Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; then Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD . . . ” Isaiah 37: 14, 15a, NRSV.
Merciful God, we come in joyful expectation before You. We are grateful for Your mercy; and we are thankful for Your grace. We pray that Your kindness will not depart from us, and that You will teach us how to apply our hearts unto divine wisdom. In the name of Jesus we do pray. Amen.
I believe that Hezekiah was never more wise, than when, threatened by king Sennacherib, he “went up to the house of the LORD, and spread [the matter] before the LORD.” My friends, knowing when we are helpless, and that it is time to go to the LORD, is a “science” that every Christian should master. Some might say, but we should always go to the LORD. To this I would respond, “That is absolutely true!” But I must remind us, that there are things that we can do, by the grace of God, to help ourselves; and then there are times when there is nothing else to do but, “Go to the LORD!” Knowing the difference can be crucial.
Let me quickly refer to an example, in the life of the same king Hezekiah, in later years, that may help to shed some light on the matter. There was an occasion when he had been healed, and by his request, God had given him “a sign.” The sign consisted of the sun dial working in reverse. When the phenomenon in nature was observed, and the kings of the earth wanted to know what had caused it, and discovered that it was the God of Hezekiah who had been responsible for the heretofore, unheard of portend, they came to see “what was in the house,” of a king who had such a God! That was the time, upon hearing that they were coming, for Hezekiah to have inquired of the LORD, how to proceed. Instead, he took it upon himself to do what seemed right in his own eyes; which, incidentally, was the wrong thing to do. He gave them a tour of his royal palace, showing them every material treasure, and omitted showcasing, “The Pearl of Great Price!” It cost him every earthly treasure!
The case under consideration, in this particular story, is the threat made by king Sennacherib, to lay siege upon Jerusalem. The truth being told, the army of the Israelites, in, and of, itself, was no match for the Assyrian army. God knew that, and so did Hezekiah. So like the Parent par excellence that God is, He had already made arrangements to protect His children! There are truths that God’s people need to be constantly aware of. Some of them are: “God takes care of His own.” “Nothing can touch our lives without God’s permission.” “God has never lost a battle.” “With God nothing is impossible.” “God will never give us more than we can bear.” “God can make a way where there is no way.” “We are the apple of God’s eyes.” “God loves me!” These are some of the truths, that are to serve as an anchor of our souls!
I am not very fond of cliches, but there are some that speak very eloquently to a particular situation. In this case, it is the one that says, “Pick your battles.” In other words, we are not to take part in every warfare that goes on around us; not even some that rage within us! Some battles must be left to God, and God alone! This was one of them. Therefore, God sent his messenger to tell king Hezekiah, “Don’t you even worry about Sennacherib. He will do no harm to the city of Jerusalem. The same way he came is he same way he will return. He will not set a foot in the city. I will defend the city and save it for My sake, and because I promised it to David” (My paraphrase). And so it was!
What is the matter that is causing you not to sleep at night? Who is the “bully” that is causing you to lose your joy? What circumstance is threatening to “undo” you? Take it, and “spread it before the LORD!” The God of Hezekiah is your God and mine. Where should we go, where can we go, but to the Lord?