Ears May Hear But Faith Can Stand

 

What happens when you hear words that rock your world? Words that melt your courage, sending panic rolling over you like a terrible storm? King Hezekiah knows such a moment, and so do I.

One of my favorite reasons for reading the Bible is when I read something that has a profound effect upon me, transforming my perspectives and habits thereafter. The story of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19:1-37 is such an example. He ranks very high as one of my heroes of the Old Testament. This passage in particular describes moments in time that send chills down my spine. Chills for two different reasons.

The first reason is because of what he heard. King Hezekiah was the king of Judah. In the fourth year of his reign, the King of Assyria attacked the King of Israel. For three years they laid siege to it. When Samaria was finally captured, the Assyrians deported Israel and settled them elsewhere. The Assyrians took over their lands and possessions for themselves. This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD, but violated His covenant (2 Kings 18:9-12).

King Hezekiah heard of all of this, the fall of the other half of God’s divided kingdom. So when eight years later, the King of Assyria came calling on Judah, Hezekiah knew exactly what was at stake, how critical and real the threat was. Both Israel and Judah had been rebuked for years for their rebellion against God, with the first consequences evident as Israel fell in battle and become spoils of war. When they heard that Israel had fallen, their next thought had to be about themselves.  If God had allowed that to happen, what would this mean for Judah?

King Hezekiah had not been unfaithful before God as he ruled Judah. He was not considered in the same regard as his father, the previous king. He had learned the lessons from his father’s rebellion. It was King Ahaz that shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up alters of idolatry on the street corners of Jersulem. So even though he was not personally to blame for the nation sinning against God, he had to wonder if his efforts to call the people back to their faith in Jehovah was too little too late. Had the nation gone too far to quell the wrath and judgement of God?

At first, the Assyrian army attacked and captured the fortified cities of Judah. King Hezekiah sent a message to the opposing king saying that Judah had done wrong and offered a pay off to get them to withdraw. In a panic, he tried to appease the conquering king with humility and gold that he stripped from the doors and door posts of the temple. Not his best moment…….

Even after admitting “fault” to the Assyrian King and giving him gold, the king still sent a large army to Jerusalem with a message.

“Just as I have annihilated other countries, now I am here for you”. (Paraphrasing)

Chilling words……… To know what they knew about this powerful, brutal nation, and to know they were now in their sights, left little to the imagination. As they heard the threat, based in an all too real reality, they were washed in waves of fear and dread. Who wouldn’t be?!

I remember the day that I heard some devastating news. It left me breathless, like I had received a blow. I had really. It came without anticipation, when I was least expecting it.

The unanticipated has always been difficult for me to handle. I am at my worst when I cannot foresee a challenge or a storm. It takes me time to process and sometimes that is a disadvantage. As I am left reeling, I am left grappling, trying to grab hold of any hope or solution in sight. And the reality is, sometimes there just isn’t one.

That is where I found myself that day as I walked into work. I remember going into my office in the back and being almost in a panic. The panic I felt from what I heard was compounded because I knew there was absolutely not one thing I could do about the problem facing us. I remember holding onto the counter in the back to steady myself. Heart racing, mind reeling, I felt trapped and threatened just like Hezekiah.

Sometimes problems are not so scary when “ignorance is bliss”. But when you know what you are dealing with, that can make it even more overwhelming. So when King Hezekiah’s officials told him what the field commander had said, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth as he headed straight for the temple of the LORD.

Why did he run to the temple? Because he knew that is where his hope lay, in the Lord his God. I love how it was King Hezekiah ‘s knee-jerk reaction to run to God for help. After trying to fix the threat the first time by himself, he learned the better way. What help could he expect from God? Strength to stand against fear and threats, guidance for what to do, help in doing it…….God provides emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical help to those who seek Him in times of trouble.

In addition to going straight to the temple, he also sent word to Isaiah, the Lord’s prophet, asking him to beseech the Lord for help. His immediate response to Hezekiah was from the Lord, direct and to the point. “Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with which the underlings of the King of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to……..” 2 Kings 19:6-7

I love how God zeroed in on the challenge and spoke to the solution. He told Hezekiah not to be afraid of what he heard from the enemy, then He firmly told Hezekiah to “Listen!” to Him instead. He used an exclamation point to communicate His intensity. It was like God was shouting and shaking Hezekiah out of his fear and shock back to the reality of His God being greater than the problem. In essence He was saying,” Don’t listen to the enemy! Listen to Me!!”

When I see this king run to the Ruler of all kingdoms for help and security, it gives me chills of the relationship I want with the Lord. It speaks of the intimacy and expectation from belonging to such an Almighty God. It is like a child running for the protection of his father’s love and care, but the father just happens to be the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe. The privilege, the power, the protection are mind boggling!

So that day at work when I was struck with fear and dread, I ran to the Father just like Hezekiah. Because I had read his story, I knew what to do when my enemy showed himself, seeking to lay siege to my heart and faith. My ears had heard the message of doom and gloom but because I inwardly ran to the Lord, my faith remained steadfast against the threat. It was a brutal battle I waged as I panicked but tried to remind myself of the Truth I knew from His Word. I grasped that counter and planted my feet as I remembered verses of power and comfort from the Bible. It was not I that held fast, but the Word of God that I listened to over and above the words I heard that day. 

There is more to learn from Hezekiah, but that is for another post. The chill I feel as I read of a man’s steadfast courage against an army who had wiped out so many other nations is why I continually come back to the Bible. The thrill of faith is found in no other Book that can empower the victory over our enemy. That is why I “Listen!” with intent. I already know it works!