Day 16: Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:1 – 19:19; 19:32-37)
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Its hundreds of years later now, and the time for their judgement had
come again: God allowed Israel to be
taken into captivity because of their disobedience to YAHWEH’s laws.
Over in the other splinter of the Kingdom, Judah, the kings had not
been fairing much better than King Ahab had back in Israel. The Kings were sinful, unrepentant people,
bent on idol worship and going about things apart from Yahweh. That is, until Hezekiah (ca. 716-687 B.C.).
Finally, something to say about a king… and it’s not all bad. “For the first time the historian has
unqualified praise for a king of Judah…
The allegiance of Hezekiah to YAHWEH was unswerving, and he destroyed
the country sanctuaries and their cult objects and removed the venerated bronze
serpent from the temple.”[1]
His heart, like David’s, chased after God. His desire, to renew the covenant that his
people had broken. In “a drastic
reaction” to the idolatry that had prevailed when his father was king: Hezekiah reopened the temple and called the
Levites to work. They repaired the
temple. They cleansed it. They removed anything used primarily for idol
worship for destruction. It only took
sixteen days, and the temple was ready for worship![2]
They began to offer sacrifices at the temple once again. The music of harps, lyres, and cymbals filled
the air as in Davidic times. Burnt
offerings were accompanied by liturgical singing, and the people echoed the words
of David and Asaph as they sang praises to God.
Oh, that all God’s people might worship together again. That the breach
that had separated Judah from Israel since the time of Solomon might be healed. This was Hezekiah’s heart. He sent letters of invitation to all to come
to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover as one people. They
crowded into Jerusalem to celebrate together.
The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and
Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had
come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. There was great Joy in Jerusalem, for since
the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like
this in Jerusalem. The priests and
Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached
heaven, his holy dwelling place.
When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the
towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars
throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the
Israelites returned to their own towns.
After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria
came and invaded Judah, but Hezekiah did not fear because he knew YAHWEH was
with them. He encouraged the
people: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of
the king of Assyria and his vast army, for there is greater power with us. With him is only human strength, but YAHWEH
is with us. He will help us. He will fight our battles!"
They knew his words were true, and their confidence began to grow.
Sennacherib king of Assyria tried to shake them, and cause them to
question Hezekiah. “Do not let Hezekiah
deceive you! No god of any nation or
kingdom has been able to deliver his people from me! Your god will fail, too!” He threatened.
Hezekiah and Isaiah both cried out in prayer to heaven:
Hezekiah and Isaiah both cried out in prayer to heaven:
“Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are
God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give
ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words
Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God."
“It is true, Lord, that the
Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 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. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from
his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord,
are God.”
YAHWEH sent an angel to defeat the army, and Sennacherib withdrew
in disgrace.
Is God's temple polluted today? Is our focus somewhere other than God?
Have we, his people, come to value things he does not? Or avoid commands that don’t fit nicely
into our lives?
What should be kept separate?
What is foundational to worship of our God?
What separates us from other Christians when we worship that should not be coming between use?
It was God’s desire that Israel and Judah be one. His desire is the same today.
There is one people of God – many parts formed into one body. The body of the baby we expect to come
soon. And while any infant begins
uncoordinated, through a mix of effort and nature the parts learn to work
together. The head moves the parts in unity.
This is what Christ has come to do for us. Unite us with him. Unite us as one body. His presence in the world. How are you being Christ’s presence this
season?
What
hinders? What entangles? Throw it off!
Destroy it! Be free, and find comfort in waiting for what is not yet here!
Prayer:
Lord God, we forget our purpose, we forget why we wait at Christmas. But now we remember you. We throw off those things that turn our face
from you, so that we can see you again!
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