When The Enemy Sends You A Threatening Letter
2 Kings 19:10-19
Have you ever received a certified letter? The messenger shows up at your door with a letter that requires your signature before you can receive it. Why? Because the sender wants proof that the letter has been received by the person to whom it was written to. This is what happened to King Hezekiah. Messengers had been sent directly to him with a hand written letter from Sennacherib. The letter mocked the God of Israel, and reminded him of all the destruction that had come upon the other nations by his hand, and it was soon coming to King Hezekiah. “Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered?”
Sennacherib sent this letter to bring dread and fear to the king. He made sure to remind him of the death and destruction that he had already done to other surrounding lands. Isn’t that always the tactic of an enemy? Fear! Whether it is a phone call, a letter, or a speech. They can all be sent with a message of fear and intimidation. The receiver then has a choice as to what they will do with this message. What did King Hezekiah do? Did he call in his cabinet officials to discuss a strategy? No!
“Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” I love Hezekiah’s immediate response! The very first thing he does is go to the LORD. He trusted that the LORD would hear him, and direct him in this matter. It’s noteworthy to mention that the name Hezekiah means- Yahweh is my strength! The LORD’s counsel would be far better than a room full of man’s counsel. Proverbs 21:30 tells us. “There is no wisdom or understanding nor counsel against the LORD.”
He acknowledges the sovereignty of God, “O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone. Of all the kingdoms of the earth, You have made heaven and earth.” He then asks the LORD to “bow down” His ear to his prayer. This means to be outstretched, to extend, yield, turn aside. King Hezekiah was petitioning and interceding for his nation; asking the LORD to turn aside and hear his cry, to save his nation from destruction. “Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God , You alone.”
America’s forefathers prayed prayers like this many years ago. Remember the prayer of George Washington before the crossing of the Delaware? There are many recorded prayers throughout our history….prayers that saved our nation. And yet a few weeks ago when a pastor dared to pray a similar prayer for our nation in congress, he was attacked, vilified, and even had his church status threatened!
While the foolish and the asleep sheep cry, “there needs to be separation of church and state, and Christians need to sit down and shut up about “political” things; the Bible says the complete opposite! How is it that they do not know this? They either never read their Bibles, or they have been led to believe false doctrine. We need brave and courageous leaders like King Hezekiah and King Cyrus. Leaders that will acknowledge the sovereignty of the LORD God without fear.
How did the LORD respond to Hezekiah’s prayer? The LORD sent Isaiah the prophet to speak to Hezekiah, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel; Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.” Verses 21-33 details the prophecy against Assyria, and it ends with “For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” The angel of the LORD was then sent into the camp of the Assyrians and one hundred and eighty five thousand of them died.
The enemy may come in like a flood, and he may form his many weapons against us; however when we have bold and courageous leaders that will seek the LORD first and allow His strategies to be put in place, the LORD will bring a victory…not because we deserve it; rather for His namesake. He does not forget His covenant. Many may see the Mayflower Compact and our Constitution as man made documents; and it is true they are not found in the Bible. However, they were written by men that spent devoted time in prayer as this nation was founded. Imperfect men that sought a perfect and sovereign God to lead a nation. Just as Israel did. Through many failures, rebellions, and captivities….the LORD was faithful to deliver them. Why? Because there was always e a king, a prophet, a judge, or a courageous leader that rose up and stood in the gap!
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7