The Prayer of a Faithful King Isaiah 36-37

Hezekiah  A Good King

Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:1-7) 1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah [a] daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

Israel Judah Date Name Good or Bad? 931 - 910 Jeroboam I Bad 910 - 909 Nadab 909 - 886 Baasha 886 - 885 Elah 885 Zimri 885 - 874 Omri Extra Bad 874 - 853 Ahab The Worst 853 - 852 Ahaziah 852 - 841 Joram Bad mostly 841 - 814 Jehu 814 - 798 Jehoahaz 798 - 782 Joash 782 - 753 Jeroboam II * 753 Zechariah 752 Shallum 752 - 742 Menahem 742 - 740 Pekahiah 740 - 732 Pekah 732 - 722 Hoshea 722 - 721 FALL OF ISRAEL Date Name Good or Bad? 931 - 913 Rehoboam Bad mostly 913 - 911 Abijam 911- 870 Asa Good 870 - 848 Jehoshaphat 848 - 841 Jehoram Bad 841 Ahaziah 841 - 835 Athaliah Devilish 835 - 796 Joash 796 - 767 Amaziah Good mostly 767 - 740 Uzziah 740 - 732 Jotham 732 - 716 Ahaz Wicked 716 - 687 Hezekiah The Best 687 - 643 Manasseh The Worst 643 - 641 Amon 641 - 609 Josiah 609 Jehoahaz 609 - 598 Jehoiakim 598 Jehoiachin 597 - 586 Zedekiah 585 FALL OF JUDAH Israel Judah Source: http://www.biblestudy.org/prophecy/israel-kings.html

Hezekiah A Good King King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Preceded by Ahaz

Hezekiah Goal: To reflect on the actions of this Good king, specifically paying attention to his most famous prayer, and to reflect on how that might speak into our own lives.

The Story Isaiah 36: 701 BC Sennacherib Has “shut up Hezekiah like a bird in a cage.”

The Story Isaiah 36: Hezekiah has postured toward rebellion. King of Assyria: Sennacherib, sends his field commander to the Jerusalem city gate. Hezekiah sends three top officials to receive the message.

The Story Field Commander’s Message: calls into question Hezekiah’s confidence. Why is Hezekiah refusing to surrender in the view of such a superior force? Questions whether he is relying on Egypt Questions whether he is relying on God Didn’t Hezekiah remove His high places and altars?

The Story Field Commander’s Bargain: Offers him 2 Thousand horses, which Hezekiah doesn’t have riders for. Claims that God is on Assyria’s side: Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the LORD ? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.‘ (36:10) This is a pretty Solid Argument all around

Field Commander’s Second Threat "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 36:14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 36:15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 36:16 "Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, 36:17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 36:18 "Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.' Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

The Story Also has some Good points Blasphemes God (v. 18) Field Commander’s Second Threat: Also has some Good points Blasphemes God (v. 18) Response, Say nothing.

Isaiah’s Response 37:6b "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 37:7 Listen! I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.' "

Sennacherib’s Response 37:10 "Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.' 37:11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 37:12 Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 37:13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?"

Hezekiah’s Response - Prayer 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 18 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.

Hezekiah’s Response - Prayer 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Exalts God’s Character

Hezekiah’s Response - Prayer 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. Expresses Confidence in God

Hezekiah’s Response - Prayer "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Lays out the situation Honestly listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 18 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.

Hezekiah’s Response - Prayer 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 18 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods Makes a bold petition for the right reason only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.

The Result I heard you I Made you I know you I control you God’s Response to Assyria: I heard you I Made you I know you I control you

The Result God’s response to his people: Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria:        "He will not enter this city        or shoot an arrow here.        He will not come before it with shield        or build a siege ramp against it. (37:33) "I will defend this city and save it,        for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!" (37:35)

The Result God’s Response to Assyria:  37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37:37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.  37:38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

Application Faithfulness Matters Nothing is impossible with God God allows us to participate in making the impossible happen (i.e., Prayer Matters)

Application 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 18 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.