2 Kings 18: 5-6 - "Hezekiah put his whole trust in the God of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. Yes!!! He held fast to God—never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter everything God had commanded Moses. And God, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures." Oh, something just so stirred inside of me. How I want my God to hold fast to me through all our adventures! I think a tear just slid down. Hezekiah was met with opposition: II Kings 18:19 - "you're living in a world of make-believe, of pious fantasy. Do you think that mere words are any substitute for military strategy and troops." I wonder today if some of our churches believe that strategy is more important than relationships and loving?
II Kings 19:14-15 has meant much to me over the years: "Hezekiah took the letter from the envoy and read it. He went to The Temple of God and spread it out before God. And Hezekiah prayed—oh, how he prayed! But it wasn't for his safety or rescue. He asked God to open HIS ears and listen, open HIS Eyes and look. That's my prayer for each of you. God, please open this very day Your Eyes, Your Ears for each of my sisters in what they face. God's response: II Kings 19:21 "You've prayed to me regarding Sennacherib king of Assyria; I've heard your prayers. He hears us when we pray beyond our safety and He loves it! And God's response to this evil king is one of holding him in contempt. Hezekiah wasn't pious or popular! He just held fast to a very good God! May we all hold fast to Him this day!
Yay is right! A king who revered the Lord and how beautifully the Lord responded. Something deep resonates with that chord of love--"And God, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures."
ReplyDeleteHold fast, Lord. We've never needed you more.
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, held fast to Him and experienced God's provision. (2 Kings 18:5-8). Israel was carried away captive to Assyria because they didn't trust/obey. (2 Kings 18:11-12)
ReplyDeleteWhich statement describes me? My circumstances may not always be the result of my sin. Yet, I can still be a slave -held captive- to my fears if I don't trust God.
"Then Rabshakeh 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 18:19 NKJV) Where is the enemy trying to shake my confidence today...trying to get my eyes fixed on the situation instead of Jesus? Will I listen to the "mere words" of my enemy or God's Word? FEAR OR TRUST? Which will it be?
"Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you..."
(2 Kings 18:23) Then in 31-32, the king of Assyria promises the "good life" if they will only pay tribute to him. The enemy uses fear tactics or entices us with his counterfeits. God had already promised Israel, in Deuteronomy 8, that He would give them a "good land, a land of brooks and water..." if they would walk in His ways. Then the enemy reverts back to fear tactics in verses 34-35...What gods have been able to deliver you from Assyria? His taunts will soon be silenced. God will not be mocked!
Hezekiah prayed: "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." (2 Kings 19:19 NKJV)
"No matter what doubts or disappointments or disasters come your way, you will pick up your Bible and rediscover HOPE." (pg.xx 66 LL) That's my prayer for us today.
FG
OOOOOHHHHH! I love that quote about rediscovering hope...YES!
ReplyDeleteFG - I love that quote too!!
ReplyDeleteFinally, a King who was right in the eyes of the Lord AND destroyed the idols of the people. Praise the Lord. I was excited to open my reading today with these words. Its been chapters since we found a king who had a true heart for the Lord, who admitted his mistakes, and trusted the Lord with every decision and stragtegy.
Prayer was his first response to a crisis, and he truly believed that his problems were God's opportunities.
His prayer in II Kings 19:14-19 is absolutely beautiful. The reverence he displayed before the Lord was truly bold and he acknowledged God's sovereignty. His actions challenged me in my approach to the the throne with reverence because my total dependence is on Him. And, I will approach the Throne of God with respect for who He Is.
And, Annette, I love your last line: Hold fast, Lord. We've never needed you more.
-Kim D.
I could just feel the excitement building verse after verse!
ReplyDeleteWhat a breath of fresh air after all the other kings of Israel! Hezekiah was king of Judah!
When I got to the end, I couldn't believe how God had VICTORY over this smelly little king of Assyria.
Just look at what God did! I love that he was killed while worshipping his god. Fitting.
2 Kings 19:
35 And it so happened that that very night an angel of God came and massacred 185,000 Assyrians. When the people of Jerusalem got up next morning, there it was—a whole camp of corpses!
36-37 Sennacherib king of Assyria got out of there fast, headed straight home for Nineveh, and stayed put. One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer murdered him and then escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon became the next king.
Oh how this speaks to my heart with all I'm going through right now. When God calls us to shut up and be still...He is up to a mighty work!
Hope.
There is no God like Jehovah...