HEZEKIAH’S CHOICE

HEZEKIAH’S CHOICE

2 Kings 19:1-4 NET.

¹ When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the LORD’s temple. ² He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, with this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: ³ “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ⁴ Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the LORD your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.'”

The superpower during this time was the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib. The empire had already invaded the holy land and taken control of the entire northern kingdom, Israel. It had also captured all the fortified cities in Judah, except for Jerusalem itself. Sennacherib fully intended to complete the task and conquer Jerusalem as well. However, he first wanted to play with them a little. He sent his commanding general and chief adviser along with a taunting letter. The letter cautioned Judah not to rely on an alliance with Egypt to save them. It stated that they could not depend on Yahveh, the God of the Jews, either, since Yahveh had instructed Assyria to march against the land and destroy it.

While he was reading this letter, some officials in Judah asked the commanding general not to speak in Hebrew but to deliver his message in Aramaic. They were concerned that ordinary people would be discouraged by this news. However, the commanding general refused. He stated, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their excrement and drink their urine along with you.” He proclaimed this message in Hebrew so everyone could hear it: “This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you from my hand! Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the LORD when he says, “The LORD will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his cistern, until I come and take you to a land just like your own — a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Then you will live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, “The LORD will rescue us.” Have any of the gods of the nations actually rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of the lands has rescued their lands from my power? So how can the LORD rescue Jerusalem from my power?”

The king of Judah at that time was Hezekiah. He was not a perfect man; in fact, the Bible records some of his failures. However, today’s passage focuses on a time when he and his city faced a terrible crisis, and he made the right choice. That is what I want to discuss this morning. The Bible recounts instances where the people of God faced insurmountable odds and emerged triumphant. These stories are God’s gift to us, guiding us in making the right choices. So, here is what I observe in today’s text.

What Hezekiah wore (1).

He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, which is funeral attire. It is what someone wears when they are in deep mourning. Hezekiah ripped up his royal robe and donned the dress of the seriously afflicted. He did not strap on his sword and call his captains to battle. He understood that would not work. The enemy was too great, and he had no confidence that he could prevail. Now was not the time to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Now was not the time for a stirring speech to motivate his troops into battle. Now was the time for the king to serve as a representative of the people and appeal to a power greater than himself and more potent than his army.

The book of the prophet Jonah describes such a time. Jonah appeared to the Ninevites and proclaimed their impending destruction. The King of the Ninevites declared a fast and led his people to repent and seek God’s favor. That is not what Jonah wanted, but it is always what God desires. He does not wish for anyone to be destroyed; He wants everyone to repent. By the way, do you know what Nineveh was? It was the capital city of this same Assyrian empire. It was a large, evil, and violent city, but even Nineveh was not a lost cause. The lesson we learn from all this is that it does not matter who you are or what your reputation is. In times of crisis, the best choice is to humble yourself.

But there’s more. Look at where Hezekiah went (1).

He did not barricade himself in his palace. He did not lock himself in his royal panic room. Instead, he went into the temple courts. When all else fails – or, in this case, is about to fail – seek God. Cast your cares on the Lord because he cares for you. In times of trouble, seek God. In times of crisis, go to the Lord’s house.

Contact any medical facility in this area, and you will likely first encounter a recording. What does that recording say? The first thing you will probably hear is this: “If this is an emergency, hang up and dial 9-1-1.” Don’t waste time trying to get help from a clinic that isn’t equipped to provide the assistance you need. You need an ambulance. You need the police. You need firefighters. This is not a normal situation. This is a crisis that requires a first responder.

Hezekiah realized he had to go to God’s house. God was the only qualified first responder in this crisis. While all the fortified cities of Judah had walls, those walls could not stop the invasion of the Assyrian armies. Hezekiah understood that the walls of Jerusalem wouldn’t be sufficient. However, he recognized that Jerusalem possessed something none of the other cities had: the temple of Yahveh. God is present everywhere, but the symbol of His presence is located in a specific place in this city.

Notice also what Hezekiah said (3).

From his position in the temple courts, Hezekiah summoned his cabinet members: his chief of staff, Eliakim; his secretary, Shebna; and the leading priests. He gave them all the same instruction: to find Isaiah. The king had a message for Isaiah: Now is the time. The baby is ready, but the mother lacks the strength to give birth. Isaiah was the most prominent prophet of Yahveh during Hezekiah’s reign. King Hezekiah understood that he needed the Lord, so he went to the temple. He also recognized that he needed the word of the Lord, so he called for Isaiah. All he required was a message from God.

Notice what Hezekiah prayed (4).

He said, “Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the LORD your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’

Hezekiah does not pray for the walls of Jerusalem to be strong enough to withstand Sennacherib’s army or for the defeat of the Assyrian Empire. Instead, he prays for two things: that God would punish Sennacherib for his blasphemy—his insult to God himself—and that God would help the remnant.

When Isaiah responds, his message goes beyond the specific requests that Hezekiah mentioned. We should not be surprised by this, as that is how God always works. He is able to do far more than we ask Him to do or even think of asking Him for (Ephesians 3:20). Hezekiah didn’t need to get all the wording of his prayer correct. What was important was that Hezekiah knew where to go and to whom to pray.

Isaiah sent back this message: “’This is what the LORD says: ‘Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard — these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his land. I will cut him down with a sword in his land.”

That did happen, but it would occur many years later. It was the answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, but it did not lead to an immediate end to the siege. God took care of that problem as well, even though Hezekiah did not specifically pray for it at that time. In a later prayer, Hezekiah would say, “Yahveh, God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubs! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky and the land. Pay attention, Yahveh, and hear! Open your eyes, Yahveh, and observe! Listen to the message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! It is true, Yahveh, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands, manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. Now, O Yahveh our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Yahveh, are the only God.

In response to that prayer, the Lord halted Senacherib’s army without Judah firing a single shot. While the soldiers in the Assyrian camp were sleeping, an angel from God entered the camp and killed 185,000 of them. They broke camp the next day and returned to Nineveh.

If you visit London today, you can check out a museum housing a message penned by Sennacherib boasting about all his conquests. The message lists the nations he defeated. Notably absent from that list is any reference to his conquest of the great city of Jerusalem. The Bible explains why he stopped at that point. It was all due to a prayer.

I had mentioned at the beginning of today’s message that Hezekiah was not a perfect man. It is essential that we also understand where Hezekiah failed (ch. 20).

The Old Testament documents the people of God’s failures and successes. We must understand that even if God has used us in the past, we are not immune to making poor choices now. Chapter 20 recounts how a delegation from the King of Babylon visited Hezekiah. He welcomed them and treated them to a tour of his palace and all his treasures. That was not a wise decision. 

Isaiah told Hezekiah that a time would come when everything in his palace and the belongings his ancestors had accumulated would be carried away to Babylon; nothing would remain. He mentioned that some of Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken captive and made eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace. Hezekiah replied that at least there would be peace during his lifetime.

We cannot afford to make choices that will lead to challenging times for our children and grandchildren. We cannot look around at all the blessings we have now and not think about the world in which our children and grandchildren will live.

On this day, as we celebrate the fathers among us, we must learn from the mistake Hezekiah made as a father. Fathers all over the planet are currently making the same error. They are befriending the enemy, not realizing that their children will bear the consequences of that friendship. A little accommodation here, a little compromise there, and they are creating a world that enslaves their children and grandchildren.

Some of you have not been blessed with a believing father. That is unfortunate. However, the real tragedy would be this: it would be a tragedy if your children do not experience the blessing of having a believing father. Our faith in Christ must be firm, built on the unshakable foundation of the word of God. We owe our children that legacy. We may not have a wealth of material possessions to leave them, but we must pass on that faith. If we fail them in this regard, nothing else will matter.