Today in God's Word—March 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
March 14, 2 Chronicles 32
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. - 2 Chronicles 32:7-8
Assyria was big, powerful and ruthless. Nation after nation had fallen before the advancing Assyrian army, including the northern kingdom of Israel. Now King Sennacherib's sights were set on Judah. As the bully Assyrian closed in on Jerusalem, Hezekiah put a plan into action to keep Judah from becoming the next notch on Sennacherib's spear handle.
One part of Hezekiah's strategy was to make it hard for Sennacherib and Company to beseige and enter Jerusalem. Judah's king cut off the water supply that the invaders would need to set up camp and stay outside the city. The biggest, best equipped army cannot fight or even survive very long without water. He also made it harder to get into the city if they attacked. Hezekiah repaired and fortified they city’s walls. He also built up the arms supply for his own army before they fought this ominous foe. He organized the troops under the leadership of his trusted commanders. And he encouraged his people. A good leader emboldens his people to believe that they can win. Any army that thinks it's defeated before a battle begins will almost surely lose that battle.
Hezekiah's righteous life agreed with his words when he told them to trust the LORD and be courageous. His zeal for the LORD was already well-known and his speech rang true. So the people listened and believed.
When Sennacherib arrived, his boastful propaganda did not work against the prepared people of Jerusalem. His boisterous speech was a blend of lies, threats and blasphemy designed to demoralize the people and
dissuade any resistance they might attempt. As he mocked the people, their king and their God, good King Hezekiah prayed. The LORD answered with a mighty display of his power and sovereignty. He killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night. The battle was over before it began. Sennacherib retreated and went home. A little later, his own children killed him when he went to worship his god. The accounts of the event are longer and more detailed in 2 Kings and Isaiah, but the Chronicler drove home the point that Hezekiah and Judah won a great victory because the LORD fought for them. The most threatening human strength was no match for God's power.
Hezekiah's fame grew. The description in this chapter sounds so much like Solomon's greatness that the similarity must be by design and intentional. But sadly, the king's pride grew along with his fame and fortune. After he was spared by God's miraculous intervention in a life-threatening illness, Hezekiah was not as devoted to the LORD as he should have been. When God sent adversity to humble him, Hezekiah did humble himself and was spared the worst of God's wrath. Judah would still fall, but it would not be during King Hezekiah's reign.
Hezekiah's pride caused a problem when he foolishly showed some visitors from Bablyon all his riches. The Babylonians took note, and the up and coming nation put Judah on their list of places they needed to conquer and pillage.
Hezekiah's 29-year reign ended when he died at age 54. Like all of us, he was flawed and imperfect in his obedience But he was a good king, and the people honored him with a place among the most beloved kings buried in Jerusalem. The new king Manessah had his father's genes, but not his faithful spirit or love for God. Hezekiah's revival and the nation's return to God came to an abrupt end when his son Manasseh came the throne.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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