2 KING 19:10-13
Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the God you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”
King of Assyria had a clout on the king Hezekiah of Judah because of his successful military exploit near and afar, from the siege of Samaria, to an impose payment He received annually from the King of Judah in the amount of three hundred talents of slivers and thirty talents of gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord to prevent war.
”Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting fantasy of those who seek death”
The king of Assyria boldly challenged Hezekiah faith in the Lord’s ability to deliver Jerusalem from his mortal hands. He sent his royal spokesman to the King of Judah, to question the sovereignty of God, His power, might and dominion, and His ability to save and deliver. The Assyrian King blasphemed the king of Glory when he compared the mortals: gods, and kings to the Lord of host, the almighty God, who was and who is and is to come. Senneacherib, king of Assyria question the integrity of God by asking Hezekiah …what confidence is this in which you trust? You speak of having plans and power for wars but there are mere words. And in whom do you trust that you rebel against me? The spokesman continue to taunt Hezekiah by asking him if he thought he would fare better than all the nations, gods and kings which the king of Assyria destroyed; the spokesman also accused King Hezekiah of being a deceiver who encouraged the people to put their trust in a God who could delivered them from the hands of the king of Assyria. “Do not envy the oppressor, and chose none of his ways, for a perverse person is an abomination of the Lord but His secret counsel is with the upright”
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king Assyria, not before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord God, to help us to fight our battles. And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah”
2 king 19:14-19
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”
God Hears,the words of Sennacherib, the King of Assyrian did not frighten Hezekiah, rather it may him seek the face of His God in time of trouble. God Hears, Hezekiah in distress took the threatening letter to the temple, spread it before God and prayed to him. He acknowledge the Lord, as the God of Israel, the one who is enthroned between the cherubim, full of mercy and who is sovereign and rules over the kingdoms of the earth, the works of His hands. Hezekiah appointed by God as King, asked God to hear, look at what He heard, take note of what had been done and listen to the words that ridicule Him from a king whose god neither heard, saw nor spoke. He stated the fact; the Assyrian King had laid waste the surrounding nation, lands and their gods made by human hands, therefore Hezekiah was not afraid of the bad news but with a steadfast heart, he trusted in the Lord who is his stronghold, fortress and deliverer, the God in whom He takes refuge.
Hezekiah asked the God of his life, in whom he trusted and depended upon, to not only deliver him and his people from the hands of his enemy who threaten him but also arise for His namesake, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know the Lord God is the most high God who rules over kingdoms of the earth and to whom all power belongs. Relatively, this day, believers can go boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy to find grace to help in time of need – faced with challenges and/or threats- to cast all their cares upon the Lord, for he will sustain them and not let the righteous be shaken.
“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress.
May you seek Him in time of need
May the God of Jacob be your refuge
May the Lord deliver you who depend on Him
With His might hand and outstretched arm
May He give victory to you from your enemies
Some trust in the arms of flesh, chariots and horses
but you trust in the name of the Lord our God “
2 King 19:32-34
Therefore 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, declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”
The Lord sent a message to Hezekiah through his prophet Isaiah and said to him. I have heard Sennacherib ridicule, blasphemy, rage and his insolence has reached my ears, therefore I will put a hook in his nose and bit in his mouth and make him return the way he came. The zeal of the Lord almighty will accomplish this. The Lord who resists the proud declared, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, will not enter Jerusalem, or shoot an arrow there, nor will he shoot his arrow to the city. He will not come before it with a shield or build a siege ramp against it. Sennacherib, will return the same way he came, his trust in the arms of flesh and his military strategies against Jerusalem would not prevail because the Lord is Jerusalem fortress of defense. He will sanctify His people with the truth of His word, so that the surrounding nations will know that He set Israel apart as His peculiar treasure for His glory and praise and He is one true God, besides Him there is no other.
That night an angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand in the Assyrian camp…. So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. One day while worshiping in the temple of his god, his sons killed him with the sword as prophesied by the Lord: Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country and there I will have him cut down with the sword” (Isaiah 37:5-7)
The God who answers prayers, said to Hezekiah because your prayed to me about Sennacherib, and did not trust in the wisdom of men but trusted in my name and power to protect, save and deliver you, my zeal will bring you salvation. Therefore, the Lord sent an angel to offer help to heir of salvation and the angel annihilated the Assyria’s military forces and to save His people from the evil king Sennacherib. The Lord who is a strong towel to those who call upon His name, rescue Hezekiah from the pangs of death, the sorrow of Sheol, the threat of destruction, to protect them by the power of His name when He saved Hezekiah and his people from their enemies for His glory, reverence and praise.
Scripture says, “Anyone who believe in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blessed all who call on him, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”