And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: "O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's ahands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."—2 Kings 19:1;14-19
In 2 Kings 18 King Sennacherib of Assyria besieges Jerusalem and boasts against the God of Israel by sending the Rabshakeh, his servant, to speak arrogant and blasphemous words against the God of Israel in the hearing of all the people. The final verse of 2 Kings 18 says this:
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Chapter 19 then begins with King Hezekiah of Judah tearing his clothes after hearing the Rabshakeh’s words and covering himself in sackcloth before going into the House of the Lord to pray. King Hezekiah goes to the right place in his deep affliction. His faith and trust reminded me of another great king of Israel — David. The psalm that came to my mind was one that David wrote in a time of deep trouble. In verses 1-3 we hear David crying out to God in prayer. Then in verse 4, we hear him praise God for his anticipated answer. The last verse we find David scolding himself for his doubt.
Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.—Psalm 43
Hezekiah, like David, knew that communion with and reliance on God was the best way to ensure deliverance from the enemies that surrounded him. He wants God’s light and truth to be his guide and calls for Isaiah the prophet to speak God’s word to him. Isaiah speaks words of comfort and encouragement to King Hezekiah, telling him that God had heard his prayer against Sennacherib. He tells him not to be afraid of the words that he heard but to trust that God is in control. Isaiah promised that God would defend Jerusalem and that God would confound the wicked, arrogant Assyrians.
In Verse 35-37 of Chapter 19, we read of Sennacherib’s defeat and death...Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled!
And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
This event in Hezekiah’s life reminds me of how important it is to live in dependence on God. Though Hezekiah wasn’t always perfect, in this moment, he did the exact right thing — he brought his trouble straight to God His faith and trust, once again, brought King David to mind.
When God delivered David from all his enemies and from the hands of King Saul, he spoke these words of victory and thanksgiving...you can find them in both 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. I can hear Hezekiah singing along with him.
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.—Psalm 18:1-6
Oh, to be like David...to be like Hezekiah...and in our affliction and our fear go to our Lord God Almighty. He is our refuge and our defense from the strong enemies of our soul.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah—Psalm 62:8
