우리들교회

March first marks the 106th anniversary of the independence uprising against Japanese imperialism. At that time, only 1.6% of Koreans were Christian, but 16 of the 33 national representatives were Christians. And 75% of the movement was centered around the church, and 26 years later, the country was liberated. March first, We say the movement was a failure, but it was a success. If we dont interpret this through a biblical lens, we cant interpret the hardships and blessings God has given this country. As we look at the events that befell Hezekiah today, lets consider together what we should really be asking for.

First, the odds are not in his favor.

Once again, the events of Northern Israel being invaded by the Assyrians are recorded, but this time its not in the 7th year of Hosea, its in the 4th year of Hezekiah. This is a redemptive call to look at the fall of Samaria in the context of Hezekiah of Southern Judah, and to look at all of your events from the perspective of faith. His father, Ahaz, brings Assyrian sacrifices to Gods temple, even sacrificing his own son to idols, and when Northern Israel, which was paying tribute, touches the Assyrian planting, it meets a brutal end. Hezekiah, who was raised in faith by his mother, realizes that they have not listened to the word of God, the LORD, and when Ahaz dies, he leads a powerful reformation. Relying on God alone, God is with Hezekiah, and he succeeds in all of his reforms and becomes prosperous wherever he goes. But then David, the most famous king in history, commits a terrible and shameful act of adultery at the height of his success. Mencius argues for the theory of sexual goodness, and Sun Tzu argues for the theory of sexual evil. Mencius says that people are good and should be governed by virtue and humanity, and Sun Tzu says that people are evil and should be governed by law for their edification, which is not the Christian sense of sinner. Its the human idea that we can all strive to reach the ideal of humanity, but we gravitate to these ideas because they seem more right, more cool, more awake, because they fit our nature. Hezekiah was no exception. He was at the height of his blessings, and then the Assyrians come in. Humanly speaking, its a very unfair situation, because he relied on and united with God alone. But this is an attitude that says, 'This favorable situation is my effort, and I deserve it,' and its an attitude that puts more credit on the favorable situation itself than on God. Thats the ups and downs, thats humanism.