II Kings 19:37 And as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
It’s kind of a footnote as we come to the end of chapter nineteen.
If we remember earlier in this chapter God, speaking through Isaiah had said (II Kings 19:6-7) Isaiah said to them, “say to your master [Hezekiah], “Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumour and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”
Later on in the bible in Matthew 26:52 we have Jesus telling Peter “Then Jesus said to him, ‘put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword,'”
Public shame was a massive issue in the culture of the day – even as it is today I guess. What do we think when we hear of the failings of some highly respected person? When their whole family is confronted with a global media that airs all the dirty laundry it can, and even fabricates information at times to add to the sensationalism and sell more advertising. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be on the receiving end, irrespective of what the person has or has not done.
Sennacherib had captured nations, and destroyed countless cities, leading his nation to untold wealth and power. But, then he went up against God, and his key mistake was to position the God of Israel alongside all the other gods that he and other nations worshiped. The gods of success, popularity, wealth, power, sex, influence, and position – to name a few.
How sensible is it, if we have a “wallet-sized picture” of God? How wise is it when we think God is there simply to help us achieve our goals?
Let’s remember that we look up to find God, that God inhabits the heavens and made the universe, he is not a god at our beck and call and is not there to make sure we achieve all our goals.
My prayer for us is that we make time to remind ourselves of who God is and approach him with reverence and love, seeking to hear his heart and carry out his will in our lives. To become more like Jesus.
Principle of Change 76 – how we view God is a critical factor in our lives.
Strength – Belief – I am passionate, steadfast, and know where I stand.