The king of Assyria was threatening king Hezekiah, and the thing is they were not empty threats, we read in Isaiah 36:1 "Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them"...
the King of Assyria mocks king Hezekiah asking him "On what do you rest this trust of yours?" (Isaiah 36:5) king Sennacherib continues "Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’” (Isaiah 36: 18-20).
So you see king Hezekiah was facing a great and terrible threat...
"As soon as king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord." (Isaiah 37:1)
AS SOON AS...
king Hezekiah FIRST response is to turn to the LORD.
Is this your first response when you're in great distress? what about when you're just having a bad day? I know my first response more often then not is to first turn to friends for advice, inward to try and figure it out myself, to food, drink and entertainment to just ignore it... then when all that fails I'll turn to the LORD in prayer and praise... I think I have A LOT to learn from king Hezekiah...
THERE IS MORE!
So king Hezekiah receives a distressing letter and what does he do?
"Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” (Isaiah 37: 14-20)
That's right he prays... he as Psalm 62:8 says "Trust in him [the LORD] at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah"
This is such an powerful image of trust in prayer...
take whatever is distressing you, whatever is hurting you, whatever is frustrating you, whatever and everything that is going on in your life and "spread it before the LORD"... because He is the "Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth..." AMEN!
AND GUESS WHAT!?
God answered his prayer...
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria..." (Isaiah 37:21)
Not only does God answer king Hezekiah's prayer, it says "because you have prayed to me..." I don't know what would have happened if Hezekiah had not prayed, I don't know why sometimes God seems to be silent when we pray, or that he seems to say no... I don't really know how prayer works, but I do know from this example that something happened when king Hezekiah trusted in the LORD his God and prayed...
and it happens AGAIN!
King Hezekiah gets sick, and the LORD tells him he is going to die, so what does Hezekiah do?
"Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly." (Isaiah 38:2-3)
He prays... and once again the LORD hears his prays and answers him...
"Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city." (Isaiah 38: 5-6)
This is CRAZY! king Hezekiah prays, the LORD his God hears his prays, he sees his tears and he adds fifteen years to his life!!! Now again I don't know how this all works, but I do know that the LORD YOUR GOD also hears YOUR PRAYERS and He SEES YOUR TEARS... he may not add fifteen years to your life, or answer your prayers the way you want Him to, but I believe that he HEARS AND SEES YOU...
So why do we pray? Why do we pray even when it seems that God doesn't hear us? Doesn't see us? When He doesn't save us from our distress or add fifteen years to our lives?
We pray because "Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth..."
and as another king who faced great trials prayed...
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes
my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I
shall not be greatly shaken.
How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning
wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take
pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly
they curse. Selah
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is
from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I
shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock,
my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your
heart before him;
God is a refuge
for us. Selah
Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high
estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are
together lighter than a breath.
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain
hopes on robbery;
if riches
increase, set not your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;
twice have I
heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to
you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to
his work. (Psalm 62)
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