 Kings 20 – We find a man who asked God for more time and it was granted to him.   RD V.1

A) So the Lord comes to Hezekiah – saw last time he was a very godly King – revival

 

B) Miraculous deliverance from Assyria one Angel killed 185,000 – because Hezekiah prayed

 

So in those days [days after the Revival] Hezekiah was sick and near death.

 

C) Now this text supports the idea that being a godly man/ woman in the midst of times when the HS is moving – does not guarantee immunity from sickness

 

D) When things were going great Hezekiah gets seriously sick – NEAR DEATH!

And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'"

A)Wow! – How would you respond and what would you have to change – Lord said Set house in order.

 

B) Hezekiah was given an advance notice – Most of us are not – Death just comes

1) Days are numbered – we assume – 80yrs – not guaranteed that at all.

 

C) Notice how Hezekiah respondsRD V.2-4

 

I like Hezekiah. Now you have to realize that at this point he’s only thirty nine years old, and he hasn’t had a son as an heir yet, to the throne.

A) Thirty nine’s pretty young, to get the summons from God, “Get your house in order man. It’s all over”.

 

B) Notice Hezekiah’s first reaction to this – He turns to Pray!

1) Did the same with the King of Assyria’ letter

 

C) For Hezekiah – Prayer was a first resort – not a last resort – what about in your life?

1) Plan or Pray? Skeeme? Or Seek the Lord

 

D) I’ve found if you make prayer your first resort, you usually don’t get to the last resort. 

“Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

E) I am so thankful for the men in leadership with me at this Church – who men of Prayer

1) Rarely a decision especially important ones that have not been bathed in prayer.

 

F) Hezekiah was the kind of guy, when anything came up, he prayed about it.

1) That’s what made him such a successful king.

 

Now To our ears, Hezekiah’s prayer might sound a little prideful.

A) Because In it, his focus is on self-justification and his own merits. It is pretty much as if Hezekiah prayed, “Lord, I’ve been such a good boy and you aren’t being fair to me.

 

B) In fact in Isaiah 38 we are given a little more detail to Hezekiah’s Prayer: Isaiah’s account of this event

Isaiah 38:10   I said, "In the prime of my life

I shall go to the gates of Shell;

I am deprived of the remainder of my years."

 

C) “Lord, I haven’t really lived out my life. If I go to the grave now, I’m being cut short.”

 

Now here is what we need to understand: Under the Old Covenant, this was a valid principle on which to approach God.

A) Passages like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 show that under the Old Covenant, blessing and cursing was sent by God on the basis of obedience or disobedience. On that principle, David could write in Psalm 15:1-2 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

 

B) But under the New Covenant we now can approach God on the basis of Christ performance – not our own

1) His righteousness

 

C) SO Hezekiah here is doing that which was consistent with the OT mindset – Lord I have been a good guy

1) We noted in ch.18 – For the most part he was a great King – none like him since David.

 

But I want you to notice that God responds to Hezekiah not really on the basis of his goodness

BUT ON THE BASIS OF HIS BROKENESS

 

4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father:” I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David."'"

 

Several Key things to see here: God responds to Hezekiah because of His tears – Broken

A) God’s heart goes out to the broken hearted

 

B) He gives Hezekiah more than he asked for.

1) 15yrs – didn’t need that many to father a son

2) Promise to Defend the City

 

C) And note the Promise was based on who God was and who David was / not who Hezekiah was

 

D) God works in our lives that same way:

1) Who God is and Who Jesus is –

2) Fact that we are in Christ

 

 As if God was saying – Not doing this because you have been a great guy – [God knows our hearts]

A) Sees the wickedness / selfishness / sees all of that

 

B) God says I am going to do this because you are broken and contrite –

1) Do it for the sake of My Glory and the Glory of my son. The fact that you are in Christ

 

C) God takes it one step further and gives Hezekiah a sign.    RD V.7-11

 

Sun back 10 degrees = 45 minutes

 

Appropriate sign – God giving him more time.

Now this presents an interesting question can our prayers – change the mind of God.

A) Perfect will / Permissive will – Yes

 

B) Example: 1 Samuel – give us a King like the other nations – No don’t need one I am your King

1) We want a man we can see

 

C) Ok – I will give you a King – but know this there will be consequences – here is what that King will do

1) Take your possessions – use your Children – he is going to take more than give –

 

D) Basically saying: He is going to be the opposite of me - Exactly what happened –

 

Children of Israel in the wilderness- We want …..

They were never satisfied -

 

Psalm  106:15 “And He gave them their request,

But sent leanness into their soul.”

 

In the case of Hezekiah – God gave him more time 15yrs – in the first 3 yrs he had a son – heir

A) But that son Manasseh – became the most ungodly King in Judah’s History – Ch. 21 likened to Ahab

 

B) Had he known – He would not have asked for more time – Before we get to 21 – note how Hezekiah used that extra time.

                                      RD V.12-13

One of the strange habits of the human heart is to feel proud about what we receive by grace!

A) When the Lord does something special for us, we are tempted to believe it is about us rather than about him.  

 

B) That is what Hezekiah is doing here. –

 

C) See the purpose of this visit was not just a get well or glad you and doing better visit

1) Babylon was looking for an Ally against Assyria and God had already intervened on Israel’s behalf

 

D) This visit must have been flattering to Hezekiah – for Babylon was a mini super power

1) Where as Judah was just a tiny little kingdom

 

E) So Hezekiah responds by seeking to show off his greatness –

1) A greatness that had everything to do with God and nothing to do with him

 

F) But that is what he fails to recognize.

 

Hezekiah was guilty of a number of sins here.

1) Pride         2 Chronicles 32:25

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.

His heart was filled with Pride because of his wealth

 

2) Not giving credit where credit was due – He doesn’t acknowledge God.

 

2 Chronicles 32:31

 

However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land,

 

Missed opportunity to testify: he could have declared – God’s Glory but he didn’t

 

3) Abusing the gifts God gave him – he gave them to the Babylonians

 

4) Carnal confidence – Putting his trust in an alliance with Babylon – instead of the Lord.

 

Giving into Peer Pressure.   

 

 

Pride – We can all struggle with it. –

 

RD V. 14-21

 

Prophetic – Assyria was the super power

Babylon was on the rise. 100yrs later fulfilled

 

Your Sons – Daniel / Shadrach …….

 

So Hezekiah has a good beginning but not a good end!

A)He asks for more time – Doesn’t use it right

 

B) Misses an opportunity –

1) Misplaced his confidence

 

C) He wanted an HEIR – he gets one – but what a son he will be – 

1) From the perspective of eternity only wonder if Hezekiah felt – I should have died when I had the chance 

 

D) Watch God might just give you what you ask for!

 

CH.21 Manasseh-

 

See next week - Would You Save Him?