“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:14 NIV)
King Hezekiah, the one who did right in theses of the Lord (2 Kings 18:3) got a letter. *Insert the Blues Clues song here.* This was not happy mail, though. Quite the contrary. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, had sent a very terrible note about his plans for Jerusalem and all those inhabiting the city. Sennacherib was not an idle threat; he had already laid hold of Israel (the northern kingdom) and now he had his eyes on Judea. He had surrounded the city and cut off their water supply. It was clear that Sennacherib was coming for Hezekiah.
This letter was both threatening and insulting. Sennacherib did not just disparage Judea and Jerusalem, but God Himself. And King Hezekiah’s reaction was both historically brilliant and still beneficial to the modern-day reader. Hezekiah took the nasty note straight into the Temple and spreads it out in the presence of God.
“And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.”
(2 Kings 19:16 NIV)
Hezekiah laid his letter out before a holy and just God and invited Him to come near and read it for Himself. I’m convicted. All too often, I take my bad mail straight to heart. I wrestle alone with that unexpected bill or disorienting diagnosis a good long while before I wake up from my self-sufficiency and remember there’s a holy God with a perfect plan. Hezekiah, on the other hand, took his bad mail right to the throne room; sure of where his help came from. Hezekiah presented the letter, the problem and then he made his request.
“Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:19 NIV)
Hezekiah knew his God had a long history of deliverance with His people, especially when they humbled themselves and asked for His presence. I don’t know about you, but I picture a king in his royal robes splayed on his face before a holy God. It’s safe to say that Hezekiah was sufficiently humbled by this threat.
What happened next? It’s so cool. Hezekiah got a read receipt. The prophet Isaiah sent a message to the king.
“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah; “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.” (2 Kings 19:20 NIV)
Don’t you wish we could get read receipts from God? Like it would pop up on our iPhone as digital confirmation – ‘message received; the God of the universe has heard your request.‘
I got to thinking about it this morning, do we still get read receipts from God? Maybe they just look different in 2021. He still sends confirmations. It might be that perfectly timed phone call or text from a friend. It might be a holy echo trailing you with a significant scripture. Perhaps a specific prayed-about door opens – or closes. Maybe we sense sigificant peace sweep into our situation, the kind of peace that passes understanding. God still speaks to His people, it may just be a bit more subtle than a message from a major prophet.
Even if He doesn’t recognizably respond immediately, we know from the witness of scripture that God hears and sees those who seek Him wholeheartedly. (Jeremiah 29:13) Even apart from a tangible read receipt, we can trust that God has heard our prayer.
I’ve got one last awesome observation to share about this chapter. Isaiah sent an incredible message of hope to Hezekiah. Go ahead and read it, it will stir your heart. (2 Kings 19:21-31) Then the prophet’s memo ends with a God-sized promise.
“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with a shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it, for My sake and for the sake of David my servant.” (2 Kings 19:32-34 NIV)
When we take our mail straight to God, He responds. And when He responds, the word of the Lord cancels out the word of the enemy. Read that again if you need to. The word of the Lord cancels out the word of the enemy.
“I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV)
Lord, please forgive us for all the times we’ve received bad mail and held it in our own fretful hands. From here forward, help us to remember to take it straight to You. May we quickly recall Your character and Your track record. May we trust You have received our request, with or without read receipt. Give us the courage to believe that Your word will always cancel out the word of the enemy. Amen.