This chapter parallels some of what we read in 2 Chr. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah, Israel is besieged and captured by Assyria, then Assyria besieges Judah a few years later.
” ‘Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: “…Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” ‘ ” (v28-35 abr)
The Assyrians taunt Judah saying that no other god has delivered their people from the Assyrians, and the God of Judah will not deliver them either. Though God did not deliver Samaria/Israel, there’s a big difference here – 33% of Judah’s kings did right in the eyes of the Lord (including Hezekiah), but Israel completely failed to obey for multiple generations (18 out of 19 kings were wicked and 1 was 50/50).
God will generously bless those who remain faithful. He won’t always deliver us from physical circumstances / consequences (this is a corrupt, broken and unfair world after all), but He will be there with us in the midst of suffering or difficulty. Even though He allowed Israel to enter Assyrian captivity, He would never completely forsake them (especially if they repented). Despite Judah being besieged, He will not leave their side because they are His people and He is their God.
In these protracted times of a global pandemic and difficult restrictions, it is easy to become fatigued or frustrated. Due to travel restrictions I haven’t seen most of my family (in person) in 14 months, which is a big deal to me (partially because I have young nieces and a nephew that are growing quickly). It’s easy to struggle given our current circumstances.
May we be encouraged in this: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Pt 5:10) Though we’ve been restricted by this pandemic for roughly a year now, God is not restricted by it, and he promises to uphold us. Let’s praise God for what freedoms and protections we currently have, and the ones that we will have in the future.
Father God, our Protector and Provider, we praise Your holy name. You have promised to never leave or forsake us, especially in the midst of trials. We continue to find ourselves in difficult circumstances, with many physical restrictions in place. Yet, we can trust in Your powerful provision and deliverance. Our spirits are free because those whom Your son set free are free indeed. We praise You in the name of Jesus our King for all that You have given, and that You will give. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training