Choosing God's Way - King Hezekiah's Example
Written by Ed Allen
Sunday, 02 September 2007 09:41
Observations from today's sermon
Choosing God's way makes all the difference in the world.
2 Kings 18
- v. 3 Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord just as King David did.
- vv.5-7 King Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and kept God's commands. The Lord was with him and gave him success. King Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria.
- v.13f Sennacherib (the king of Assyria) comes back. Hezekiah tries to bribe him, but Sennacherib continues to march against Judah and Jerusalem.
- vv.19-35 Sennacherib's officer engages in mental warfare against the people inside of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 19
- vv.1-4Hezekiah sends his leadership team to the prophet Isaiah in humility asking for Isaiah's prayers.
- v.5 Isaiah says not to worry about Sennacherib and that Sennacherib will not overtake Jerusalem.
- vv.14-19 Hezekiah takes that message and goes before God in prayer. He petitions God for deliverance.
- vv.20-34 God responds to Hezekiah through Isaiah and tells Hezekiah not to be afraid of what he has heard from Sennacherib's underlings and that God would deliver Hezekiah.
- vv.35-37 God killed 185,000 of Sennacherib's army and then put Sennacherib to death by the sword as God had foretold through his prophet Isaiah.
Hezekiah had a choice – to go with what he saw in his circumstances or to trust God. Hezekiah chose to trust God and God delivered him.