2nd Kings 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16 Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
This passage of scripture teaches us what we should do when our backs are against a wall, and that is to pray, and pray, and pray. In this instance it was Hezekiah who was being threatened with annihilation from the godless Rabshakeh, who not only tried to intimidate God's people, but also indulged in a series of vitriolic utterances, designed to humiliate them and also to cast aspersions on the King of Kings. Hezekiah's method of dealing with the situation should now be emulated by all Christians, for he did not fly into a rage, nor did he succumb to temptations of discouragement and murmuring. Instead he did what we all should do when faced with similar or other dire circumstances in life, He took the letter and the matter to The Lord in prayer. Let's read:
2nd Kings 19:17 Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. 20 Then Isaiah"... "sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
The rest is history, for that very same night God sent out one destroying angel, who wiped out 18500 soldiers of the Assyrian army, so that the king of Assyria was forced to retreat from the battle in utter disgrace, and then, to put the final nail in his coffin, he was slaughtered in his house of worship by his two sons, thus bringing to a sudden and tragic end, the sacrilegious ranting and boasting of those who were bent on eliminating God's people.
When our backs are put against a wall, and like Hezekiah we cannot see any way out of our predicament, then instead of succumbing to the "Why me" syndrome, let us instead follow his example, and take the matter to The Lord in prayer. This action on our part will demonstrate our total dependence on God, and will thereby allow Him to use all His resources to vindicate His name and His people.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to pray in times of danger and perplexity, for God takes special delight in delivering those of us who call upon His name. Let's read:
2nd Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him".....
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!