Isaiah 37-39

August 1

Isaiah 37-39

Hezekiah held off the Assyrians and held off death because he was a man of prayer. The Assyrians were a powerful nation. They were conquering nation after nation as they expanded their kingdom. They did not see Jerusalem as much of a problem. Jerusalem was nothing in comparison to the power, the men, and the weaponry of Assyria. But Hezekiah did not fear the Assyrians because he knew God. Instead of calling for help from other nations, he called on the Lord.

The great Assyrian mistake is that they saw the God of Israel as the same as the god of the other nations they had conquered. They did not realize that Yahweh was the God of all nations, the creator of the universe, and the protector of Jerusalem. When the king of Assyria threatened Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed. When he prayed God moved. One hundred and eighty five thousand from the Assyrian army died without Hezekiah and his men even picking up a weapon. God is more powerful than the armies of the earth no matter how powerful they may appear.

Hezekiah, because of his experience with God, knew where to turn when he was told his illness was terminal. He cried out to God who heard from heaven and added fifteen years to his life. Hezekiah did not fear death, he called on the Lord. Just as the nations enemies were crouching at the door of Jerusalem, death was crouching at the Hezekiah’s door. But God is more powerful than all our enemies, even death.

God wants to hear from us. He hears our prayers and responds. He does not always respond the way we want Him to respond, but He always gives us what we need instead of what we may want. He is a loving Father in heaven who walks through life with us and escorts us into His eternal presence when our life on earth is over. Prayer is our communication with God. He hears from heaven and responds with grace. As we pray, we gain confidence in prayer. As we see God move in our lives, we realized that He is with us as we pursue a life of righteousness, to give Him glory.