What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 32:20? In response “In response …” (2 Chronicles 32:20) flashes us back to the crisis: Sennacherib’s massive Assyrian army ringed Jerusalem (32:1). • The nation faced an impossible threat, yet their first move was Godward, just as Jehoshaphat had done in 2 Chronicles 20:3–4. • Trouble became a trigger, not for panic, but for prayer—echoing Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” • This response models James 5:13—“Is any one of you suffering? He should pray.” King Hezekiah “King Hezekiah …” takes center stage. • Hezekiah had already shown practical faith—fortifying the city and blocking springs (32:2–5)—but he knew strategy alone could not save them (Psalm 20:7). • His personal walk mattered; 2 Kings 18:5–6 says he “trusted in the LORD … held fast to the LORD.” Prayer flowed naturally out of a life of obedience (1 John 3:22). • His leadership reminds us that godly rulers are to intercede for those they lead (1 Timothy 2:1–2). and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz “… and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz …” underscores partnership. • The king represents civil authority; the prophet represents spiritual authority. Together they seek the same Lord—an illustration of Ecclesiastes 4:12, “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” • Isaiah had already delivered God’s encouragement (2 Kings 19:6–7). He now stands with the king, showing that true prophecy and prayer are inseparable (Jeremiah 27:18). • Their unity pictures Matthew 18:19—“if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” cried out to heaven in prayer “… cried out to heaven in prayer.” • “Cried out” signals fervency, not formality (Psalm 34:17). • They prayed “to heaven,” fixing their eyes above the enemy ranks (Colossians 3:1–2). • God answered instantly: “the LORD sent an angel” who wiped out the Assyrian fighting men (2 Chronicles 32:21)—foreshadowing Ephesians 3:20, “able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we ask or imagine.” • Their experience validates 2 Chronicles 7:14: humble, united prayer releases heavenly intervention. summary 2 Chronicles 32:20 spotlights the reflex of faith. Faced with terror, Hezekiah and Isaiah turned instinctively to prayer, modeling: • Crisis answered by immediate dependence on God. • Leadership that prays, not just plans. • Spiritual partnership that unites palace and prophet. • Fervent, heaven-directed petitions that unleash God’s miraculous deliverance. Believers today can meet every siege the same way—by crying out to the God who still hears and still saves. |
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