Last week and this week, except for tomorrow, we have been, and will continue to hear, stories from the first and second Book of Kings. You may have noticed how challenging the names of these ancient kings have been for lectors to pronounce!
It has been said that if the kingships of Saul and David could be described as spring and summer of the Israelite kingdom, the first and second Books of Kings describe this kingdom’s fall and winter. These books tell of when the Israelite kingdom was split in two; the northern kingdom was then called Israel, and the southern kingdom called Judah. Both these kingdoms were ruled by weak and sinful leaders. Eventually their incompetence and wickedness led to the two kingdoms falling to foreign powers…northern Israel to the Assyrians, and southern Judah to the Babylonians.
Of special importance in these books is the appearance of the prophets, especially Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah. These great prophets often opposed the royal decisions and actions of the kings. Their job was to speak God’s word clearly and boldly.
Today we hear about one of the very few good and faithful kings of this time, King Hezekiah of the southern kingdom. When King Sennacherib of the north threatened Hezekiah with forceful submission, what did Hezekiah do? He went to the Lord in prayer. He brought his heavy heart to the Holy. He wanted to live by God’s way, seek God’s wisdom and guidance, and trust in God. In our reading we learn that his prayer was heard by God and confirmed by the Prophet Isaiah. That night King Sennacherib’s troops were punished such that he, in defeat, had to withdraw.
Good King Hezekiah sets an example and reinforces a lesson for us today about prayer. When confronted with a threat, he wasn’t fearful or anxious. Instead, he immediately took his concerns humbly before the Lord in prayer and surrendered his crisis to God with trust.
May we, too, turn to God first and humbly with our cares and worries, entrust ourselves to God, and follow God’s guidance and inspiration unreservedly.
