August 24, 2025 Pondering
In about the 7 th century BC, there reigned in Judah a king named Hezekiah. At this extraordinarily tumultuous time in Israel’s history, the country had been divided into two nations: the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom (often called Judah). It was during this period of Israel’s history that the Assyrian kingdom took the Northern Kingdom into captivity. They were overthrown and taken away as slaves into Assyria.
Imagine being the king of Judah – while you saw your Northern brothers and sisters be overrun and decimated by the unstoppable super-power of the day. Hezekiah would have known that Jerusalem, Judah’s capitol, was next on Assyria’s chopping block.
In 2 Chronicles 32:9 we learn the King of Assyria indeed had decided to turn his attention to Jerusalem. So, as the drama unfolds, he sends word to Hezekiah and the people of Judah – threatening them.
He challenges them by asking, “On what are you trusting…Is not Hezekiah misleading you…when he tells you, 'The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?'” (2 Chron 32:10-11). The king of Assyria spends considerable effort on this propaganda campaign. Assyria believes that their threatening reputation should be enough to convince the people to abandon their loyalty to the Lord and His king – Hezekiah. If Assyria can divide the people and convince them to surrender – given the fact that no one has been able to stop them (including their northern counterparts) – then the battle would be won without a battle.
This campaign of words continues for several weeks (or even months). The King of Assyria “wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel… [explaining that] the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from his hand” (V17).
So what does Hezekiah do? What should Hezekiah do? The unity of his kingdom is being threatened. What we expect him to do is to wage a counter-propaganda campaign of words. We might expect him to spend his efforts calming the people’s fears – seeking to convince them to not panic! Stay united! Hold the line! The sentiment of “keep calm and carry on” comes to mind. We expect Hezekiah to call the people to rally together!
But this is not what he does.
After Assyria’s onslaught of divisive words – he does what we ought to do. His response is recorded in 2 Chronicles 32:20, “Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven.”
We may think that the people need their king to speak to them – but Hezekiah (interestingly, with God’s prophet – whose role is usually to speak to the people on God’s behalf) speaks to God.
When God’s people desperately need fears calmed, it is far more productive to call out to God than to call out to the people.
It is tempting to believe that when there is difficulty in our world and when there is the threat of division especially among the Christ’s church, that we must cry out to the people for unity! But really, what needs to happen is that we, each one of us, must cry out to God – the only one who can actually unite and strengthen us.
It is no wonder that Hezekiah’s own name declares this very truth – “Strengthened by God.”
Church of Jesus Christ, our strength doesn’t come from rallying one another. Our strength comes from our Savior alone. And it is a glorious truth that our King – King Jesus - is currently reigning and interceding on our behalf in the very throne room of God.
Join me as we cry out to Him.
Blessings,
Pastor tony
Imagine being the king of Judah – while you saw your Northern brothers and sisters be overrun and decimated by the unstoppable super-power of the day. Hezekiah would have known that Jerusalem, Judah’s capitol, was next on Assyria’s chopping block.
In 2 Chronicles 32:9 we learn the King of Assyria indeed had decided to turn his attention to Jerusalem. So, as the drama unfolds, he sends word to Hezekiah and the people of Judah – threatening them.
He challenges them by asking, “On what are you trusting…Is not Hezekiah misleading you…when he tells you, 'The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?'” (2 Chron 32:10-11). The king of Assyria spends considerable effort on this propaganda campaign. Assyria believes that their threatening reputation should be enough to convince the people to abandon their loyalty to the Lord and His king – Hezekiah. If Assyria can divide the people and convince them to surrender – given the fact that no one has been able to stop them (including their northern counterparts) – then the battle would be won without a battle.
This campaign of words continues for several weeks (or even months). The King of Assyria “wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel… [explaining that] the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from his hand” (V17).
So what does Hezekiah do? What should Hezekiah do? The unity of his kingdom is being threatened. What we expect him to do is to wage a counter-propaganda campaign of words. We might expect him to spend his efforts calming the people’s fears – seeking to convince them to not panic! Stay united! Hold the line! The sentiment of “keep calm and carry on” comes to mind. We expect Hezekiah to call the people to rally together!
But this is not what he does.
After Assyria’s onslaught of divisive words – he does what we ought to do. His response is recorded in 2 Chronicles 32:20, “Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven.”
We may think that the people need their king to speak to them – but Hezekiah (interestingly, with God’s prophet – whose role is usually to speak to the people on God’s behalf) speaks to God.
When God’s people desperately need fears calmed, it is far more productive to call out to God than to call out to the people.
It is tempting to believe that when there is difficulty in our world and when there is the threat of division especially among the Christ’s church, that we must cry out to the people for unity! But really, what needs to happen is that we, each one of us, must cry out to God – the only one who can actually unite and strengthen us.
It is no wonder that Hezekiah’s own name declares this very truth – “Strengthened by God.”
Church of Jesus Christ, our strength doesn’t come from rallying one another. Our strength comes from our Savior alone. And it is a glorious truth that our King – King Jesus - is currently reigning and interceding on our behalf in the very throne room of God.
Join me as we cry out to Him.
Blessings,
Pastor tony
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