2 Kings 18

2 Kings 18

Although several of the kings before Hezekiah had lived in partial obedience to God and brought Judah down, and although Ahaz had lived in rebellion to God and caused Judah to drift even further from God, the reign of Hezekiah changed everything. Unlike most of the kings before him, Hezekiah chose to follow God, and he did so whole-heartedly. There was no partial obedience in his life. He removed anything and everything that led to the Judahites worshipping anything but God. All the high places were torn down, and the bronze serpent of Moses’ (that had become an idol) was destroyed. Judah was back on track, following God and experiencing His blessings once again. Their brothers, however, in Israel were going through the worst moment in their history. Hezekiah was king of Judah when Shalmaneser completely wiped out and destroyed Israel.


Sennacherib was the next king of Assyria, and a few years after their conquest in Israel, Sennacherib decided to lead an army into Judah as well. After a series of heated words between the two nations, Hezekiah commanded his men not to respond to the threats and taunts of the Assyrians. He knew where his faith was, and he knew that God would take care of them. However, he also knew that if they had sinned and done something wrong against the Assyrians, then this army might have been God’s punishment. So before they took any action, Hezekiah wanted to make sure that he knew God’s will in this situation.

The Assyrians, however, did not stop their pursuits. They wanted to draw as many of the Judahites away as they could, so they spoke out against Hezekiah. They called him a liar, saying that there was no way that they would ever be able to defeat the Assyrians. They had never been defeated by any nation and believed that they would be successful again. They spoke out against Hezekiah, saying that he was making promise that he could not keep, and they spoke out against God, claiming that He was no powerful enough to defeat them. The Judahites, however, stood their ground and did not respond, just as Hezekiah had commanded. They had given control over to God and were willing to celebrate their victory or experience defeat, whatever He had already decided.

The Judahites exemplified great faith in the midst of conflict. The Assyrians were the most powerful nation in the world at the time. They had been successful in every battle they fought. Yet the Judahites did not budge. They did not falter. Through Hezekiah’s leadership, they stood together and made a stand against the Assyrians. In the same way, we should give control of our life over to God. We can trust that He has our best interests in mind. Yes, there may be times of suffering, as He never promises that life will be easy, but the blessings that He will pour out in the end are worth so much more. God is in control, and He uses every situation (good and bad) for His ultimate good. We must learn to trust His plan, giving Him control of our lives, allowing Him to work, and giving Him the glory for all that He does!

Matt