No Comfort is Worth Compromise
DON’T STOP RUNNING
After the presentation of the Beautiful and Righteous King who brings his people home (Isaiah 32:1, 33:17, 35), we're caught up in the story of another king in Isaiah 36-39. We're introduced to Hezekiah, who is a relatively good and faithful king of Judah that still suffers from some critical compromises. In his case, first God heals him from sickness (38-39), then God saves Jerusalem from the siege (36-37), and the king STILL responds complacently. He pays a tribute price to broker peace with Assyria (36:1; 2 Kgs 18:13-16), he courts an alliance with Babylon (39:1-4), and he contents himself with his present comfort when he learns of his people's future peril (39:5-8). He’s okay that, “There will be peace and security in my days,” (39:8) even though the total collapse into exile and captivity awaits his people. How disastrous would it be if we thought like this as a church? God’s people should never live complacent lives. We shouldn’t take a breather from faithfulness for any reason. Whether we’re tired from the journey and just want to lie down on the side of the road or we’re so sure we’re going to make it to heaven we just phone things in here on earth. If we want to remain in our city for generations to come, we can’t think like Hezekiah. God’s people should never live complacent lives. Neither the present trouble (36:1) nor the future hope (Is 35) ever justifies our apathy toward living faithfully in God’s world in every way that we can.