Bible Reading Blog
“He is God Alone”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: 2 Kings 18-19
King Hezekiah had witnessed the devastation of Israel by the Assyrians; and now they were standing on his doorstep (18.17). The Assyrians captured the fortified cities of Judah (18.13), leading Hezekiah to accept a desperate plea deal. He paid the imposed tribute (18.14-16) placing himself at the mercy of the Assyrians, and hoping that would be the end of it. But King Sennacherib wasn’t content to simply withdraw. He sent his mouth, Rabshakeh, to ensure Judah knew who was in charge now (18.17-ff).
“…if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’… is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’… ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand…’” (2 Kings 18.19-29).
His rationale wasn’t bad and his argument wasn’t entirely wrong. Hezekiah did not have the manpower to fight (2 Kings 18.24). Besides that, no one else had been able to stand against the Assyrians. YHWH himself had appointed Assyria for this purpose (Isaiah 10.5-6), and Sennacherib was keenly aware of his position (2 Kings 18.25). If one considered only the present factors, the outcome seemed obvious.
These are typically situations where faith caves. People find themselves out of options and human rationale purports that God’s ways have failed. It’s time to take a different approach. Clearly, Hezekiah’s back was against the wall and his resources depleted. The pattern of previous kings was to appeal to other nations for help (as his father Ahaz had done, 2 Kings 16.7ff). But here is where Hezekiah was different. He appealed to YHWH’s mercy through His prophet and with his own intercession (2 Kings 19.1-19). ‘O YHWH our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O YHWH, are God alone’ (19.19). He simply refused to accept other options or change his allegiance. His powerful plea is the core of what it means to have integrity, and we must pursue this practice.
But more than Hezekiah’s choices, Sennacherib made one serious misjudgment. To him, YHWH was in his hip pocket. He saw YHWH simply as the next god in line to be conquered (2 Kings 18.33-35). Much like Pharaoh many years before, Sennacherib did not know YHWH and felt no compulsion to respect him (cf. Exodus 5.2). If we learn anything from scripture, it is that YHWH always shows up when his honor is on the line. “I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David” (2 Kings 19.34). Before the night passed, Sennacherib’s army was depleted, he fled home to Assyria and within a short time, Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons (2 Kings 19.35-37).
Sometimes YHWH allows these situations to instruct his people. Perhaps we need our back against the wall to remind us how desperately we need mercy and that only God prevails with certainty and hope. He is not just the next god in line. He is God alone.
