Acts Of Faithfulness Series

2 CHRONICLES 32:1-8

ACTS OF FAITHFULNESS

[Isaiah 37:10-20, 36-38; Ps. 46; 2 Kgs 18:13-19:37]

King Hezekiah [reigned 726–697 BC] had been on fire for the Lord God. First he had aggressively removed evil influences from his life (30:14; 31:1). Next he had torn down the idols in Israel and then instituted reforms to bring true worship back into the daily life of Israel. Then on the heels of Hezekiah's faithful obedience to the Word of the Lord, he was attacked and besieged by the vicious warrior-king of Assyria, the most powerful nation on earth. What did this devoted heart do? Did he give in, give up or turn to other outside help? Did he turn aside from his faith because God didn't treat him as protectively as he felt he deserved?

This king's experience of evil coming in the face of determined good effort and obedience mirrors the experience of devout men and women of every age and teaches us to believe in the constant working of Divine Providence, even in difficult circumstances. God allows evil to bring committed people into new stages of growth (CIT).

I. After Acts of Faithfulness, 1.

II. Energizing the People of God, 2-6a.

III. The One Who Brings Victory, 6b-8.

In verse 1 the chronicler emphasizes the connection between Hezekiah’s faithful reforms including the restoration of temple worship and Sennacherib’s attack on Judah. “After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities and thought to break into them for himself.”

Quite often devoted followers of the Lord experience testing after a time of great spiritual attainment. King Hezekiah is a prime example. Ahaz, Hezekiah's father, was a wicked king. He destroyed the sacred articles of the temple, closed the doors of God's house, and burned incense to other gods. But God used his son Hezekiah's dynamic leadership to spearhead a great spiritual revival in the land of Israel. When Hezekiah became king, he smashed the idols and destroyed the high places of pagan worship (31:1), he cleansed the temple and restored the priesthood. Verse 20 of chapter 31 says, “thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God. (21) And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.”

Then after fourteen years of faithful service and obedience Sennacherib the warrior-king of Assyria comes to conquer Judah. The Assyrian king had no regard for Yahweh or His Word and thus there was no way to reason with him. The only authority he recognized was his own. He was intent on subjugating the southern kingdom by his military might. And his military might was the most powerful the world had experienced up to that point in history.

The text is worded this way; “After these acts of faithfulness.” The reason is to let us know that for people, even for leaders, who trust and serve God faithfully, that God does not guarantee them that things will always go smoothly. The good kings Asa and Jehoshaphat also suffered foreign invasion after bringing about religious reforms. The genuineness of faith often emerges only in one's reaction to trouble.

Hezekiah could have asked, why me Lord? He could have been angry with God. He could have supposed that all his personal and national religious reforms would put him in favorable status with God and make him exempt from serious trouble. But along with the blessings that he experienced, here came the king of Assyria intent on destroying his kingdom, His capital Jerusalem and removing his head from his shoulders.

II. ENERGIZING THE PEOPLE OF GOD, 2-6a.

(Hezekiah's Reaction)

From verse 2 we learn that Hezekiah prudently made preparation against this storm that threatened him. “Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem.”

Hezekiah didn't panic. He didn't give up and say what's the use servicing God and accomplishing all my good work. He saw the seriousness of the situation and was led to even greater dependency upon God and was led to purposeful planning and major undertakings.

He found renewed strength in the Lord to meet the threatening challenges that God and his own rebellion were letting him face. [Hezekiah had disregarded the Word of the Lord though Isaiah and become involved in plots with Egypt, (Isa. 30:1-5, 31:1-3)].

The Assyrian records show in detail that the invasion captured 46 Judean towns. No doubt the fortified cities were the ones that Solomon and his successors built and rebuilt through the years. Sennacherib's determination was to "set his face for war against Jerusalem," even after Hezekiah had paid tribute and penalty to him. This was to be the climax of his campaign (2 Kings 18:13; Isa. 36:1).