My dear friends, now I ask you to please turn in your Bibles there to that passage of Holy Scripture that I read to you in your hearing earlier. If you could turn please to 2 Kings and the 19th chapter. In our week by week ministry through God's Word, we arrive now in this chapter. The time is somewhere near 722 BC, very shortly after it, when Israel in the north fell to the Assyrians. We remember in the previous two chapters we saw Hosea, the very last king of Israel, led into captivity, taken away, put in prison. And then, after that, we see that the people of Israel were surrounded in the various cities, and particularly Samaria, the capital of Israel. And for three years it was besieged. And the Assyrians came in. The people were practically starved to death. The foreign enemy came in just as God said he would if the nation would not obey him. And they came in and they took the people out of the city and deported them forever into foreign lands. And then what the king of Assyria did was, he brought in foreigners into the cities of the ten tribes of Israel in the north, so that it was completely changed forever. The landscape was changed forever, as it were. The people were never again the same. They became the Sumerians, so that in the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he met the woman at the well, the woman from Sychar, there at Jacob's well, he could say to her, you worship that which you know not. God had, we're told in the prophecy of Jeremiah given Israel in the north a bill of divorcement so that they were now no longer his people. We read in Hosea there, don't we, not my people. So the Lord had cut them off. But there was now still Judah in the south with Benjamin. This little nation out of which Jesus Christ the Messiah would come. God has promised that the Saviour would come. from that tribe. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. So after that fall of Israel in the north, Sennacherib, King of Assyria, he seemed unstoppable. And we see him here in this chapter now threatening godly King Hezekiah. Now remember, King Hezekiah is very different from his father Ahaz. His father Ahaz was a very wicked man. He sent many of his sons, we read in Chronicles, into the fire. They worshipped false gods and this was abominable. But God raised up, just in the darkest hour, a young king who was so unlike his father, so different. He feared the living God. In fact, he even took down those high places of false worship. And people were offering up worship to the Almighty God in places not commissioned, not sanctioned by God. They were burning incense and offering up sacrifices in secret high places. And that was forbidden. But Hezekiah had a mighty revival throughout Judah. Do you remember in previous chapters how he even sent letters to Israel? How they ought to keep the Passover, but they laughed him to scorn Israel. And then God sent judgment upon Israel. And now, the Lord is preserving this little nation. This nation where there is a mighty revival. Where there is a reformation even amongst the priests. There is a proper filial fear for God. There's an honor for his commandments. An honor to keep his day. And you know the Lord always blesses a nation that honours him, and a king that honours him. Righteousness, we're told, exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach unto any people. And the Lord will protect. The Lord is going to protect, as we see. It's a wonderful account here how the Lord utterly defeats this enemy, the Assyrian army, and particularly here the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. who is blustering threats against Hezekiah. You remember last time, Sennacherib, the king sent his military commander Rabshaker to the wall of Jerusalem and telling the men that unless they surrendered, unless Judah surrendered, that's Judah and the south surrendered, that they would fall just as Israel did. They would all die. And Eliakim was very concerned that the men would be afraid. But they did return, they returned back to Hezekiah. And this is really where we pick up in the narrative here in verse 1. And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, that's the message back from Eliakim, that this ungodly king of Syria was threatening to utterly overthrow Judah and do as he did Israel in the north, that he, we read here, he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. Now there are a number of things regarding this chapter. Lessons for us. The first thing really is we have a godly response. A right response. When he is posed here, and I think there are many lessons for Christians, those of us who were saved, what do we do when we are faced with great threats? What do we do in our life when there are threats upon us? We should turn to the Lord. And this is what he did. He rent his clothes. There was grief in verse 1, notice. And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it. that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. The grief, as we will see here, is not just for the state of the affairs of things, of this great threat of Sennacherib and the Assyrians and all that he has done, but he is particularly grieved in his heart because God, the God of heaven, has been blasphemed. Dishonour has been slayed against the name of Almighty God. Scorn has been poured upon God, his holy name. I want you to notice, this is very clear in the verse 4, but I want to read from verse 2. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, son of Amos. So Hezekiah goes into the temple and he sends these men to Isaiah the prophet. Now, Isaiah was contemporary at this time. We saw that last time, didn't we? Particularly with regards to chapter 22, chapter 10, and the various events that are taking place. Isaiah plays a very key role in this whole affair, doesn't he? And we'll see it in this chapter. But I want you to notice the burden of Hezekiah's heart, and this tells us so much about what is really going on in this godly man's heart. And I want this to be a particular challenge to us here today. If we think we're Christians, to examine our hearts, what are we most concerned about? What was he most concerned about? Now notice verse 3, And they said unto him, that is, they're speaking here to Isaiah the prophet, when they arrived, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy for the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth. Now notice, this is the message that Hezekiah sends by these messengers to Isaiah. It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshaker whom the king of Assyria, his master, hath sent, now notice, to reproach the living gods, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard." You see his concern. His grief that God has been reproached. His cut to the heart that his God has been insulted. The true and the living God that gives men life and breath and air and everything. The God of heaven who is sustaining even this enemy. Hezekiah was grieved more concerned about the honor of God than the safety of the nation. And that ought to be a great challenge. He was more concerned about God's glory, God's honor, than the fact that God was being mocked He was more concerned about that than his own safety. This ought to be a great challenge. This is a test whether somebody I really believe is saved. When the unbeliever comes and he mocks you and he threatens you, what are you chiefly concerned about? What is your response? Are you concerned? Simply because you've been mocked as a Christian, my friends, it's an honour to suffer for Christ. But you know, we should be cut to the heart when people speak against God. When people blaspheme His name. When God's name is run through the mud. When people slight God's name. A Zakkaiah is so different, no doubt, to the kings and the rulers and the prime ministers of our age. who really have not a thought for God. You know, if they're threatened, they're just concerned about their own case. And they live their lives with not a thought to God who is keeping them. The powers that be, Romans 13, are ordained of God. And you've got men putting their hands on the Bible, and swearing an oath, taking to office, swearing allegiance to God, but have no thought for God. People act out of self-interest. But this is not Hezekiah here. And people even appeal to their electorate on the basis of self-interest. Well, will you elect me? If you elect me, I'll cut tax rates. I'll do this, I'll do that. But nothing about morality. Nothing about honour to God. It seems that God is far from the thoughts of the rulers of this age. Look at the previous kings of Israel. Not a thought for God. God swept them away. But look at this king. So different. His concern is for the honour of God's name. He is broken in heart because God has been insulted. And this is so true even today. It doesn't matter if there's so many when God is blasphemed. Rulers and kings don't care. There's one God. But people don't want to honour God. Man who was made in the image of God. People want abortion. Man who's made in the image of God will destroy the image of God. Dishonour God. We don't mind Same-sex marriage, people say. We don't mind this, we don't mind that. Never mind God, never mind honouring God. And people take his name in vain. Well, if abortion is popular, we'll vote that man in. That's the way society thinks. Not a thought for God. Well, Hezekiah feared God. It was a day of great distress, no doubt. He's seen Israel, far bigger nation, fall. And we read here, this is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy. You see, that was Zevi's heart. For the children have come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth. The picture is like a mother. She's lost strength to bear this child. She has no strength left. It's a picture of a woman in labour. And there's no strength to continue. But what she's grieved about is that the husband has been insulted. Well, Hezekiah here, he seeks the Lord in prayer. Goes into the temple. And this always ought to be our first port of call, my friends. He sends the messengers to Isaiah. But he doesn't stop there. He prays himself. We read in verse 20, as he's praying, a word comes back from Isaiah to him. The Lord has heard thy prayer. Isaiah was praying in the temple while he sent the message. And you know, we must never cease praying. While we live, we must pray. Because the Lord hears prayer. What do you do in trouble, my friend? What do you do every day? Some people only call upon God in the day of trouble. We have those words in Job. Will the wicked always call upon the Lord? Not always, no. Some people only call upon the Lord in the day of trouble. But we should call to the Lord every day. In fact, prayer is praise. We're thanking Him. We're praising Him. We don't just come to him when there's trouble, but when there is trouble, we know we can go to him. The Lord says in his word in Psalm 50 verse 15, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Wonderful verse there. Verse 15 of Psalm 50. In Psalm 55 verse 22, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous, to be moved. Never. Who calls upon the Lord and is not helped? The Lord always helps his people. You and I, we are told, the apostle tells us, by much tribulation shall we enter the kingdom of heaven. But here's the thing. Why does God bring his people through trouble? For our good. To make us better people after the trial. The trial is always meant for our refining. That's the purpose of a trial, that we should come out of the trouble better than when we went into it. It's always the way. We see that here with Hezekiah. The Lord, my friend, is too wise to err, as has been said, too good to be unkind. That's the first thing we see. Then secondly, we see God's response by a reassuring word. It's precious. Verse 6 and 7. We learn first of all, and what we're going to learn from here, is we are not to fear the words of men. Now while men might put threats to us, remember men can only do what God has permitted them to do. Remember that. Verse 6, And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, that's Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard. That's from Sennacherib. With which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. See this was put to him. Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard. Don't be afraid of men's words. And people were threatened. Remember it was Pilate who said to the Lord Jesus, don't you know I have power over you? Don't you know what I can do to you? John 19 verse 10, then Pilate said unto him, speakest thou not unto me? The Lord wouldn't answer him. Knowest not that thou have power to crucify thee? And the Lord said this, thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Do you understand what the Lord Jesus is saying there? Pilate, you've got no power at all. It's God that has given you power. So whatever you do is God's will. We are not to fear the words of men. Is somebody threatening you? Christian? Even Satan? Don't fear. Fear God. That's who you should fear. Fear the Lord. Sennacherib was just a man. That's all he was. A man in God's hand. And all his victories, as we will see, were done because the Lord was allowing it. And even as Hezekiah says, Lord, he had victory. Because they weren't really gods. These other nations, he overthrew their gods, but they never had gods. They weren't real. They were the fictions of men's minds. That's all they were. And it's the Lord, my friend, that we are to fear. Isaiah 51 verse 12, I, even I, am he that comforteth you. Who art thou that thou should be afraid of a man? That word there, man, is not the word Adam, but Enosh. A man truly in his weakness. What is a man? He is but a breath. He is but vapour. And the wicked can suddenly fall as we see Sennacherib fall here. What things are troubling you right now? Do you fear men or do you fear God? It's a command from God's Word to fear nothing. It's disobedience. to fear men. But it's ranked as obedience, not to fear God. To fear God is to honour him, to have a proper filial fear for him. And whatever men might threaten upon you, remember this, it's only because God permits it, if they're able to carry it out. And remember this, that the Lord is able to humble men and the Lord will sometimes allow men to bluster and issue threats and then shame them in the end. Look at Pharaoh. Look at all those of the past. Look at the Lord humbled. Now, I want you to notice in verse 7 there are four promises that Hezekiah is given of God's deliverance from Sennacherib and the Assyrians. Four things we see there. Verse 7, Behold I will send a blast, that's the first upon him, and there shall He shall hear a rumour, second, and shall return, third, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And all of these, by the way, are fulfilled in this very chapter. The first here we consider is the word blast. Now to truly understand what this means, if you go to the parallel passage found in Isaiah 37 and the verse 7. Isaiah 37 and the verse 7. You read there. And if you have a marginal reference, this is why I say, get yourself a Trinitarian Bible Society, a reference Bible with a marginal column. And that's very helpful often, because what you will find there is very often the meaning of either the Hebrew or the Greek. So if you turn there to Isaiah 37, verse 7, it's the same words. Parallel passage, Behold I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and I will return him to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword. So same word. But if you notice in the marginal reference there, it says with regards to this blast, it's a Hebrew word which means ruach, which means a wind or a spirit. And what we find, therefore, if you come back, do you see that in your marginal reference, what you find when you come back to this chapter here, we see this immediately fulfilled. We see, look at verse 8, so Rabshaker returned, verse 8, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libna. He's already, he's gone without Rabshaker. He's full of gusto and go. He thinks he can win this. He's not even got his helper. There's this spirit And it seems that he's got such a tremendous start. He's ready at Libna and he's on his way now to Jerusalem. So the Lord sends this convincing spirit and makes him all the more determined. It's all part of the judicial hardening of the Lord. Then secondly, we notice a rumour. Verse 9, and then when he heard say of So Hakka, king of Ethiopia, this is by the way, when Sennacherib hears of this king of Ethiopia, he hears a rumour. And when he heard say, now whether this was genuine or not we don't know, but he heard a rumour. And how does he respond to this rumour? He has come out to fight against thee, he sent messages again unto Hezekiah saying, thus shall you speak unto Hezekiah. response to this rumor that he hears, elicits an even worse attitude toward God. So that the letter that he sends to Hezekiah is even more blasphemous about God. Which brings the judgment of God upon him. You see how God is working? We read, verse 10, Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trust, deceive thee. Do you see how blasphemous that is? He's saying, your God's a liar. Your God is trying to deceive you. Don't trust in anything. God is behind this, my friend. God will allow men to hear rumours and Let me tell you this, God allows men to hear rumours, sometimes even false rumours. But if you have such a wicked heart to believe that rumour, God will judge you, my friend. He'll judge you. If you don't search the truth out, you're accountable. Don't say, well I heard this rumour, I heard this about the Bible. So and so said, I don't care what somebody else says. You are responsible to read your Bible and to make sure everything you believe is the Word of God. If not, God will judge you, my friend, and send you to hell for your carelessness. Men are liars. All men are liars. He heard a rumour and reminds us that even what we hear, my friend, is ordained by God. There are many instances of such in the Bible. So, his letter is a response to this rumour. Again, whether it's true or not, he lies about God. He says your God is a deceiver. Didn't you notice in verse 11, this letter to Sennacherib, he gives a very long, boasting list of conquests that he's achieved. that Assyria has against the enemies. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them utterly. Thou shalt and shalt thou be delivered, have the gods of the nations." Were they not gods? They were imaginations. So he gives this whole catalogue of achievements. This little proud king, does he not know that all of his successes have been because of God? And even the success over Israel was because of God. Because he said he would bring judgment. What a fool. Well, at any rate, if you look at verse 14, Hezekiah, he takes this blasphemous letter into the house of the Lord. And what does he do? It says he spread it before the Lord. And that's what we should do. We've got a problem. Spread it before the Lord, my friend. Take it to the Lord. There's nothing too big, there's nothing too small for Him. Take it to the Lord in prayer. And He will hear thee. Take it to the Lord. He spread it before the Lord. Remember, that's what Asaph did in Psalm 73. He went into the house of God. And the Lord showed him the end of the wicked. He said, I wouldn't have known this unless I had gone into the house of the Lord. Then the Lord reveals it. Now there are many valuable lessons noticed in prayer. Shall we pick up verse 15? Firstly, I want you to notice, this is tremendous, Hezekiah ascribes glory and honour and power and sovereignty to Almighty God. As he begins his prayer, remember as the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us how to pray, Our Father who art in heaven, Always remember who you're going to. The God of heaven. Hallowed be thy name. That is God. May your name be honoured in all the earth. That's the desire that we should have. And that's the desire that Hezekiah has. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, O Lord God of Israel, thou which dwellest between the cherubims. Now this is very significant. What does this mean? Thou that dwellest between the cherubims. Well, we know the cherubim was over the Ark of the Covenant. And what did the priest have to do? He had to sprinkle blood, the blood of the Lamb, on that mercy seat. And God says, this is where I will commune with you. And so Hezekiah is coming in this way, knowing that it is only by shed blood, knowing that it is only by the grace, and ultimately the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we have any access I mean, God dwells heaven and earth, doesn't he? He says heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool, and the heaven of heavens, we're told in Isaiah 61, cannot contain him. But God particularly dwells between the cherubim. He meets with sinners there, my friend. And this is where he meets us, on account of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Exodus 25-22, the Lord said to Moses, there will I meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from between the two cherubims. Amazing. The cherubims, those angelic beings looking down, gazing. They wouldn't know until Christ came into the world and would sprinkle in heaven that mercy seat with his own blood. And friends, we have access to God our Father because of the Lord Jesus. It's the ark of the covenant. The ark of our Lord Jesus, ultimately. You see, the lesson is this. Hezekiah came as a humble sinner. He didn't say, Oh God, I want you to take notice of all the things that I've just done. All the reforms. No. I come. to this mercy seat. Thou dwellest there. And then he says, verse 16, Lord, bow down thine ear. In other words, this is the language of condescension. Lord, thou art lofty, thou art high. Lord, bow down your ear. It's not saying, God, you can't hear. But Lord, stoop so low to hear my humble prayer and hear me. See the words of the reproach here of Sennacherib, which has sent him to reproach the living God. You see, as he comes to God, this again is his great concern. Lord, men dishonour you. You know, when we go and preach in the open air, our chief burden should not chiefly be that men's souls be saved. I mean, we are desirous for that, surely. But the chief burden should be is that men are strutting up and down this country and in this land as if they're little gods. And they don't give an account to the living God. They don't give glory to God every day. That should break our hearts. That men don't honour God every day. You know, people are not little sinners. But they are monsters of iniquity. And that should trouble us. When we look at sinners, we say, he denies God. Every day. In Isaiah, the prayer is, O Lord, would Thou rend the heavens, come down, make Thy glory known, so that the nations might tremble before Thy presence. My friends, what is lacking even in evangelism and the sad, evangelific churches today is that there is no zeal for God. There's no glory for God. It's all about men. It's all about men being saved and we want men to be saved. But what about God's glory? What about your life, man? Are you living for the glory of God? Are you honoring God in your life? It was all about you and your wants and your needs, my friend. I'm sad to say that is so much of the teaching today. I come to church for my own personal needs, what I can get, rather than what I can give to God. Those aren't Christians. Those aren't Christians. Verse 17, another truth, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations. You see, what does he recognize? Yes, of course, he says, verse 17, they have destroyed the nations. Why? They've cast their gods into the fire. For they were not gods. We sang it in the Psalm 96. Let me say this. Isaiah's theology was correct. Sometimes people insult God in prayer. You hear something like this, Oh God, would you please see what you can do? I know you're quite busy right now. Can you see what you can do? My situation or Lord, I don't know if you know about this situation. I want to tell you, God knows everything. Don't insult him by your prayers. He is the God of omnipotence and omniscience. And He knows you better than you know yourself. And He knows your needs. And your need is to submit to Him. Our prayers should always reflect truth. Let us never offend God with our prayers. And say, Oh God, I know. Do your best. See what you can do. So on. Oh God, I want to tell you about this. Perhaps you haven't noticed. Maybe we ought to take notice of our own lives and where we're not zealous for God. We're told all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4. Something else, look at verse 19. What we see here is Hezekiah's prayer for God to glorify His name in the deliverance of Judah. from the Assyrians. And this is not wrong, there's no contradiction here. He is asking for deliverance. Now therefore, O Lord, our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand. Of course, God is glorified in the deliverance of the people, isn't he? That the kingdoms of the earth may know, here's the reason, that thou art the Lord. Not just our deliverance. But we really want the world to know that you are God. So important, isn't it? That they will honour God. Deliver us, O Lord, for thy name's sake. Now you notice in verse 20, the prayer is heard and answered immediately. Then Isaiah the son of Amos, by the way, he's a long way away, sent to Hezekiah saying, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, that which thou hast prayed unto me against Sennacherib, I have heard. I heard it. I've already heard it. It's a wonderful verse, isn't there, in Isaiah 65 verse 24. And it shall come to pass that before they call, the Lord says, I will answer. And while they're yet speaking, I will hear. My friend, sometimes we go, we've got a big problem, we go to the Lord in prayer, and as we're praying, the Lord's already answered it. How gracious is God. How good is He. And now the Lord, from verse 21 onward, will bring shame and destruction to this ungodly king, Sennacherib, and the nation. And notice the fulfillment. We saw already four things that the Lord will do. This is the word. And notice the language. The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee. She is to go back and to speak. This is the word that is spoken concerning him. You go back and you tell him this. Judah is pictured like a virgin that is helpless. But here's the thing, God is mighty to this helpless virgin. And he comes in, doesn't he? For his people. Verse 22, Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed, and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thy knowledge on high, even against the Holy One of Israel. This is who you've done it to, Sennacherib. And don't think you're going to get away with it now. And we see the messengers come and God asks a question, come down to verse 25. Has thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it, and I have brought it to pass, that thou, notice, Sennacherib shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities. He says in effect, I gave you the power, Sennacherib, to destroy these cities of old. even of Israel. Don't you know that? Has it never crossed your mind? God is the explanation of your success, Sennacherib. And by the way, I'm going to be now the explanation of your defeat. It's all over. I formed it. I did it. Verse 25 and so on. What was the Lord's purpose? but to glorify his name, to chasten Israel, to judge them finally, even to chasten Judah, and to judge the other nations. Come down to verse 27. Now we have some very chilling words, this is inaccurate, from the Lord. But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Some people think God can't see them. But my friend, he knows where you sleep, where you rise up, all about you. And because thy rage against me and thy tumult has come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in my nose. Sennacherib was very used to taking foreign kings by the nose, put a hook in the nose and lead them away. Now the same thing is going to happen to them. It's chilling, isn't it? And my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest. He's going to turn him around. He's come to attack Judah, but God is going to turn him around. there will be the death in his own temple. Now you notice this is the turning around first of all mentioned in verse 7. Now notice what we have in verse 29 to verse 34 here. We have God's reply to Hezekiah. And it's a promise of continuance in the land. So he's going to judge Sennacherib, but there's going to be a continuance of Judah in the land, verse 29. And it shall be a sign unto thee Ye shall eat this year of such things as you grow yourselves, themselves. In other words, I'll make provision from the land and it'll be just as if, because the Assyrians were sending marauding squads, raids into Judah already, burning the fields, stealing from the barns and the farms. But the Lord says, I will provide. And in the second year, that would spring of the same. I'll provide again. In the third year, Sow ye and reap and plant vineyards. It's going to be just like the Assyrians have never been. I'm going to take care of it, says God. I'll provide your needs. Now, notice what follows. First of all, this judgement now, as we seek to draw to a close upon Sennacherib. Verse 33. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return. For I will defend the city, says the Lord, to save it for mine own sake, for my servant David's sake. Now this reminds us of God's promise, doesn't it, to David in 2 Samuel 7 verse 12. Where the Lord said to David, I will put one on thy throne forever. God has promised an everlasting king. David's greatest son. Remember when the two blind men Heard the Lord Jesus. Blind Bartimaeus. There he was blind. He couldn't see. But he was not spiritually blind. Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. He came in time. The father sent his son to wear a crown of thorns. To bear the curse of his people. So that he might be crowned with glory now in heaven. That's where he is. And here, the Lord has said, I've promised to David to put one on my throne forever. And I will fulfill this. I'm going to deliver you because of that covenant promise. The Lord is ever mindful of his covenant. Psalm 111 verse 5. But lastly, I want you to notice verse 35. two things fulfilled immediately. And it came to pass that night, so we've had the blast, and then we've had this promise, and then the provision for the people, and what we find here, the blast, the rumour, and now we have two things fulfilled. And it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out and smoked in the camp of the Assyrians, and 104 score and 5,000. That's 185,000 Assyrians. Didn't kill them all, because we're told here, when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So there were those that survived, including Sennacherib. So many, most of the men probably died. You can't imagine it. In Hemel Enschede, I think we've got over 100,000 people here. Imagine everybody dead. In the whole town and more. That night, one angel, and I mean if one angel can do this, God has myriads of angels. Do you fear men or do you fear God, men? You better fear God. God did it. Sennacherib, remember Rabshaker mocked Judah and said, we'll give you 2,000 horses if you've got men. But now he's lost 185,000 men in one night. Now this is probably not the way we think we might have, personally, how would we have dealt with Sennacherib? How does the Lord deal with him? The Lord doesn't smite Sennacherib that night. And it must have been quite chilling for him. And you'd have thought Sennacherib Would you now worship this God? Instead, what does he do? He goes back home, he departs, and went and dwelt at Nineveh. And we notice what does he do? He goes into his temple and he worshipped his God. Notice verse 37, into the house of Nishrosh, his God. And what happens is, two sons come and they smite him. My, that's irony for you, isn't it? What can his God do for him? Nothing. His God doesn't exist. As we close, just a couple of lessons. Fear God. The true, the living God. Secondly, like Hezekiah, make God's glory your goal. Make God's glory Your chief end. Not yourself. Paul says we don't please ourself anymore. The Christian life is now in Christ. And it's for God's glory. And if you honour Him, He'll take care of you. If you don't honour Him, look at Israel. They were cast away. This is the remnant And there are many people that gather in churches who are not Christians. They don't put God first. They don't honour him. Another lesson, thirdly, is never fear men. The fear of man bringeth a snare. And if you fear men, it's the worst thing you can do. What is a man? He's kept by God. Let me tell you something. It's what we call practical atheism. If you don't believe God is over that man, you are godless. God is over that man. Fourthly, remember we are saved by grace through the righteousness of another. Hezekiah said, Thou O Lord who dwellest between the cherubim. And it's because of that shed blood of Christ. we can come. We could never come were it not of Him. But He has made peace for us and He has made peace for you as a Christian. Shouldn't you be thankful, my friend? And shouldn't you be here every time we meet? You should be. You should want to be. You should want to be. And when you have an issue, it should be your joy to take it to God. Because you know, as we read in verse 20, God will hear the prayer of his people. Amen.