Suffering and Deliverance (Part 25) - Hezekiah is Delivered from Sennacherib

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21. Hezekiah A. Hezekiah was delivered from Sennacherib king of Assyria. i. Hezekiah began to reign over Judah at 25 years old, and he was a good king (2Ki 18:1-3). ii. He rid the land of idolatry, and he trusted and clave to the LORD like no other before or after him (2Ki 18:4-6). iii. The LORD was with him and blessed his effort to rebel against the king of Assyria and to defeat the Philistines (2Ki 18:7-8). iv. Because he trusted in the LORD and kept His commandments, he had peace for at least 10 years. a. In the fourth year of his reign the northern kingdom of Israel was besieged by the Assyrians and conquered (2Ki 18:9-12). b. It was not until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign that the king of Assyria came up against him (2Ki 18:13). c. He therefore had at least 10 or more years of peace. v. In the fourteenth year of his reign Sennacherib king of Assyria took all the fenced cities of Judah (2Ki 18:13). a. Before he besieged Jerusalem Hezekiah surrendered to him and offered to pay him a tribute to not destroy him to which Sennacherib agreed (2Ki 18:14). b. Hezekiah did not seek the LORD to know what to do this time as he did later. c. Hezekiah pillaged the house of God which he had just restored in order to come up with enough gold and silver to pay off Sennacherib (2Ki 18:15-16). d. This negotiation with the king of Assyria didn't work because Sennacherib brought a great army against Jerusalem anyway (2Ki 18:17). e. Never negotiate with terrorists. Never compromise the house of God to try to appease enemies. vi. Sennacherib sent a messenger named Rabshakeh to Jerusalem to threaten and scare the men of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:18-37). vii. When Hezekiah was told of the threats of the Assyrians, he was distressed and went into the house of God, and he sent men to the prophet Isaiah (2Ki 19:1-2). viii. They delivered Hezekiah's message to Isaiah asking him to pray for them (2Ki 19:3-5). ix. Isaiah returned a message to Hezekiah telling him to be not afraid because God would intervene and kill the king of Assyria (2Ki 19:6-7). x. Rabshakeh returned to the king of Assyria who sent another proud and threatening letter to Hezekiah (2Ki 19:8-13). xi. When Hezekiah received the letter he again went straight to the house of God and prayed to God for deliverance (2Ki 19:14-19). xii. The LORD responded by promising that the king of Assyrian would not enter Jerusalem nor harm it because God would defend it (2Ki 19:32-34). a. That night the LORD sent an angel who killed 185,000 Assyrians (2Ki 19:35). b. Sennacherib went back to his capital city Nineveh, and while he was worshiping in the house of his god, two of his sons killed him (2Ki 19:36-37). xiii. There are some lessons we can learn from this. a. When we are faithful to the LORD he will bless us with peace and success in battle. b. When we fear enemies or trouble and forget to seek the LORD, we will suffer for it. c. Never compromise the house of God to try to appease enemies. d. When we are faced with threats or trouble from enemies, the first place we should go is to the house of God to pray to God and seek His deliverance (1Ki 8:28-30, 33-34, 44-45; 2Ch 6:28-31; 2Ch 20:9). e. When we are faced with trouble, we should go to a man of God to seek his prayers and counsel. f. We will face repeated attacks and threats from enemies, and each time we do we should go to the house of God and seek God's help. g. God can deliver us out of seemingly impossible circumstances by miraculous means. h. It matters which church you are a member of.