Hope Restored

As I read 2 Kings, the drama continues to unfold concerning the nation of Israel. Over and over again, they have been warned by God to keep his commandments and to follow His ways; to worship Him only and to not follow after other gods. However, they rejected God’s decrees and the covenant He made with their forefathers. They followed worthless idols and they became worthless themselves. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them to not do as they do and they did the things God had forbidden them to do. The people of Israel, including their kings, forsook all of the commands of the Lord and they continued to cast idols. They bowed down to all of the starry hosts and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and sorcery. They sold themselves to evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They were taken captive by Assyria and were exiled there. Things were not looking so good for the nation of Israel—not even Judah.
During this hopeless time, a young man named Hezekiah became King of Judah. This twenty-five year old man was a non-conformist. Rather than practicing the evil and rebellion of the kings before him, he chose to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed high places of idol worship, smashed down sacred stones and altars for idol worship, cut down Asherah poles and broke the bronze snake that the people were bowing down to worship. Hezekiah was serious about CHANGE! He trusted in the Lord and did not cease to follow Him. The result: the Lord was with him and he was successful in whatever he did.
During Hezekiah’s reign in Judah, they were attacked and captured by the Assyrian army. The Assyrian supreme commander mocked Hezekiah and blasphemed against the Lord, attempting to make Hezekiah look like a fool. He even tried to convince others that Hezekiah was a liar who was not to be trusted. But the word of the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah: “Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a 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 a sword.” (2 Kings 19:6-7) Hezekiah’s response to the threats and blasphemy was to encourage people to pray for a remnant to survive. He eloquently expressed his worship to the Lord during this time of anguish: “O Lord, 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, O Lord and hear; open your eyes, O Lord and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. …now oh Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:14-19)

The Word of the Lord came once again to the prophet Isaiah who foretold the fall of the Assyrian army. This stiff-necked, arrogant nation was going to not survive the wrath of God. Concerning Assyria, Isaiah spoke these words: “I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will make you return by the way you came.” (2 Kings 19:28) And concerning Judah: “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above—for out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mt. Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (2 Kings 19:30-31)
That night the angel of the Lord put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. This story is so inspiring to me, because it once again demonstrates the absolute power of Almighty God when all seems hopeless and futile. God, fueled by His infinite love for His people, was mighty to save and brought great deliverance. He sought vengeance upon a stubborn and arrogant nation who was mocking Him. God was faithful to honor Hezekiah’s obedience and Hezekiah was faithful to honor God’s decrees. If God is for us, who can be against us? Our God is a God of restoration and hope. He continually works to restore His glory in us on a daily basis. What a great and mighty God we serve!