Wednesday, August 20: 2Kings 19- Honoring the Lord.

Where Israel (northern kingdom) met its demise at the hands of Assyria, Judah prevails. Judah prevails, not because of superior strength or cunning, it prevails because of God’s providential care and the humility and faith of its leader Hezekiah. King Hezekiah knew that the Lord was Judah’s only hope, so he fell before the Lord in devotion and desperation.

When King Hezekiah heard this [Assyria’s challenge], he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives" (1-4).

I was impressed with his humility, the sackcloth on the officials. But even more so, Hezekiah’s plea to Isaiah shows his depth of love for the Lord and his understanding of the Lord. [M]ay be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander … sent to ridicule the living God, and that he [God] will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard.

Hezekiah gets that the Lord protects His honor! We see this also with the case of Elijah on Mt Carmel and Herod’s death in Acts 12.

I meditated on the Lord’s Honor and began to ask myself… Am I careful to honor the Lord with my life and with my words?

Lord, I kneel before You. You are holy and perfect. Your attributes are greater than I can ever imagine. The glimpses of heaven in Your Word show those before You, falling before You, in reverence and awe.  May I do the same as I live all my days here on earth until You call me home to join the heavenly chorus. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

 

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