If you’ve ever had a problem you can’t see your way around, this passage is for you. Don’t forget, every “mountain top experience” was once just a mountain to be climbed.
This is one of the great deliverance stories in the Old Testament. We will read it again in 2 Kings in a few days. A quick reminder of where we are: Israel north is gone….the Assyrians have conquered all the cities, carted off the people and destroyed the towns and their walls. I would imagine that the cities look something like the pictures we see of bombed cities during a war. Israel south, (Judah) is next to be conquered, and the enemy is encamped around the city. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide…and the Assyrians are ruthless. They will very likely kill most of the people they encounter, innocent or not.
Perhaps you have been in this sort of place yourself….the enemy surrounding you, the outlook bleak, your strength waning and your support non-existent. Hezekiah described it as a mother carrying her child to term, but then dies before childbirth because she is took weak to deliver.
This is not the life God intended for us.
Hezekiah provides us with a great example when he humbles himself, and orders all his officials to humble themselves, and enters the temple to cry out to God for help. I note a couple of things here:
1. Hezekiah couldn’t have done this unless he had been worshipping beforehand. The priests were already at their posts, the temple was already functioning. Hezekiah had been worshipping, so this was a continuation. In earlier times the king had locked the doors to the temple, the priests were gone, the holy items were contaminated or missing. Had the temple fallen into disuse as in that time, Hezekiah could not have gone to plead for help. Of course, what I am referring to is the relationship that we have with Jesus. If we aren’t maintaining the relationship while times are peaceful and prosperous, how can we expect to rely on that relationship when life becomes difficult? Bible reading, prayer, study and reflection are all part of a daily conversation that we should have with our Creator. God is relational, and wants to engage in a relationship with us. You can hear His pleas for intimate conversation in the words of the prophets. Hezekiah was rescued because of his humble actions when in crisis. But his humble actions were preceded by faithful obedience in good times. God blessed him with wisdom and insight during those times as well.
2. God intervenes because the Assyrian king has become arrogant and defies God himself. I think God would have defended Jerusalem and His people either way, but the loss of 185,000 men is attributable to arrogant claims of Sennacherib.
3. When God responds to Sennacherib, He reminds him that He planned this battle long ago. In fact, we have just been reading about God planning it in the last few days. In several days we have skipped across 50 to 100 years. That could be exactly how God sees time. 50 years ago was a day ago, or a moment ago. A long time for humans, but no time at all for God. I am reminded that God’s purposes always prevail. Who can resist Him? Who can defy Him? The earth itself bows to His will, all the laws of nature are His laws. Surely we aren’t so blind as to think that we can fight against God with human weapons and win? The devil fought with heavenly weapons and was soundly defeated, we have no chance of defying the Holy One and surviving. It would be best for us to follow Hezekiah’s example and be humble now.
4. Arrogance has blinded the Assyrian king. I suppose pride and arrogance blind people today, that’s where the saying “pride goes before a fall” comes from. Pride doesn’t allow you to see where you are going, and you run into trouble. Pride seems to prohibit me from seeing the reality of my situation, and numbs us to the danger of it.
So in my reflection I often look for “deeper insights” and examples that can be used to speak to my everyday life. I think I hear The Word speaking to me today. It says “If you expect to rely on your relationship with Christ in difficult times then you must foster the relationship now. Don’t expect rescue when you haven’t learned the lessons of humility and obedience…they must come first.
At the same time this passage proudly proclaims God’s power and ability to rescue. In fact, I think that God wants to exalt His people. It seems to me that God wants us to be wildly successful, as long as that success doesn’t ruin us.
As I close my thoughts for today, I want to end praising God who delivers us! No enemy is too great for Him, nothing makes Him run and hide, or quake with fear. In fact I don’t believe that God has ever been afraid, save a moment on the cross when (possibly) when God the Father turned His face away from God the Son, Jesus. God is able! And because God loves us, and wants to see us succeed, we have every reason to remain humble and obedient, recognizing where our help comes from!
Praise the Lord, the Deliverer!
PS: As I close my thoughts today “the still small voice of God” urges me to add one more comment. It follows:
“If you haven’t been living a life of obedience and humility, if you have been trying to do things your own way, and you haven’t fostered the relationship with me, and now find yourself in the midst of hard times, don’t be afraid to come to me. It’s not too late for you to begin, I can still rescue you.” Declares the Lord.
Faithfully,
PR