Trusting Hezekiah
Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:1-8
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
Describing the shoot that would come from the stump of Jesse, Isaiah portrayed a good and true king: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him. . . . Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist” (Isaiah 11:2, 5). If any king of Israel matched that description, perhaps it was Hezekiah. In the long line of the kings of Israel and Judah, no one else—not even David—was a more righteous king.
Why? Because Hezekiah trusted God and, like a shield clutched to his chest, he held fast to the Lord. Even in perilous situations, like when powerful Assyrian enemy seemed invincible, Hezekiah never doubted God’s ability to protect his people and save them.
From the Assyrians in Hezekiah’s time, to the Romans in Jesus’ time, to the superpowers of our world today, no one is as powerful as the Lord our God. All of the victories God has provided point to one sure and certain victory, the victory we long for in this Advent season, the final victory of our King Jesus over the powers and principalities of this world. That is the victory we long to celebrate with cries of “Hallelujah! Our God reigns!”
Come, Lord Jesus, and show the nations and powers of this world that you are God alone.
You alone, God, rule this world. We long for the day when we can sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” Come quickly, Lord Jesus! In your name, Amen.
About the author — Thea Leunk
Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.
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