The Power of Impending Invasion

Hezekiah was a king of Judah, the southern half of the nation of Israel after the post-Solomon civil war split the kingdom. Both 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 29 indicate that Hezekiah was a pretty good king.

The Assyrian army was in the midst of ransacking the northern Kingdom, Israel, and began invading Judah. So, Hezekiah began to prepare for a war against the Assyrian army. 2 Chronicles 32 indicates that significant improvements were made to Jerusalem’s defenses, many weapons and shields were made, and the army was reorganized.

But the battle never happened. Hezekiah, distraught by the threats made by the Assyrian king, plead with God for His help and God replied, “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
“He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here.t
He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors,t
nor will he build siege works against it.

33 He will go back the way he came.
He will not enter this city,” says the Lord.”

2 Kings 19 goes on to say that the angel of the Lord destroyed 185,000 Assyrians that very night.

The slouch in me wonders, “Was all of that time wasted repairing city walls, and doubling the protection around Jerusalem? Was it really necessary to reorganize the army and make weapons and shields?”

The reality is that sometimes in order to make necessary changes all we need is the threat of an impending invasion on our way of life. Our health fails, we get a bad review at work, we get a speeding ticket, a freedom is threatened, or our spouse threatens to leave and all of the sudden we are motivated to get the work done.

The reality is, as a Christian, I am always under the threat of invasion. I just choose to live my life most of the time as if I’m not. I would get a lot more work done in reference to working out my salvation if I’d be continually aware of the threat.