Today’s scripture is II Kings 18:15, “And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house”.
Hezekiah is looking for a way to avoid conflict with a bully and a liar, if he can do that he can perhaps find a way forwards. We know from his very first actions as king that he loves God, loves God’s ways and God’s house.
We have no idea how much it pained Hezekiah to start stripping the silver from the temple. He would be aware that many people had given sacrificially over the years so that the temple could have wealth to share and wealth to enhance the temple.
Perhaps he is demonstrating leadership to the people of the city, that he will do everything he can in his power, to keep them safe in the face of overwhelming threats. Whatever motivated Hezekiah we can be fairly certain that in his mind he was doing the right thing.
In II Kings 16:8 we see that king Ahaz [Hezekiah’s father] had done the same thing and the king of Assyria had accepted the bribe and allowed an alliance with Ahaz. This action however was also the start of the removal and replacement of the alter to God in the temple in Jerusalem.
All the silver from every storehouse in the city and from the temple was taken on behalf of Hezekiah and sent to the king of Assyria.
Who knows that we can’t strike a deal with sin, that we can’t barter with the devil, and that we can’t have one foot in each camp? Sin will take your money, your health, your marriage, your peace, and your inheritance, and come back for more.
We will see as the story unfolds how Hezekiah navigates this period of time and how God restores to him many times over what was lost.
My prayer for you today is that as you set your life to be single minded and wholehearted for God, you also will see the restoring of everything that may have been lost.
Blessings, Allan
Principle 19 – We can’t strike a deal with sin.
Strength – Self- Assurance – People exceptionally talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.