Day of Trouble
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.              Introduction

A.   In 2004 a tsunami hit the coasts of the Indian Ocean and over 150,000 people lost their lives.

                                          i.    Natural disasters take lives every year

                                        ii.    The large number does not compare with the 60 million lives lost in WWII

1.    The shock factor of this tsunami  is how all died at once

B.   In 2 Kings 18-19 we read of 185,000 dying at once

                                          i.    Hezekiah was the king of Judah at the time

                                        ii.    Sennacherib and the Assyrians threatened Judah

1.    Hezekiah offered to pay him but it wasn’t enough

2.    Rabshekah came and spoke to Judah to turn their allegiance over to Sennacherib

                                       iii.    Hezekiah called this a “day of trouble” (19:3)

1.    He prayed to God for deliverance

2.    God sent an angel that smote 185,000 in one night

II.            Satan’s Action

A.   Satan tried to turn Judah away from God through terrorism

                                          i.    He wanted them to comply through fear

1.    We saw him do this to Noah when only 8 were saved

2.    We saw this with Lot and his 2 daughters

3.    We saw this with Elijah feeling he was alone

4.    We saw this with the spies who were afraid of giants

B.   Today, Satan tries to take us away by terrorism as well

                                          i.    America is in trouble with our moral decline

1.    Pornography

2.    LGBT

3.    Abortion

                                        ii.    The church is in trouble

1.    Praise teams

2.    Women usurping authority

3.    Entertainment

                                       iii.    Homes are in trouble

1.    Adultery

2.    Teen pregnancy

3.    Drunkeness

III.           Hezekiah’s reaction

A.   We must react to Satan’s terrorism the same way Hezekiah did

                                          i.    We must turn to prayer in times of trouble

1.    The psalmist needed God near (Psalm 22:11, 46:1)

2.    He understood God was His pavilion (Psalm 27:5)

                                        ii.    A father always listen to the cries of his children

1.    God certainly listens to His children cry out to Him

2.    No one is always with you like God

IV.          God’s satisfaction

A.   Why did God use a dramatic deliverance in this account?

                                          i.    Why not force them to fight for victory as He had before?

1.    Consider Israel conquering the promised land

2.    Consider Gideon and the Midianites

                                        ii.    Sometimes God allows things to get really dark before He delivers

1.    It is like a firework show done at night and not during the day

2.    A dramatic deliverance shows His power

B.   When Sennacherib woke up the next morning he knew he had messed with the wrong god

                                          i.    Hezekiah and the people were reminded they served the right One

                                        ii.    God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5-6)

1.    There is no need to fear man or terrorism today

2.    God is in control of His creation (Job 38:4)

3.    One day His children will have a dramatic deliverance (2 Thess 1:7)

4.    I hope you are on the Lord’s side because the battle belongs to Him