Topical Bible: Prayer: Answered: Hezekiah and Isaiah, for Deliverance from Sennacherib

◄ Prayer: Answered: Hezekiah and Isaiah, for Deliverance from Sennacherib ►

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The account of Hezekiah and Isaiah's prayer for deliverance from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, is a profound example of divine intervention in response to earnest prayer. This event is recorded in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah, highlighting the power of prayer and God's faithfulness to His people.

Historical Context

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, reigned during a tumultuous period when the Assyrian Empire was expanding its territory under the leadership of King Sennacherib. The Assyrians were known for their military prowess and brutality, and their campaign against Judah posed a significant threat. Sennacherib's forces had already captured several fortified cities of Judah, and Jerusalem was next in line.

The Threat

Sennacherib sent messengers to Jerusalem with a message intended to intimidate and demoralize the people. The Assyrian king boasted of his past conquests and questioned the ability of the God of Israel to deliver Jerusalem from his hand. In 2 Kings 18:19-22 , the Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's field commander, taunted, "What is this confidence that you have? You say you have strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?"

Hezekiah's Response

In the face of this dire threat, Hezekiah demonstrated his faith and reliance on God. He tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD (2 Kings 19:1). Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Hezekiah sent for the prophet Isaiah, seeking divine guidance and intercession.

The Prayer

Hezekiah's prayer is a model of humility and dependence on God. In 2 Kings 19:15-19 , Hezekiah prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God."

Hezekiah's prayer acknowledged God's sovereignty and appealed to His honor, asking for deliverance not just for the sake of Judah, but so that all the kingdoms of the earth might know that the LORD alone is God.

Isaiah's Prophecy

In response to Hezekiah's prayer, God sent a message through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah assured Hezekiah that God had heard his prayer concerning Sennacherib. In 2 Kings 19:32-34 , Isaiah prophesied, "Therefore this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, he will return; he will not enter this city,' declares the LORD. 'I will defend this city and save it for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.'"

The Divine Deliverance

God's promise was fulfilled in a miraculous manner. That very night, the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When the people of Jerusalem awoke the next morning, they found the Assyrian army decimated (2 Kings 19:35). Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Nineveh, where he was later assassinated by his own sons (2 Kings 19:36-37).

Significance

The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib's forces is a testament to the power of prayer and God's ability to protect and save His people against overwhelming odds. Hezekiah's faith and Isaiah's prophetic assurance highlight the importance of seeking God's intervention and trusting in His promises. This event serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and His commitment to His covenant people.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 19:14-20
And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
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2 Chronicles 32:20-23
And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
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Library

Hezekiah, the Praying King
... Health comes in answer to prayer. God answered more than Hezekiah asked for. Hezekiah
prayed only for his life, and God gave him life and in addition promised ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/vi hezekiah the praying king.htm

'He Uttered his Voice, the Earth Melted'
... Isaiah does not seem to have been present, and may not have known of the prayer. ...
In a sentence, Hezekiah's prayer is answered, and then the prophet, in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/he uttered his voice the.htm

Deliverance from Assyria
... God answered the prayers of His servants. ... by an army, the chief men of Israel should
enter the house of prayer and plead ... Hezekiah was not left without hope. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 30 deliverance from assyria.htm

Bear up the Hands that Hang Down, by Faith and Prayer...
... The joy of answered prayer is the joy of a travailing ... as she was, in answer to the
prayer of Zacharias ... In answer to Hezekiah's praying an angel slew one hundred ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter ix bear up the.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... Now it is no longer the poor insignificant Hezekiah with his little band ... water that
was in the trenches, for Jehovah God had answered his servant's prayer. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm

Questions.
... 29. Who reigned after Hezekiah? 30. ... 18. What had Isaiah said of Cyrus?"Is.
xliv.28."xlv.13. 19. ... 20. How was Daniel's prayer answered? 21. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

Psalms
... cxx., cxxiii., cxxxi., cxl., cxli., cxlii; (b) answered prayers, xxii., xxviii ... Isaiah
38:9, the writing of Hezekiah). ... that He was the hearer of prayer, and that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/psalms.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... of Sennacherib's invasion and overthrow; of Hezekiah's sickness and ... of secondary
importance, and can readily be answered. ... a complaint of Zion in prayer to God ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... Man this wisdom?'Assuredly, it may be answered, not from ... of Ezra, the object of Israel's
prayer (Nehemiah 7 ... cures had been derived from King Hezekiah, to whom ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... The Lord:" Or, The Book of Common Prayer Weighed in ... besiege Jerusalem, and Lachish
had fallen, Hezekiah prayed, and ... can expect is to have them answered by men ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a mystery saints sorrowing and.htm