Preschool
I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6
God Speaks
Memory Verses
Primary
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Junior
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Background Scripture: 2 Kings 19
Lesson Scripture: 2 Kings 19:20–34
Introduction
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Prov. 25:25). There is nothing in this life, with all its clamor and confusion, that is more comforting than the voice of God.
Modern man, in pride and independence, questions and challenges the Word of God and the old traditions. While this finds support with liberal thinkers, it also brings confusion to many people. What is God’s will in the complex questions and errant trends of our day? Our lesson reminds us that God speaks! The truths of his Word are forever established. Man can attempt to subtract from, add to, or change the Word of God, but what God has spoken will stand. What He speaks today by his Spirit is based in the eternal Word.
Key Verse
Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it (Isa. 46:11).
Lesson Scripture
2 Kings 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
21 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.
24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.
25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.
26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.
30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.
32 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall nor come into this city, saith the Lord.
34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
Studying the Lesson
Hezekiah reigned in a troubled time. His father was an ungodly king, and Israel had fallen into idol worship. Hezekiah turned to the Lord and began a revival, removing the high places, breaking down the images, and destroying the brass serpent that Moses had made. He trusted and obeyed the Lord, and the Lord blessed and prospered his ways.
Then he received a threatening letter from Sennacherib, who reminded Hezekiah of the Assyrians’ great power and of all they had conquered. Furthermore, he blasphemed God, taking his accomplishments to himself, saying God would be unable to save Israel.
In distress, Hezekiah turned to God. He acknowledged the Assyrians’ power, but he also acknowledged that the gods that were overcome by Sennacherib were no true gods but the works of man. He laid Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord with a simple prayer, “O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand” (2 Kings 19:19).
God heard Hezekiah’s cry and sent a clear message to him through Isaiah. God reminded Sennacherib who really was the power behind their successes and why he was able to overcome many nations. The pride of his heart had deceived him; he had lifted himself up against the Holy One of Israel. God spoke judgment against Sennacherib and his ambitions. His campaign against Israel failed, many of his soldiers were slain while they slept, and Sennacherib was killed by his own son. God, in righteousness, could not pass over the self-exaltation of the Assyrians. “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” (2 Thess. 1:6). What God said, He also brought to pass.
God also spoke a blessing on Israel. They would again enjoy peace and prosperity; they would take root and bear fruit. There is no power on earth that can stand against the spoken Word of God, which is the final authority.
Practical Truths for Today
As in Hezekiah’s day, the camp of the saints is being surrounded. Satan is seeking an inroad into the hearts of the believers, wanting to destroy the faith and the church. Satan’s question, “Hath God said?” is being used in the world today with great success. Man, in pride, openly challenges the Word of God, seeking to create doubt in the validity of God’s judgment on sin. Peter wrote, “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? (2 Pet. 3:3–4). These are certainly the last days.
Man has gained much knowledge and has exalted himself with his accomplishments to the point that he thinks anything is within his reach. He pushes on the bounds that God has set, searches for extraterrestrial life, and meddles with the germ of life itself. This spirit glibly and routinely questions God and his Word. In some instances, man has attempted to create life and has taken into his own hands when life ends. Man is ignoring that God alone has created life and maintains it in his providence.
These ungodly attitudes affect the child of God. With the advance of technology, there have been changes in how certain things are viewed and used. With these changes we may think we have better light than our fathers; however, things of the flesh that were sinful in the past are just as sinful today. Should we take liberties in accepting things of the world that make room for the flesh, it may bring a certain freedom that is claimed to be true freedom; in reality, this freedom is a lack of self-denial. It is not accepting the full weight of the cross of Christ. People can try to make more room for the flesh, but they can never change God’s Word.
In this unbridled environment, Christians must listen for the voice of God. His message is the same as in ages past. As circumstances change, we accept some changes in practice, but God’s voice is unchanging. The principles of the faith stand unmovable. When questions of practice arise, God’s children will quietly wait for Him to speak, trusting that his message will come. Fear and uncertainty can obscure the voice of God, but when our will is surrendered to God, his voice is clear. We need not fear that God will leave us without direction. “God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (Heb. 1:1–2). He has spoken to us by his Son, and the Bible is God’s answer to all our questions. When we seek a message from God to address our personal need, God may use his Word directly to us or He may answer our question through his church.
The church is the precious bride of Christ; He will not leave her without direction. Even though she may be challenged, He will always send his light to guide her. We find security in the church’s interpretation of Scripture. Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20). If I feel God is speaking to me but it is different than the light of the church, I must surrender my understanding to God and my brethren. When God speaks, it always brings unity and warmth in our spirit. What God speaks to an individual always witnesses to his people collectively. God’s voice does not bring confusion, but light and direction. May we have the spirit of Samuel, “Speak; for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:10).
Questions
- How do I discern God’s voice when my convictions differ from my brethren?
- If it seems God is not speaking, how do I determine if He wants me to wait in faith or if I am not hearing what He is saying?
- How much personal conviction should young Christians have? How much can they rely on the voice of the church and their parents?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).