Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  NKJV

 

You have to go beyond head knowledge and words on a page when you consider this account of Hezekiah as a result of Sennacherib’s ultimatum.  You have to FEEL IT.  Let it get in your spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to take you in the Temple with him.  He is the leader of the nation and all eyes are on him.  If he fails they suffer incredible harm.  His heart is torn because he loves his people and his nation.  The buck stops with him and he has to make a command decision, a decision no committee can make.  It is now between Hezekiah and his God.  This is PRESSURE! 

When under this kind of pressure there is a compulsion to manufacture an answer or think up a solution.  But, in this situation try as he might there is the gnawing and paralyzing fear inside saying, “What if you are wrong?”  But, you have to have an answer and that is when fear floods in like a tidal wave.  The nagging question in the back of the mind is, “Where is God?”  With all that raging in his heart and mind Hezekiah goes to the Temple and in the Temple his faith begins to spring forth.  He goes to the Temple the place where God’s ‘glory’ and ‘radiant presence’ lived or was manifest.  There was the ‘manifest presence of God’ there or it had been demonstrated from time to time.

In a very real sense, Hezekiah went into the Temple and his entering there was saying, “God this is your city and a madman wants to take it. He wants to take YOUR HOUSE!”  The prayer he prayed is nothing short of incredible and I believe we should examine it line by line and as we do we will hear something very important and powerful.

“Our LORD…”  Yahweh, the personal name of God!  “Oh Yahweh, God of Israel…”  God of Israel is a covenant statement.  Simply, he is saying God, you are, in a very special way, committed to us and we, to you.  You came to us and said that we would be YOUR PEOPLE and you would be OUR GOD.  So, you are not just a god, you are OUR GOD!”  Hear his heart.  “Oh Yahweh, the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the Cheribum…”  In the Holy of Holies the only piece of furniture is a box and on top of that box is a slab of gold, the Mercy Seat.  At the end, two Cheribums were fashioned and between them, on top of this box was this uncreated light shining forth.  They called it the Throne of God.  They envisioned God sitting there as King, Protector, and Shepherd of Israel.   What a mental image.

Hezekiah begins rehearsing all this in his mind. He is clearly thinking, “God, You sit on the Throne of Israel. Oh, they may call me king, but we all know YOU ARE KING! This little problem has come across my desk, but it is really your desk.  You are God and therefore, it is your problem!  Oh Yahweh, the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the Cheribum, THOU ART THE GOD, THOU ALONE…”

See it?  God You and You alone are God and King of all the kingdoms of the Earth.  No matter where men are found or who they are, YOU ARE GOD.  “Thou hast made the heaven and the earth…”  You are not only God now, but you are God past, present, and future.  You are the CREATOR.   Do you understand what is happening?  He is not bringing some new revelation to God, God knows this.  In a very real sense, Hezekiah is talking to himself, and as he gives verbal recognition of the person, purpose, and power of God his faith begins to rise!  This is BEING STILL and realizing Who God is.  It is in this that Hezekiah can come out and say, “This is actual fact, it is not coming out of my understanding or imagination, YOU ARE GOD!  This is Who You Really ARE!”

As Hezekiah SEES THIS in his spirit he can see Sennacherib standing and declaring that he is the Great King of the Earth, but GOD made the earth.  This mad man can declare, “I conquered the kingdoms,” but God is God over all the kingdoms. Therefore, as he sees and realizes WHO GOD IS, Sennacherib becomes very small in his sight.  The more he rehearses WHO GOD IS, the smaller the Assyrian becomes.  What a beautiful pattern!

You have to catch it in your spirit!  After Hezekiah says all this he musters the highest prayer he can.  I find it incredibly interesting.  He prays:  “Incline thine ear O Lord, and hear…”  God, you are the Living God. I know that you have ears to hear, but sometimes I’m not sure you are listening so “Open thine eyes O Lord and see…”  God, you might be asleep or distracted right now so please WAKE UP and “Listen to the words Sennacherib has used to reproach and blaspheme the MOST HIGH GOD!” 

             God, you are the LIVING GOD.  You have EARS TO HEAR and EYES TO SEE and I am calling upon you, as your representative in the Earth to BE GOD in this situation.  DO IT LORD!  DO IT!   

Let’s pause there and I want to say a little more next time.  God bless you as you embark on this wonderful day He has made!