Today’s devotion comes from 2 Kings 19:8-19. Normally, I try to divide Scripture for each devotion to cover one primary point and about 750 words, more or less. But, there is more than one primary point for this Scripture which I want to include in one devotion which is much longer than normal (about 1631 words, not including last minute edits). So, God willing, I will not post a new devotion until next Sunday, February 9, 2025, to allow for possible edits that I may make and to also allow for more time for all of us to meditate upon this complex but most important subject.
“Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying, “Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”
Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.” 2 Kings 19:8-19.
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Notice that Hezekiah king of Judah did not request deliverance of “us” (himself and the rest of at least Jerusalem and hopefully all of Judah) for their own sake, but rather, “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”
Superficially that sounds good, but consider that his prayer did carry some risk. Hezekiah minimized the risk by preceding his risk with his statement that the other nations were worshipping idols and inferring that the LORD’S action of delivering Judah would prove His righteousness by punishing the wicked and delivering the righteous (Judah who was at least not as guilty of worshipping idols).
But, by not focusing more in his prayer about delivering Judah for their own sake, namely by not saying more or emphasizing more that they were the chosen or otherwise worthy of special treatment, there was a risk that the LORD would treat Judah along with all the other kingdoms as worthy of punishment, including Israel who had already been carried to exile.
Hezekiah did not over think it. His prayer did include a request for deliverance for Judah, But, what was most important was not that Judah would be saved. What was most important is that the LORD would be properly exalted over all, “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”
We remember the shocking Ezekiel chapter 36 Scripture about the LORD’S action, most likely addressed to saving the remnant, that the LORD’S saving actions (described in Ezekiel 36:24-30) were not done for Israel’s sake, but for the sake of the LORD so that “Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.”
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. … Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!” Ezekiel 36:22-23 and 31-32.
The LORD delights in and exercises not only lovingkindness, but the LORD also delights in and exercises justice and righteousness, on the earth, for His sake.
“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.
Is that our understanding of the LORD? That “the LORD … exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth”?
Is that our prayer? That although we will pray for deliverance for ourselves, our family, and our nation, above all, do we pray that “the LORD … exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth”?
Other doctrine believes that the LORD loves everyone, Christ died for everyone, and the LORD wants to save everyone.
But, Reformed Doctrine understands from Scripture that God does not love everyone, Christ did not die for every one, and the LORD does not want to save everyone. In addition to demonstrating His lovingkindness by saving all and only His elect, the LORD also demonstrates His justice and righteousness both by punishing the non-elect on earth and by sending the non-elect to hell.
“2 … Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.” Psalm 97:2-3.
“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5.
“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” Romans 9:15-18.
And, such demonstration of the LORD’S justice and righteousness also serves His lovingkindness to His elect. The elect sees the sharp contrast between how the LORD deals with the non-elect (“vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”) and the elect (“vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory”). Through knowing such a contrast, the elect appreciate all the more that “Amazing Grace” about which we sing!
“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” Romans 9:22-24.
But, there is another primary point. When we pray like Hezekiah “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God”, there is the hope that the LORD will use us, His true church, to accomplish it. We are given the duty and the privilege and honor of preaching the gospel to the whole world. We trust that the LORD will accomplish all of His good pleasure, including but not limited to: through our making disciples of all nations as is in the Great Commission and in the concluding Scripture of this devotion.
“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.
“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11.
Consider also the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.
Article 5. Moreover, the promise of the gospel is, that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of his good pleasure sends the gospel.
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 