A greater power with us
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)
The Bible text is about the Judah kingdom’s situation experienced because of the army of Assyria, during the reign of the king Hezekiah. Hezekiah generally carried out good politics, following God’s will. He was once sick almost to death, and he also had the wrath of God because of his arrogant heart. For twenty nine years of his reign, from his twenty five years old, he suffered many ups and downs in life. Like no one had a complete life Hezekiah was also the same. But at least he had tried his best to live properly, I think. He had once arrogant, though he had experienced God’s answer by praying. And yet in the end, he regretted on his wrong doing and turned back.
Hezekiah first repaired Jerusalem’s temple and made the Levites clean again. And he made the people give the burnt and atonement offerings to God, with praise and worship. He also performed the event of the Passover, which had been suspended for a long time, and prayed for the people. For there had not been the joy of the holidays in Jerusalem after since the time of Solomon. He especially destroyed idols, shrines, and the altars and tried to get the people to find their own duties. On account of improving the problems of the system, and trying to keep the law by heart and deed, he was blessed of good fortune with good, justice, and truth.
But what’s the matter? Army of Assyria came into the land of Judah, camped, and tried to occupy Jerusalem. Ahaz, the twelfth king of Judah as the father of Hezekiah, did not rely upon God the Lord, when he was suffered by attacking from Tiglath Pileser the king of Assyria. Rather, he set up an altar in the temple of Jerusalem for the gods of Damascus. But Hezekiah, who succeeded Ahaz, was different from his father. Hezekiah formed an alliance with neighboring countries to escape the influence of Assyria. That’s why Sanherib attacked Judah and demanded Hezekiah’s surrender. In order to fight against the enemy’s forces, Hezekiah built a waterway so that the water supply would be blocked to enemies and would only enter the castle. And He also built castles, towers, outer castles, and prepared weapons. He not only prepared physical defense, but also consoled and encouraged ministers and the people mentally. And he said to them, “God the Lord will help you and fight for you.”
The people who listened to the king Hezekiah were relieved, and gained confidence from what Hezekiah said. This cry, written in 2 Chronicles 32:7~8, is the word given to myself from the Lord; “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged ~ but with us is the Lord our God.” The plight of Judah the people and the Hezekiah’s is the same to a reality that we always face in daily life. As always, there is no eternal comfort and rest in this world. It is not easy for a weak minded child or even adult to live in a harsh world. For they don’t have the courage to overcome the hardships. If they don’t get someone’s protection and help, they may become psychopaths or suicides. Just like that, he who is not firm with the faith of Christ is more likely to fall under the influence of Satan’s power. Of course we shouldn’t be swept away by the waves of the world. We can get important teachings on how to solve a matter, from Hezekiah’s story.
The answer taken from Hezekiah includes the following; the repair of Jerusalem the temple and the Levite’s purification, the burnt and atonement offering services, the praise and worship to God, the practice of Passover events, removing the idols and shrines and the altars, the performance of one’s own duties, the practice with one’s mind and action. Those signify a sweeping reform of life and a way of doing it. In the Bible the temple means the spirit and body who is with Christ, and the praise and worship for the glory of God is the duty of Christian as the holy temple. And the Passover is the spiritual holidays of all rescued people, by Jesus Christ’s blood.
We must realize human thoughts and lives filled with all kinds of idols of having form or no form. And we must reveal those through the word of God, and serve to be a chaste offering by the mission for the Church of Christ. If you don’t, God will not be with you. In order to do so, we must be with Jesus. In Jesus, if you go forward step by step like this saying, “a long way from a single step,” everything you do will be attained. It’s not difficult at all for you in Jesus the Lord to get there from one step to the end.
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on June 28th 2020)