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Jehovah’s Honor Vindicated, August 21
2 Chronicles 32:1-23
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us,
and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words
of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 32:8
.
Hezekiah, in the earlier years of his reign, had continued to pay tribute to
Assyria, in harmony with the agreement entered into by Ahaz. Meanwhile the
king had taken “counsel with his princes and his mighty men,” and had done
everything possible for the defense of his kingdom....
The long-expected crisis finally came. The forces of Assyria, advancing
from triumph to triumph, appeared in Judea.... Judah’s only hope was now in
God. All possible help from Egypt had been cut off, and no other nations were
near to lend a friendly hand.... Sennacherib wrote “letters to rail on the Lord
God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of
other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the
God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of mine hand.” ...
When the king of Judah received the taunting letter, he took it into the temple
and “spread it before the Lord” and prayed with strong faith for help from heaven,
that the nations of earth might know that the God of the Hebrews still lived and
reigned. The honor of Jehovah was at stake; He alone could bring deliverance....
Hezekiah was not left without hope. Isaiah sent to him, saying, “Thus saith
the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib
king of Assyria I have heard.” ... That very night deliverance came. “The angel of
the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore
and five thousand.” ...
The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor
of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem
the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for
deliverance had been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In
their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to save, and He had
not failed them
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31
Ibid., 350-362
.
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