This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
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2CHRONICLES
32:1 After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.
4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
Why is it, that sometimes, people are trying to do good, and God is blessing; then, someone like king Sennacherib comes along and tries to ruin it?
5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,
7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Hezekiah built up the defenses of Judah and got the army in order.
9 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?
14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?
16 And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
Sennachrib sent messengers to Jerusalem who stood outside the walls and yelled at the people inside. He sent letters to be read aloud. These messengers referred to JEHOVAH being only as one of the other "gods" of other countries.
Hezekiah and Isaiah got on their knees and prayed for God's deliverance. Then God sent an angel (ONE angel) and killed 185,000 of the Assyrians that had camped outside Jerusalem!! (see Isaiah 37:36).
22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
God not only saved them from the Assyrians, but also "delivered" them "from the hand of ALL other."
23 And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
24 In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;
28 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
God blessed Hezekiah. Many other nations saw what God had done to the Assyrians, and they brought many gifts to Hezekiah. He became very rich.
31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
The Babylonians at that time were beginning to be a powerful nation. They sent ambassadors to Hezekiah.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
When Hezekiah died, the people buried him in the "chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David.." Please continue in Bible Study with us.
CHAPTER 32
We might ask, "Why does God allow this to happen?" But God has told us that we will have adversity in the world. Jesus Himself said, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake."(Luke 21:17).
But Jesus also said, "But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls."(Luke 21:18-19)
Often, when we are trying our best, and adversity like this comes, we question God. However, we should realize that earthly problems cannot change our spiritual destiny.
Hezekiah didn't complain. He gathered advisors, and they tried to figure out the best way to make it hard for Sennacharib to enter the land.
They devised a tunnel that would divert the waters from outside the city into the city.
We should realize that God allowed this for a purpose. The people of Judah had taken initiative in revival and reformation. They were trying to serve the Lord.
The Bible says that God is looking for people like that so He can show His strength in them.
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."(2Chronicles 16:9)
And, as we shall see in this chapter, God DID show Himself strong in His people.
Then he encouraged them by telling them that God would be with them.
When facing the adversities of the world, we must rely upon the strength of God, and not our own.
They really didn't believe that JEHOVAH is the ONLY God!
And this was part of God's purpose for the adversity. His design was to "show Himself strong" in His people, and also to show that He is God ALONE!
20 And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
Much later, three Hebrew men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego) were told they would be thrown in a fiery furnace. Their answer was, "God will deliver us. And if God does NOT deliver us we STILL will not worship any other god!"
The point is that the world pressures us to divert our worship and attention to other "gods," and not to have a focus upon the ONLY God.
When Hezekiah, Isaiah, and the people of Jerusalem were put in that position, they PRAYED TO GOD ALONE! And God DELIVERED them! God delivered them by miraculous intervention. He did not use their army.
Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, and the three Hebrew men of Daniel 3, are examples of deliberate and determined faith.
We should follow their example.
God blessed the land (verse 28), and Hezekiah built storage places for all the crops.
It was Hezekiah's plan that diverted the waters from outside the city to inside the city.
Hezekiah was indeed blessed, and rich.
And it became a problem!
Instead of giving the glory to God for all his riches, Hezekiah sorta bragged a little (see verse 25).
This sin of forgetfulness to praise God is common to ALL of us!
Hezekiah's bragging caused God to be angry, and God struck him with an illness. God also sent Isaiah the prophet to Hezekiah and told him he would die. (See Isaiah 38)
Hezekiah was shamed, and turned his face to the wall and "wept sore." Since he was repentant, God saved him from the sickness and gave him another 15 years of life.
Sometimes we allow our pride to diffuse our focus on God. When God gets our attention and lets us know about it, we should be repentant.
He received great honor from the people because he had been a great spiritual leader.
People honor those who seek to bring revival and reform.