March 1, 2023

Author: Pastor David Miner
March 01, 2024

Reading: 2 Kings 19                Optional Reading: 2 Kings 17, 18, 20
“That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! [2 Kings 19:35 NIV]

King Hezekiah had a genuine problem. The Assyrian army, 185,000 strong, surrounded the city of Jerusalem. There was no escape. The Assyrian commander even shouted out to the soldiers of the king standing on the ramparts that he would conquer them. He wanted them to give up now, and live.
You might reel in shock at such a situation. But King Hezekiah was a man of faith. He went into the temple and prayed, and then he talked to Isaiah, God’s prophet. Isaiah assured King Hezekiah that if he would only trust, God would save them. So, King Hezekiah spoke to the people assuring them they were safe. God was about to do a miracle.

What a miracle it was too! An angel of the Lord destroyed the army. One hundred eighty-five thousand soldiers died that night, and the commander of the Assyrians escaped into the night to go back to Assyria. The amazing thing is that this event, Herodotus, a Greek historian, referred to it in his writings. He believed a “plague of rats” killed the Assyrian army. But we know the truth.

Got a problem that seems impossible with no resolution? God protects his people. Follow him, and he will be with you.

Jesus, help me to trust in your protection aways. Amen.

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