Isaiah 37:14-20 Right Appeal
Sennacherib is ready for round two. King Hezekiah makes the right appeal to the only one who can save him; God. And he uses Sennacherib’s own words to hang him.
This is the second time Sennacherib has set out to take Jerusalem. The other towns of Judah have already fallen to the Assyrians. At this point in time, God had not promised to defend Jerusalem in this battle. God had spoken, through Isaiah, of the remnant He would be protecting but it was not a certainty that those living in Jerusalem were that remnant. God had sent the Rabshakeh back to his own land with a rumor the during ‘round one’, just as He said He would. So, King Hezekiah had hope God would intervene on Judah’s behalf again.
Both times King Hezekiah brings the words of Sennacherib to the Lord, he does NOT appeal to Him on behalf of the people directly. Each time, he points out the taunts that Sennacherib has made regarding God. How Sennacherib groups God in with all the gods made by the hands of man. The gods who had NO power to save. Hezekiah appeals to God focus on God proving who He is to the nations and making Sennacherib ‘eat his words’.
Hezekiah freely admits that the words of Sennacherib are true of the OTHER gods and other nations. Yet, he holds FIRM to his belief in the God of Israel. The God who made the heavens and the earth. The ONLY God with power to save. And with power to defend His own name!
The last thing Hezekiah throws into both prayers is the “remnant” who are in trouble. Hezekiah does NOT say that they are worthy of saving. That if God didn’t save them, He would be remiss in His covenant duties. That they were following His commandments. Only that He was the God of this people, and saving them would be a sign to the other nations as to Who God really is.
Can we say “miracle”?! Jerusalem, the city of David. The place where God put His name forever, is all alone. Enemies surround her and any physical help she might have had is cut off. By ANY earthly standard, Jerusalem is doomed. But Hezekiah wasn’t asking for earthly help. He was asking the God of the universe to come to their rescue. Not because they deserved it or earned it, but because they were HIS children.
We are not told here that King Hezekiah brought this letter to Isaiah to talk to God about it or even that he sent notice to Isaiah about what was going on. Hezekiah left his appeal at the altar in God’s hands. And he waited.
I wonder what that wait was like for Hezekiah. Did he have confidence that God would protect Jerusalem? Did he have peace or fear reigning in his heart? We KNOW he trusted God and followed His commandments, better than any king since David. He KNEW he could rely on God to keep His word. Was Hezekiah ‘weighing’ Jerusalem’s current state to see which side of the ‘blessing/curse scale’ it would come down on? Did he believe the people had truly repented and therefore on God’s favorable side? Or was he wondering if they had done enough to warrant this intervention? Him praying for God to act to protect His OWN name makes me think Hezekiah didn’t trust that their returning to God was enough. Surely it would help but it was not the deciding factor. Talk about a ‘nail biter’! Or an opportunity for faith!
Father God, You ARE the ONLY God who can work miracles. The ONLY God with ANY power at all. ALL other gods are man made and have NO life in them. You are the God I CLING to! The ONLY God I would ever put my trust in. You NEVER fail! You don’t always answer the way I would like, but You ALWAYS answer the way that is best for me. You know my needs, even before I do and better than I ever will. I am NOT worthy of Your intervention and protection. I didn’t earn it. But I accept it from the hands of my Father.
THANK YOU LORD JESUS for calling me Your own. For placing on me YOUR righteousness and bringing me to stand before Your Father. Help me always be mindful of Who paid the price for all I have, especially eternal life. Have Your way in my life and use it to bring glory to You.
