“The king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God” (2 Kings 19:4)

It is very refreshing to come to King Hezekiah as we read through the books of the kings. The kings of Israel did not do what is right in the sight of the Lord and many of the kings of Judah either failed to do so or only partially or superficially had an interest in obeying the Lord.

Hezekiah sought counsel from the Lord when under threat from Assyria. Unlike many of his predecessors and the kings of Israel he did not trust in his own wisdom, neither did he try to buy off the Assyrians with the temple gold and silver, and neither did he try to make an alliance with another nation. He chose to entrust Judah and himself to the Lord.

The Assyrians had provoked the people of Judah to not trust the Lord and surrender but Hezekiah resisted that pressure. What could possibly motivate any man to go out on a limb like that?

It was Rabshakeh’s, Sennacherib’s representative, persistent and consistent  blasphemy that provoked Hezekiah to a decisive stand. He could have been equally motivated to surrender since Israel had already been taken captive by Sennacherib’s forces

The answer to Hezekiah’s motivation is revealed as he ends his prayer. It was “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God. You alone” (2 Kings 19:19).

As it was in Hezekiah’s day we have a multitude of gods worshipped in the world now. Where are the men who will go out on the limb of faith in God and His Word so that people can see that there is no other God but the Lord, God of Israel, revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ?

Perhaps it is because we have surrendered to the blasphemous taunts of the Rabshakeh’s of this world and are ashamed of Christ who died for us.

As we approach Christmas Day, let us be confident in faith in the truth and courageous in witness to that truth so that the people we rub shoulders with will know that the Lord is the one and only God and besides Him there is no other.