2 Chronicles 32:1-33
32:1-2 Judah had reestablished its faith; newly minted with a return to their God, a circumstance arose by which the resilience of their faith would be tested. After all, faith has its definition because of its nature: for it to have its presence and power, it requires unwavering trust in the face of fear and intimidation.
God does not test our faith, life does. He works vigorously, sleeplessly to prepare us, fortify us and secure us in Him because He knows we will inevitably need that preparation and fortification. Polished faith, surface faith is limited, tenuous. It is the rough and toughed faith that is beautiful. It is the faith fought for which delivers us from our fear and enemy when they step into our lives.
The king of Assyria, a man named Sennacherib was the manifestation of intimidation. So much of what the people in scripture experienced was literal interpretation of symbolic tribulations the people of our generation (we) would come to face. Perhaps kings no longer boast at our gates but fear certainly does.
Sennacherib camped outside the walls of Jerusalem with a bold and direct intention: to destroy and conquer it. In 2 Kings 18, we read the complete story. Hezekiah was scared. Sennacherib had a reputation of destructive success. This was no ordinary enemy, and the king's intimidation was fierce enough to cause Hezekiah to waver in faith. For some reason, fear is often clever enough to convince us that our omnipotent God is less clever, less able than the intimation at our gate.
32:3-6 Hezekiah, king of Judah, organized a united effort to stifle Sennacherib before a siege. They cut off his army's water supply and fortified their walls of defense. So often we make our own preparations before we even consult God. Once we exhaust our limited power and ability, we (some of us) then turn to God. We should embrace our deficiency by embracing God; by wrapping ourselves around Him in all circumstances, understanding that He is our strength and ability at all times. Our own strategy, material, and ability is measly and insufficient compared to His.
32:7-8 Finally Hezekiah delivers the only message the people of Judah needed to hear and absorb:
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.
Anytime we feel fear is a time in which we neglect to acknowledge the love and power of our God. Our enemy, no matter who or what it is, no matter how tall or wide or fierce or wise it is, is always less than God. In Numbers 11, God promised a seemingly impossible blessing and Moses worried. Moses could not comprehend how God could deliver such a promise. Are we not the same? Do we not feel that certain things we hope for are too far our of reach even for God? God responded rhetorically: has My arm been shortened? Because God has taught us that nothing is outside of His reach; everything is within His reach, even impossibility. So why would we believe Him incapable? Where did we get that notion and why did we foster it?
God made quick work of Sennacherib and every other enemy of His faithful children and He always will.
32:9 The thing about fear, enemy, and intimation is, they each latch onto doubt. They specifically target weak faith. Like termites they endeavor to eat away at faith until it cracks and crumbles. Sennacherib was a foolish boaster, a twig in comparison to God's muscle. Yet his record and boasting was fierce and loud enough to disguise his irrelevance. Sennacherib had a record of victory only because he had yet to face our Lord.
32:10-12 Sennacherib mocked Judah's faith. Evil and fear always begin by testing us for weakness. They prod with taunting until they find a vulnerable area. But if our faith is fortified, they never find one. Would you let a worm persuade you to abandon trust in your dragon? Analyze the method of fear and enemy to get you to crumble:
Sennacherib tried to break the confidence the people of Judah had in their king.
Sennacherib boasted his might and record in effort to intimidate them into surrender and submission.
Sennacherib infiltrated their faith with seeds of doubt as to the ability of their God.
Sennacherib then attacked their own reasoning ability, he told them they were deceived, persuaded, wrong.
Sennacherib tried to position God on the same level as the false gods who failed to save their people.
Can our confidence be broken? Can intimidation bend us into surrender and submission? Can doubt blot out our trust? Can we be turned against our own minds? Can our God be moved? Such questions are the tactics of evil and fear! Anticipate their tired method and render it powerless over your faith.
Their effort is fruitless and they are irrelevant... as long as we realize it.
32:17-19 The Assyrians used every avenue possible to infiltrate the faith of Judah. They tried to frighten them and trouble them so that they could take the city. We are not a possession our enemy can tame and claim and it is imperative that we remember that. Through our faith we retain our freedom.
32:20 Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah shut out the noise of fear and enemy and prayed to God. The clamor of chaos should, rather than distract us from Him, cause us to hone in on the quiet power of God. Instead of worrying and scrambling, all we need to do is tap into solemn prayer. In fear and confusion and noise, delve into the quiet rest and reassurance of God.
32:21 Sennacherib had kicked up so much dust and such loud clamor until finally Hezekiah simply prayed. We easily access a power so complex its too difficult for our fear and enemy to dismantle. Acknowledge the sheer and massive wonder and blessing in that!
The longer we wait to consult God, the more time our enemy and fear has to kick up dust and loud clamor. The longer we wait to invite God into the situation, the more time we give our enemy to intimate and persuade us. The longer we wait to rest and rely on God's power, the longer time the termites have to hack away at our strength.
It is so simple: God, will You handle this for me because I am scared and unable? He immediately, powerfully, actively answers YES. Before we even finish the prayer our enemies begin to fall. Therefore never hesitate to pray. We do not need to try anything first. We do not need to utilize and deplete our own strength first. When an enemy confronts you, let them realize Who stands before you already. Let them walk directly into a solid wall and war they cannot win.
In Numbers 12:8, Moses, a meek man, was confronted by an intimidating force. God responded indignantly on Moses' behalf: why weren't you afraid to confront Moses? To God it was utterly ridiculous that anyone would have the audacity to challenge a soul so connected with God. Even, perhaps especially, a meek one. Let God respond to your enemies the same way. Based on your relationship with God, your enemies should be too scared to bother you...and if not, too scarred by the consequences to ever do it again. Not because of your own ferocity but because of God's ferocious defense over you.
32:22 God delivered Judah. He guided them on every side into victory. God ensured a quick and thorough victory.
Sennacherib raised up a circus of chaos, arrogant boasting, and intimidation... his performance was a noise, irrelevance, and joke that culminated into nothing. God's performance was quiet and comprehensive power.
32:23 Judah responded with celebratory gratitude. Judah acknowledged that God had been their strength and rescue; not only did they not abandon Him in their time of fear, they did not neglect Him in their time of joy.
There two major part-time believers: People who believe when times are good and people who believe when times are bad. Their faith wavers like a seesaw; they always come crashing into the ground. Our relationship with God should be balanced: we should be grateful for what we receive. We return His love. We should be productive with what He nurtures into us and our lives.
32:24-26 This chapter skims over what is covered in more depth in 2 Kings 18-20. Hezekiah was an imperfect man (as we all are) and by God's grace, only nearly restored himself before the complete destruction of his character. God allowed an abeyance of Hezekiah's discipline because the king eventually did humble his prideful heart.
These few verses within the chapter remind us that often we fight two "battles": external and internal as well. Simultaneously we deal with the within as well as the without. God is present in both battles. As we build and do construction on the system of our world and condition of our home and community, we also have a responsibility to build and do construction on ourselves and He is present and active within each.
32:27-30 God caused Hezekiah to prosper. He had power and property, treasures, spices, military, food, livestock and cities in abundance...
32:31 ... but to whom much is given, much is expected, Luke 12:48. God gives abundantly with the expectation that we will share; that we will utilize our blessings to bless others. God gives us a blessing and we see our name on the tag and celebrate. But often we neglect to register the implication that comes with the gift: This is yours... to give (implied). This is yours...to share (implied). This is yours... to let abound (implied).
God gives us access to His bountiful warehouse not so that we can endlessly acquire but so that we can tirelessly distribute.
God gives us access to His bountiful warehouse not so that we can endlessly acquire but so that we can tirelessly distribute.
Hezekiah was tested, could the strength and celebrity of those who lived in opposition to God's principles impress him? Did Hezekiah adhere to God's commandments because of what it got him or because he loved God? Realize that these questions are as relevant now as they were for this ancient king then.
32:32-33 Hezekiah passed away and was succeeded by his son, Manasseh.
