Posts Tagged ‘God answers prayer’
Scripture reading for April 15th: 2nd Kings 18-21
In today’s reading, the ten tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrian army. Scripture records that this happened because they had not obeyed the Lord and had violated the covenant made by Moses. (2nd Kings 18:10-12) This is a familiar reason for defeat or captivity and God’s people were well-warned in the word of God what would happen if they failed to obey! (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) Knowing and doing what God says is something that has eluded mankind since the Garden of Eden.
After the fall of Samaria, Hezekiah, king of Judah, was attacked. Sennacherib, king of Assyria had captured all the fortified cities of Judah and had surrounded Jerusalem, demanding tribute. Hezekiah gave him the gold and silver from the Lord’s temple, but he wanted a complete surrender. He taunted the leaders and people of Jerusalem telling them not to trust in the Lord or Hezekiah. He promised them life if they surrendered and threatened death if they failed to heed. (2nd Kings 18:26-35) His vast army had easily taken Israel and now most of Judah. Things on the battlefield looked grim for those in Jerusalem! King Hezekiah had told the people to remain silent and no one spoke a word.
In response to this bad situation, Hezekiah’s officials went to the king in mourning with torn clothes and sackcloth. The king also tore his clothes and went to the temple to inquire of the Lord. He sent word to Isaiah the prophet for prayer. They desperately needed a word from the Lord. The Lord spoke through Isaiah that day, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard–those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.” (2nd Kings 19:6-7)
That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp and the army withdrew from Jerusalem as the Lord had said! Prayer had truly changed the battlefield! The battle wasn’t just with men and chariots but against wicked spiritual forces. When we appeal to the Lord, He alone has resources to bring victory! He alone receives the glory!
Scripture reading for April 2nd: 2nd Samuel 21-24
Have you ever felt like the heavens were brass and your prayers were not being answered? Have you gone through a time of famine when you suffered want and lack? King David and Israel suffered for three years under a severe famine. Finally, the king decided to seek the Lord! (Did it come to that?) (2nd Samuel 21:1) The Lord answered with the root of the problem: innocent bloodshed of Saul’s house against the Gibeonites had not been atoned for.
The Gibeonites had been spared by Joshua as he entered the land of Israel. (Joshua 9) Israel had made a treaty of peace with them and swore their protection. They had been made slaves in Israel because they had deceived Joshua in order to spare their own lives. We do not have a biblical record of what Saul did to the Gibeonites but God tells David about this sin as a cause of the drought. We do not know if Saul’s children were involved or not, but know that God is always just and does what is right by each person.
King David went to the Gibeonites and asked them what could be done for them. They asked for seven descendants of Saul to be handed over to them to be put to death. David granted their request but spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan his friend. These were slain and laid out before the Lord. Rizpah, Saul’s concubine and mother of two of those slain covered herself with sackcloth and stayed with the bodies for many days. She drove away the birds by day and wild animals by night. King David heard about her bravery and had the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and these who were slain put away properly in the tomb of Saul’s father. After this, the Lord answered prayer!
What do we learn from this account? Sometimes answer to prayer is hindered by unresolved conflict and hatred. Here a whole nation was under a drought because of the shedding of innocent blood that had not been dealt with. God gave revelation when King David prayed. The drought was broken by taking action to repent of that issue and deal with those responsible. God is a God who demands that His people take responsibility for their actions and deal justly with sin!