{Prayer}
Different cartoons, TV shows, movies, and even commercials have used the figurative little angel sitting on or standing on or hovering above one’s shoulder while a little devil is doing the same thing on the other shoulder. Usually when we see this imagery used it is when an individual is having to make some sort of tough decision. Both personas whisper loud enough into the character’s ear for the other one to hear it. The good angel, dressed in white, tries to persuade the individual to make the good and moral decision, meanwhile, over there on the other shoulder the devil, dressed in red, tries to sway the individual to the dark side of evil decision making. Which one do you choose, which one do you listen too?
Typically, the way it works out is that if you listen to the devil and do what he suggests, you’re going to find yourself in a whole host of trouble. If you do what the precious, little white angel suggests you do, you’re going to make the right decision and everything should work out just fine.
Back during the season of Lent, our Midweek sermon series focused on the kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah found in the book of 2 Chronicles. For each king we looked at, the reading would pretty much always start off saying that the king “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” That which they did which was good, meet, right, and salutary as they removed the high places, they removed the altars built for the worshiping of false gods like Baal. They would destroy the Asherah poles. King Hezekiah in our Old Testament reading, he started out the same way, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. In the midst of doing what was right, he even broke the bronze snack which Moses had made in the wilderness which was used to save the people. He broke it because they were burning incense to it and worshiping it. You could say that each of these kings was listening to the words of the good angel.
One thing we found in our examination of each of those kings is that at some point in time, they would turn against God. They would start listening to the that other guy and decide that they didn’t need God’s approval, they didn’t need God’s help in order to take on their enemies. Pride, greed, disloyalty, all took over. At which point, we would read about the demise of that king.
During King Hezekiah’s reign the king of Assyria was conquering city after city on his way down to Jerusalem. The closer he got, the more nervous the people got. As the commander for the king of Assyria would talk, Hezekiah would tell his people not to answer them, to ignore them.
Like the little mischievous little red devil, the words the commander speaks are pleasant to the ear. What he is offering on behalf of the king is rather enticing. Listen again to what he says, “This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death!” (18:31-32). Sweet! My own vine to eat from and probably make wine from. My own fig tree, my own cistern. A land of grain, bread, vineyards, olive trees and honey! Man that all sounds pretty good!
But the angel on the other shoulder is like, “wait a second … haven’t you heard some of this before? Didn’t Moses say this to the Israelites on the Plains of Moab before they crossed into the Promised Land? Didn’t Moses say, “Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and revering Him. For the LORD your God is brining you into a good land – a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills” (Deut. 8:6-9). Ahhhh, yes, we have heard that before.
You know, Satan is very good with playing with the voices we hear in our heads. This isn’t the only time in which Satan has taken the very words of God and changed them around to fit his agenda. He started with Adam and Eve in the garden. He continues with the Israelites, putting doubt and disgruntleness in their hearts. He even tried this little trick on Jesus in the wilderness. Sadly, Satan is still playing that trick on the hearts and minds of people today.
And just like back with Adam and Eve, just like with the Israelites and the different kings, the voices are still saying that we should pledge allegiance to the culture, to our society. Whether it is through shows on TV, movies, news broadcasts, or social media … the voices are there. Sometimes they are very subtle, other times they are quite loud. The voices are telling us that things aren’t that bad. It’s okay to have a few drinks, it’s okay to watch pornography and sleep around, it’s okay to lie if helps you get ahead, it’s okay deny the fact that God created us as male and female. The list goes on and on.
And despite the things happening in our nation and world, despite the voices which lead us astray, we do owe loyalty and obedience to both God and country, to those who are placed in godly authority over us. Whether we like the individual as a person or not, God calls us to obey and respect those who have been placed over us. And we do that as we obey the laws of our country, we do that as we pray for the leaders of our communities, state, and national government.
However, when human authority is set against God’s revealed will, we are called, as Peter said in Acts 5 to the religious authorities, “We must obey God rather than men!” (5:29). The voices of sin and Satan have led this world to an ungodly disobedience to God’s fundamental will and commands. We are called to be lights in the darkness of the sinful world around us.
That is what happened with the Israelites of 2 Kings 18. When the commander of the king of Assyria was speaking, the people followed King Hezekiah’s command of “Do not answer him” (18:36b). Hezekiah sought advice from the LORD. He spoke with the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah would later go into the temple and pray for God to protect them. And the LORD heard his prayer and answered it.
Isaiah reported back to Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19 saying, “This is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city. I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant” (32-34). And the LORD did just that! During the night, “the angel of LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When people got up the next morning – there were all the dead bodies” (35). The LORD protected His people He had promised to do.
Jesus came into the flesh, to be like one of us, to experience the things which we experience, to be tempted by the voice of Satan. Jesus knows that voice all too well. Not only was He tempted in the wilderness, but Jesus heard that voice of Satan through the mouths of those who crucified Him. “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself!” (Matthew 27:40, 42).
Jesus put that noise, those voices out of His head and continued to follow the commands of His Heavenly Father. Jesus made Himself nothing, so that you can be something in God’s eyes. Jesus, through His life, His death and resurrection, struck down sin, death, and Satan.
That noise, the enticing voices of sin and Satan are all around us. With the help of the Holy Spirit given to you by Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit who is living within you … give that figurative little shoulder demon a fling. God has promised to protect us, to grant us eternal life as long as we follow Him and have faith in Jesus as our Savior. At times we will listen to those evil voices. We will fail and give into temptation. But don’t let that stop you from following your Savior. Listen to the voice of Jesus, listen to the voice of the One who says that you are forgiven, that you are His beloved child! Listen to Him, as He will be coming back again and He will one day grant you true independence from sin, death, and Satan forever. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.
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