We are moving on to II Kings 18:7 today – And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
My AUV [Allan’s Unauthorised Version] for this verse would read as “the personal covenant-keeping God was with him at every point of departure, bringing insights, wisdom and understanding that allowed Hezekiah to exercise skill in all aspects of life. He, therefore, renounced any authority the ruler of Assyria had in Judah, and would not worship him”.
Hezekiah had started with the internal influences on the life of the nation – with the high places and the Asherah poles. Now he immediately turns his attention to those outward areas of influence that needed to be dealt with. He had the same uncompromising approach, built on a steadfast trust in the nature of his God.
What a great example for us to consider – what are the internal issues that cause us to settle for less than God’s best in our lives, and then what are the external relationships and pressures that would also rob us of God’s best for us?
Hezekiah was not being reckless, or reactionary. From the wording of these first seven verses, we can see that everything he did came from a love for his promise-keeping God. His focus was not on changing the culture or kingdom, his focus was not on releasing his people from the world power influences, or making a name for himself. His focus was on his trustworthy God.
Hezekiah’s activity was not a substitute for his faith, rather it was an expression of his faith.
Beautiful!
Blessings
Allan
Principle 10 – our activity is not a substitute for our faith rather it is an expression of it.
Strength – Communication: People exceptionally talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.