2 Kings 22:1

2 Kings 22:1 says, Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.  Josiah was another one who started to reign at a very young age, though I am sure for the first few years others probably made most of the decisions for him.  If we come to Jesus Christ by faith at a very young age, even though the Holy Spirit will guide us, we still need the advice of those who have been Christians for a longer period of time.  Of course, we still need to make sure that what they are teaching us is consistent with God's word, and I believe that the Holy Spirit will guide us in knowing this.  Verse two adds, And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.  Josiah did what was right in God's sight, just as David, who was called his father, had done.  Of course, we know that he was just a descendant of David, and not his actual son.  Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his descendant would always be on the throne ruling over Israel.  This promise was then expanded to anyone who would put their faith in Him, and not just Jewish people, when Jesus Christ died and rose again.  Verse three continues, And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,  In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, he sent Shaphan the scribe to the house of the Lord.  Though we were told that Josiah did what was right in God's sight, it took him a few years to address the problems with the Temple.  As we grow in faith, we should undertake more and more work for God's Kingdom, as we are led by the Holy Spirit.  Verse four states, Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:   He sent Shaphan to Hilkiah the high priest and told him to count the silver brought into God's house.  I am not sure what they had been doing with it, but now Josiah was ready to have it used to work on the temple.   I don't know what we are doing God's tithes and offerings as churches today, but I believe that we should be using them for God's work under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  The same is true of the things God blesses us with materially as individuals I believe.  I personally believe that as churches when Christ returns that if the choice is being in debt or sitting on unused resources, that He would prefer us to be in debt.  Verse five adds, And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,  Basically, Josiah told Hilkiah to release the money to the builders so they could repair the breaches in the Temple.  As the high priest, Hilkiah should have already been talking to Josiah about doing this.  As Christians, we should never have to wait for someone else to tell us to do what needs to be done in the church today.  Verse six continues, Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.  The high priest was to deliver the money to the carpenters, builders, and masons so they could be at work.  We as the church, the local fellowship of believers, should always make sure that we pay those who do actual work on church buildings, unless they have been led to do the work without pay.  It should be their choice and not our expectation if they donate their time and resources.  Verse seven concludes, Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.  The builders were allowed to use the money as they needed to without an accounting, because they had dealt fairly in doing the work.  I am not sure that I would say we should always just release God's money to those who are doing work without some accountability, but if those doing the work are followers of Christ themselves, we should be able to do so.  Verse eight declares, And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.  Hilkiah, the high priest, told Shaphan that he had found the book of the law in the house of the Lord, and he gave it to Shaphan, and he read it.  We need to pray that God's Book, the Bible, will be found in all churches and that it will be read and obeyed not just by the church leaders but by every Christian.  Verse nine adds, And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.  Shaphan returned to Josiah and told him the money had been gathered and turned over to the builders.  I believe that we as Christians need to return to our King, Jesus Christ, daily and give Him an accounting of how we are using what He blesses us with.  Verse ten continues, And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.  Shaphan then told Josiah that Hilkiah had given him a book that he found in the temple, though he didn't say the last part, and he then read it to the king.  It does us no good to have the Bible in our home or in church buildings if we don't read it.  Verse eleven concludes, And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.  When Josiah heard the words of the Book, he tore his clothes.  Matthew Henry says, that even though Josiah was said to be obedient to God, that hearing what the Book said was new to him, and he tore his clothes in repentance.  When we hear God's word, no matter how good we may have been, it should move us to action through the Holy Spirit as we humble ourselves before God.

2 Kings 21:19

2 Kings 21:19 says, Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. Amon, Manasseh's son, was twenty-two years old when he began to reign after Manasseh died, but he only reigned two years.  His was a very short reign.  Sometimes, even Christians who are in positions of leadership only serve or a very short time, for instance the pastor of a church who is only there as a pastor for a very short time, and Amon was the leader of God's chosen people then as a pastor is now.  Verse twenty adds, And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.  Amon, like Manasseh his father, did evil in the sight of the Lord.   People often learn their values from their parents, and as followers of Christ, we should try to make sure that our values are consistent with God's commandments, and if they aren't, we need to repent and ask His forgiveness.  If we are in a position of leadership in the church, we certainly need to make sure that we are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all that we do.  Verse twenty-one continues, And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:  Like his father, Amon worshipped idols instead of worshipping God.  An idol, which I have said before is anything that is more important to us than God, has no place in the life of a Christian or in a group of believers who worship together, which is what a local church should be.  Verse twenty-two states, And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.  We are then told that Amon forsook the Lord God of his ancestors, God's chosen people, and did not walk in His ways.  The church today cannot afford to forsake the Lord our God and refuse to walk in the ways that our faithful ancestors did.  God's commandments are never going to change.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.  After two years, Amon's own servants killed him in his own house.  We aren't really told what led them to do this, but Matthew Henry says that even if they were unrighteous themselves, the righteous God allowed it.  Though some people believe that God is directly responsible for everything that happens, I believe that because of people's sins He often just allows bad things to happen to them.  Otherwise, people would be sinners because God caused them to be, and then how could He hold them accountable for doing something that they had no control over.  Verse twenty-four continues, And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.  The rest of the people killed those who had conspired against Amon and made Josiah, Amon's son, king.  Whatever their motive behind killing Amon, his servants were held accountable for their actions.  Though we as followers of Christ are forever saved, I believe that we will one day be held accountable for our actions after we are saved.  Salvation is not a free pass to sin.  Verse twenty-five says, Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?  As usual, we are told that the rest of the actions of Amon were recorded in the chronicles of the kings, though there likely weren't many since only he reigned for a short time.  Verse twenty-six adds, And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.  Like Amon his father, he was buried in his garden.  Where we are buried, or even if we are buried, is never really going to matter, because our spirit will live on, either with God or forever separated from Him.

2 Kings 21:10

2 Kings 21:10 says, And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets, saying,  God spoke to His servants, just as He always has and always will.  God is always involved in the world, unlike what people believe about some false gods who are involved for a while and then go away for a while.  Verse eleven adds, Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:  Manasseh was called out by God for being even worse than the Amorites, who had stood against God and His people.  Manasseh should have known better, but not only sinned himself, but he led the people who were called to be God's to sin as well.  As stated before, it is bad enough if we who should know better sin, but it is even worse if we lead others to sin.  Verse twelve continues, Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. God said He was going to bring such evil on Israel that the rest of the world would have their ears tingle at the news.  As I have stated before, I don't believe that God causes evil, but that he simply allows it to happen by removing His protection from us.   We as Christians should never act in such a way that God has to chastise us and then have the lost people of the world marvel at what has happened.  Verse thirteen states, And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.  God said He was going to allow Jerusalem to meet the same fate as Ahab and Samaria had and He was going to wipe Jerusalem clean or allow it to be totally overrun by its enemies.  We cannot turn away from God as a nation nor as individuals and expect Him to still bless and protect us.  Verse fourteen adds, And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;  God said He was even going to forsake His remnant and they were going to be pray for their enemies.  I believe that God will never forsake His remnant, those who are faithful to Him even in times of trouble spiritually, but He may allow them to be defeated in this world, just as Paul was often imprisoned for example.  Verse fifteen continues, Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.  God said His chosen people, whom He had delivered from bondage in Egypt, had provoked Him ever since they came out of Egypt.  As Christian, God had delivered us from the bondage of sin and the power of death, and yet we often provoke Him by our lack of faith when things or going badly, but I believe even more so when they are going well.  We are often more tempted to forget about God when life is good than we are when it is hard.  Verse sixteen says, Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.  God said Manasseh had shed innocent blood and had led Judah to do so as well.  We should never do what is evil in the sight of God just because the world may say it is okay or even attempt to force us to.  Verse seventeen adds, Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?  We are told that, like the other kings of Judah, that the rest of what Manasseh did was recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah.  God knows what we as Christians are doing, and we need to do our best to not have sinful things for Him to make note of.  Verse eighteen continues, And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.  Manasseh died and was buried in the garden of his own house and not with his ancestors.  Then, his son Amon reigned.  Matthew Henry says that we read in Chronicles of Manasseh's repentance, and his burial in his own garden was likely by his own request because he did not feel worthy to be buried with the other kings, though we aren't told that here.  We do have to acknowledge that we will never be worthy of salvation even if we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.

2 Kings 21:1

2 Kings 21:1 says, Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.  Manasseh, Hezekiah's son became king at twelve years of age and ruled for fifty=five years, so God's prophesy that Hezekiah's sons would be taken into captivity did not happen immediately.  He reigned the longest of any ruler of Judah, though he lead the people away from God.  God's promises may not immediately come to pass, but they will always happen in His time.  Verse two adds, And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.  As stated, Manasseh did what was evil in God's sight and led the people to do so as well.  It is bad enough if we do evil in God's sight, but it is even worse if we lead others to do so, especially if we call ourselves Christians.  Verse three continues, For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.  Manasseh begin to restore the worship of idols and false places of worship in Judah just as Ahab had done.  He specifically built altars to Baal, who seemed to be a god that the people of Israel and Judah often worshipped.  It doesn't matter who or what the false god we worship is, because any will come between God and us, and once they have been destroyed by our faith in Jesus Christ, we must never allow them back into our life.  Verse four states, And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.  Manasseh went even farther by building altars to false gods in the house of God.  Since our bodies as followers of Christ are temples of God, we must never build anything in our life that is more important to us than God, not even family.  Verse five adds, And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.  Manasseh built altars to many gods in God's house.  If we begin to allow one false god back into our life, it may be that soon we will allow many more in.  Once we stray away from the will of God, we may find it easier to stray even farther away.   Verse six continues, And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.  Matthew Henry said having his son pass through the fire was done in worship of Moloch, in contempt to the seal of circumcision that God had established as a sign of His people.  We should never become devoted to any other god but need to be faithful to God and His word alone.  Verse seven says, And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:  Manasseh set up these idols in the temple, which God had said to David and Solomon would be a place for His name forever.  As Christians, we have become God's people forever, and He is the only One we should worship.  Verse eight adds, Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.  God had promised David and Solomon that His people would never again be moved out of the Promised Land as long as they were obedient to Him.  I believe that once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that God seals us as His forever, but we can still allow false gods into our lives if we are not diligent in obeying the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine continues, But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.  These people of Judah refused to obey their covenant with God and did more evil than the people of the other nations that God had destroyed. This was a sad commentary about God's chosen people, and those who do not enter into a true covenant relationship with God through putting their faith in Jesus Christ, no matter how good they may appear to be, are just as condemned as the worst of sinners.  Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, and once we accept His salvation, we must then always try to be obedient to our covenant relationship with Him.

2 Kings 20:12

 2 Kings 20:12 says, At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.  The son of the king of Babylon sent presents to Hezekiah when he heard that he had been sick.  Matthew Henry says that until this time, Babylon had been subject to Assyria, but this king of Babylon was setting himself up to be in power over Assyria.  I look at all the power changes in the world today and am reminded that only God is the permanent power in the world.  All other governments will ultimately fail.  Verse thirteen adds, And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.  Hezekiah listened to the emissaries of Babylon, possibly because they had brought him a present, and showed them everything about Jerusalem.  Again, we are not told that he consulted God about this.  I believe he did this somewhat out of pride, and we as Christians should never allow our pride to cause us to do anything that would empower our enemies.  Verse fourteen continues, Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.  Isaiah then came to Hezekiah and asked him who these men were, and Hezekiah said they had come from a far country, Babylon.  Maybe Hezekiah never considered them to be a possible threat since they had come from so far away.  Sometimes, a certain sin may seem so far removed from us that we don't consider it a threat, and then we allow it past our guard and are caught in its power.  Isaiah, as a prophet of God, was looking beyond the surface to question the Babylonians, just as we should today if people come to us with flattery and gifts.  Verse fifteen states, And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.  Isaiah asked Hezekiah what these men had seen, and he answered that they had seen everything.  Matthew Henry asks why Hezekiah had not brought them to Isaiah, the best treasure he had.  If we as Christians are showing people what is valuable in our life, first and foremost we should show them our relationship with Jesus Christ, because He is our greatest treasure and the source of all our power.  Verse sixteen adds, And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord.  Isaiah then told Hezekiah to hear the word of the Lord, which should have been his first step.  When we encounter any situation today, even one that seems harmless, we as followers of Christ should look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Verse seventeen continues, Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.  Isaiah then told Hezekiah that God said the day was coming when everything he owned that had been laid up by his fathers would be carried away into Babylon.  Nothing would be left.  What Hezekiah had seen as a good thing and not a threat would be what led to the downfall of Jerusalem.  We should never begin to put too much faith in the good intentions of the world, because if they lead us away from God, they will ultimately lead to our downfall.  I will state again as I have many times before, I believe that once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we will never lose our salvation, but we can certainly lose the joy of our salvation and our effectiveness as Christians.  Verse eighteen says, And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.  Isaiah said that all of Hezekiah's sons would be taken away to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.  Instead of being rulers in Jerusalem they would be powerless servants in Babylon and would effectively end the lineage of Hezekiah.  If we do not put our faith in God, our children are more likely to be taken captive by sin and never become a part of God's family.  Verse nineteen adds, Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?  Hezekiah then replied that what Isaiah had said was good.  It is always going to be good to hear God's word of truth, even if it is something we don't want to hear.  There is never any advantage to hiding from God's truth.  Hezekiah added that it was good because it wouldn't happen in his lifetime.  We can never think of God's judgment of sinners as a good thing simply because it may not affect us personally, and we certainly cannot think of it as good if it affects our children and grandchildren.  Verse twenty continues, And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?  Though we are told the rest of the acts of Hezekiah were written in the chronicles of the kings, we are told of one thing he did, and that was to build a pool and conduit to bring water into the city.  As Christians, we have the Living Water to satisfy our thirst, and we should share this with the rest of the world.  Verse twenty-one concludes, And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.  Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh ruled in his place.  One day, if Jesus Christ doesn't return first, we will all die and as Christians we need to pray that there will be someone to take our place in doing God's work.  God's promise about Hezekiah's sons did not occur immediately, but that did not mean it was any less the truth.  The return of Jesus Christ may not happen in our lifetime, but that doesn't make His return any less the truth.

2 Kings 20:1

 2 Kings 20:1 says, In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.  Hezekiah was sick, and Isaiah came to him with a message from God, though it probably wasn't one he wanted to hear.  Isaiah told Hezekiah that God told him to set his house in order, because he was going to die.  We likely won't be given that warning, but we should set our house in order every day, because it is a day we could die.  Verse two adds, Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,  Hezekiah then turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.  Realizing that the end of life is uncertain, we should turn to God in prayer every day, starting when we first wake up.  Verse three continues, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.  Hezekiah reminded God of his good works, but we can be sure that God never forgot them.  Hezekiah then wept.  If we as Christians realize that our life is almost over. is that really a reason to cry?  Like Paul, we should know that our everlasting life is just beginning.  Verse four states, And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  Isaiah had delivered God's message to Hezekiah and left, without trying to get God to change His mind.  When God gives us a message today, we need to deliver it and be on our way.  I don't believe that if this is bad news for someone that we shouldn't pray for them, but it does mean that we must first be willing to accept what God tells us.  As Isaiah was going, God spoke to him again.  We may miss the message of God because we stop going when He delivers a message we don't want to hear.  Verse five adds, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.  God told Isaiah to go back and tell Hezekiah that He had heard his prayers and would be healed and on the third day he was to go to the house of the Lord.  Some people believe that everything in life is already determined and cannot be changed, but here as in many cases in the Bible, we see that prayer and often repentance with it change what God had pronounced.  So, we should never downplay the importance and power of prayer, as long as we are praying for God's will to be done.  Verse six continues, And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.  The message this time was better news.  God was not only going to heal Hezekiah, but He was going to deliver Jerusalem out of the hand of the king of Assyria, for David's sake and the promise that He had made to him.  This promise was fulfilled forever when Jesus Christ came and died on the cross to redeem mankind.  Of course, it is still necessary for each person to accept Him as their Savior and Lord in order to claim salvation.  Verse seven says, And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.  Isaiah was told to boil some figs give them to Hezakiah and this would heal him.  God could have just healed Hezekiah without anything being done, but I believe that this was His way of seeing if Isaiah and Hezekiah were willing to do something that seemed so simple to show their faithfulness to Him.  Though God will never tempt us, He will at times test our faith.  Verse eight adds, And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?  Hezakiah then asked for a sign that he was going to be healed and was supposed to go to the house of the Lord on the third day.  He should have been willing to just obey God without any signs, and so must we today.  We may miss God's answer to our prayers because we are waiting for a sign instead of just acting in obedience to His word.  Verse nine continues, And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?  Isaiah said that Hezekiah's shadow on the way to God's house would be the sign.  He asked which direction the shadow should go.  Again, this was nothing elaborate, but it did require Hezekiah to go as directed and also to pay attention to something that could easily be overlooked.   We may be waiting for an elaborate sign from God that He can heal us from sin, but He did this when Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected the third day.  This should be all the sign we ever need.  Verse ten states, And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.  Hezekiah said casting a shadow in accordance with the sun was an easy thing, but let his shadow go in the opposite direction than it should be a sign from God.  I am not sure if Hezekiah had proposed this test himself or if Isaiah had led him to this conclusion with a message from God.  However, we come to a conclusion about how God is working in our life, we must accept what He calls us to do in order to see Him at work in our lives.  Verse eleven adds, And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.  Isaiah asked God for this sign to Hezekiah and God answered His prayer.  I can't help but wonder if we often miss God's work in our life because we aren't moving while waiting for a sign from Him.

2 Kings 19:27

 2 Kings 19:27 says, But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.  God said He knew everything that Sennacherib did, even if he questioned God's power.  There is nothing that anyone can do that God is not aware of.  This I believe is especially true of those who openly defy Him and even deny His existence.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.  God then told Sennacherib that He was going to put a hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips and send him back the way he came, because God had heard his rage against Him.  In other words, God was going to show Sennacherib how limited his power was and how great God's power is.  One day, everyone will acknowledge this, but for too many it will be too late to do them any good.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.  This is a promise to Hezekiah and the people of Judah.  Even though provisions had been few because of the Assyrians, God was still going to provide all that they needed that year.  The next year was a sabbatical year, so they were not to plant anything, but God was still going to provide for them, and the third year they were to plant their crops again.  God is always going to provide for us if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, and He expects us to live by faith in that promise.  Even if times get hard, we need to simply keep living by faith.  Verse thirty states, And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.  God promised Hezakiah that those who were left of the house of Judah would once again take root and bear fruit.  We as Christians need to be rooted in our faith in God and bearing fruit for His kingdom.  We should never allow worldly concerns keep us from doing this.  Verse thirty-one adds, For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.  God said a remnant would escape out of Jerusalem because God was with them.  If we get down to a remnant of Christians in the world, we should be a part of that remnant because we have remained faithful to God.  Verse thirty-two continues, Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.  God then gave Hezekiah assurance that Sennacherib would never attack Jerusalem.  God did not need an army to cause this to happen.  No matter how outnumbered we may feel that we are as Christians, we will never be defeated spiritually as Christians, as long as we continue to put our faith in God no matter what.  Verse thirty-three says, By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.  God repeated the promise that the Assyrians would never come into Jerusalem, but instead, they would depart the way they came.  If we are faithful to God through our faith in Jesus Christ, all our enemies will be turned away from us.  I believe this to be a spiritual promise more than a physical or material one, because at times the enemies of God may defeat us physically or materially.  Verse thirty-four adds, For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.  God said He was defending Jerusalem for His sake and for the sake of David and His promise to him.  God is always going to preserve His people for the sake of Jesus Christ, Who was the fulfillment of His promise to David.  Everlasting salvation is assured to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-five declares, And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.  That night, God sent one of His angels into the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed one-hundred and eighty-five men of the Assyrian army.  The people of Judah were still shut up in Jerusalem in fear of Sennacherib, but God did not need them to bring about victory.  Though God doesn't need us to ensure victory over sin and death in the world today, since Jesus Christ defeated the power of these by His death on the cross, He still expects us to be involved in the ongoing battle until Jesus Christ returns again to claim the everlasting victory.  Verse thirty-six adds, So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.  Sennacherib then returned and lived in Ninevah.  Those who defy God and refuse to accept salvation through faith in Jesus Christ will one day be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse thirty-seven continues, And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.  While Sennacherib was worshipping his god, two of his sons killed him and then fled.  He had seen how powerless he was against God, and now knew too late how powerless his god was.  People who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord while worshipping other gods will one day find out how powerless those gods really are.  Two of Sennacherib's sons killed him and fled, but a third son ruled in his place.  Even though we aren't specifically told this, we know that he was just as powerless against God as Sennacherib had been and as the two brothers who had fled were at that time.  No matter how powerful a person may be in the world, they will always be powerless against God.