The Assyrian king tried to get Hezekiah to doubt God and surrender. Instead, Hezekiah used praise as a weapon. In response to a letter, Hezekiah went to the Temple and laid the letter before God. Hezekiah chose to look up to God in prayer.
2 Kings 19: 15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 16 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
17 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 18 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” [1]
Benefits of Praise
- Helps us look up to God. Praise takes the focus off ourselves and turns us to God. As Hezekiah went to the Temple, it helped him look up.
- Helps us to know God. Hezekiah begins his prayer by remembering God is the sovereign creator who reigns over all. Praise helps us remember who God is and who we are in His sight. The Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins and win our salvation.
- Confuses the Enemy. Satan thinks fear will get us to give in to his demands. He can’t understand how we can praise God even in the dark times.
- Turns the battle over to God. Hezekiah asked God to bend down to see and hear the defiant Assyrians. Thus, he gives us a model for turning our problems over to God.
- Honors God. Hezekiah wants to glorify God and was concerned about His reputation among the nations. God can demonstrate His power to the idol worshippers by giving Jerusalem the victory. Our Lord still demonstrates His power in giving us our victories.
Look Up in Praise
In our times of distress, using praise as a weapon can be difficult because we don’t feel like it. That is when we need to fight the spiritual battle and persevere. I find it helpful to use Bible verses as I pray and praise. Here are a few of my favorites:
Psalm 121:1 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! [2]
Isaiah 40: 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. [3]
Colossians 3: 1Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.[4]
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hezekiah-assyrians
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.