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Kings 18 provides encouragement to anyone that is dealing with
difficulties. We finally see a king in Judah that “did
what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had
done“.
I’m certain he knew the very real danger both he and the nation
faced. But, “Hezekiah
trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel“.
Here is what was different, “He
held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the
commands the Lord had given Moses“.
Because the king followed the wisdom of God, “the
Lord was with him“.
Let me make it clear; Hezekiah did not earn God’s blessings by
being good. He did not attain righteousness because he kept the
commandments. No, Hezekiah believed God’s promises. He clung to
God’s Word and his actions followed his faith. Many people today
want God to bless what they do, but are unwilling to submit to God’s
authority. It is not popular or easy to honor God, particularly when
we are under attack. Where do you turn under stress?
The
young king was not perfect. The enemy first defeated Israel. “In
King Hezekiah’s fourth year… king of Assyria marched against
Samaria and laid siege to it… the Assyrians took it“.
Next, “the
king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and
captured them“.
Hezekiah first attempted to rely on his own wisdom. “Withdraw
from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me… so Hezekiah gave
him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in
the treasuries of the royal palace“.
He even “stripped
off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the
temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria“.
At the end of his own resources, King Hezekiah was probably very
aware of his own weaknesses. The enemy always attacks when we are
most vulnerable. “The
king of Assyria sent… a large army… to King Hezekiah at
Jerusalem“.
The enemy first attempted to question their faith in God. Remember
Satan’s first recorded words were, “Did
God really say…”
(Genesis 3:1). The enemy asked Hezekiah a question we must answer as
well. “On
whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?“
For
the rest of the chapter, the supreme commander of the Assyrian army
taunted Hezekiah and offered an “easy way out” to the people.
“Come
now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria…The Lord
himself told me to march against this country and destroy it“.
Satan often uses spirituality to soften our resistance. It says he
“called
out in Hebrew“,
meaning he used friendly words. “Do
not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. Do
not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord“.
Satan usually appeals to our pride too. And finally, Satan always
makes the alterative SEEM so attractive. “Make
peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from
his own vine and fig tree… and take you to a land like your own, a
land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of
olive trees and honey“.
Doesn’t bondage and forced labor sound inviting? He ends with the
big lie. The deceiver claims to be the giver of life. “Choose
life and not death!”
The people had been prepared. Hezekiah knew that we are all
susceptible to temptation. “The
people remained silent and said nothing in reply“.
My friend, if you are under attack from the enemy; hear the words of
our Savior, “Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me”
(John 14:1).