In 2 Chronicles 32, an enemy was coming. Israel was about to face an attack, unlike anything they had ever encountered before. Their king, Hezekiah, had to be decisive. And, he was. Setting a simple plan in motion, he rerouted history. His superior foe, Sennacherib, was about to experience his first defeat.
# 1: RETREAT
Hezekiah instructed the entire population to retreat to safety inside the walls, and into their homes.
# 2: REPAIR
Work to repair anything broken or vulnerable was to take place while the people awaited the oncoming attack.
vv. 5-6 Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David.
# 3: RALLY
Hezekiah rallied his people, reminding them, there were more for them than there were against them.
vv. 6-8 Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, “Be strong! Take courage! Don’t be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!” Morale surged. Hezekiah’s words put steel in their spines.
# 4: RESIST
The people had to resist the enemy’s attempt to demoralize them into submission with propaganda.
10-19 Later on, Sennacherib, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: “You poor people—do you think you’re safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You’re sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don’t be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,’ he’s lying—you’re all going to end up dead… Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; don’t let him get by with his barefaced lies; don’t trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?” The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God’s servant Hezekiah. Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: “The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse.” The messengers would come up... shout to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission.
THE RESULT: REJOICE IN VICTORY
The enemy went away with his tail between his legs. And, the Hebrews streamed into Jerusalem, rejoicing as they offered worship unto Heaven and celebrated that God had taken care of them.
vv. 20-23 King Hezekiah... responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God.
CONSIDER:
Are there any broken places in your life or relationships that need special attention or repair?
If so, how can you commit to seeing the needed repair become a reality?
Is there anyone in your sphere of influence that needs to be rallied? Do you need a surge in your morale?
Are you struggling to resist the enemy's attempts to demoralize your faith?
Have you forgotten that God will always take care of His people?
How can you put into action the four things Hezekiah led his people to facilitate on their way to victory?
Watch Pastor Eric's Message on this subject: The Insurgence