WHAT KIND OF STAFF ARE YOU LEANING ON?
Isaiah 36:6a Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it!
The Assyrian army had defeated Northern Israel, and now they were threatening to conquer the Southern Kingdom. King Hezekiah of the Southern Kingdom had prepared fortified cities in Judah, but they had been captured. Now the Assyrian army had its eyes on Jerusalem. Hezekiah knew that without help it would only be a matter of time, and the Assyrians would penetrate the walls of Jerusalem or simply starve them out. Because of his he decided to try to get help from Egypt. After all Egypt was much larger, and with their help maybe he could save Jerusalem and God’s temple. This is when the king of Assyria not only challenged King Hezekiah's judgment about trusting in Egypt to help them, but that Hezekiah had tore down the high places and altars of their idols. And if that was not enough to make Hezekiah surrender, the king of Assyria told him that the Lord himself to him to march on Jerusalem.
Now God may have told Sennacherib king of Assyria to march on Israel, but it wasn’t to win as much as to cause Hezekiah to trust in the Lord. When King Hezekiah did trust in the Lord, the Lord sent an angel and killed 185,000 Assyrians that were camped around Jerusalem. God had shown King Hezekiah and all Jerusalem that the Lord is Almighty God, and is more than able to protect them.
Today’s verse was one of John Wesley’s favorite verses to preach on. He would confront his listeners regarding who or what they were depending on for their needs, certainly their salvation. John Wesley preached salvation comes by having faith in the grace offered by Jesus’ atonement. Wesley would even go so far as to say that if people trusted in their baptism, it was a splintered reed of a staff that would pierce their hand if they leaned on it. By this he meant that baptism is an outward sign of the inward grace that only Jesus can bring. It would splinter, because it is not the solid rock, the cornerstone or the capstone that Jesus alone is. Baptism doesn’t bring salvation. If it could Jesus would never have had to come and die such a terrible death on Calvary’s cross. Trusting in baptism, church membership, Christian parents or memorizing scripture, or trying to live a holy life cannot provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Jesus in heaven. While these things are good in themselves, they will only let us down and we will be hurt by them doing so.
Where does your trust rest? Are you depending on your hard work and even your desire? Are you trusting in your job, the government, friends, church, husband or wife to meet your needs? God can use all these things and many more, but our trust must lie in God alone.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help us to never turn to trusting in anything but you. Thank you that you always do what is best for us, and when we ask in Jesus’ name you are ever so desiring to help us. We love you Heavenly Father, and we ask this in Jesus’ name.
