2 Kings 18: Out of sight, out of mind

Verse 32:

"Do not listen to Hezekiah," the commander says. "This is what the king of Assyria says: 'Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, "The Lord will deliver us."'

◇ The Assyrian Empire, which had previously destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, now threatens the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In response to Assyria's demands, the treasures of the temple and the palace, including the silver and the gold that covered the temple pillars, were stripped and handed over. Yet King Sennacherib of Assyria still sent a vast army to threaten King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. In the speech given by the field commander of Assyria, which threatened Jerusalem, one phrase is repeated three times: "Do not believe Hezekiah when he says, 'The Lord will deliver us.'"

Hezekiah was the king who removed the high places, smashed the Asherah poles, and broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made. His service and reliance on the Lord were unparalleled among the kings of Judah. Facing the terrifying might of the Assyrian army, Hezekiah most likely appealed to his people to trust and rely on the Lord God who had delivered them from Egypt.

It's said that 'out of sight, out of mind.' The immediate presence of the immense Assyrian army, which had annihilated the Northern Kingdom of Israel just a few years earlier, was a threat that everyone was acutely aware of. The sight of the Assyrian army, vast as a swarm of locusts, could have made them forget the unseen God. The Lord God who had delivered their ancestors from Egypt was not visible to them. They couldn't see whether He was with them, or what His plans might be.

In this moment, King Hezekiah tells them to rely on the Lord God. He tells them to believe not in the visible army of Assyria, but in the invisible God. Faced with the tangible threat of an army wielding swords and spears, and the God who led their ancestors out of Egypt and gave them this land, on which side should the people of Judah stand? On which side should we stand? Who should we rely on?

♧ Today, we live in moments where we must choose between the many visible things and the invisible God. Every day brings moments of choice. Grant us the wisdom and courage to make the right decisions! Holy Spirit, lead us in the path of truth! Amen!