Spiritual Pride and Foolish "Evangelism" [Family Worship lesson in Isaiah 39]

What do we see in God’s response to Hezekiah’s spiritual pride? Isaiah 39 prepares us for the first serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s power is such that we do not advance His interests at all by our own impressiveness, and God’s mercy is such that we may have hope for temporal mercy even when we are being chastened for wicked pride before Him. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.01.03 Hopewell @Home ▫ Isaiah 39

Read Isaiah 39

Questions from the Scripture text: When does this occur (Isaiah 39:1)? Who acts in verse 1? Whose son is he? Of where/what is he king? What two things does he send? To whom? Why? What did Hezekiah think of the envoys (Isaiah 39:2)? What did he show them? What five things, specifically? How much of them? What didn’t he show them? Who goes to King Hezekiah in Isaiah 39:3? Whose envoy is he? What two things does he ask? Which one does Hezekiah answer? What two things does he say in his answer? What does Isaiah ask in Isaiah 39:4? What does Hezekiah answer? From Whom does the prophet now deliver a message (Isaiah 39:5)? How do the words in Isaiah 39:6 relate to the second halves of Isaiah 39:3 and Isaiah 39:4? What will be carried away where? Who else will be carried away (Isaiah 39:7, cf. 2 Kings 24:15)? Where will they end up, there, in Babylon (cf. 2 Kings 25:27–30)? Who speaks to whom in Isaiah 39:8? About Whose Word does he speak? What does he say about this word? What has the Lord promised? For how long (cf. Isaiah 38:5–6)? 

What do we see in God’s response to Hezekiah’s spiritual pride? Isaiah 39 prepares us for the first serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s power is such that we do not advance His interests at all by our own impressiveness, and God’s mercy is such that we may have hope for temporal mercy even when we are being chastened for wicked pride before Him. 

An evangelistic opportunity? We’ve seen this passage before, in another context (2 Kings 20:12–19). In Isaiah 39:1, the letters and the present are instigated by Hezekiah's recovery. The message of the letters themselves is implied by Hezekiah's response to the letters in Isaiah 39:2. Obviously, Babylon desires an ally for its upcoming campaign to overthrow Assyria. But since the instigating event was medical not military, it seems clear that Babylon is looking not only for the alliance of Israel's king but Israel's God.

This makes it more understandable that a man like Hezekiah would do something like what we see in this chapter. He is hoping to advance the fame of YHWH by his own YHWH-given impressiveness. But we must be careful from ever striving for, or being enamored with, our own impressiveness. Pride is the enemy of faith. Hezekiah thought that he was something, but this weakened his felt-necessity to depend upon the Lord. The worst variety of pride is spiritual pride. And understanding Isaiah 39:1-2 rightly, it is probably implied that there is something of a misplaced evangelistic, zeal in Hezekiah’s “show and tell.” In light of Isaiah 39:1, the letters must have mentioned the recovery. It is not difficult to see Hezekiah saying, “what YHWH has done for me, He can also do for Merodach.” But such a presentation of the “gospel” unwittingly offers the Lord as a means to our ends, rather than bringing us into grateful (and delivered) submission to His.

It is the "alone" part of “grace alone, faith alone, and glory of God alone” that is the great difference Maker between spiritual humility and spiritual pride. Hezekiah may have thought that others’ interest in him and his God were an opportunity for him to advance the Lord's Name through his own newfound impressiveness. But it is God alone that is impressive.

Reading Hezekiah’s “tour” in terms, not of temporal pride but of evangelism (and subtle, spiritual pride), also explains why he was unashamed, and even eager, to answer the prophet’s questions in Isaiah 39:3, Isaiah 39:4. He was probably even expecting the equivalent of a "well done my good and faithful servant."

The God Who doesn’t need or make alliances, and doesn’t offer Himself in others’ service. Hezekiah had not fully learned the lesson of Ahaz in his alliance with the Assyrians, or even Hezekiah’s own being brought low by dependence upon anyone else. As the Rabshakeh painfully pointed out, Judah had been brought to the point where there was no help to be found—whether from Egypt or any other source human or purportedly divine. This was a mercy that brought Hezekiah to a point where he refused to make any alliances, because YHWH had brought him to the point where there simply were none to make.

YHWH does not make alliances with other gods or other nations. And we must not let others’ flattery of us, or hope that we can “win one for God” deceive us into false evangelism like Hezekiah’s. We must tell them the truth. Other hopes, helps, or happiness must be abandoned entirely. All creatures, even the most “impressive” men and nations, must submit themselves to His will. He and his power are not on the market for the carrying out of the creature’s will. Do not tell people that the Lord can give them what they want, when having the Lord means having our desires changed to what He wants.

When the Lord has done us good, and other people notice, we must be aware of the spiritual pride that thinks that “this is our opportunity to advance His name.” He does not need our help to advance His name. He is not “grateful” when others think that He might be useful to them. To think that the Lord of heaven and earth, the living and true God, might be useful to a creature is not anything like Spirit-given faith. Indeed, when we hear or write or think or say it out loud, we must realize that this is exactly the opposite of genuine faith.

God’s great and glorious mercy, even in the midst of just and appropriate discipline/chastening. The appropriateness of the Lord's response in Isaiah 39:5-7 can be seen by His prophet's use of Hezekiah’s own words about “all that is in his house” and about “Babylon.” Hezekiah himself seems to recognize that he deserved much worse. Hezekiah was ready to join Babylon in war, but the Lord is instead continuing to him the 15 years of “peace” that were promised (Isaiah 39:8, cf. Isaiah 38:6). Hezekiah realizes that he has not been faithful to depend entirely upon the Lord, but the Lord continues to be “true” (Isaiah 39:8; the core concept of the word is “faithful”) to him.

Indeed, there is even a great mercy at the end of Isaiah 39:7, to which Hezekiah may be responding with gratitude in Isaiah 39:8. This is certainly the view of the Spirit. The whole of the kings material concludes on the hopeful note of 2 Kings 25:27-30, where Jehoiachin is elevated to the palace. Who could read the repetitive unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah in the 1–2 Kings and not see such a conclusion as a great mercy? 

Indeed, when we read the plural of sons in Isaiah 39:7 of our text, we may conclude that the entire royal family who are mentioned in 2 Kings 24:15 are subject to the inexplicable mercy in 2 Kings 25:28-30, where Jehoiachin is not only released from prison, not only brought into the palace, but even elevated above all (!) of the other subordinate kings there.

Responding to God’s power and mercy. How great is the power of God! Let us not think that our impressiveness (even remembering that it comes by His mercy and grace) somehow advances His Name. Let us be full of thankfulness—and of love and zeal to do whatever He has assigned to us. And should others ever be impressed and indicate a desire for Him, let us be plain that coming to Him means renouncing all else. And let us be plain that it is always for submitting to His purposes, lest we somehow think that it is He Who is useful for our own purposes.

And how great is the mercy of God! Even for someone who has committed such a sin, against so much grace, as we see Hezekiah do here, God still shows such covenant mercy! Indeed, the Word of YHWH to Hezekiah was good, as Hezekiah said! And, when we know that we deserve immediate and complete devastation (as Hezekiah deserved), we may hope that His providential response in this world will yet be full of mercy (as it was to Hezekiah). And we are all the more sure, through Christ and His cross, that His ultimate response in eternity is not just greatly merciful but wholly and entirely mercy!

Who has been impressed with you and your Christianity? What temptations does this present to your own heart? And what temptations in how you testify for the Lord (or, possibly/sadly, show yourself as if that is to testify to the Lord)? How is God showing you mercy? How are you responding to that mercy? How are you responding to His ultimate mercy?

Sample prayer:  Lord, like Hezekiah, we are often guilty of being more impressed with Your work in us than we are of You Yourself. Forgive us, for this sin is gross and wicked. Forgive us, for we have even presented to others Your great work in our life but not the infinitely greater work of Christ in His life. Your personal greatness and glory are beyond compare! Forgive us, also, for failing to see just how marvelous Your mercy is in our lives. Indeed, Your providence is so gentle. Forgive us, and give us grace to see rightly, and respond rightly, to Your great power and mercy. Especially in Christ, through Whom we ask it, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP100 “All Earth With Joy” or TPH214 “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above”  

Taking Our Place in God's People and God's Plan [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 108:7–13]

When God seems to have turned against us, where can we find hope? Psalm 108:7–13 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our hope in troubled times is that God has taken us to be His own, and that He ultimately takes the whole world to be His own. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.01.02 Hopewell @Home ▫ Psalm 108:7–13

Read Psalm 108:7–13

Questions from the Scripture text: In what has God spoken (Psalm 108:7a)? What will He do (verse 7b)? What other two things (verse 7c–d)? What two places/peoples belong to Him (Psalm 108:8a)? And what two for honorable use (verse 8b–c)? And what two for more common use (Psalm 108:9a–b)? Who/where else is His (verse 9c)? What will they do? What does David now ask in Psalm 108:10? What is the answer to his question (Psalm 108:11)? But what is the problem, if he is looking forward to the Lord doing this? Why isn’t he looking for help elsewhere (Psalm 108:12)? Of what outcome is he sure (Psalm 108:13)? Through Whom? How?

When God seems to have turned against us, where can we find hope? Psalm 108:7–13 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our hope in troubled times is that God has taken us to be His own, and that He ultimately takes the whole world to be His own. 

Nations gathered in. With Psalm 108:7, David moves from the second half of Psalm 57 to the second half of Psalm 60. Both there and here, God speaks in His holiness. The view of history is the same as in Habakkuk, where God speaks from His holy temple in Habakkuk 2:20. The nations of the world (Psalm 108:9) are His to do is He wishes with them. Although Israel is currently being overrun, from Shechem to Judah He has appointed for Israel places of honor. The geographical progression in the six places from Psalm 108:7-8 recaptures the progress as they entered and took the land.

Although Moab and Edom and Philistia were at times enemies (especially Edom), by combining Psalm 60 with Psalm 57, we better understand what is happening in Psalm 108:9. It is a fulfillment of Psalm 108:3. The nations shall be gathered for the worship of God. So the wash pot and the shoe-holder and the shouting represent in metaphors that time when the nations have been gathered in: God the warrior has returned from His victory, washed up, taking his shoes off, and begins to rejoice at the conclusion of His day.

Moments of trouble between now and then. But just now, David seems to be having some trouble with Edom. Sometimes, from the midst of the sequence of circumstances, it does not immediately appear how glorious and good is the overall event. So zooming out, to consider that God has spoken all of this in His holiness, enables the psalmist to view his current circumstances from the proper perspective.

With this perspective he comes to Psalm 108:10, where the present still seems to be impossible. But now he is asking how this will happen—not from the standpoint of wondering if it will happen at all, but rather presuming that it will happen, and wondering in what way. The answer is obvious, Psalm 108:11, God Himself.

The God in Whose providence we come into trouble is our only hope for bringing us out of it. So, in our lives, we sometimes perceive that God is chastening us. We have harmed ourselves or others, and offended God, by our misconduct—or even just backsliding or negligence. Even in such circumstances, especially in such circumstances, the God who is chastening us is also our only hope.

The only thing we can do is repent; remember His Word and His character and His work; and, turn to Him anew in grateful dependence and obedience. The worst thing that we can do is think that we ourselves can come up with a way of fixing our situation. So there is much hoping in families and in nations: not in the mercy of God to bless righteousness and faithfulness and diligence, but rather the cleverness of the scheme, renewed sincerity of the intention, or renewed fury of effort. And there is much in the churches in the way of man-made “evangelism” (which is no evangelism at all), man-made discipleship, or man-made worship. 

Anything other than repentant dependence (and dependent repentance) is, ultimately, to depend upon the help of men. But, as Psalm 108:12 says, the help of men is useless. Rather, meekly submitting to the Lord, in the things the Lord has said to do, and trusting the Lord Himself to bring about what He has spoken in holiness, we must look to Him alone to deliver us from any trouble. 

Through God, we participate in God’s work. At the end, as Psalm 108:13 confidently confesses, there will be no enemies left. God turns enemies into subjects, whom He treads down in discipline, as He is with David and Israel at the time of the Psalm. Or else, there are those whom He treads down in destruction. Either way, there will be no enemies left. The one will be reconciled and perfected, and the other eliminated from the new heavens and new earth, reserved instead for wrath.

It is to this God, Who is doing this work in the whole of history, that we look. By Him, we may participate faithfully in whatever slice of history He has assigned to us, and whatever privilege or role He has given us within that slice of His work.

What trouble are you in? In Whose providence have you come into it? What is He ultimately doing? How will you be able to acquit yourself well in this part of His doing that? When His plan is finished, what will you be doing with whom?

Sample prayer:  Our gracious and glorious God, we thank You that You have spoken Your plan of redemption in Your holiness. Surely, it shall come to pass. So, we rejoice to come and praise You—to enjoy this foretaste of the great worship assembly of the nations that is the end toward all of history moves forward. Help us now, in this slice of history that You have appointed us. Through You, we hope valiantly to work. And through You, we hope valiantly to worship. Grant us to do so, we ask, through Christ, AMEN!

 Suggested songs: ARP108B “God Spoke in Holiness” or TPH108 “My Heart Is Steadfast, God!” 

Sanctity of Sanctity: Holiness Itself [2023.12.31 Evening Sermon in Leviticus 22]

The holiness of YHWH defines the holiness of His people in an ongoing, living way.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Be What God Made You, Where God Put You [2023.12.31 Morning Sermon in Matthew 5:13–16]

God has made us salt for Himself, so that we mustn't try to be unsalty. And God has placed us where we are, and where we are therefore seen, for Himself; so, we mustn't try to evade notice.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

How We Fell by Free Will [Westminster Shorter Catechism 13—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 13—especially explaining how, by wrong exercise of free will, our first parents fell, and we fell in them.

Q13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 8: Choosing Subjects for Meditation (1) [2023.12.31 Sabbath School Lesson]

Counsel for choosing what to meditate upon, from Scripture, before the Lord(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Sovereign, Genuine, Complete, Impartial Salvation [Family Worship lesson in Romans 10:9–13]

What are some consequences of God’s sovereignty in salvation? Romans 10:9–13 prepares us for the sermon in the midweek prayer meeting. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s sovereign salvation will always include what is needed, will always be completed, and is for every type of needy sinner. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.01.01 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 10:9–13

Read Romans 10:9–13

Questions from the Scripture text: With what do you confess (Romans 10:9)? What should you confess? “In what” do you believe? What should you believe? What will happen if you confess this and believe this? With what does one believe (Romans 10:10)? Unto what? With what is confession made? Unto what? What had already taught this (Romans 10:11)? What cannot happen to the hope of one who hopes in God? For whom is this guaranteed hope sure (Romans 10:12)? What do they have the same one of? And what is He like to them, when they do what? Upon what do they call (Romans 10:13)? What will happen to them?

What are some consequences of God’s sovereignty in salvation? Romans 10:9–13 prepares us for the sermon in the midweek prayer meeting. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s sovereign salvation will always include what is needed, will always be completed, and is for every type of needy sinner. 

God’s sovereign salvation. Romans 10:9 must not be read as saying that we are counted worthy of salvation either by believing or by confessing. We must remember that the apostle was concluding his exposition from Deuteronomy 30:12–14, in which it was the Lord Himself Who brought the Word near and put it in their mouths, and it was the Lord Himself Who brought the Word near and put it in their hearts.

God’s sovereign salvation always includes what is needed. Romans 10:10 makes clear that while these things come there by grace, there is actual believing and actual confessing that is required. A real work of the Lord will produce real responses. We are not called upon to produce the virtue or ability from which our responses come, but we are most certainly called upon to believe. And we are most certainly called upon to confess. The Spirit commands us to engage with the heart and with the mouth.

“With the heart one believes unto righteousness.” Setting the heart upon the resurrected Christ unites us to Him. He is our righteousness in our justification—our right standing before God. And in our sanctification, righteousness of character and conduct also come from Him upon Whom we rest. God doesn’t give anyone either justification or sanctification apart from effectually making them to engage their hearts truly.

Believing is done with the heart and in the heart, at the control center of the man. It involves the intellect, the affections, and the will. The Scripture associates belief here with the resurrection. We must be careful not to make too sharp a distinction (as if we are not to confess the resurrection or not to believe the incarnation and the deity of Christ). Surely, we are both to believe and to confess each truth. But it is our union with a resurrected Christ, Who has atoned for us in His death, and Whose resurrected life is all of our virtue and ability, that we must be intellectually convinced of, and affectionately moved by, and volitionally compelled by.

“With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” In the sentimentalized days in which we live, there is the illusion of much heart-engagement (but n.b. James 1:22, James 1:26). But there is hardly even the appearance of confessing the Lord Jesus. We are to engage with our mouths where the Lord has placed us. The church that received this were expected by the empire to confess that Caesar is lord, but they refused. 

For us, confessing the Lord Jesus must take place in our home, in our ordinary conversations and in family worship. In the congregation, in public worship (that highest form of fellowship that we have), as well as lesser forms of fellowship like socialization. Even in the community, where our confession must not be of whatever the rival lords of our society are, but rather one God who is Lord overall—and that this God and Lord is Jesus Christ Himself. No one should be more careful about how he uses his mouth than a Christian is, his mouth was not only created for the praise of God, but has been redeemed for the confession of Christ.

If we do not believe in the resurrected Christ, and confess His divinity and incarnation, then we are not saved. In His sovereign, saving work, the Lord always gives these. Our believing is into righteousness, and our confessing unto salvation.

God’s sovereign salvation will always be completed. Hoping in Him for salvation will never fail; “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). If by His own sovereign grace, we are believing in Him and confessing Him, we shall surely be saved. The future tense here may sound strange to Christians who are accustomed to refer back to their effectual calling, or their coming to faith, as “getting saved.” 

But while the Bible sometimes uses “salvation” to refer to what Christ did on the cross, and sometimes to what He did by His Spirit in bringing us to Himself, “salvation” in Scripture most often means the full complex of all that goes into saving us, with an emphasis upon the last day and the completion of our salvation. So Romans 13:11 will say “for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

The main point, here, is not merely that it will happen. The point is that it will happen because it depends upon Him. He Who started it will not fail to complete it. In Romans 10:11, the apostle is quoting Isaiah 28:16, which itself refers back to Isaiah 8:13–14. The point in both places (indeed, for the entire first half of Isaiah) is that only YHWH can be a real hope of salvation—and that this hope in Him is absolutely sure. And just as Christ was “the end of the law for righteousness” (cf. Romans 10:4), so now we see here that Christ is “the end of the prophets for salvation.” That is to say that He is God Whom we confess, and upon Whom we believe. We have come into final and full clarity of confessing YHWH, when we confess Jesus Christ as YHWH. We have come into final and full clarity of hoping in God alone for salvation, when we hope in the resurrected Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

God’s sovereign salvation is for every type of needy sinner. Romans 10:12-13 emphasizes something that is repeated many times in both halves of the book of Isaiah, namely that the “whoever believes” from Romans 10:11 applies not just among the Jews but to all the nations (represented here, importantly, under the word “Greek” to refer to non-Jewish nations). 

Here, it is the source of the quote in Romans 10:13 that especially emphasizes the timing at which the literal outpouring of this would be fulfilled. For, the prophet is quoting from the end of Joel 2 about the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh and the Spirit’s life-giving work in which He brings men to call upon the name of the Lord. 

By the time Romans is written, of course, believers have learned that the great day of which Joel spoke has occurred at Pentecost. So, applying Romans 10:13 to the preceding section, the apostle teaches us that Pentecost was a bringing in of the nations into believing and confessing YHWH alone as God and Savior—particularly in identifying YHWH with Jesus. In Jesus, the riches of God's mercy are abundant for a multitude from all the nations (Romans 10:12, cf. Romans 9:23).

Dear reader, confess with your mouth that Jesus is YHWH in the flesh, the only Lord, the one true and living God. And, believe with your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. And, then, be absolutely sure that He Who gave this to be in your heart and in your mouth is rich to save you—to complete your salvation—no matter what your nationality or former culture!

How do your own intellect, affections, and will relate to the glorified God-Man Who sits, even now, upon the throne of glory? How are you confessing the Lordship and incarnation of Christ in family worship and public worship? How are you doing so in your home life, church life, and community life? What difference does it make to you that the faith in your heart and the confession in your mouth have come from the Lord Himself? Of what further saving work does this make you confident?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You that You have brought Your Word near—in our hearts and in our mouths. Grant that we would believe with our whole heart, and that we would be consistent in our confession. Truly, You Who began the good work will be faithful to complete it. Make the confident hope of our hearts to match the certainty that belongs to Your Word and Your character, we ask in Jesus’s Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH517 “I Know Whom I Have Believed”