1. Hezekiah at bay
We are reading the Books of Kings, which are historical records written in Babylonia during the time of captivity. Though the authorship is anonymous, the source is called the Deuteronomist (or simply D)*1. The aim of writing was to understand why the kingdom of Judah perished. To begin with, the writers reflected on the incident of Assyrian attack which had taken place 120 years earlier. At that time, Judah had survived despite the siege of Jerusalem by powerful Assyrian forces. But to Babylonia it surrendered itself. The writers wondered why God let Judah ruled by Zedekia perish (in 577 or 576)*2 whereas Hezekia could saved the nation from Assyria.
Today’s text is 2 KIngs 18 to 19, which tells us how Hezekiah reacted facing the invasion of Assyria in 701BC. At the time of the first attack, the king tried to avoid total destruction of the country in exchange of the whole of his wealth. ; - During Hezekiah’s fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the strong, walled cities of Judah and captured them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. He said, “I have done wrong. Leave me alone, and I will pay anything you ask.” So the king of Assyria made Hezekiah pay about twenty-two thousand pounds of silver and two thousand pounds of gold. Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was in the Temple of the Lord … Hezekiah stripped all the gold that covered the doors and doorposts of the Temple of the Lord… he gave it all to the king of Assyria.(2 Kings 18:13-16)
Thus Judah could survive. The records are historically proved with the chronicle of the Assyrian king *3. : — Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my power I took 46 of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number…. and Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his capital city, like a bird in a cage, … and he sent out to me the chiefs and the elders of Jerusalem with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, and diverse treasures, …… All these things were brought to me at Nineveh, the seat of my government. —
Though Hezekiah gave up all he had in order to save his life, that huge expense couldn’t give the ultimate solution. Because Assyria invaded Palestine and attacked Judah again a few years later. Jerusalem was put under siege again. The Book of 2 Kings reported the appeal to Hezekiah for surrender by an Assyrian commander. ; - The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this: ” ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust in now? You say you have battle plans and power for war, but your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you turn against me?(2 Kings 18:19-20)
This time, the king made his mind courageously. He understood that Assyria wanted Judah as a part of its territory, not as one of satellite-nations. If Assyria had achieved the ambition, the kingdom of Judah should have been destroyed and the scattered people were to vanish from the history, like the Ten Lost tribes of Israel.
Besides, nothing rested in Hezekiah’s treasury to offer to Assyria. He had two alternatives alone, obeying the enemies to avoid the total devastation of the nation or calling out to God for his mercy to save the people.
*1 Deuteronomist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomist
*2 Zedekia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zedekia
*3 Assyrian account http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sennacherib#Sennacherib.27s_account
2. Hezekiah was praying
Hezekiah decided to resist Assyrian menace by praying mercy God for the rescue of the nation. Meanwhile, Assyrian commanders kept appealing to the Jewish people inside the City. ; - “Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Neither can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power.”(2 Kings 18:35)
Indeed, Judah’s army forces were powerless. So Hezekiah transmitted those disgracing words of commanders to the prophet Isaiah to ask for intercessory prayers . ; - They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it. The king of Assyria sent his field commander to make fun of the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said and will punish him for it. So pray for the few of us who are left alive.”(2 Kings 19:3-4 )
Hezekiah understood that they were mocking God, not the king of Judah himself. And Isaiah assured the king of God’s intervention to beat Assyria. ; - he (Isaiah) said to them, “Tell your master this: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the servants of the king of Assyria have spoken against me. Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own country, and I will cause him to die by the sword there.’ “(2 Kings 19:6-7)
That response of the prophet was recorded in Isaiah 36-39 too. The Book of Isaiah is the compilation of prophecies given by the prophet to the people of Judah at the time of dreadful invasion of Assyria.
At the same time, the main troop of Assyrian army was fighting against the city of Libnah after capturing Lachish, one of very important fortresses of Judah. And Assyrian king sent a letter to the king of Judah to compel him to capitule. ; - “Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don’t be fooled by the god you trust. Don’t believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.11 You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country, so do not think you will be saved.12 Did the gods of those people save them? My ancestors destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and the people of Eden living in Tel Assar.13 Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”(2 Kings 19:10-13)
Hezekiah gat furious at such a humiliating letter. And he went to the temple of the Lord to pray for the rescue. We can also read that prayer in 2 Kings 19:14-19. ; - he (Hezekiah) went up to the Temple of the Lord… and prayed to the Lord: “Lord, God of Israel, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings, only you are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth…. Listen to the words Sennacherib has said to insult the living God. It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed these countries and their lands. They have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire, but they were only wood and rock statues that people made….Now, Lord our God, save us from the king’s power so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”
And God reacted to the prayer. The Book tells what happened then. ; - That night the angel of the Lord went out and killed one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies.36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh and stayed there.(2 Kings 19:35-36 )
We find today different interpretations of the phenomena. For example, the Greek historian Herodotus suggested that a plague of rodents disabled the weapons of the Assyrians forcing them to withdraw. And modern historians cite the possibility of pestilence that might have killed the Assyrians, forcing Sennacherib to lift the siege *1.
But the writers of the Books were sure that God by Himself defeated arrogant Assyrians. And the same understanding was shared with the poet of Psalm. ; - The brave soldiers were stripped as they lay asleep in death. Not one warrior had the strength to stop it. God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly, horses and riders fell dead. You are feared; no one can stand against you when you are angry.(Psalm 76:5-7)
The saved people saw God’s hand over the retreat of Assyrian army.
*1 Retreat of Assyrian army http://www.suite101.com/content/sennacheribs-siege-of-jerusalem-701-bc-a117971
3. To pray under the crises
Hezekiah successfully saved the country. Or more exactly, his faith in God led him to achieve that. However we must know such a faith was not given him as a reward of right and brave behavior. When Assyria invaded Judah for the first time, he tried to save his life in exchange of the entire possession of the nation. In contrast, he didn’t take the same method for the second invasion. In any case, he was literally moneyless then. I think the fact was the key to the faith. I mean that as we have whatever to depend on we won’t seek God. Therefore God makes us undergo trials to put us at bay. Then we have nobody but God who can help and support us. That should be the very aim of the trial. Job’s story too gives us the same lesson. ; - But God saves those who suffer through their suffering; he gets them to listen through their pain.(Job 36:15)
Today’s invocation verses are Matthew 5:3-5. ; “They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. They are blessed who grieve, for God will comfort them. They are blessed who are humble, for the whole earth will be theirs.
Matthew placed on the Mount Sion the scene of the teaching. The word “poverty” is translated from πτωχός {pto-khos’} in Greek, which means “reduced to beggary” or “destitute of wealth. ” And teh coresponding Hebrew word should be “אֶביוֹן -ah-bi yo-hn (beggar)” or “דַל - dal (poor).” In short, Jesus said that such poor persons must be blessed. Furthermore, Jesus blessed those who grieved (see Matthew 5:4) and hungered or thirsted after justice too. (see Matthew 5:6)
But “Poverty, grievance and hunger” are normally the most undesirable factors of life condition. Why then those persons were blessed? We must understand now that they are blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them, not because they would be favored in future.
Luke gave a different version of the parallel episode. According to Luke, Jesus told 4 opposing cases after teaching about the blessed. And the first three of them deal with privileged persons in earthy meaning ; - “How terrible it will be for you who are rich,” “How terrible it will be for you who are full now” and “How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now,” Then Jesus concluded, ; - “Because you have had your easy life.” (see Luke 6:24-25)
The explanation indicates that those who are satisfied with secular comforts won’t call for God. They are happy with their financial base and social favors. Therefor they won’t seek God and miss his blessing.
As Matthew suggested, those who are poor in spirit won’t look for secular success. Because they know well that any earthy achievement cannot bring salvation. Those who experienced sadness can have compassion on weeping persons and share their pains. Those who are humble will never be pompous nor arrogant. So they will stay away from hatred or revengeful mind. For that reasons, they are blessed.
And the essence of the faith of Hezekiah was this. He had nobody or nothing but God whom to trust. He understood that Egyptian army and military force of Judah were unreliable. Assyria was merciless. With those hopeless understandings he prayed God, ; - “Now, Lord our God, save us from the king’s power so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”(2 Kings 19:19)
But, 120 years later, the people of Judah didn’t recognize how situation of their country was serious. They were totally complacent about national security because of the Temple of Jerusalem which they thought must protect them. Besides, they were sure that God would never abandon descendants of the king David whom He loved so much.
Difference of awareness of crisis diversified prayers between Hezekiah and Zedekiah. As a result, God intervened to save Hezekiah whereas He kept silence in Zedekiah’s case. God saves those who seek Him, not those who won’t.
And how about us? Do we live with desirable conscience of the faith? The people of Israel were led to be faithful through the experience of the Babylonian captivity. However, the Jewish people couldn’t restore the nation soon after the incident. They suffered for years under domination of gentiles. They couldn’t be assured of survival. That unceasing tension supported their entity for long time. That is the very reason for that the Jewish nation is still alive, whereas Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians vanished beyond the history.
We, as other Japanese, consider the national security to be freely granted. And we think our daily life is possible thanks to the salary payed by working company, without depending on any other existence. That luck of spiritual tension seems hindering the majority of Japanese from the faith. In contrast, the people of the South Korea suffered enormously under Japanese cruel domination. Besides they are still facing the direct threat of communism. Those hard experiences should enrich the base of belief in God. That mental gap between Japanese and South-Koreans seems causing the difference of percentage of Christians. Nonetheless, among those Japanese, we wish to preserve the church with the same spiritual tension as Hezekiah, though stumbling over the faith in God like him.
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