Suffering: Mockery, Like King Hezekiah
This is what the king [of Assyria] says: “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power. Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord”…
“Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you… What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”
2 Kings 18: 29-30, 32-35 (NLT)
Hezekiah was an excellent king in an age when good kings were uncommon, even among the Lord's chosen people.
Unlike his evil father, King Ahaz, ‘[Hesekiah] did what was good, right and true before the Lord his God' (2 Chronicles 31:20).
But one day, Hezekiah faced the threat of Assyria, Earth's superpower, which had been on a conquering rampage…
Including the Jews in Samaria. Now they were smack-talking Jerusalem, MOCKING Hezekiah and demanding his immediate surrender, or else!
Hezekiah took it to Isaiah, who took it to God, and God did His thing.
'The angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead' (2 Kings 19:35).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
To be mocked is to know… YOU’RE IN THE GAME, and the devil despises your presence. Therefore, consider it a compliment:)
'Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you' (Matthew 5:11-12).
Even more, when anyone insults you, the Lord takes your insult Personally:
'Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And haughtily lifted up your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!' (2 Kings 19:22).
'It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God' (Hebrews 10:31).
So learn to see insults differently. At the same time, pray for your enemies:)
Suffering: Mockery, Like King Hezekiah (Part 14)
* Short article: What can we learn from the life of Hezekiah? Who was Hezekiah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!