Hezekiah Against the World

Isaiah 30

What are some of the ways that we focus on the powers of this world over the power of God? 

  • We fear the results of elections 
  • We fear world powers 
  • We fear natural disasters 
  • We fear diseases 
  • We fear loss of employment and financial hardship 

Learning Alert: All these fears are legitimate fears. I do not want to discount any of them. We should be mindful, careful and concerned over these fears. But we should NOT be consumed by them.  

 

As we will see in the life of King Hezekiah, we should bring all these concerns before the Lord, acknowledge His power over all things, and pray for righteousness to prevail. 

 

Contrast 

God often teaches us by using ‘contrast’. 

There once was a king in Judah named Hezekiah. He was known for being faithful to God. Faithful kings were rare in those days. Here’s what was said of Hezekiah in 2 Kings: 

 

He did right in the sight of the Lord…He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel…for he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…and the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. 18.3-7 

 

As contrast, here’s a description of the people of Judah during the reign of Hezekiah. The prophet at the time of Hezekiah was Isaiah. Here’s what he wrote: 

 

Woe to the rebellious children declares the Lord, who execute a plan, but not mine, and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin. Isaiah 30:1 

 

The Years of Rebellion 

The nation of Judah was in trouble. After years of rebelling against God, the nation found themselves weak and vulnerable to the threats of opposing nations.  

When threats come our way, some of us surrender to God and seek Him. Others continue down the path of doing their own thing; trying to fix it themselves, making decisions using their own initiative, following their own intuition. This is what the people of Judah did. 

How foolish we can sometimes be. We act as if we captain our own ship. We act as if God doesn’t exist. We do it ‘our way.’ 

 

Hezekiah’s Advisors 

The advisors to King Hezekiah were wise in the ways of military strategy. But they were foolish in the matters of humility and dependence upon God. They recommended plans of human power and strategic alliances with foreign nations.  

Their plans were devised in a war room where they did not welcome the Spirit of God. 

 

Bad Advice 

The advisors brought a letter from the Assyrian king and handed it to king Hezekiah. The letter brought fear and trembling to all who read it. The Assyrians threatened Hezekiah and all of Judah. The letter mocked the God of Israel and ridiculed Hezekiah for trusting in Him.  

Additionally, they added threats by reminding Hezekiah of their conquests and military domination over other nations. 

The Assyrians were fierce, ruthless and impetuous people.  

 

What to Do? 

What did Hezekiah do? He did the opposite of what his advisors told him to do. Rather than seeking an alliance as allies with other pagan nations to stand against Assyria, he went to God.  

 

Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.  

Hezekiah prayed to the Lord saying, …You have made heaven and earth.

Your ear, O Lord and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib (the Assyrian who threatened Judah), who sent them to reproach the living God… 

Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.  Isaiah 37:14-20 

 

Here’s what’s happening: 

  • The people of Judah were trembling in fear at the threats of a mighty world power; the King of Assyria. They immediately cried ‘surrender.’ They gave up and put their hope in the King of Assyria. Maybe he will be merciful to us, they said. 
  • Hezekiah feared as well. But instead of giving up in fear, He went before God. 

 

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness… Matthew 6:33  

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him… Proverbs 3:5,6 

 

When fear prompts us to pray and seek God, courage arises. 

God can and will turn our fear into confidence. Our confidence and courage are in Him.  

Courage is fear that has said its prayer. 

 

We are weak, but He is strong. Father, take my fears and worries and fashion them into confidence; confidence in You and You alone. Amen!