For a time, the country of Israel was split into two kingdoms, the northern and southern kingdoms. The Southern Kingdom was made up of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah which was the lineage that Jesus came through. The Northern Kingdom was made up of the other ten tribes of Israel. The Northern Kingdom met its demise at the hands of the Assyrians.
After the Northern Kingdom fell, the king of Judah, Hezekiah invited all of Israel to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover as one people, one united country. For the first time since Solomon, the entire nation observed Passover together. We read in 2 Chronicles 31:21 “In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.”
One day, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria decided to invade Judah. Hezekiah took measures to keep Sennacherib out of Jerusalem by blocking the streams off so that the Assyrian army would not have water. He also took measures to fortify the city walls and he built up an arsenal of weapons. King Hezekiah then encouraged his people with these words: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." 2 Chron 32:7-8.
Sennacherib’s army stood outside the walls of Jerusalem, hurling insults against the people and their God saying "Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand." 2 Chron 32:17. Even though Hezekiah went on the offensive and took action to fortify his army and his city, he did not depend on his own efforts to save his kingdom. “King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.” 2 Chron 32:20-21
Did you catch that? The city of Jerusalem was surrounded and any observer would think that Sennacherib would win this battle, but when King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed, the Lord sent one angel to annihilate the Assyrian army - just one angel! To add insult to injury when Sennacherib limped home, he went into the temple of his god and some of his own sons cut him down with the sword.
The lesson that I get from King Hezekiah’s story and the lesson that I hope you get is that when you live a life that honors and glorifies God and you are obedient to God, nothing and I mean nothing can stand in the way of God’s plans being fulfilled in your life. I am not trying to trivialize your problems. I know many people have serious problems going on in their life with marriage, family, finances, just name it! King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem were faced with being killed or taken into slavery. Although they were proactive and went on the offensive, they did not depend on themselves to solve their problems. They prayed and placed their trust in God. If God sent just one angel to destroy an army....what can He do for you? As a Christian, as a son or daughter of God, remember this “....with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." 2 Chron 32:8b.
Cindy
Bible Verse taken from the New International Version
@copyright 2011 LVC Ministries, Inc
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