Sennacherib’s threats were very real and had been delivered most convincingly.  The safety and well-being of all Jerusalem was no small thing and the responsibility fell squarely on King Hezekiah’s  shoulders.   Everything Hezekiah had sought to faithfully restore in God’s name was at stake. So, I wondered what would be going through Hezekiah’s mind at this point?  Fear? Panic? Surrender?  Or maybe those are just mine?  However, Hezekiah and Sennacherib differ vastly and that’s to the former’s definite advantage. 

First, Hezekiah recognised the seriousness of the situation and demonstrated it by tearing his own clothes (a king’s clothes!), and put on sackcloth as a sign of mourning.  

Second, Hezekiah was aware that the city was not equipped to rise to the challenge.  He knew the true God as being his only source of help at such a time so he sent two of the officials who had witnessed the threats along with the leading high priests to Isaiah.  This showed how desperate he was to seek God’s help and how much Hezekiah was willing to commit to the mission.  You’ll note, it would seem that God was ahead of them as Isaiah already had a message for them to return to their king.  

Third, after reading Sennacherib’s later words of threat, intimidation and further blasphemy, Hezekiah calmly took the letter to the temple, “spread it out before the Lord” and prayed with all his heart a prayer to strike at God’s own heart; for deliverance but also for God’s glory to be made known.  God is so faithful (see Romans 8:28), that His response is immediate!

Sennacherib was so full of self-pride he wouldn’t recognise God for who He is and believed he could control every situation and overcome anyone and everyone he wanted to.  It’s no wonder then, that he fled when 185,000 of his soldiers were wiped out by the angel of the Lord.  

When situations arise that threaten us, it’s important we recognise them for what they are; a stiff upper lip, burying our head in the sand or panicking won’t help.  But it is what the enemy wants us to do.  All those fears and what-ifs occupying our mind prevents us from seeing and thinking clearly and moving on to the answer.  We are encouraged to follow Hezekiah’s example of seeking wise counsel from those who will pray for us and, as Paul exhorts us,  ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’  (Phil. 4)

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Father, calm our hearts and quiet our minds when we seek You that we might see Your glory in difficult situations.