2 Kings 19 Lay It All Out Before the Lord

King Hezekiah had just heard of the threats and intimidation that had been made by the Rabshakeh, who was under authority of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. In response to these threats, Hezekiah humbled himself and presented them to the Lord. He also sent word to the prophet Isaiah to hear what had been presented. Rather than attacking Jerusalem, having heard a rumor that there was war back in Assyria, the king returned home. Further those who stayed with Rabshakeh, one hundred, eighty five thousand of them were destroyed by a blast from the Lord (vs. 35).

Further the Lord spoke that Sennacherib would be killed in his own city, which took place by his sons. They had heard their father was going to offer them up as sacrifices as Abraham had Isaac. His intent was to gain favor from the Lord God. However his sons killed him, which totally eliminated the threat to Jerusalem.

Keep in mind that the ten tribes of Israel had already been taken captive, yet Judah was still in residence of Jerusalem under Hezekiah’s reign. A number of promises were made to Judah that seemed impossible with the Assyrians surrounding them. One of those promises was the provision of food over the next three years; another, that was directly tied to the previous one, was that they would “take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” This spoke of the growth of Judah and those who were in residence of Jerusalem.

Friend, when we are confronted with issues that we have no clue as what to do, it is wise to respond as Hezekiah did. Lay it all out before the Lord in prayer. He still hears and answers prayer today. One of the keys is humility. How we respond will determine our destiny. May we always go before the Lord with issues, whether large or small, because He cares for you!