Then Rabshekeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have?’” 2 Kings 18:19 (New American Standard Bible)
I recently heard a minister speak a good word about how near and strong God is for those who honor and serve Him. Hezekiah was king of Judah and had been approached by a guy named Rabshakeh, an emissary of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, telling Hezekiah that Judah was doomed and, to use a modern colloquialism, was going to “eat Hezekiah’s lunch,” that is, overthrow and destroy him and his kingdom. Needless to say Hezekiah was quite frightened. He sent his servants to the prophet Isaiah and inquired as to what the Lord would do.
Isaiah told the servants to tell the king not to be afraid because of the threats with which the king of Assyria threatened Judah and blasphemed God. The Lord had a plan for little Judah, outgunned and standing alone against the mightiest army of that day. Isaiah’s word from the Lord was “Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.” That very night an angel of the Lord went out and destroyed 185,000 soldiers in the camp of the attacking Assyrian army. After this defeat Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, where he suffered the ignominious fate of being murdered by his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer (Isaiah 37:38).
When we are threatened by the Rabshekehs of the world and find we are vulnerable all around it is a great encouragement to remember we serve a God who is powerful to save. He knows and understands where we believers are and can certainly intervene on our behalf. He has never lost control and He always hears us when we pray to Him. He may not always respond for us in such a way as He did for Judah, although He is still able to. Any way He chooses to respond for us is perfect because He is perfectly holy. You can take His response to Hezekiah as one of the defining aspects of His personality to those who love and serve Him. Those who want to eat our lunch may ask what is this confidence we have? “Because you have prayed to Me about your situation I have heard you.” Rabshakeh and Sennacherib came with the intention of eating Hezekiah’s lunch but the Lord sent them both away hungry. Is someone trying to eat your lunch? You may find that when the sun next raises the camp of your most ardent enemy is no longer a threat.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
Isaiah told the servants to tell the king not to be afraid because of the threats with which the king of Assyria threatened Judah and blasphemed God. The Lord had a plan for little Judah, outgunned and standing alone against the mightiest army of that day. Isaiah’s word from the Lord was “Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.” That very night an angel of the Lord went out and destroyed 185,000 soldiers in the camp of the attacking Assyrian army. After this defeat Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, where he suffered the ignominious fate of being murdered by his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer (Isaiah 37:38).
When we are threatened by the Rabshekehs of the world and find we are vulnerable all around it is a great encouragement to remember we serve a God who is powerful to save. He knows and understands where we believers are and can certainly intervene on our behalf. He has never lost control and He always hears us when we pray to Him. He may not always respond for us in such a way as He did for Judah, although He is still able to. Any way He chooses to respond for us is perfect because He is perfectly holy. You can take His response to Hezekiah as one of the defining aspects of His personality to those who love and serve Him. Those who want to eat our lunch may ask what is this confidence we have? “Because you have prayed to Me about your situation I have heard you.” Rabshakeh and Sennacherib came with the intention of eating Hezekiah’s lunch but the Lord sent them both away hungry. Is someone trying to eat your lunch? You may find that when the sun next raises the camp of your most ardent enemy is no longer a threat.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
