The Way to Victory – Part 2

You would think that with a great spiritual revival happening in the City of God, under the reign of King Hezekiah, that Satan would just throw in the towel, go to Kona and chill out.

Of course not!

He actually cranked up the heat even more in his assault against the people of God.

After all the acts of faithfulness that King Hezekiah and the people of God had done, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities thinking to win them for himself. 2 Chronicles 32:1

And if that weren’t enough, King Sennacherib sent his messengers to King Hezekiah and the people of God to taunt them.

“On what are you trusting that you endured the siege of Jerusalem. You foolish people! Do you really think you will come through this siege and survive? I’ve got you surrounded! Open your eyes and look and you’ll see my chariots and soldiers all around you. You don’t have a chance!

“Is not Hezekiah misleading and deceiving you, giving you over to die by famine and thirst.

“Don’t believe him for no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to survive and come back after this kind of attack and deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!”

Everyone in the City of God within earshot was listening and heard the taunts of the enemy.

What did King Hezekiah do?

1. He tore his clothes, put on sack cloth (a symbol of humility) and went into the house of the Lord to call on His name (2 Kings 19:1).

2. Then he sent word to the prophet, Isaiah, saying, “This is a day of distress, of rebuke and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.” (2 Kings 19:3) In other words, the purposes of God for His people are going to be cut off by the enemy.

Isaiah responds, “Don’t panic. Help is on the way! God will take care of the King of Assyria.”

But, right after the encouraging word from Isaiah, Hezekiah received a follow-up letter from the enemy. It was full of accusations, threats and further taunts, “Don’t let the God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the King of Assyria.”

What does Hezekiah do?

He goes right back to the house of the Lord, spreads the letter out before the Lord and calls out to God in prayer. He’s done all he could. There’s nothing left to do but to take the matter to the Lord.

Hezekiah’s prayer involves three things:

• It begins with the greatness of God, “You are God and you alone…”
• It turns to a prayer of petition, “Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear the mocking words of Sennacherib…”
• Then it becomes a prayer of intercession, “So, now, O God, save us from the hand of the enemy! Save us so that the nations will know that you alone are God!”

God answers Hezekiah in three ways:

1. “The surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward and the zeal of the Lord will do it.”
2. “The King of Assyria will not come into this city. By the way he came, he shall return.”
3. “That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 of the enemy soldiers in the camp of the Assyrians.”

What a contrast with the response of the people of God in Isaiah 22, when they were surrounded by the enemy and only looked to their armor, their walls and reservoirs…but did not look to the “One who planned it long ago.”

What an example Hezekiah is in this instance for the Church of Jesus, facing some of the most dangerous days of the last few decades!

In a day and age when the Word of God is taken lightly, when the presence of God is disrespected and nobody seems to care about the things of God, God is going to raise a remnant in our nation who will be His people, who love the Lord, love His Word and are true to His calling.

God will preserve His remnant who take root downward and bear fruit upward!

God will send the enemy, who is taunting the people of God, back the way he came.

God will give His people the victory!