Because Hezekiah followed David’s heart in pursing God he must have felt God’s heart ache as Samaria was besieged and eventually conquered. He knew that God had provided the northern kingdom as a part of the inheritance for the people of Israel. The sorrow of the Hezekiah was soon compounded by the fear of Assyria moving against Jerusalem. “Will the LORD completely reject all of his people?” Hezekiah may have asked God. And what did he do when he first heard the words of the Assyrian messengers? His heart was overwhelmed with grief. All he could do was present his case before the LORD. Maybe God would stop this madman from pillaging all of God’s inheritance. Hezekiah might have wondered if his reforms and dedication to God had been ignored. When in reality God was refining Hezekiah’s faith. The king had trusted God as he stood up to the immorality of the people he ruled. Would Hezekiah remain faithful against a people who did not fear God at all, and sought only to build an empire?
It took me 21 minutes to read this passage.
Stuart
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