Hezekiah Meets a Crisis

GOLDEN TEXT: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 124: 8

II CHRONICLES 32:1-8, 32, 33

HEZEKIAH was zealous in his service of God. The record is that “in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” (II Chron. 31:21) He “prospered” because, as our Golden Text states, his help came from the Lord. The Lord is always near, and ready to help those who trust him and serve him faithfully.

Today’s lesson concerns the manner in which Hezekiah met an Assyrian invasion of Judah under the leadership of Sennacherib. The Assyrians had entered the land and were encamped against the fortified cities, and Sennacherib was particularly determined to capture Jerusalem. Seeing this, Hezekiah consulted with his princes and decided on a course of action. First they cut off the water supplies that would in anyway be a help to the enemy. Then they strengthened the walls of the city, and reorganized their army as best they could.

But Hezekiah did not rely too much on his army, or on the strength of Jerusalem’s walls. His real trust was in the Lord. This is brought beautifully to our attention in his message of comfort to the people. He said to them, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be 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.”

What wonderful words of encouragement! The record is that the people “leaned themselves upon the words of Hezekiah.” (Margin) So may all the Lord’s people lean upon his promises of grace to help in their every time of need, for there has never failed one word of all his good promises. On the other hand, those who lean on the arm of flesh have no assurance of victory.

Chapters 36 to 39 of Isaiah present in some detail the efforts made by Sennacherib to instill fear into the heart of Hezekiah and his defenders of the city. The argument was that Israel’s God would not be able to protect them, that the gods of other nations had failed to stop the Assyrian army, and therefore Hezekiah could not hope that his God could successfully fight against such a powerful force. Thus it was a challenge of the ability of Jehovah to defend his people.

Because “they spake against the God of Jerusalem,” placing him in the same category as the gods of the heathen, which were no gods at all, Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah “prayed and cried to heaven.” (II Chron. 32:19,20) We are told that “the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.”—vs. 21

In this experience of Judah being attacked by their enemies, the Assyrians, and the defeat of the Assyrians, we have an illustration of the “warfare” in which the followers of Jesus, the spiritual Israelites of this age, are engaged. It is a “good fight of faith.” Our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Lord has provided us with an “armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”—II Cor. 6:7

The Lord wants us to make faithful use of the armor of truth which he has provided, and always to be on the alert to meet the attacks of our enemies. But like the people of Judah, without the Lord’s direct help we would fall before our adversaries. So we have the assurance that “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” (Ps. 34:7) These ministering spirits therefore, in the providence of God, as in the deliverance of Judah, stand by to give us that extra help which we need to be victorious.

The last two verses of our lesson tell us that “the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness” are recorded in the prophecy of Isaiah, and in the Book of Kings; and that he “slept with his fathers.” The “rest of the acts” of this faithful king are instructive and inspiring. The record is found in II Kings, chapters 18-20; and Isaiah, chapters 36-39. We recommend a study of these chapters.

Hezekiah “slept with his fathers.” This expression is used regarding many personalities of the Old Testament. It is very revealing. Hezekiah’s own father, for example, was the wicked king, Ahaz. Many of the “fathers” who had previously died were also wicked. Abraham “was gathered to his people,” yet they were not the servants of God. (Gen. 25:8) The point is that in death they all “slept” together—not in heaven, not in a hell of torment, but in death, in oblivion, until their awakening in the resurrection.

QUESTIONS

What was the principal reason that Hezekiah “prospered” in the things he did?

Why was Hezekiah so confident that Judah would not be defeated and enslaved by the Assyrians? Quote his words of assurance to the people.

What prompted Hezekiah and Isaiah to pray and cry “unto heaven,” and what was the result of their prayer?

What lesson may we, as spiritual Israelites, take from the miraculous manner in which God delivered Judah from the Assyrians?

What is signified by the expression concerning Hezekiah that he “slept with his fathers”?

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