Him Dependent (Isaiah 37:14-20) FAITH

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it, and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. – Isaiah 37: 14-15

King Hezekiah is upset.| WATCH ON YOUTUBE

The taunting content of the letter from the Assyrians had King Hezekiah tear his clothes and put on sackcloth (official signs of expressing sorrow in those days). But he did not stop there. He went into the temple of God. 

We see Hezekiah going into the temple three times (v4, 15, 21). That was his natural response to a crisis. He did not allow the content of the letter to dominate his thoughts and defeat his faith. He took the letter and went into the house of the Lord. Hezekiah spread it before the Lord the God of Israel, who he knew to be holy and real. He knew that the best place to bring his problems was before the Lord. And so, he went and prayed. 

Hezekiah’s prayer is a great model for all of us who find ourselves overwhelmed by our circumstances. Hezekiah’s prayer begins with recognizing that God is completely sovereign (15-16). He brought his requests before the Lord in humility, recognizing that God knew his troubles fully well (v17-19), that the ultimate purpose, even through this crisis, is that God is lifted up for all to see and know, that He alone is God (v20). What an excellent model of prayer. 

The Lord answered Hezekiah’s prayer. Sennacherib’s army was routed. Sennacherib fled and was soon killed by his own sons (v36-38). 

Like Hezekiah, what troubles do you need to humbly bring before the Lord in complete Him-dependence?

Lord, increase my dependence on you, I pray.

Extended Reading — Isaiah 37-39; Psalm 76

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