Today’s passage: 2 Chronicles 32:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- Hezekiah remembered who the Champion of Judah was.
- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”
- Sennacherib sought to weaken the people through false teaching!
- He claimed that removing all the “high places” reduced the worship of God. Fewer altars = less worship.
- He bragged about their victories over the gods of many surrounding nations. Do you think your God is better than ours?
- He warned them not to trust their leader, Hezekiah. Your king is misleading you.
- The nation who had just completely defeated Israel (The northern tribes) not too long before, lost in the offensive campaign against Judah. Not a single stone was slung. Not a single sword was swung be any man from Judah.
- For more details, you can read 2 Kings 19.
Questions to consider:
- Why was Sennacherib’s propaganda campaign false? How would you correct his messages? In what way was the “reduction” in worship actually an “upgrade” in worship?
- Had the people not been learning the Word of God and if they had not been relying on Him, what might the threats of King Sennacherib done to their hearts? Was their decision to stand firm a new development or was it the fruit of their fervent devotion?
- Sometimes people misuse 1 Corinthians 10:13 to expect God to bail them out of situations that are actually the consequences of their own wrong choices and actions. We can even get angry with God, thinking He didn’t let us “escape” the hardship. But, compare this passage today with this encouraging verse from 1 Corinthians…how did Hezekiah, the prophets and priests, and the people of Judah bear up under the load of this temptation and hardship? How had they become prepared?