on our last Lord's Day our pastor
was preaching from the book of Isaiah the prophet and in the
evening he took for his text Isaiah 38 and verse 16 he was
preaching from Hezekiah's prayer of thanksgiving that we have
from verse 9 and his text as I say was verse 16 so I thought
it would be good to continue on to verse 17 this morning I
trust with the Lord's help and blessing Isaiah 38 verse 17 behold
for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul
delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast
all my sins behind thy back. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it
from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind
thy back. King Hezekiah was the great reformer
of the Old Testament. His father was King Ahaz, and
he was a wicked ruler and an idolater. And we read of him,
King Ahab, in 2 Chronicles 28. But he did not that which was
right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father. For he
walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten
images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in
the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the
fire, after the abominations of the heathen. whom the Lord
had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also
and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills and under
every green tree. And we read in that chapter of
how the Lord brought judgments against him. But he sinned yet
more against the Lord. Then in 2 Chronicles 28 verse
22, And in the time of his distress
did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods
of Damascus which smote him, and he said, Because the gods
of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to
them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him,
and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the
vessels of the house of God, and cutting pieces the vessels
of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of
the Lord. And he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem,
and in every several city of Judah he made high places to
burn incense unto other gods. and provoked to anger the Lord
God of his fathers." This was the father of King Hezekiah. This is that King Ahaz. And we note the disdain with
which the scripture speaks of him. This is that King Ahaz. Well, how different was his son,
the good king Hezekiah! We read of him there in 2 Chronicles
29, Hezekiah began to reign when he was 5 and 20 years old, and
he reigned 9 and 20 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right
in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father
had done. Here is an encouragement to those
of us who are not born of believing parents. Grace does not depend
upon parentage. It does not run in the blood.
And we see Hezekiah's zeal for the Lord his God. Again there
in 2 Chronicles 29 verse 3, in the first year of his reign,
in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the
Lord and repaired them. This was the first thing he did
when he came to the throne, in the first year of his reign,
in the first month. And we read of how he commanded
the priests and Levites to sanctify themselves and to sanctify the
house of God. There in 2 Chronicles 29 verse
5, And said unto them, Hear me ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves,
and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and
carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. And so Hezekiah
reinstituted the temple worship and the keeping of the Passover.
And he brought the kingdom of Judah back to the true and proper
worship of Jehovah. And not only did he bring Judah
back to the true worship of God, but he also got rid of all the
false and idolatrous worship that his father had brought in.
In 2 Kings 18, where we read also of King Hezekiah, we read
of him in three places in the Scriptures. In 2 Kings 18 at
verse 4 we read that he removed the high places and break the
images and cut down the groves and break in pieces the brazen
serpent that Moses had made. For unto those days the children
of Israel did burn incense to it. And he called it Nahashtan. Nahashtan. The Hashtan means
a piece of brass, a piece of brass. That serpent of brass,
which Moses had made in the wilderness under the direction of God, it
was for the healing of the Israelites. Ah, but now it had become a snare
to Israel. They had turned it into a holy
relic to be prayed to, to be adored. But Hezekiah gave it
its true and proper name, the Hashtan, the piece of brass.
And he broke it in pieces. You see, he was the great reformer
of the Old Testament and he was motivated by that same Holy Spirit
who was later to motivate the reformers and the Puritans after
him. This man was undoubtedly a Puritan.
He contended for the pure worship of Almighty God. So the service
of the house of the Lord was set in order. We read in 2 Chronicles
29. He was a man of faith. And his faith is commended in
the word of God. For it was a faith which worketh
by love. See how his faith is commended
in 2 Kings 18. He trusted in the Lord God of
Israel. Mark the words. He trusted in
the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among
all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he
claimed to the Lord and departed not from following him. but kept
his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord
was with him, and he prospered, whithersoever he went forth. Ah, but then trouble came. In the same year that the Assyrians
came against Judah and against Jerusalem, the 14th year of his
reign, Hezekiah became sick, and this was a sickness unto
death. Verse one of this 38th chapter
of Isaiah. In those days was Hezekiah sick
unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son
of Amoz, came unto him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord,
set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. We read in this 38th chapter
of Isaiah how Hezekiah prayed and how the Lord heard his prayer
and how he was healed and we have in this chapter the writing
of Hezekiah, king of Judah which had been sick and was recovered
of his sickness. The words of our text then this
morning are a part of that writing which he wrote under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God. And they sum up the experience
of this good man, King Hezekiah. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness. But thou hast in love to my soul
delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast
all my sins behind thy back. And there is that in the experience
of King Hezekiah that is common to the experience of all the
elect of God. And this we shall endeavor to
trace out, I trust, with the Lord's help this morning. Firstly,
we see the turning of peace into bitterness. and bitterness into
peace. And then secondly, we see the
love of God manifested in a deliverance from the pit of corruption, and
we shall consider what that pit of corruption is. And then thirdly,
we see the putting away of sins by the Lord God, which is an
act of infinite grace and mercy. So firstly then we see the turning
of peace into bitterness and bitterness into peace. Behold,
for peace I had great bitterness. Behold, behold, here is something
to be wondered at, here is something worthy of consideration. Behold,
for peace I had great bitterness. At a time when Hezekiah might
have expected peace and prosperity, sudden calamity comes upon him.
He is visited with sickness, and it seems as if God himself
is against him, for the word of God is sent to him, and what
is the message? Thus saith the Lord, set thine
house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. It seems as if all hope is taken
away, for not only is he told thou shalt die but he's told
for thou shalt die and not live there's an emphasis here any
hope that he might survive this sickness is stripped away from
him for thou shalt die and not live he receives the sentence
of death in himself, his peace is turned into bitterness. And
this bitterness is not merely the pain that he felt in his
body. For he speaks of the bitterness
of his soul. He speaks of mourning. He speaks
of being oppressed. He speaks of the life of his
spirit. He speaks of his soul. And he
speaks of his sins. Verse 14. like a crane or a swallow,
so did I chatter. I did mourn as a dove. Mine eyes
fail with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake
for me. What shall I say? He hath both
spoken unto me, and himself hath done it. I shall go softly all
my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things
men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit. so
will thou recover me and make me to live behold for peace i
had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered
it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins
behind thy back you see he speaks of all these
things the bitterness of his soul mourning being oppressed
the life of his spirit he speaks of his soul and he speaks of
his sins And it is in this bitterness of soul that he prays to God,
like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter. Well, this is
not what the world would call prayer, is it? This is not what
the world would call prayer, who are given to vain repetitions
and to liturgy. like a crane or a swallow so
did I chatter I did mourn as a dove out of the bitterness
of his soul he calls upon God and is this not the experience
of all the elect of God they are brought into soul trouble
they are stripped of all hope in themselves thus saith the
Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live
All thoughts of eternity trouble them. Thoughts of God trouble
them. Thoughts of their own mortality trouble them. Asaph knew something
of this soul trouble, didn't he? In Psalm 77 he says, In the
day of my trouble, I sought the Lord. My soul ran in the night
and ceased not. My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled.
I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest
mine eyes waking. I am so troubled that I cannot
speak. Oh, thoughts of God and thoughts
of their sin and thoughts of eternity trouble them. The prophet Isaiah trembled himself,
didn't he, when he saw the glory of Christ. Then said I, woe is
me, I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts, for the voice of God is as it
were heard in the law, and it's sent to the elect sinner's
heart. Thus saith the Lord, set thine
house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Is that not
the voice of the law? The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. and the sentence of death is
as it were written in the elect sinner's heart. Woe is me, for
I am undone! I have transgressed God's law,
and I must stand before that God whose law I have broken. But how can I, who am such a
sinner, such a transgressor of His holy law, stand before Him,
who is the judge of all the earth? Woe is me, for I am undone! And
so the soul of the sinner is brought into great bitterness.
Whereas before he was at peace, at peace with himself, at peace
with the world, at peace with the devil, and at peace with
his own sin. It didn't trouble him. At peace
with hell, with God at war, in sin's dark maze they wander far,
indulge their lust and still go on. as far from God as sheep
can run. And then comes that conviction
of sin and the terrors of a broken law and a guilty conscience. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness. But the words may be interpreted
like this. Behold, In order that I might
obtain a true and lasting peace, I was brought into great bitterness.
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness. Behold, I had great
bitterness that I might obtain peace. So it was in Hezekiah's
case. He was brought into great distress
of soul. And in his distress he sought
the Lord, and from the Lord he received an answer of peace. Then came the word of the Lord
to Isaiah, saying, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord,
the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have
seen thy tears. Behold, I will add unto thy days
fifteen years. and see how Hezekiah was healed
by the application of a lump of figs to the boil. Hezekiah
also, for Isaiah had said, let them take a lump of figs and
lay it for a plaster upon the boil and he shall recover. Now is it not the case with elect
sinners that they are brought into great bitterness, that they
might be brought at last into great peace, such a peace as
the world cannot give. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness. Behold, in order that I might
obtain peace, I had great bitterness. Great bitterness I had in my
soul when I received the sentence of death in my conscience because
of a broken law. Oh, but it was that I might obtain
peace and pardon by Jesus Christ. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith.
And this is the purpose of the law, for by the law is the knowledge
of sin. Where there is the knowledge
of sin, there will be the seeking of the Saviour. therefore being
justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. Hart says there are only sinners
who repent, there are only sinners who repent. Newton says it was
grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. And that is the experience of
all God's elect, when they are dealt with by God. And whereas
there is the sentence of death in the law, for thou shalt die
and not live, there is an answer of peace in the gospel. And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Jesus said. Behold,
for peace I had great bitterness. There is the turning of peace
into bitterness and bitterness into peace. Secondly, we see
the love of God manifested in a deliverance from the pit. But
thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of
corruption. Or as the margin literally renders
it, but thou hast loved my soul from the pit of corruption. Thou
hast loved my soul from the pit of corruption. Hezekiah rejoices
in the love of God which is exhibited in this, that his prayer is answered
and he is saved from death. And we see here that the love
of God is active. It's active. The love of the
Lord our God is not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed
and in truth. Such is his love. He loves from
the pit. Now this is completely contrary,
not only to the Arminian position, but also to the modern, so-called
moderate Calvinist position. The Fullerite, or the Amoralian
position, which says that God loves all men, and sincerely
desires the salvation of all men. Ah, but he doesn't actually
save all men, and he will not actually save all men. The Holy Scriptures teach us
this, that if God loves a soul, then he does not leave that soul
in the pit, no. He loves from the pit. He loves
that soul out of the pit. His love is engaged to deliver
that soul from the pit. Now I like John Trapp's interpretation
here. He says, thou hast embraced my soul out of the corrupting
pit. Now what is that pit of corruption
out of which the soul is delivered that is beloved of God? Well,
I would suggest there are three pits of corruption out of which
the elect are delivered. Firstly, there is the pit of
corruption which is the state of nature or the state of sin. This is the pit into which our
first parents fell when they disobeyed God and brought sin
into the world and into their own hearts. This is the pit into
which we are all born who are the sinful descendants of Adam
and Eve. And this pit is rightly called
a pit of corruption because by the fall, the whole of human
nature has been corrupted. For I know that in me, that is,
in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Our wills are corrupted,
our understanding is corrupted, everything within us is corrupted,
our bodies and our minds are corrupted. And from this pit there is no
escape but by the almighty and efficacious grace of God. Oh,
then there may be some who would try to clamber out of the pit
by their own imagined good works, not because they love God, they
don't love him at all, they hate him, but because they would try
to escape the inevitable consequences of remaining in such a pit. Or
perhaps they would like to appear as not quite as corrupt as their
neighbours. Some use good works as soap boxes
or stepladders to stand on so that they can look around about
them and flatter themselves that they're not as bad as others. But they are still in that pit
of corruption nonetheless. And alas, they cannot bring themselves
out of it. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. No, it is only by the grace and
power of Almighty God that men and women are delivered from
this pit of corruption. See the words of our text, But
thou, but thou, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered
it from the pit of corruption. And this the Lord does for his
people when he regenerates them by his Spirit, he gives them
a new birth. and you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins but God who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace
ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus this is what it
is to be delivered from the pit of corruption that pit which
we are in by nature but thou has delivered my soul from the
pit of corruption even by the new birth and a second pit of
corruption which from which the Lord will deliver his people
is the grave Paul writing under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God says concerning the resurrection of the dead So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is
raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is
raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It
is raised a spiritual body. And the Apostle continues there
in 1 Corinthians 15, For the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible. and we shall be changed for this
corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality
so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and
this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought
to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. William Gadsby
says in his excellent catechism, at the resurrection The bodies
of believers shall be raised like unto the glorious body of
Christ their head. And soul and body be forever
with the Lord in that eternal kingdom of felicity. which God
has prepared for them, when they shall see as they are seen, and
know as they are known, and with one immortal tongue sing to the
glory of rich, free, sovereign grace for ever and ever. Amen. And that our bodies shall be
raised incorruptible, we have an assurance given to us in this,
that Christ is raised from the dead. Jesus is risen from the
dead. This was David's hope and confidence,
wasn't it? For he looked forward to Christ's
resurrection. My flesh also shall rest in hope,
for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption. And this is the hope of all God's
elect. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy
have begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. Through Christ's resurrection
from the dead, all who are in Him shall be fully and finally
delivered from that pit of corruption. which is the grave. Because I
live, ye shall live also. He promises to his dear blood-bought
people and every one of his dear elect shall be able to sing in
a never-ending blessed eternity. Thou hast in love to my soul
delivered it from the pit of corruption. And the third pit of corruption
from which the ransom of the Lord are delivered is the bottomless
pit, or hell. Hell is that place of everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord. This is the pit
from which all the elect of God are ultimately delivered. deliver
him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom, the Gospel
says. And that ransom is none other
than the only begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And
the ransom price? His precious, sinless, sin-atoning
blood. And so Zechariah says, As for
thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy
prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Paul writes to Timothy
and says, for there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for
all to be testified in due time. that word all there refers to
all who are given to Christ in the eternal covenant all for
whom he stood as surety in that covenant and all for whom he
stands as mediator in that eternal covenant of grace out of the
great love which the Lord Jesus bore to his dear elect he paid
the ransom price and so delivered his people from the wrath to
come. As for thee also, by the blood
of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit
wherein is no water. Or as Hezekiah says here, but
thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of
corruption. And we note that this deliverance
from the pit of corruption is owing only and entirely to the
free love of God in Christ Jesus. John says in his first epistle,
1 John 4 verse 9, In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved
God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. The propitiation for our sins. And this brings us to our third
and final point, the putting away of sins by God. For thou hast cast all my sins
behind thy back. For thou hast cast all my sins
behind thy back because of the ransom that is found in the gospel,
the propitiatory death, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because
of that death, that ransom, sin is no more remembered against
the people of God. Now this does not mean that sin
ceases to be sin. It doesn't mean that there will
be no chastening for sin. We're told that quite clearly
in such places as Psalm 89. Psalm 89 verse 30, If his children
forsake my law and walk not in my judgments, if they break my
statutes and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my
lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my
faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." No, it doesn't mean that there
will be no chastening for sin, but it does mean that all the
sins of all those who are in the covenant of grace, that all
those for whom Christ died are forgiven. For thou hast cast
all my sins behind thy back it all springs from the covenant
love and mercy of God and Jeremiah speaks of that new covenant the
covenant of grace and it is stipulated in that new and better and eternal
covenant for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember
their sin no more you know when a thing is cast
behind the back is cast out of sight. And so it is written concerning
all the Israel of God, he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob,
neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Revelation, speaking
of the redeemed, says that they are without fault before the
throne of God. Without fault before the throne
of God. Hezekiah, in the anguish of his
soul, in the bitterness of his soul, he spread himself and all
his sins before God, just as he had done with the threatening
letter that he had received from the messengers of Rabshakee.
who had been sent by the king of Assyria in the previous chapter,
chapter 37, verse 14. And Hezekiah received the letter
from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went
up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. Well,
so now, having received a message from God and being visited with
this sickness, he spreads himself and all his sins before God. Now there are those who cast
their sins behind their own backs. They regard them not. They don't
count them as sins. There is no acknowledgement of
sin and there's no repentance. And those who cast their sins
behind their own backs will find that God has set their iniquities
before Him and even their secret sins in the light of His countenance. And there must be a reckoning
for all these things, for all those sins, even for all those
forgotten sins, who shall give account to Him that is ready
to judge the quick and the dead. But those who freely and frankly
confess their sins before God, with true repentance, shall find
that their sins are freely and frankly forgiven them. David
found this, didn't he? For I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is ever before me. He says in Psalm 51, And what
did Nathan the prophet say to him? The Lord also hath put away
thy sin, thou shalt not die. And Hezekiah found this too,
when he cast himself and all his sins before the face of God. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it
from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind
thy back. And the Lord, our God, has cast
all the sins of all his dear elect behind his back. When did
he do this? Well, he did it when he came
in the person of his only and eternally begotten son. God was
manifest in the flesh. He had a real back, a human back. And in that sinless flesh, he
dealt with the sins of his people. I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. He says in Isaiah, again in chapter
50. I gave my back to the smiters. In the Psalms we read, the ploughers
ploughed upon my back, they made long their furrows. Now these
scriptures were fulfilled in the New Testament where we read
in John chapter 19 verse 1, This is the good news of the Gospel. It centers in the crucified Savior. In conclusion, what will Hezekiah
now do, seeing he is spared and granted another 15 years? Well,
he tells us here, verses 19 and 20, the living, the living, he
shall praise thee as I do this day. The Father to the children
shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me. Therefore we will sing my songs
to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house
of the Lord." Oh, he will praise his God. And he will praise his
God all the days of his life. This the psalmist was unable
to do. Psalm 118 verse 17. I shall not die, but live, and
declare the works of God. The Lord hath chastened me sore,
but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates
of righteousness, I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord. Oh, do
you have a heart to praise the Lord? What has He done for your
soul? Can you say this with Hezekiah? that all your sins are put behind
his back. Is it not the case with every
living child of God, with all those who are quickened by divine
grace, who are granted the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the
living, the living, he shall praise thee as I do this day. Again David says, I waited patiently
for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He
brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry
clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings, and
He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. At the end of the 30th Psalm,
He says, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing,
Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness to
the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks
unto Thee forever. This is that new song which no
man can learn but the redeemed even praise unto our God. May
the Lord bless his word to us each. May he give the hearing
of faith and faith by hearing. May we be enabled by his grace
to live our lives to the praise of the glory of his grace. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered me
from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind
thy back. Amen.