Mighty in Battle, Pt. 4

“Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:8 (NASB)

Last week we looked at King Jehoshaphat, who kept his eyes on God and stood firm when the enemy came against him and the land of Judah. Though they were vastly outnumbered, God Himself fought the battle and brought about a victory because of their faith in Him. This week we’re focusing on another king of Judah, Hezekiah, who “did right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 18:3) by trusting Him and keeping His commands.

Early in Hezekiah’s reign, he saw the nation of Assyria come against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. (God had split Israel into two kingdoms because of sin; the northern kingdom was known as “Israel” and the southern kingdom was known as “Judah.”) All of the kings of the northern kingdom had walked in disobedience to God, thus God gave them over to Assyria. The people of the northern kingdom were conquered and led away into exile (2 Kings 18:9-12).

A few years later, Assyria came against King Hezekiah and the southern kingdom of Judah, besieging its fortified cities (2 Chronicles 32:1). It would have been natural for Hezekiah to be afraid, knowing what had happened to the northern kingdom. But instead, he told the people, “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude which is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles” (32:7-8).

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his servants to taunt Hezekiah and the people of Judah. Because they had the people of Judah under siege, they told them they were sure to die of hunger and thirst. They said the people were fools to trust Hezekiah’s belief that God would deliver them. The king of Assyria even wrote the following in a letter to Hezekiah: “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah shall not deliver His people from my hand” (2 Chronicles 32:17). The Assyrians had utterly destroyed those other nations, and they threatened to do the same to Judah.

Hezekiah took the letter, made his way to the house of God, and spread the letter out before Him. Like Jehoshaphat, he opened his prayer by worshiping God for who He is. “O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the cherubim, Thou art the God, Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God” (Isaiah 37:14-17).

Hezekiah acknowledged in his prayer that Assyria had destroyed other lands, but He also knew what His God was able to do. “And now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou alone, Lord, art God” (Isaiah 37:20).

God answered in a mighty way. In one night, the angel of the Lord struck 185,000 in the Assyrian army (Isaiah 37:36). Judah did not have to fight. They simply stood firm and awoke one morning to find that all in the enemy camp were dead.

Have you ever felt foolish for trusting God? Have you ever felt, or maybe even been told, that a situation is too bleak or too overwhelming and you might as well give up? If you know your heart is right before God, stand firm. He is able to deliver.

Heavenly Father, You are the Most High God and You do according to Your will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth. Thank You that I can trust You, no matter how the situation looks and no matter what others say. Build up my faith, that I might stand firm in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.