The story of isaiah and hezekiah – यशायाह और हिजकिय्याह की कहानी
The story of Isaiah and Hezekiah highlights a close relationship between the prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah of Judah, particularly during times of national crisis and personal challenges. The events surrounding their interactions are found in 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-39. This story emphasizes faith in God, divine deliverance, and the importance of seeking guidance through prayer and prophecy.
King Hezekiah was one of the few righteous kings of Judah. He ascended to the throne during a time of spiritual decay but worked to reform the nation by tearing down pagan altars, restoring the worship of Yahweh, and leading the people back to God. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and sought to lead Judah according to God’s commandments. Under his reign, Judah prospered, but they also faced grave threats from powerful enemies, especially the Assyrian Empire.
During Hezekiah’s reign, the Assyrian king Sennacherib launched a major campaign to conquer Judah. He captured many fortified cities and set his sights on Jerusalem. He sent his envoys to intimidate Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, boasting of Assyria’s military might and claiming that no god could save them from destruction.
Sennacherib’s message mocked Hezekiah’s trust in God, saying that just as the gods of other nations had failed to protect them, the God of Israel would also be powerless against Assyria.
In this moment of crisis, Hezekiah turned to the prophet Isaiah for guidance. Hezekiah sent messengers to Isaiah, asking him to pray for the remnant of Judah. Isaiah delivered a message of hope from God, telling Hezekiah not to fear the Assyrians. Isaiah prophesied that God would deliver Judah and that Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem or even shoot an arrow against it.
Isaiah’s prophecy came true in a miraculous way: an angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp during the night. When the survivors awoke, they found their army decimated, and Sennacherib retreated back to Assyria in humiliation. Jerusalem was spared, just as God had promised through Isaiah.
Shortly after this miraculous deliverance, Hezekiah fell gravely ill. The prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah with a message from God, telling him to set his house in order because he would not recover from the illness and was going to die.
In response, Hezekiah prayed earnestly to God, reminding Him of his faithful service and pleading for his life. Hezekiah’s heartfelt prayer moved God. Before Isaiah had even left the king’s palace, God sent him back to deliver a new message: Hezekiah’s life would be extended by fifteen years, and God would also defend Jerusalem from Assyria during that time.
As a sign of this promise, God made the shadow on the sundial go back ten steps, a miraculous event that confirmed Hezekiah’s healing.
Later in his reign, envoys from Babylon came to visit Hezekiah after hearing of his recovery. Flattered by their attention, Hezekiah proudly showed them all the treasures of his palace and the temple, displaying his wealth and military resources.
When Isaiah heard of this, he confronted Hezekiah and prophesied that a day would come when all of Judah’s treasures would be carried off to Babylon, and even some of Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken into exile. This was a prophecy of the eventual Babylonian captivity that Judah would face decades later.
Hezekiah’s faith in God during the Assyrian threat serves as a powerful example of how trust in God can lead to deliverance, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Hezekiah’s earnest prayer when faced with death shows that God hears and responds to sincere prayers, sometimes even reversing a person’s fate. Hezekiah’s moment of pride in showing off his wealth to Babylonian envoys serves as a reminder that pride can lead to future consequences, and even righteous people can stumble.
Through Isaiah’s guidance and God’s intervention, Hezekiah experienced both great victories and important lessons in humility, making his story a powerful example of divine deliverance and the importance of seeking God’s will.
The story of isaiah and hezekiah – यशायाह और हिजकिय्याह की कहानी
