“Listen! I am going to put such as spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword,”
~ 2 Kings 19:7
Hi James and Ellen,
What would you do if a guy shows up at your house one day and tells you that he is going to take for himself all the stuff that is in your house? What would you do if this same guy tells you – after he has taken for himself all the stuff that is in your house, that he is going to burn down your house and that he is going to take you to be his slaves? What would you do if you knew that this guy really has the resources to do exactly what he is threatening you with doing? What would you do if you knew that this guy has already done to other guys, gals and kids what he is threatening you with doing to you? What would you do if you knew that this guy’s buddies are hanging out right outside Newark’s city limits – like very near where you live? Hezekiah knew that he was facing a potentially serious situation when an advancing Assyrian people group army showed up at his city’s gates. Hezekiah had been recently positioned as the next king over the guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area. A king who ruled over the guys and gals who lived in Judah’s land area, did what he did from a very ornate, luxurious palace – which Solomon took on building, which was located in the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah was the God-appointed prophet and Hezekiah’s in-house mentor at this time. When Hezekiah was given the stomach wrenching news that Sennacherib – who was an Assyrian people group king, and his massive army had set up camp outside the walls that completely surrounded the city of Jerusalem, Hezekiah took off running – straight to God. Would you run straight to God if a very bad guy shows up one day at the house where you are living to tell you that he is taking all your stuff, that he is going to totally trash your house and that he is going to take you away to his place to be his personal peons? 2 Kings 19 describes Hezekiah’s immediate reaction to the ill-boding news that had just been passed on to him – that he and the city of Jerusalem were about to take a devastating hit from the Assyrian people group army. Hezekiah right away tears his clothes – which were probably rather opulent duds, puts on sackcloth – which was probably almost like rags and he goes into the temple of God – which was in the city of Jerusalem and which Solomon had also taken on building. Hezekiah does not just do the clothes changing thing and the hiding out with God in His temple; Hezekiah also wisely sends right away some of his most trusted guys – his palace administrator, his secretary and the leading priests, to his mentor to get Isaiah’s take on the dire, ominous situation that he and the guys, gals and kids who were living in the city of Jerusalem at this time were facing. Verse 7 is Isaiah recounting what he told Eliakim – who was Hezekiah’s palace administrator, Shebna – who was Hezekiah’s secretary, and the leading priests what he had been told by God – as God the Father, what He was going to do to Sennacherib, “Listen! I am going to put such as spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword,’”” There is no way that the ire of God – as God the Father, can be escaped once a Sennacherib is pulled.
The King Book historian communicates that Hezekiah seemed to have had a growing confidence that God was actually going to do to Sennacherib and to his Assyrian people group army precisely what He had said that He was going to do to them. Hezekiah’s prayer to God – as God the Father, was direct and very passionate – as he reminded God – as God the Father, of His heavenly dwelling place – which is between the cherubim and that He alone is God over all creation – which He alone crafted, and more specifically over all the earthly nations and people groups. Hezekiah told God – as God the Father, to open up His ears and to listen to what he was saying to Him, to open up His eyes and to look at everything that was taking place around him and to listen with His ears to the really insulting words that Sennacherib was speaking against Him. Is this how you talk to God – as God the Father, when you are hit with unforeseen, unexpected health, relational, living and/or . . . stressors or do you just do all that you can – in your own strength, to win the battle against whatever is messing with your body, mind and/or heart? The recent trip that your grandmaa and grandpaa made to Harlingen, Texas was driven by a guy who had taken a major emotional hit. When Carlos was a kid, his dad and ma divorced. Carlos’ dad remarried and started another family. Carlos grew up in Puerto Rico. Carlos last October was able to join up with his extended family. Carlos’ family had not been all together in the same place since his dad and ma divorced each other. Your grandmaa and grandpaa do not know what took place during Carlos’ family get together other than that Carlos found out that his dad named his first kid Carlos, too, who was born to him and his new wife. When Carlos got back to his home in Harlingen, he discovered that roots had gotten into his house’s sewer pipe and his two cars needed repairs. Carlos about three months later had an emotional and physiological meltdown. Carlos is still struggling with controlling an urge to cry uncontrollably. 14 years old Sadie and 11 year old Joni now have a dad who is different then what Carlos was like four months ago.
Enemy strongholds such as catastrophic health issues, constant boding worries, continual obsessive behaviors, calamitous unanticipated misfortunes, etc. are the enemy’s hit spirits doing their thing which when these spirits are directly confronted by God’s power will end up as Sennacherib did. Sennacherib lost 185,000 guys from his army to a God-sent angel and he lost his life to two of his kids. There is nothing that a guy, gal or kid will ever experience during his or her lifetime that God does not know about beforehand and which He will deal with if asked to do so.
2 Kings 19 (887)