Sat.'s Devo -0 7-1-23

Read: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Acts 21:1-17; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8 Hezekiah had stopped paying tribute to King Sennacherib of Assyria and Sennacherib started attacking cities in Judah. Hezekiah was sorry he had rebelled and asked him what he could do to pay him off. Sennacherib wanted more than 11 tons of silver and one ton of gold. Hezekiah had to stip the gold from the doors of the Temple to send him. Sennacherib was still not appeased and came to take them all captive. *** His army arrived telling the people to surrender and he would take them to a land where they would have everything there that they had in their land. He was lying and Hezekiah had given his men orders not to answer them. He tried to get the Assyrian officer to not speak in Hebrew so the people wouldn't hear his threats but the officer said he was deliberately speaking in Hebrew so they would hear his threats. He was hoping for a rebellion of the people against Hezekiah. But the people stayed true to Hezekiah. *** Hezekiah was distraught and wore sackcloth. He sent for Isaiah to hear what God wanted them to do. Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah not to worry about Assyria's threats. He would hear a message that he is needed at home and return where God would have him killed with the sword. He did hear news that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him so he went home. Before he left, he sent a message telling Hezekiah that he should not think his God was saving him because he would be back. And, what makes Hezekiah think that his God was greater than the gods of the nations he had defeated. Their gods had not been able to save them. *** Hezekiah took his message into the Temple and laid it before the Lord. He told God that he was a living God, not like the gods of other nations. He asked God to rescue them from the power of Sennacherib then all the kingdoms of the earth would know that he was God alone. *** God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah saying that he had heard Hezekiah's prayer and he had something to say about King Sennacherib. It was true that Senacherib had conquered many nations and thought that his power on the earth was great, but God's power was greater. Sennacherib had defied the Creator of the Universe and he was not happy. He would put a hook in his nose and a bit in his mouth and make him return to his nation. To prove that what Isaiah was saying was true, they would eat only what grew up by itself and the next year they would do the same thing. But, the third year they would plant and harvest their own crops. Those who would be left would prosper in the land. Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem or shoot an arrow against it. He would return to his own country the same way he came and be killed before he entered his city. *** That night the angel of the Lord went out and killed 185,000 of the Assyrians. The survivors woke up to corpses all around them. The king went home to Nineveh and was killed by his own two sons in the temple of his god Nisroch. *** God always protects his faithful servants who ask for his help. *** In Acts Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. All the way, he received words from prophetic people about the inprisonment he would face there. They tried to dissuade him from going but Paul was not afraid of persecution. He knew that that was his lot and that he was called of God to go to Jerusalem. When he arrived in Jerusalem, the believers were so glad to see him. *** James tells us that in their world we will have trials and persecution but to be of good cheer becuase Jesus has overcome the world. *** Lord, may we not fear the future because you have already been in the future and you never leave us. We are here on earth to glorify you and see your Kingdom come to earth. May we boldly walk today where you lead us without fear.