Readings for today: Isaiah 36-38, Psalms 117
The southern kingdom of Judah didn’t stand a chance. Assyria was the greatest empire of her day. Sennacherib, her greatest emperor. Her armies blitzed through the Middle East conquering nation after nation. No one could stand against them. They had the only standing professional army of the time outfitted with the best tech human civilization had developed. They were literally undefeated everywhere they went. And now they stand outside the gates of Jerusalem. 185,000 strong. Hezekiah has no army to put in the field. Not even two thousand soldiers to ride a horse. They are helpless. Hopeless. All is lost. Except for God. When things are at their darkest, Hezekiah cries out to God for help. He cries to God for salvation. He cries out to God on behalf of his nation. And God answers him. Delivers him. Saves him. It’s a powerful story and one of the great miracles in human history.
Sadly, what’s often missed is Hezekiah’s motivation. “Now, Lord our God, save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God — you alone.” (Isaiah 37:20 CSB) Note that he doesn’t cry for God to make Judah great again. He doesn’t call on God to be faithful to the people He loves. He doesn’t give God a list of reasons as to why Judah deserves to be saved. He doesn’t talk about their righteous worship or righteous deeds or point to their illustrious history. No, at the heart of Hezekiah’s prayer is a desire for God to get all the glory. A passion to see God’s name lifted high. Hezekiah prays for this miracle - not so much so that Judah will be saved - but so all the world will know Judah’s God stands above all other gods. It’s an evangelistic prayer. Hezekiah wants all the nations of the earth to know the Lord and this is what drives him to his knees on behalf of his people.
We too are living through a time of great social unrest. Our country is more divided than ever. More at odds than ever. Our national leaders are at each other’s throats. Different groups have taken to the streets to protest for sweeping cultural change. They take over college campuses, creating atmospheres of hate. Some of those groups are violent. They burn. They tear down. They destroy. There are political forces in play vying for influence, power, and control. Each with a different vision for the future of our country. Each claiming God is on their side. Many believers I know are praying for our country. They long to see God work a similar miracle in our day like He did for Hezekiah. But are we praying with the same godly motivation?
I pray for our nation every single day. I pray for humility. For repentance. For transformed hearts. I pray for our leaders. I pray they will forsake their wicked, sinful ways. I pray they will lay aside their ambitions and greed and lust for power and instead have a heart to serve the Lord. I pray for an honest reckoning of the sins of our past. I pray for a renewed passion for justice and compassion. I pray grace to replace anger. Mercy to replace vengeance. Love to replace hate. I pray God will do all these things for His glory not our own. I pray He will do these things for the sake of His great name not our own. I pray God will do these things to declare His greatness not our own. In short, I am trying to pray with the same motivation as Hezekiah for it is our only hope as a nation.
Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 39-41, Psalms 118