Explore the Bible: Unmatched

• The Explore the Bible Lesson for Aug. 21 focuses on 2 Kings 19:10-19, 32-34.

Being on mission with Yahweh allows for opportunities to demonstrate his power. For many years, my in-laws were short-term volunteer missionaries in India. They saw God do amazing things among the world’s unreached people groups. One particular story they recounted involved a little girl who had been bitten by a venomous snake. She had become very ill, succumbing to the venom, and was in danger of losing her life. Unfortunately, emergency medical care in these remote villages is rare, so all these people have in these situations is their faith in their gods as they pray for healing.

Knowing my father-in-law was a Christian, the young girl’s parents asked him to pray over the little girl. They hoped his God would bring healing, because their gods had not healed her. They said, “If your God heals her, we will believe your God.” My father-in-law told them he would pray to the one true God, and they would need to have faith in him for the healing. My father-in-law began to pray for healing over the little girl. In his prayer, he said if God willed it and healing would come to her, the whole village would see his power demonstrated. Even before he finished praying, the girl began to recover, God healed her, and many in the village came to the saving knowledge of Jesus, putting away their own gods to follow after the one true God. Yahweh is always unmatched in power and healing.

In this week’s text, Assyria is on the move to eradicate Judah. Israel already had fallen to Assyria a decade previously, and King Sennacherib expected the same from Judah. Assyria made the mistake of comparing Yahweh with the false gods of their other enemies. Daily, insults were hurled at Judah in their language. The mockery was taking effect as Judah was filled with fear.  Yahweh is not a God to be mocked, but Assyria did not understand this, and the Assyrians would soon realize their misjudgment in mocking the one true God. Yahweh will demonstrate to the Assyrians he is unmatched in power.

The Insult (2 Kings 19:10-13)

King Sennacherib sent a message to Judah, claiming he and Assyria were superior to all other gods. In his message, he mocked Hezekiah not to be deceived in believing that Yahweh would protect them. Sennacherib is insulting Yahweh’s reputation. However, Sennacherib did not stop there; he continued to list the kingdoms Assyria had conquered without any help from their gods. Sennacherib wanted Hezekiah to understand that since the other gods offered no protection against their army, Yahweh would also do the same.

It is never a good idea to mock Yahweh by considering him just as any other god, or by thinking we are standing for his convictions when we are not, or by underestimating his power and presence. We must be clear about what the Bible teaches about Yahweh, what his commandments entail, and faithfully trust in who he says he is.

The Prayer (2 Kings 19:14-19)

With Assyria’s letter laced with ridicule and threats, Hezekiah enters the temple, lays it before Yahweh, and begins to pray. Interestingly, he lays the letter before Yahweh, almost as if the letter were addressed to Yahweh and not to the people of Judah. Yahweh knew what the letter said; however, Hezekiah is showing him in an attempt to ask him through prayer what Yahweh was going to do about it.

In his prayer, Hezekiah begins by acknowledging and exalting the powerful presence of Yahweh. He is unmatched; he cannot be contained in heaven or earth, he is worthy of praise and exaltation. This is a clear contrast to what the Assyrians think they know about Yahweh.

Hezekiah furthers his plea by asking Yahweh to hear and see how Assyria has ridiculed him and the people of Judah. The prayer also includes the truth about the other kingdoms that have fallen to the Assyrian army and the number of idols that were useless to defend against them. Hezekiah ends his prayer with a plea for deliverance from the threats and ridicule of the Assyrians so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that Yahweh alone is God.

God’s Reckoning (2 Kings 19:32-34)

Yahweh responds by letting Hezekiah know he would protect Jerusalem out of the covenant commitment he made to David. Yahweh was directing his reckoning against King Sennacherib for calling Yahweh’s character and competence into question, for lumping him in with the regional deities of the other conquered nations, and for his pride that claimed he was superior over the Lord of Hosts. Furthermore, Yahweh’s actions against Sennacherib and Assyria would be executed as a testimony to his people and to the surrounding nations. God will defend his name’s sake and his people.

That night the angel of the Lord arrives in the Assyrian camp and puts to death 185,000 men. The following day, the Assyrian army woke to find many of their soldiers dead.  The army, along with their humiliated king, retreats hastily towards Nineveh.

Let us never take God’s protection for granted, and let us continue to faithfully serve him as we strive to point others towards the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. May our lives continue to glorify God, who is unmatched in power and glory.

Dr. Joe Rangel is the associate dean of the School of Christian Studies and teaches Christian ministry at Wayland Baptist University.