Hezekiah's Response

Hezekiah's Response 

II Kings 19:1-4 NKJV

[1] And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. [2] Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. [3] And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. [4] It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

In communication, there has to be a response. Its called feedbacks. It is 

 " the response given by the receiver of a message, which indicates whether they understood the message and allows the sender to know if their communication was effective; it can be verbal, nonverbal cues like body language, or a more direct response with thoughts or reactions to what was said".  "When feedback is withheld, it means that someone is choosing not to provide constructive criticism or positive reinforcement about someone else's performance, behavior, or work, essentially preventing them from learning and improving, potentially leading to stagnation and missed opportunities for growth". That is what Judah did to the Rabshakeh. They chosed instead to talk to God 

     Read v.1 again. Hezekiah went to talk to a higher authority, God. David Guzik is very ardent over what  Hezekiah did. " Hezekiah’s initial reaction was good. He saw the situation for what it really was. Often, when we are in some kind of trial or difficulty, we handle it poorly because we never see the situation accurately. Jerusalem’s situation was desperate and Hezekiah knew it". How would you have handled this situation? That's what makes the difference between winners and loosers under God. It is not lack of power by God. You must acknowledge God first. You must have faith that He alone has the final answer. This may be very difficult for very active people, but it must be done.

   The next thing Hezekiah did was to make an appeal to the Prophet Isaiah for intercession. Notice his colorful language: that children have come to birth, but there's no strength to push forth. May our God who rules over life affairs send you strength from now and forever. You will push forth anything, any project, any vision under God. Good morning.