Deliverance From a Threat by Prayer

2 Kings 19:1-19
    1 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
    5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"
    8 Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. 9 And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "Look, he has come out to make war with you." So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?'"
    14 And 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. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: "O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 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 reproach the living God. 17 Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 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 destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."

When King Hezekiah heard the boasting threats from the Assyrian, he humbled himself with sackcloth in the house of the LORD.  He then sent to Isaiah the prophet who assured him of God’s sovereign control and power as the answer to this blasphemous boasting.  Hezekiah was worried that the nation was growing as if just being born in returning to the LORD, only to be found powerless to come into the world.  The king saw it as day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy, and so prayed for the remnant of God’s people to be saved by prayer that God should hear and act on their behalf.  Sennacherib threatened to overthrow them because he had done so to many other nations with their gods, but he underestimated the power and authority of the true and living God of Israel and Judah.  Hezekiah knew these things and prayed directly to the LORD for deliverance from this threat.  He trusted God in what little faith he had, knowing that his times were in His hands (Psalm 31:15).  He knew that the LORD was the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and pleaded to Him to open His eyes and ears for deliverance, but most of all to honor and glorify His holy name.  He wanted the world to observe the work of His mighty hand and realize He alone was God.  We can learn from this to honor God in Christ by faith, trusting His sovereign power in any and all situations, praying for deliverance from threats against us which blaspheme Christ.  We believe God for salvation, deliverance, for eternal reconciliation, but also for the good fight of the gospel until the day of final judgment.  The world will either bow now to honor Him as God alone, or before the throne.  May many more find the throne of grace before facing the throne of final judgment with eternal defeat as we pray for them and show them His glory by the words of this grace in which we stand for victory over this world (1 Corinthians 15:57, Romans 5:2, 1 John 5:4-5).  We are delivered from sin and death’s threats by prayer and reliance on the only true God in His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our enemy will be defeated forever and God will no longer be dishonored and blasphemed.  This is our message and certain hope.  We can learn much about God’s honor and our trust in dire circumstances from this example.