II Kings 19:16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
Hezekiah has a clear view of what is happening. He understands the battle is not his. When someone speaks out against him, they speak out against the living God.
The word for “mock” in Hebrew sounds like “harap’ and means to defy, taunt, or mock.
You are God’s child, when people make false allegations against you, or threats, or abuse – they are making those same comments about God.
Hezekiah does not respond to Sennacherib – and I love this! It reminds me of Jesus in Luke 23:9 “So Herod questioned him at considerable length; Jesus gave no answer.” (NET).
There are times when we do not need to respond when God is about to work out his plans and his victory. Jesus was about to win the greatest victory that could ever be won – over death itself. Hezekiah (although he did not know it) was about to see the greatest victory ever recorded in history before that date – the enemy that was destroying the known world was about to be totally crushed and Hezekiah would not have any part in it – other than his TRUST IN GOD.
I love this prayer – “Father, hear the words that others are saying about you and your children”. And then I can leave that on the altar with God.
Principle of Change 57 – sometimes silence and prayer is the best option by far.
Strength – Communication – have the best conversations with the Holy Spirit, and know when to be quiet with others.