February 6–12

This weekly feature is dedicated to Adventists who are looking for biblical insights into the topics discussed in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly. We post articles which address each lesson as presented in the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, including biblical commentary on them. We hope you find this material helpful and that you will come to know Jesus and His revelation of Himself in His word in profound biblical ways.

 

Lesson 7: “Defeat Of the Assyrians”

In this week’s lesson, I found three points the author makes which are valuable as a guide for us to follow when we encounter challenges. The first is referring to Isaiah 36:18:

Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

The invading king tried to discourage the people by casting doubt on the truthfulness and reliability of their king. He wanted them to doubt the king and surrender out of fear. The devil does the same to us by trying to make us doubt the goodness and power of God in the hopes of causing doubt and discouragement.

How does he do that? Sometimes it is through supposedly religious people who assure us that the Bible does not mean just what it says. They would have us believe that God is not Almighty and in complete control—or that He does not mean just what He says. Or they try to tell us that He is keeping strict records of our life, just waiting for any little mistake as an excuse to cast us off. 

They even like to tell us that simple faith in Jesus is not enough to save, but we must add some kind of behavior improvement to maintain that salvation or risk losing it.

The lesson’s author even appeals to Philippians 2:12, 13 in an apparent effort to do just that. First he asks, “If Hezekiah trusted the Lord so much, why did he put forth so much effort on his own? Did his works negate his faith?”

Then the author appeals to Philippians to support his theory of our work being part of our being saved, so let’s read it:

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Now, read it again.

Did you notice that it is God who is at work in us? Yes, we should obey God in response to His magnificent gift of salvation, but the works we do are in response to the free gift we have already received. If we have to work to earn it—or even to keep it—it is no longer a gift but wages that are due to us because of our effort. Paul makes this point in Romans 4:4, 5:

“Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness”

Too often, “work out your salvation” is emphasized and taken out of context without acknowledging that it is God at work in us.

There are many good Bible commentaries available, and consulting them can give added depth to our understanding of the Bible. I am impressed by the discussion of verse 12 by John Gill, an English theologian born in the late 1600’s. His commentary is too long to include here, but look at how he understands this “work out your salvation”:

“…which is to be understood not in such a sense as though men could obtain and procure for themselves spiritual and eternal salvation by their own works and doings; for such a sense is contrary to the Scriptures…”

And this:

“Moreover, was salvation to be obtained by the works of men, these consequences would follow; the death of Christ would be in vain, boasting would be encouraged in men, they would have whereof to glory, and their obligations to obedience taken from the love of God, and redemption by Christ, would be weakened and destroyed…”

After a long discourse on what those words can not mean, he moves into what they do mean:

“The words may be rendered, ‘work about your salvation’; employ yourselves in things which accompany salvation, and to be performed by all those that expect it, though not to be expected for the performance of them; such as hearing of the word, submission to Gospel ordinances, and a discharge of every branch of moral, spiritual, and evangelical obedience for which the apostle before commends them, and now exhorts them to continue in; to go on in a course of cheerful obedience to the close of their days, believing in Christ, obeying his Gospel, attending constantly to his word and ordinances, and discharging every duty in faith and fear…”

Then, referring to verse 13 and “God at work in you”, Gill says:

“…these internal operations of divine power and grace are not owing to the will of men, nor to any merits of theirs, or are what God is obliged to do, but what flow from his sovereign will and pleasure; who works when, where, and as he pleases, and that for his own glory; and who continues to do so in the hearts of his people; otherwise, notwithstanding the work of grace in them, they would find very little inclination to, and few and faint desires after spiritual things; and less strength to do what is spiritually good; but God of his good pleasure goes on working what is well pleasing in his sight…”

Ephesians 2:10 tells us much the same thing—the good works are created by God and are for us to do in His grace and strength after we have come to salvation.

Point Two

The second point in the lesson to discuss is referring to Isaiah 37:6:

Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

This is one of many times that God tells us “do not fear”. As mortal humans, we will fear things in the physical realm, but God urges us to fear not the things that have eternal weight. In fact, Psalm 23 puts it in terms of sheep trusting their shepherd and not fearing even death.

1 John 4:8 speaks directly to those in Christ: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

In Deuteronomy, Moses recounts to the people their journey, and in 3:22 he tells them not to fear the people of the land as God is fighting for Israel.

In Matthew 10:26-31, Jesus tells us in three different ways not to be afraid.

The Psalms are full of reassurances that we need not fear; and both Isaiah and Jeremiah, even while telling of the coming punishment, are still full of God’s reassurances of “fear not”, for He is fighting for them and will not forget them.

So if you have been warned to be afraid that you could lose your salvation or that God may not really love you, or any other such lie, wouldn’t you rather turn to the infallible and true words of God and believe Him when He tells you “fear not”?

Point Three

The third point from the lesson worth mentioning is where it tells us what Hezekiah did when threatened by the Assyrian, taken from Isaiah 37:14, 15.

Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord…

Here we see two of the most important things we can do when fears and lies threaten our peace and our faith—we should go to God and pray.

Hezekaih may have had his faults, but he knew what to do. He laid out the threats and his fears before the Lord, and he prayed to God. 

How often do we take things to God as a last resort when we have done all we can and find no solution? How much better it would be to start there with all problems—and successes, and failures, and plans—and every part of our lives.

This lesson, although it is mostly another good history lesson, makes a very profound point at the end:

“Summary: In response to the cry of a faithful king, God saved His people and showed who He is: the omnipotent King of Israel who controls the destiny of earth; not only does He destroy those who attempt to destroy His people but He also provides opportunities for others, no matter how “Babylonian,” to become His people.”

Yes, God is omnipotent and almighty and in total control. We don’t understand all He is doing, but we should be certain that He knows and that He is always victorious. We should have no fear about the outcome; there is no serious challenger to God, and to say that there is, and that God could lose to the challenger, is to openly deny that powerful summary of the lesson.