S220P4 – Signs of a king: reliance on THE authority

2 Kgs. 19:15-19

Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the 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 the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.  Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone.  Therefore they were destroyed.  So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”

Hezekiah received a communication from Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, that was not just a message to Hezekiah and Judah.  This was a boastful letter listing the kings who ultimately had to bow in defeat to Assyria.  Sennacherib looked at his track record of victory and believed that he would conquer Judah as well.  This was not, however, simply a commentary on the people he defeated.  Sennacherib’s real target in this letter was the God Judah served.  He wrote about how those other kings cried out to their gods and were not spared, so Judah could not expect to be spared either.  This was not a slight to Judah’s army and soldiers but to the God they prayed would carry them through to victory.

Hezekiah was a king who understood that his power did not come from a throne or a crown.  He knew that his authority came from the one true God and that he was accountable to carry out that office honorably and faithfully.  Part of that responsibility was to rely on God for the victory.  Sure, he had an army of men who were trained to fight, but their power ultimately was not physical.  If God wanted them to win, they would win.  If God wanted them to be defeated, they would be defeated.  After all, it was God who was the real target of Sennacherib, and it would be God who would glorify himself through this victory.  Hezekiah’s appeal to God here is our sign that he knew who was in control of it all.

The good king will recognize that he is not the end of that chain of command.  Even Jesus deferred to the Father’s will and did only what the Father authorized him to do while on Earth.  Our status as royal members of God’s kingdom comes from our rebirth through Christ.  To walk out our offices faithfully, we must do just what Hezekiah did here.  We rely not on our own strength but on the Lord’s.  We rely not on our own will but on the Lord’s.  The only way to lead well in God’s kingdom is to rely on him not only for the method but also for the means.  Father, remind us to appeal to You in all things so that the result is for the fulfillment of your will and for your glorification.