The Prayer of ... Hezekiah

Hezekiah Prays in the Temple

"David and Goliath." That phrase calls to mind all manner of thoughts: facing down one's giants, trusting in the Lord for victory, or even Jesus' battle with Satan fought on Good Friday. It might even remind some of us of the Claymation television show, "Davey and Goliath," which featured a young boy and his dog and taught biblical truths to youngsters in the 1960's and 70's.

How about the phrase "Hezekiah and Sennacherib"? Any thoughts? (If not, you can read about them in 2 Kings 18 & 19.)

An Historic Showdown
Hezekiah and Sennacherib had one of the greatest showdowns in biblical history, even though the two of them never met on the battlefield.

But they did battle.

Sennacherib was the king of the Assyrian Empire, which made a habit of swallowing up other nations. They had done that to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. Now, twenty years later, Sennacherib wants to do the same to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

He sends emissaries to Jerusalem to dispirit its inhabitants by causing them to doubt their God's power to protect them. They call out, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’

"Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

In response to this challenge, what does Hezekiah do? He doesn't rally the troops. He doesn't plan an attack. He doesn't seek an alliance against Assyria.

Instead, he goes to the temple and prays.

And this is his prayer: “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.”

A Lesson in Prayer
Hezekiah's prayer is based on the Lord's name being kept holy, in accordance with the Second Commandment, "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God." Sennacherib has insulted the Lord's name and honor by equating Him with the false gods of other nations, gods made of wood and stone. By delivering Jerusalem from Sennacherib, the Lord will prove to those other nations and kingdoms that He alone is the true God.

Hezekiah doesn't make the prayer about him or his kingdom. He makes it about the Lord and His glory.

I think we can take a lesson from that when we pray for the Lord to help us in times of trouble, distress, or need. Rather than asking for what we think will be best, what if we were to simply pray that the Lord be glorified in how He answers our prayer? That His name would be made great. That people would know that He alone is God.

Certainly pray for healing, pray for safety, pray for a job, pray for your ministry efforts. But pray that those blessings would bring glory to the Lord. And when the Lord gives those blessings, unabashedly and boldly give Him the credit. Make His name great!

Oh, by the way, the Lord did answer Hezekiah's prayer. He sent an angel to kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who were camped outside the gates of Jerusalem. As a result, Sennacherib broke camp, withdrew to his capital city, Nineveh, and was later killed by his own sons.

To God Alone the Glory!