Bible Society of South Africa
Xanthe Galanis

Come to Me – Day 8

Hezekiah’s prayer

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

ESAYA 37

15A rapela Morena, a re: 16“Oho, Morena ya matla wohle, Modimo wa Iseraele, wena eo terone ya hao e leng pakeng tsa dikerubime, ke wena o le mong feela o leng Modimo wa mebuso yohle ya lefatshe; ke wena ya entseng lehodimo le lefatshe. 17Morena, ako sekehe tsebe ya hao, o mamele; Morena, ako tadime, o bone, mme o utlwe mantswe wohle ao Saneheribe a a rometseng ho nyedisa Modimo ya phelang.

ESAYA 37:15-17SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

ESAYA 37

20Ka baka leo he, Morena Modimo wa rona, ke a o kopa: Ako re namolele matsohong a kgosi ya Asiria, hore mebuso yohle ya lefatshe e tle e tsebe hore ke wena Morena Modimo a le mong feela.”

ESAYA 37:20SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

We have been reading about King Hezekiah and his ever-increasing problems. He gets a message from the commander of the Assyrian armies, who have surrounded Jerusalem, containing the terms of surrender. How does Hezekiah respond?

He goes straight up to the temple of the Lord and spreads the letter before the Lord.

Would my first response have been to go into God’s presence and pray? Would I have been concerned for how insulted God would have felt over these words? Would I have called upon God to defend himself by defending me?

Hezekiah knew who he could depend on. If you read his whole prayer (Isaiah 37:16-20), you’ll notice that Hezekiah addressed his prayer to ‘Lord Almighty’, ‘God of Israel’, ‘God’ (twice), ‘Lord’ (four times). Hezekiah relies on the position and character of God Almighty, a God who is ‘enthroned’, ‘over all’, and who ‘made heaven and earth’. In addition, he gets straight to the point. He asks God to ‘hear’, to ‘see’, to ‘listen’, and finally, to ‘deliver’ him and his people.

In Hezekiah’s prayer, we see boldness, dependence, trust and an understanding of the nature of God. Hezekiah understands his own limitations; that he is weak and there is only one place to go for his defence.

Also, notice that Hezekiah does not just pray for his own safety, but for the glory and name of the Lord, and for the unreached people around him to know the name of the Lord and honour him.

Does your prayer reflect the missionary heart of God?

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
RE FUMANE HO