“The Ransom Payment and The Census Plague” is part of the “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals” sermon series. This message focuses on the instruction given to Moses in Exodus 30 regarding the census and the ransom payment required for each person. Through a deep dive into key Biblical passages, the sermon emphasizes that God owns the lives of His people and establishes the need for atonement. It highlights the equal ransom price for all, rich and poor, symbolizing that everyone stands equally before God and needs redemption. The message connects the Old Testament concept of ransom to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s sacrificial death, shedding light on the significance of atonement, repentance, and God’s divine ownership.
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Exodus 30:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Exodus 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number,
then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number
them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
Exodus 30:13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give:
half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs).
The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
Exodus 30:14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty
years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than
half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.
Exodus 30:16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel,
and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a
memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.”
I. THE CENSUS COMMAND.
Exodus 30:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Exodus 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number,
1. God Owns The Lives Of His People.
A.W. Pink comments:
When God numbers or orders anything to be numbered, taking the sum of them
denotes that they belong to Him, and that He has the sovereign right to do with
them as He pleases. The action itself says of the things numbered. ‘These are
Mine, and I assign them their place as I will.”
Isaiah 40:26 “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”
Job 14:5 “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom
II) THE WAR PREPARATION.
Exodus 30:14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty
years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
Numbers 1:2 Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their
families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male
individually,
Numbers 1:3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel.
You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
This is one place where the Scripture indicates that ONLY MEN should serve as
military combatants.
1 Chronicles 21:1 Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number
Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number
Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”
1 Chronicles 21:3 And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred
times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants?
Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
1 Chronicles 21:4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore
Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 21:5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David.
All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and
Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
Zechariah 4:6 …’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Ephesians 6:10 … be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
1 Chronicles 21:14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men
of Israel fell.
1 Chronicles 21:17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people
to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep,
what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my
father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
A prisoner in the DC correctional facility said, “I am living among the biggest
crybabies in the world. Everybody here blames somebody else for putting him in jail.
One says, ‘I had a mean father; he put me here.’ Another says, ‘I went to a tough
school, the other kids put me here.’ Somebody else says, ‘Rich people put me
here, prejudiced police put me here, the establishment put me here.’”
They are all crybabies. I know who put me here. I put me here.”
Ezekiel 18:20 (NLT) “… The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the
parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded
for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own
wickedness.
III. THE RANSOM PRICE.
Exodus 30:12 “… then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, …”
Matthew 20:28 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.”
1. The Ransom Must Be Given For Their Life To Avoid Death.
Exodus 30:12 “… when you number them, that there may be no plague among them
when you number them.
Exodus 12:12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods
of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
Exodus 12:13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.
And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you
to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
2. The Ransom Price Was Divinely Fixed.
Exodus 30:13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give:
half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs).
The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
3. The Ransom Is The Same For All, Whether Rich Or Poor.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than
half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.
Alexander MacLaren states –
Thus there is but one Sacrifice for all; and the poorest can exercise faith and the
richest can do no more.”
Psalm 49:6 Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches
Psalm 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God
a ransom for him—
Psalm 49:8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever—
Psalm 49:9 That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit.
Hebrews 9:21 Then likewise he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels
of the ministry with the blood.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed
with blood …
Hebrews 9:21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the
vessels of the ministry.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood,
and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on
the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life
that makes atonement”
In its rejection of Christ, the plagues in the book of Revelation will come upon the world.
Revelation 15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven
angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed
the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and
give Him glory.
4. The Ransom Money Pictures Christ.
1 Peter 1:18 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver
or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
“Our Substitute” is part of the “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals” sermon series, focusing on the central theme of Jesus Christ as the ultimate substitute for humanity’s sins. Drawing from Isaiah 53 and other key scriptures, the sermon emphasizes that no religion, human effort, or sacrifice can replace the perfect substitution of Jesus on the cross. Through His willing sacrifice, Jesus bore the punishment for sin that we deserved, offering salvation to all who believe. The message explores how Christ fulfilled the role of substitute in both prophetic and sacrificial symbolism, making Him the only one who could redeem mankind.
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Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we
esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes
we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having
died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become
a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for
the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God,
might taste death for everyone.
I should have been crucified, I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace, but Jesus God’s Son took my place
Romans 8:31 “… If God is for us, who can be against us?
I. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE SUBSTITUTE.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that
they may be saved.
Romans 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not
according to knowledge.
Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness
of God.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
who believes.
Religion is no substitute for the Substitute.
John 16:2 ” … Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers
God service.
Mark 10:18 “… No one is good but One, that is, God.
Human effort is no subsitute for the Substitute.
Galatians 2:21 “… if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
The worst form of badness is human goodness when that human goodness
becomes a substitute for the new birth .
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like
filthy rags;
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Acts 2:23 Him, …you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
II. THE SINNER MUST HAVE A SUBSTITUTE.
Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
The ram substituting for Abraham’s son Issac symbolized Jesus.
Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and
said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 22:12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything
to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son,
your only son, from Me.”
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him
was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
The animal sacrifices symbolized the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.
Leviticus 1:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of
you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—
of the herd and of the flock.
Leviticus 1:3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male
without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting before the Lord.
Leviticus 1:4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it
will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
The Scapegoat was a symbol of the Substitute Jesus.
Leviticus 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and
the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall
send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Leviticus 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not
inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
W.D. Davies in his book “Paul and Rabbinic Judaism,” says that in the Temple
at Jerusalem, every year there were sacrificed 1,093 lambs, 113 bulls, 37 rams,
and 32 goats.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins.
III. JESUS IS THE SINNER’S ONLY SUBSTITUTE.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for
the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God,
might taste death for everyone.
1 John 1:7 “… and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Bruce Springsteen (quote)
“As I grew older, sometimes I wondered who went in my place. Somebody did.
What was his fate? Did he live? I’ll never know. Maybe it was another dose of
my survivor’s guilt … over those who went and fought in my place.”
IV. JESUS WAS THE WILLING SUBSTITUTE.
John 10:17 “… I lay down My life that I may take it again.
John 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again.This command I have received from My Father.”
“Trading Places” is part of the “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals” sermon series. This message focuses on the extraordinary grace of Jesus Christ, who traded His riches for poverty to redeem humanity. Based on 2 Corinthians 8:9, the sermon explores how Christ’s sacrifice allows believers to become spiritually rich through His poverty. The themes of grace, sacrifice, and spiritual wealth are central, and listeners are reminded of the importance of giving, humility, and the true riches that come from a relationship with Christ.
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2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty
might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 (MSG) You are familiar with the generosity of our Master,
Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became
poor and we became rich.
“RAGS TO RICHES”
“RAGS TO RICHES TO RAGS”
According to a Sports Illustrated article, 60 percent of former NBA players are
broke within five years of retirement.
By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have
gone bankrupt or are under financial stress.
RICHES TO RAGS TO RICHES
1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart
of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions ….
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
I. HIS GRACEFUL REASON.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ …
An acronoym for GRACE is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
The VOICE translation of 2 Corinthians 8
2 Corinthians 8:1 Now, brothers and sisters, let me tell you about the amazing gift
of God’s grace that’s happening throughout the churches in Macedonia.
2 Corinthians 8:2 Even in the face of severe anguish and hard times, their elation and
poverty have overflowed into a wealth of generosity.
2 Corinthians 8:3 I watched as they willingly gave what they could afford and then
went beyond to give even more.
2 Corinthians 8:4 They came to us on their own, begging to take part in this work
of grace to support the poor saints in Judea.
2 Corinthians 8:5 We were so overwhelmed—none of us expected their reaction—
that they truly turned their lives over to the Lord and then gave themselves to support
us in our work as we answer the call of God.
2 Corinthians 8:6 That’s why we asked Titus to finish what he started among you
regarding this gracious work of charity.
2 Corinthians 8:7 Just as you are rich in everything—in faith and speech, in knowledge
and all sincerity, and in the love we have shown among you—now I ask you to invest
richly in this gracious work too.
2 Corinthians 8:8 I am not going to command you, but I am going to offer you the
chance to prove your love genuine in the same way others have done.
2 Corinthians 8:9 You know the grace that has come to us through our Lord Jesus
the Anointed. He set aside His infinite riches and was born into the lowest
circumstance so that you may gain great riches through His humble poverty
It is grace responding to grace.
Luke 6:38 (PHILLIPS) Give and men will give to you—yes, good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over will they pour into your lap. For whatever
measure you use with other people, they will use in their dealings with you.
Phillip Yancey’s in his book entitled What’s So Amazing about Grace?
“I rejected the church for a time because I found so little grace there. I returned
because I found grace nowhere else.”
II. HIS PLENTIFUL RICHES.
2 Corinthians 8:9 He was rich …
III. HIS MEANINGFUL RAGS.
2 Corinthians 8:9 “… yet for your sakes He became poor, …”
Thomas Aquinas said,
“The appropriateness of the life of poverty which Christ led is based on the fact
of 2 Corinthians 8:9. We too should take a vow of poverty because Christ lived
such a poor life, as indicated in this verse.”
Luke 18:22 “… Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and
distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command
you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your
needy, in your land.’
Matthew 26:11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
Galatians 2:10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing
which I also was eager to do.
Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
2 Corinthians 8:9, For you …. for your sakes… that you might be rich
IV. HIS NEEDFUL REARRANGEMENT.
2 Corinthians 8:9 ” … that you through His poverty might become rich.”
Televangelist Joseph Prince explains it:
On the cross, Jesus bore the curse of poverty! That is what the Word of God
declares: Read 2 Corinthians 8 for yourself. The entire chapter is about money
and being a blessing financially to those who are in need. So don’t let anyone
tell you that the verse is referring to ‘spiritual’ riches.”
Televangelist Kenneth Copeland (quote)
“Is it God’s will for every Christian to be financially blessed?
God does not want you poor and miserable. He wants you blessed.
If you are born again, as a joint heir with Christ, all God’s resources belong to you.
This isn’t just religion; it’s New Testament reality! When Jesus went to the cross,
He totally defeated poverty on your behalf once and for all. As 2 Corinthians 8:9 says …
Notice that verse doesn’t say He did it so you would just have your needs met.
It says He became poor so that you might be rich! This is God’s will for you! ”
Lawyers for Hunt claimed more than $75 million worth of damages.
Those damages, according to court documents filed in the case, include
* a loss of $610,000 in annual income and benefits,
* a loss of $360,000 a year in book sales,
* a loss of $350,000 in speaking fees and an additional $80,000 in other lost income,
* for a total of $1.4 million a year.
The lawyers also claim that Hunt intended to work for 11 years—or until he
was 80—when the Guidepost report was published—for a total alleged loss
of $15.4 million.
No supporting documents were included to substantiate those claimed losses.
The court filing also claims at least $30 million in reputational harm and at
least $30 million in emotional distress
Revelation 3:17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have
need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor,
blind, and naked–
2 Corinthians 8:9 ” … that you through His poverty might become rich.”
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For YOU know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for YOUR sakes He became poor, that YOU through His poverty
might become rich.
“The Devil Is In The Details” is part of the sermon series “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals.” This sermon focuses on the real spiritual battle between Jesus and the devil, emphasizing the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness (Luke 4). With powerful scriptural references, the message highlights the devil’s desire for worship and control over the kingdoms of the world, but it ultimately showcases Christ’s victory and the necessity of worshipping God alone.
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Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luke 4:2 being tempted for forty days by the devil …
Luke 4:5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory;
for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Luke 4:7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Luke 4:13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
Him until an opportune time.
DETAIL #1. THE DEVIL EXISTS AND IS A REAL ENEMY.
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.
Ephesians 2:2 “… walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
DETAIL #2. THE DEVIL’S WORLDLY OFFER TO JESUS.
Luke 4:5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory;
for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Matthew 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against
itself will not stand.
Matthew 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will
his kingdom stand?
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government
will be upon His shoulder.
Revelation 11:15 … “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of
our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
Psalm 2:7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Psalm 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance,
DETAIL #3. THE DEVIL’S MAIN DESIRE IS TO BE WORSHIPPED.
Luke 4:7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
Matthew 4:9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down
and worship me.”
Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to … cause as many as would not worship
the image of the beast to be killed.
Revelation 13:16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and
slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
Revelation 13:17 And that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark
or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
What is worship? It is giving glory to God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all
to the glory of God.
Romans 1:25 ” … and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator
Whatever you offer your body to is your object of worship
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice …
DETAIL #4. THE DEVIL’S BARGAIN FOR SOULS.
Mark 8:36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul?
Mark 8:37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
1) Nobody ever gained the whole world.
2) What part of the world they do gain will not satisfy them.
Ecclesiastes 1:8 … the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
3) What part of the world they do gain, they can not keep.
Jim Elliot’s quote, ” He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain
what he cannot lose. ”
Luke 12:15 “… “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not
consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
What do people sell their souls for? The passing pleasures of sin!!!
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
Hebrews 11:25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
2 Corinthians 4:4 (GW) The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who
don’t believe …”.
Charles F. Kettering said,”We should all be concerned about future because we will
have to spend the rest of our lives there.”
In the Journal of Psychology is a survey of 160,000 was conducted asking people
what their most important personal values were:
56% Economic security
46% Home & Family
25% Liberty & Freedom
13% World Peace
10% Education
8% Religion
4% Decency & Morality
2% Being a good citizen
Question: Do you see the word “soul” anywhere mentioned on the list?
DETAIL #5. JESUS CHRIST IS THE VICTORIOUS SAVIOR-KING.
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is
written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Luke 4:13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
Him until an opportune time.
Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own
righteousness, it sustained Him.
Psalm 106:23 (NLT) So he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen
one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged him to turn from his
anger and not destroy them.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to
God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Worship gets us into trouble and worship will get us out of trouble.
‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
In this powerful sermon, Pastor Ed Hamilton takes us through the biblical account of King Hezekiah and his interactions with the Assyrian Empire, exploring the spiritual dangers of making deals with the enemy. Drawing from 2 Kings, Ephesians, and 2 Corinthians, this message reminds us that Satan’s tactics—fear, deceit, and manipulation—are designed to lead us away from trusting God. With practical wisdom and biblical truth, Pastor Hamilton encourages believers to stand firm, put on the armor of God, and refuse to compromise with the devil. This sermon offers vital insights into spiritual warfare and how to rely on God’s strength for victory.
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2 Kings 18:5 He (Hezekiah) trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him
was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
2 Kings 18:6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him,
but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
2 Kings 18:7 The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he
rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant
of his devices.
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 4:27 And give no opportunity to the devil.
Isaiah 32:7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans to
destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.
Sun Tzu in the ancient Chinese military manual The Art of War (quote)
“Knowing the enemy enable you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables
you to stand on the defensive.”
I. THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: LET’S MAKE A DEAL.
2 Kings 18:13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Se-nnac-he-rib king of
Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
2 Kings 18:14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lac-hish,
saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me
I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three
hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
2 Kings 18:15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house
of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house.
2 Kings 18:16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the
temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had
overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
2 Kings 16:8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of
the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent it as a present to
the king of Assyria.
The family patriarch grandfather J. Paul Getty refused to pay the ransom price,
famously proclaiming, “If I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.”
II. THE DEVIL’S ATTACK: SCARE TACTICS.
2 Kings 18:17 “Then the king of Assyria sent … a great army against Jerusalem,
to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem.”
2 Kings 18:19 Then the Rab-sha-keh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus
says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust?
2 Kings 18:20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words.
And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
1. THE DEVIL ALWAYS TRIES TO MAGNIFY OUR WEAKNESSES.
2 Kings 18:22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ Is it not He
whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to
Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?”
2 Kings 18:23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king
of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses–if you are able on your part
to put riders on them!
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater
is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
2. THE DEVIL LIES TO TRY TO DISTORT THE LORD’S WORD.
2 Kings 18:25 Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it?
The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”
III. THE DEVIL’S APPROACH: DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
2 Kings 18:28 Then the Rab-sha-keh stood and called out with a loud voice in
Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
2 Kings 18:29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall
not be able to deliver you from his hand;
2 Kings 18:30 Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will
surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ‘
2 Kings 18:31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria:
‘Make peace with me …
Isaiah 36:12 But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent
this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when
we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry
and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”
IV. THE DEVIL’S APPEAL: A FALSE PEACE TREATY.
2 Kings 18:31 “…‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every
one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one
of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
2 Kings 18:32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of
grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey,
that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you,
saying, “The Lord will deliver us.”
Jeremiah 6:13 “… And from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 6:14 “… Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction
comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
IV. RIGHTFUL RESPONSES TO THE DEVIL’S DEALS.
1. SILENCE IS GOLDEN: REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE.
2 Kings 18:36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word;
for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”
Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
2. SUBMIT TO THE LORD: HUMBLE YOURSELF IN REPENTANCE.
2 Kings 19:1 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes,
covered himself with sackcloth, …
3. SEEK THE LORD: GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.
2 KIngs 19:1 …. and went into the house of the Lord.
4. SPEAK TO THE LORD: PRAY EMPHASIZING GOD’S GLORY.
2 Kings 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers,
and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before
the Lord.
2 Kings 19:15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel,
the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the
kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
2 Kings 19:16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see;
and hear the words of Se-nnac-he-rib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.
2 Kings 19:17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
2 Kings 19:18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the
work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all
the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”
Pastor McGee said, “Fight with us against the enemies that are killing our children.
There is a war going on in the streets of America. Well pls pray for me. Today
hopefully, I am going to rescue my daughter from where she is in Las Vegas.”
Also pray for anyone who tries to get in my way, that I would ‘lay hands suddenly
on them’ & it would [be] quick & productive. Even though I am really good at
hurting people, I do NOT like that, & I have tried to help them since I got
saved @ 17 in Teen Challenge.”
5. SELECT THE PROPER WEAPONS OF WARFARE.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but
against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in
this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
1 Corinthians 9:26 (ESV) “… I do not box as one beating the air.
2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal …
2 Corinthians 10:4 (GNT) The weapons we use in our fight are not the world’s weapons
Zechariah 4:6 …’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Ephesians 6:10 … be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
