Weekly
Message The battle is belong to the Lord our God (2Chroniciles 32)
by
Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel Music
King Hezekiah vs. Sennacherib (King of
Assyria) historical event in 2 Chronicles 32 provides us wisdom and godly
counsel. The battle between Hezekiah and Sennacherib is not men’s but God’s.
What factors result Hezekiah won the victory and Sennacherib lost the battle? What
implication and biblical principles that we shall lean from this historical
event? Let us discover it today.
When
Sennacherib king of Assyria come and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the
fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. (v.1) Sennacherib (king
of Assyria) challenged King Hezekiah and said,
“On what are you basing your
confidence that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? … Now do not let Hezekiah
deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any
nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or
the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!
(v.14-15). Sennacherib also wrote letters insulting the Lord, the God of
Israel, and saying this against him, “ Just as the gods of the peoples of the
other lands did not rescue their people from my hand so the god of
Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” (v.17)
Even
Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his
servant Hezekiah.(v.16).
Then,
they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to
terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. They spoke
about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of
the world –the work of men’s hands. (v.19).
Facing Sennacherib who intended
to make war on Jerusalem, King Hezekiah reacted as follows,
1) First, He consulted with his officials
and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the
city and they helped him. (v.3)
2) Second, He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with
these words: “be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged
because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him. For there is a
greater power with us than with him, with
him is only the arm of flesh. But with us is the Lord our God to help
us and the fight our battles.” (v.6-7).
3) Third, King Hezekiah and the prophet
Isaiah (son of Amoz) cried out in prayer to
heaven about his. During
the dialog between King Hezekiah and Sennacherib, King Hezekiah emphasized, “The
Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria.”
God answered King Hezekiah and Isaiah’s
prayers, “the Lord
sent an angel, who annihilated (demolish, destroy completely, exterminate, wipe
out) all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the
Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace and when he went into
the temple of his god. Some of his sons cut him down with the sword. (V.21-22).The
Lord save Hezekiah and the people o f Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib
king of Assyria. Hezekiah had every great riches and honor and he made
treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields
and all kinds of valuables. He succeeded in everything he undertook. (v.27,30).
During the Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buries on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. (v.32-33).
Compare and contrast both
kings and the elements of victory
1) Hezekiah’s repentance of his prideful heart: When Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death, he prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he didn’t respond to the kindness shown him: therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then, Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart as did the people of Jerusalem. Therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
2) Hezekiah’s faith, trusts in the Lord, and ensured his people the Lord will save them, and the battle belong to the Lord their God.
3)
Hezekiah relies on the Lord rather than arm of
flesh.
4)
He acted devotion, called for godly counsel and
prayed with the prophet Isaiah.
5) In contrary, Sennacherib depends on the arm of flesh, his own hand and the gods (the work of men’s hands.) He said, “No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers.” Sennacherib’s self, pride and insulted the Hezekiah’s Lord, it resulted losing the battle.
The application and
theological principles
1).Humble, meekness, and moral obedience to the Lord are the elements of gaining God’s blessing.
2).In every consequences depends on God rather than arm of flesh, and aware of the battle belong to God.
3). Do not despise of the power of prayers and godly counsel.
Bibliography,
Bruce, Katherine L. Weekly Message: The battle is belong to the Lord our God
(2Chroniciles 32) Orlando FL: Christian Arts Ministries, 2017
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd Chicago: The
University of Chicago press, 2000.
Brown, Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D. Douglas, ed. The New
Greek English Interlinear New Testament. Carol Stream: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.1990.
Friberg,
Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical
Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1st ed. Victoria BC:
Trafford Publishing, 2005.
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing
company
New American Standard Bible, The Open Bible.. La Habra, CA: Thomas
nelson publishers, 1978.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible
(NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute.1986.
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