315: Steve Cheetham - Exhortation: We are the Work of Thine Hand - Ahaz

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to good Chris selfie and talks. I’m Levi. And I’m Chris. And I’m Brian, thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our Daily News feed. We post a new episode at the start of each week, with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you’re about to listen to.

2. 0:33

   And now let’s talk more about this week’s talk. This week’s talk is an exhortation by Brother Steve Cheatham, given in 2007 at the Hashawa Bible Camp here in the States. It’s about Ahaz and I really enjoyed it. It’s an interesting contrast that he makes and he really does a really good job in the first half of the excitation, kind of coloring the Ahaz story and maybe presenting an explanation as to why it was that a has did not trust in the Lord fully. And then that kind of becomes the point of the whole excitation that that we kind of give part of our life, but not all to the Lord.

3. 1:22

   He has a quote in the talk that I really loved that he said we sing to hymn, Take my life and let it be, but we don’t always want it consecrated or separated or given entirely to thee. He said the talk, I guess, is a little bit of a kind of asceticism, stoicism, or maybe an eternal mindset.

4. 1:39

   Just recognizing that we really need to be applying eternity to all of our decisions and our thoughts and all the trials that come upon us and recognizing, you know, that we have, we are on this, you know, we’re experiencing this life only for a small period while we wait for eternity. I really enjoyed this excitation and really excited to share it.

5. 2:01

   Thank you to Chris for digitizing this. This one was a tape that was sent to us, which was exciting. It’s been really fun to kind of bring to life some of these talks that are not online and we hope to be doing more of that in the future. But please do continue sending your suggestions. We get a couple suggestions a week, which is massively helpful.

6. 2:21

   So if you hear a talk, please do send it to us. And if you’re interested in recording an introduction for it yourself, we’d love to post. Would love to involve more people in the introductions for the talk. So here is Steve Cheatham agitation. We are the work of thine hand A has. I have a theory about a has a theory is needed because it’s inexplicable how he could be so callous towards God.

7. 2:52

   Now as your minds are all racing to remember who Ahaz, King of Judah is, I’ll give you a hint. He was the king to whom God gave that tremendous prophecy of Emmanuel as a sign. If you look at Matthew one verse 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of by the Lord, by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us.

8. 3:44

   So when you read that, think of Ahaz king of Judah, and that prophecy was given to him as a sign. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. Obviously he was from a good family, his father. His father was a king named Jotham, and Jotham was a righteous man. Ahaz’s grandfather was also a man of God for the most part.

9. 4:15

   In fact, his grandmother also was from the priestly family of Zadok. And I’m not sure I said that right, but Ahaz was Hezekiah’s father. So we kind of have the family lineage before us. So if you turn to Second Chronicles 28, let’s read the first few verses. Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign. He reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, 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. He made also molten images for Balaam. Moreover, he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He burnt his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

10. 5:14

    He sacrificed also, and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Why? Why would this boy do that? His father and grandfather were both, we would say in the truth, both righteous men. Why would this son be so wicked and so callous? Now my theory, we cry, requires a few things to be seen from the perspective of Ahaz.

11. 5:50

    First off, his grandfather was a good man. He was a good man who happened to be struck down by leprosy when he made a mistake. Remember, Uzziah went in and wanted to offer incense to the Lord, and the leprosy burst forth from his forehead because only the priest could do that. And his grandfather suffered terribly from leprosy till he died. But from Ahaz’s perspective, Grandpa was only trying to show his dedication to God.

12. 6:24

    Grandpa was really trying to serve and and for serving God, Ahaz may have thought he was punished. Ahaz’s father was a king named Jotham. Jotham died at the ripe old age of 41. And you know, he didn’t die in battle. It must have been a disease. It was something sudden. Perhaps his father Jotham had a heart attack.

13. 6:51

    And he’s described as a good man who fear God. And Ahaz would have thought, why did my father have to die? He was a good man. What is this God we’re worshipping? There are also a few other things we should know about Ahaz. The record shows that Ahaz has nothing to do with God, period.

14. 7:18

    Ahaz served. And remember, this is Ahaz, king of Judah. He served every God but the one true God of Israel. If you’re still in Chronicles, Second Chronicles 28, verse 2. For he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He made also molten images for Balaam. Moreover, he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom. And we read this before.

15. 7:44

    You see, he serves every God of all the nations round about. Even some of the gods of the nations who dwelt in Canaan before Israel possessed it. If you look at verse 23 of the same chapter, 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 I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. And finally the prophet who ministered to him was Micah in Micah 6, verse 16.

16. 8:27

    And I’ll read it for you. Micah says this. For the statues of Omri are kept, and all the works of the House of Ahab, and you walk in their councils, that I should make them a desolation. And the inhabitants there are the hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of my people. But if you look in the margin, it says he doth keep, It’s not the people of Israel, but Micah is saying he, Ahaz, doth keep all these wicked things.

17. 9:05

    Another thing we need to know about Ahaz before we get into my theory. It’s clear that he went out, that God went out of his way to save the king. You read everything about Ahaz, King of Judah, and God is always trying to save him, always trying to warn this king, and he’s actually really trying to preserve this king by the end of King Ahaz, King of Judah. This is the divine summary and it’s back again in Second Chronicles 2228, verse 22.

18. 9:48

    At the time of his distress did he trespass Yet the more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. You almost get a sense of exasperation from God that what else can I do for this man? Well, here’s my theory. My theory is that Ahaz saw no benefit to serving God. From his perspective, it just seemed like only bad things happened to those who served Yahweh.

19. 10:25

    His grandfather was struck with leprosy, his dad’s untimely death. He would find, as he did in Damascus, a God who would help him, who would give him benefit, who would give him advantages. And so he sought all the gods around of the nations. He’d find a God more to his liking. A has judged God very harshly and you get the sense as almost bitterly and the way he views Yahweh. And my theory is that because good things did not happen to God’s servants that Ahaz thought, well, there’s no sense serving this God because Ahab did not. Ahaz did not believe.

20. 11:15

    Was it right for Ahaz to expect only good things from God? You know, we just sang a hymn and we tend to miss sing it because of the way that the verses are grouped together as Robin just played for us beautifully. We tend to sing it like this, Take my life and let it be.

21. 11:40

    We don’t realize it continues consecrated Lord to thee. And it’s almost as if we say, Lord, here I am, I’m yours now Just keep it all nice and even, right? Let it be, everything’s good. And that’s not what that hymn is about. As you realize, we sometimes get the idea that we’re surrendering, but leave well enough alone, you know? Only God knows why Jotham died so young, the father of Ahaz. But it was not Ahaz’s prerogative to judge that, or to judge God by the untimely death of his Father. If God took his Father at 3141 or 101, that is God’s right. Jotham and all believers, including us, are God’s vessels. As we just read in Timothy.

22. 12:39

    We have been sanctified by God. We have been consecrated for him to use as He sees fit. Jotham accepted this to you. Take my moments and my days. You know, in First Corinthians, First Corinthians 6 verse 19, Paul writes this 1st Corinthians 6 verse 19. What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.

23. 13:27

    That’s part of the deal. It’s when we start thinking that we are our own to decide what should happen. Then we get into trouble. When we think we know what’s best, That’s when problems come up. And Isaiah 64 I’ll read it to you, Isaiah 64 verse 8 Isaiah looking at the Potter says, but now, O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou our Potter, and we all the work of thine hand. Where Paul in Ephesians 2 verse 5 says, for we are his workmanship.

24. 14:06

    You know, there’s at least two reasons why we received trials, maybe more, but there’s two that are very obvious in Scripture. The one is to prove us, to teach us, to make us stronger, and we received trials for that reason, and we should accept that. The one we have a harder time with, perhaps, is when we suffer things to teach others, to set an example that something happens to me. So you take stock of your life and see where you’re headed. You know, Job suffered some pretty terrible things. It was all because other people needed to be taught. He didn’t understand why, but he accepted it. The Lord gave the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Lord, he says in Job 121 or to his wife in Job 2 verse 10.

25. 15:02

    Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? Think of Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah endured many adversities and it culminated in his death. And all of that happened with the intent to teach others to be a witness to others. He was imprisoned in a horrible pit. He was told to walk 1200 miles and to bury a piece of clothing by the Euphrates River by foot.

26. 15:35

    It seemed crazy to him, but he did it. Ezekiel was, we’re told, was made dumb. He was unable to speak. Another time, as a sign, he was told to lay on his side on the ground for over a year. Both prepare meals, do everything laying on his left side, and when he was done, he was told to lay on his right side for 40 days. It seemed crazy, but he did it.

27. 16:02

    God was using him, and we could fill the whole talk with just examples of where this has happened. God asked a lot of these believers, and they all accepted it. I doubt any of them understood it. They might have thought, well, maybe there’s an easier way to make this point. Maybe instead of laying down for a year and a half, I can just teach in the synagogue. Yeah, but they didn’t.

28. 16:30

    They allowed God to use them as God saw fit. And you know, it wasn’t unreasonable for God to ask that from his, his believer, from his chosen vessel. If you look at Hebrews 11 verse 33, I’m sorry, Hebrews 11, verse 37, they were stoned, they were sown asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.

29. 17:20

    They wandered in deserts and in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth because God asked them to. Now let’s make it a little personal. Don’t you think it’s possible that God uses one of his disciples and allows them to suffer, perhaps an accident, a disease, Because maybe that’s the only way he can bring unity back to an ecclesia? That he can unite an ecclesia or individuals back in prayer and unity?

30. 18:01

    Don’t you think it’s possible that the only way to shake up non believers, to turn them to God is maybe when a loved one is taken? I do.

31. 18:16

    Would you give your life up if that’s what it took for your family to come into the truth? Is it unreasonable for God to ask that of us? You know, I would hate to be so hardened to God, so callous to his angels working in my life, so disrespectful of the signs intended for me that at one time in my life God would say that Steve Cheatham, who ignores everything that God did to turn me around, that was Ahaz.

32. 18:52

    We just sung Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. What saddens me is that Christianity out there teaches that if you serve God, you’ll be materially blessed. Life will be easy, life will be smooth. Just send your check in. Tell that to Jeremiah. Try to convince Ezekiel of that, or John the Baptist. Take my life means that we surrender fully to God willingly, joyfully, like Paul and Silas in prison, that we accept that what happens to us is God’s will, that God uses us as he sees fit and we go with it. Let’s get an example, John 9 verse 3 here’s a poor guy who was blind from birth, John 9 verse one and we’re going to read verse 3.

33. 20:03

    Jesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Now you put yourself in that blind man shoes. His whole life was spent blind because God chose to use him at that moment in time to show the power of His Son.

34. 20:26

    Paul had an affliction. We’re not sure what it was, but it was there to keep Paul in the truth. God could have healed him. God saw it fit that Paul had that affliction because that’s what kept him in the truth. We should not be serving God so we can be blessed in this life.

35. 20:47

    In first Corinthians 3, Paul says in verse 16, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. We destroy this sanctified vessel of the Lord when we fill it with the flesh.

36. 21:21

    Our duty is to bear God’s name, to let God’s character shine through this weak vessel. You see, before you, King Ahaz of Judah never reflected God’s name, and in fact, He defiled God’s temple, the place where God chose to put His name and He filled it with idols. And finally, He has to make His point clear. He locks the doors of the temple once and for all. The one place on earth where God chose to put His name and He locked the door.

37. 21:58

    No one would enter that place. Look at Acts 9 verse 15. What does Paul say? Acts 9, verse 15 But the Lord said unto me, Go thy way. For he this is talking about Paul is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel, For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

38. 22:37

    Here Paul bears God’s name to the Gentiles. He’s called a chosen vessel. It was anything but easy. 2nd Corinthians 4I mean look at how he describes himself and his companions. He says we are troubled on every side, we’re perplexed, we’re persecuted, we’re cast down, always delivered to death. That was how God chose to use that vessel. Paul lived a hard life.

39. 23:09

    Yet in 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 17, he goes on and says this 2nd Corinthians 417 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which you’re seen, but at the things which you’re not seen.

40. 23:38

    For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which you’re not seen or eternal. No matter how bad things got for Paul, his hope was in God. His desires for the promises to be fulfilled is what kept him, what kept him golly, what gave him strength. Weymouth translates his verse. I like the way he does it.

41. 24:05

    Weymouth translates what Paul wrote this way. Our life affliction and transitory burden of suffering is achieving for us a vastly preponderating and eternal weight of glory. I don’t like preponderating, but I do like how he describes life as transitory, as a light affliction. It’s temporal. You know, it’s very helpful when we view life, the problems we suffer, the burdens we carry as transitory.

42. 24:41

    God has said all things. God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. All things work for good. Do we believe that? It’s easy to be faithful, isn’t it, When things are going well, when things are smooth, when life is good? But really it’s only in trials and difficulties, in sadness.

43. 25:08

    Their faith is really revealed in Second Chronicles Chapter 7, verse 14. Second Chronicles 7, verse 14. If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sins and heal their land. Solomon here is told of the great blessings that come to those who bear God’s name, and they are, but not in this life in Micah.

44. 26:03

    Back to the prophet of Ahaz, Micah 4 verse 5. I’ll read it for you. For all people will walk everyone in the name of his God, and will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. That may not mean a lot, but remember Monday is the prophet, the king Ahaz, and he shows the same hope and promise to the king.

45. 26:29

    He says, Ahaz, if you walk in God’s name, turn yourself along, things will be different. How important it is to walk in God’s name, to bear his character, to reflect his glory. Life is transitory. This isn’t a resting place. You know in that lesson never sunk in that he has, He has never, ever viewed himself as the servant, as the clay in God’s hands. And you think of the irony of that. The king whom God revealed, the Emmanuel prophecy, God’s Son with us, the one who would be hailed blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

46. 27:15

    This king would reject God and refuse to bear the name of God till the bitter end. In the British Museum, there’s a tablet describing the tribute received by the Assyrian king Tiglath to the user, and it’s the tribute that this king received from all the nations round about. These would include nations like Edom and Moab Abben, and from Yehlahas in Judah. That’s right, God’s name was associated with Ahaz. He was called Yehlahas, Yahweh.

47. 28:04

    That’s a prefix to his name. And you think how sad it is that because of his wickedness, because of his failure to seek God, Scripture never refers to him as Jehovah has. God refuses to have his name associated with its king because of his wickedness. Come follow me, Jesus says to us. The road may not always be easy, but it’s a road worth travelling in the bread and the line before us. Let us say in each symbol, it’s the Son of man who endured all, who gave all to save us.

48. 28:54

    We’ll end it with what Paul exhorted the Hebrews in in Hebrews 12 verse 1, he says. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every incomparance, the sin which so easily entangled us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith, who for the jewelry set before him and toward the cross the spot of the machine, and the sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Thank you for listening to the good Chris Adelphian Talks podcast.

49. 29:52

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50. 30:09

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51. 30:42

    God bless and talk to you next week.