Enemy Invades Part 2

 

    Today is a continuation of the story of the Assyrians attacking Jerusalem.  They were foolish enough to insult God's people and denote Him to an idol.  In this chapter we see what Jerusalem does that saves them.  They were not without fear, hurt feelings, or destructive feelings.  They just accepted where they were and moved forward.  They were blessed with a leader that turned to God and did not faulter.

    King Hezekiah mourned over the threats that King Sennacherib made like his officials.  It felt like a dooms day scenario.  On the top of his head, he could not see an escape.  He feared that all His people would be massacred.  It was not a good feeling.  However, he kept his senses enough to follow advisement of his staff.  (FYI, back then the head priest was a part of that staff.  Government was never meant to run without God.)  He took his feelings to God's temple and sent for Isaiah to consult on how to pray.

    He admitted to Isaiah that they were sitting around like helpless women waiting to be killed.  The waiting was agonizing.  Waiting is normally the worst part.  You just have time to over think things and psych yourself out.  He saw that his only hope was in God.  Isaiah assured him not to worry over the Assyrian blasphemy and reassured him how the situation would be taken care of.

    King Hezekiah laid flat and prayed on the floor of God's temple.  He acknowledged that God was their salvation and who God is.  He gave God all the glory.  Their enemy crushed nations, making a god of himself, but God had the power over all kingdoms.  Assyria appeared as an unstoppable force, but he was trusting God.

    God heard Hezekiah's prayer and what the Sennacherib had said.  God defended the city for the sake of David.  He sent His angel to kill 185,000 Assyrian men.  There was no battle.  The next morning there were just dead bodies of the enemy.  The Assyrians that were not killed fled to Nineveh.  God put a spirit in Sennacherib that caused him to be killed in his own country by 2 of his sons while he worshipped his idols in 701 BC.  Then his youngest son succeeded him.

    

Isaiah 37