Where we left off last week, the Northern tribes of Israel were captured and taken away by the Assyrians. It was their unfaithfulness that led to God’s allowing this. Why? That He might save His remnant. Cleansing had to come before all were destroyed by the apostasy. It was a very evil and frightening world in which Hezekiah came to be King of Judah. Could he make a difference? How? Afterall, the people worshipped many false gods. They even worshipped the bronze serpent with new fervor as though it were God Himself instead of a mere symbol. Still as the story of King Hezekiah unfolds, we see that God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to one man’s true prayer of faith. What was it about King Hezekiah and his prayer that made a difference? How can we learn to pray powerfully? Can we make a difference in our nation today?
King Hezekiah came to power as co-regent King of Judah in the year 729 BC, merely 6-7 years before the Northern tribes of Israel were taken over by the Assyrians. Samaria fell after 3 years of battle. His father was an evil king disrespectful of God. Following cultural norms, King Ahaz further encouraged pagan worship. Yet, now came his son to change all that. Cannot help but wonder with amazement how King Hezekiah came to know the one true God. Perhaps a Godly mother, grandmother, or teacher. Maybe he had listened in the corridors when Isaiah the prophet had spoken. Yet, he was a good king. Before looking at his prayer of faith or revealing how God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to his prayer, let us look at some of King Hezekiah’s character traits. Perhaps we will find changes necessary in our heart to enrich our prayer chest.
He Chose To Do What Was Right
he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it [d]Nehushtan. (a bronze thing)2 Kings 18: 3-4
For that to be possible King Hezekiah must have known what the scriptures said. He had to know the law to be able to do what was right. And he had to be brave enough to go against the current trends and ideologies of the cultural day.
Faith Over Fear is Needed for a true prayer of faith
5 He 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. 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. 7 The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He [e]subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 2 Kings 18 (NKJV).
Remember this was in a time when Assyria’s army was overtaking the world and his army was small, somewhat like David against Goliath. If God did not come to the rescue, all would perish.
Acknowledged God’s Righteousness, the nation’s sin, and their need to be cleansed
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now [b]sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.
6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the [c]dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. 7 They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes. 9 For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity. 10 “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings2 Chronicles 29 (NKJV).
Understood Grace by Re-establishing the Passover
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. …
6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8 Now do not be stiff-necked,[c] as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” 2 Chronicles 30
Compassion for the Lost needs a true prayer of faith
Many arrived unprepared and unsanctified, not really understanding their guilt nor their need for cleansing. For these the king prayed.
But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30
Understood the importance of Worship
21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests praised the LORD Day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments. 2 Chronicles 30
Generosity
Not everyone came prepared with a proper sacrifice; therefore, King Hezekiah provided for them
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep. 2 Chronicles 30
Humility is necessary for a true prayer of faith
After all this was done, the Assyrian King came and took many of the fortified cities and threatened Jerusalem. In fact, he sent men to disseminate a false narrative. Saying that God sent them because King Hezekiah had torn down the “high places”. Even in that day, there were those who take partial truths, twist them, and disseminate false news. When King Hezekiah heard of this, he displayed great humility.
Isaiah 37:
when King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the [royal] household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and disgrace; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh [the commander], whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt and defy the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant [of His people] that is left.’”
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 Isaiah said to them, “You shall say the following to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Listen carefully, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” Isaiah 37 (AMP)
The Assyrian King’s Letter vs One Prayer of Faith
The King of Assyria sent forth his men with a letter mocking God and threatening King Hezekiah.
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. 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. 16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.
17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 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. 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.” 2 Kings 19.
God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to this prayer of faith
32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:
‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
33 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ” 2 Kings 19
Then God did as He Declared
35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the [d]angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. 2 Kings 19
Not one shot had to be fired by the people of Jerusalem.
What Can we learn from King Hezekiah’s Prayer of faith?
- Take the problem directly to the only one who can solve it.
- Never forget His Sovereignty in handling the matter
- It is not about me, it is about His Glory; therefore, I can accept His response knowing He has this. Regardless of what this is.
- King Hezekiah’s Prayer was a plea that all the nations on earth will know that God Is Lord God, Alone and only He is. That should be our motivation as well.
We know that one day every knee shall bow. The question is do you know Him as Lord and trust Him today?
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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