Having just read the account of king Hezekiah, I was struck by the difference between him and many previous kings.
At the beginning of each king's reign is recorded an account of his heart's intentions. It is sad to see that most of the kings after David did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Occasionally there was one who did that which was right, and yet always held back a portion.
When we come to Hezekiah, the Bible tells us that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and furthermore he removed the high places and the bronze serpent. In fact he is singled out alone for his trust in God.
The test of his devotion and trust come years later in his reign when the Assyrians come against him with unbeatable odds.
For the past few centuries, Israel had been continuously pillaged and robbed of her treasures, wealth, and military might. Now she stands completely powerless to stop an invading army. Prior to Hezekiah, many kings had hired out the armies of other nations to assist them in battle. They did this by taking the consecrated gold and silver from the temple and sending it as a payment for service.
Would they have hearkened to the lessons of history, they would have realized that the Lord was to be their defender, and that He did not need numbers to secure a victory. Hezekiah's trust of the Lord is made apparent when instead of looking to man for deliverance, he goes into the house of the Lord and presents the Assyrian's mocking letter to God. The Lord speaks through His servant Isaiah and declares that this enemy will indeed not prevail but fall before Israel.
After reading this account, I was again reminded that the Lord is looking for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. To do that, we must take our eyes off of the present circumstances that seem so insurmountable and cast ourselves completely upon the Lord. He is waiting for us to give Him our complete trust and obedience, then He will show Himself strong.
Today we have many opportunities to put our faith into action. Whom will you serve today? Will you lean upon the king of Egypt or will you prostrate yourself before your heavenly King, looking to Him alone for deliverance, strength, and provision?
5 comments:
Sound thoughts.
Ol Hezy was a good king.
Josiah was singled out for his loyalty.
good thoughts
Would that we could consistantly exercise that kind of faith.
Amen Joe, that truly is the need.
He did have some failures.
Pride which brought on Gods wrath.
Bringing the enemies into the secret hedquarters and flaunting everything to them. Something similar to the president walking Alqueda around the pentagon or the CIA and showing them how powerful we are.
Being releived that his children would suffer because of his sin and not him. Rank selfishness..
But God likes to extol the godly points of his men and not always point out the bad.
His faith was greater than any other king.
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