The Power of God in Times of Adversity
The Power of God is displayed in times of adversity.
2 Kings 18-19
“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.
From the beginning of his reign, Hezekiah manifested a remarkable trust in God and walked in obedience to the laws of God. Apart from David himself, he stands apart in his faith. In 18:3-6 we find the description of the spiritual reformation that Hezekiah brought about in the nation of Judah. In verse 5, we see a commendation that was unequaled by all the kings of Judah, that there were no other kings among all the kings of Judah, either before or after, who walked in obedience to the commands of God.
In 18:7-12 we find the expected blessing of God upon his reign. Unlike the other kings, he defeated the Philistines and was able to break the chains of domination the Assyrians had over Judah. Even when the northern tribes of Israel were overrun and sent into exile by the Assyrians, Judah, under the Leadership of Hezekiah, remained untouched. His life and reign seemed to have the Midas touch as God blessed him for his obedience.
However, in vs. 13, the circumstances suddenly changed. After 14 years of peace and prosperity, the Assyrians again invaded the land, with their eyes set on Jerusalem. Even after Hezekiah sought to appease them by paying tribute, Assyria’s lust for power and domination was unabated. They even began to mock Hezekiah's worship and obedience, denouncing the Lord God's ability to protect them from the onslaught of the Assyrians. The ultimate ridicule came when the Assyrian commander challenged the faith of Hezekiah by stating that no God in the land could deliver Jerusalem.
In response, Hezekiah was stricken with fear and apprehension. How could God abandon Judah when he had walked faithfully before him? Where is God when distress and rejection come upon the people and there is no strength for deliverance (19:3). This raises a question we all struggle with: “Where is God in days of adversity? Why does God allow evil to happen when we have sought to obey him?”
In 18:35, the Assyrians mocked the god of Judah, saying he was powerless to stop the Assyrians from defeating them. However, Hezekiah did not despair, for even though he was powerless to fight the Assyrians, he knew God’s power and control were not threatened. In contrast to Ahaz (the king of the northern tribes of Israel), who embraced the Assyrian gods when he was in trouble (2 Kings 16), Hezekiah turned to God and trusted his deliverance. In 19:19, Hezekiah affirms his trust that the Lord was the ruler of all the nations of the earth and that there is no God but him, so he places his confidence in his deliverance. God responds in verse 29 that he has heard and will demonstrate his power, for he not only controls the nations, but he is the one who has determined all events. He controls the nations, and he is the one who gives victory or defeat (19:26). It was God who enticed the Assyrians to attack Jerusalem so that he might demonstrate his power over them (vs. 28).
When adversity comes upon us, we sometimes question God. Our faith wavers as it seems heaven has turned aside and is silent in the face of our trouble. However, even in the struggles of life, God is still active. As was also in the case of Job, God allows adversity to strengthen our faith and provide opportunities for our dedication to being radiant to the world around us. Instead of despairing in our struggles, we can trust in God. He has a plan and the power to orchestrate the events to reveal his power and grace in our life. Just as God used the adversity of Hezekiah to demonstrate his power through him, God also uses the circumstances and trials we face to reveal his power through us so that people might see that God is the only God.
2 Kings 18-19
“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.
From the beginning of his reign, Hezekiah manifested a remarkable trust in God and walked in obedience to the laws of God. Apart from David himself, he stands apart in his faith. In 18:3-6 we find the description of the spiritual reformation that Hezekiah brought about in the nation of Judah. In verse 5, we see a commendation that was unequaled by all the kings of Judah, that there were no other kings among all the kings of Judah, either before or after, who walked in obedience to the commands of God.
In 18:7-12 we find the expected blessing of God upon his reign. Unlike the other kings, he defeated the Philistines and was able to break the chains of domination the Assyrians had over Judah. Even when the northern tribes of Israel were overrun and sent into exile by the Assyrians, Judah, under the Leadership of Hezekiah, remained untouched. His life and reign seemed to have the Midas touch as God blessed him for his obedience.
However, in vs. 13, the circumstances suddenly changed. After 14 years of peace and prosperity, the Assyrians again invaded the land, with their eyes set on Jerusalem. Even after Hezekiah sought to appease them by paying tribute, Assyria’s lust for power and domination was unabated. They even began to mock Hezekiah's worship and obedience, denouncing the Lord God's ability to protect them from the onslaught of the Assyrians. The ultimate ridicule came when the Assyrian commander challenged the faith of Hezekiah by stating that no God in the land could deliver Jerusalem.
In response, Hezekiah was stricken with fear and apprehension. How could God abandon Judah when he had walked faithfully before him? Where is God when distress and rejection come upon the people and there is no strength for deliverance (19:3). This raises a question we all struggle with: “Where is God in days of adversity? Why does God allow evil to happen when we have sought to obey him?”
In 18:35, the Assyrians mocked the god of Judah, saying he was powerless to stop the Assyrians from defeating them. However, Hezekiah did not despair, for even though he was powerless to fight the Assyrians, he knew God’s power and control were not threatened. In contrast to Ahaz (the king of the northern tribes of Israel), who embraced the Assyrian gods when he was in trouble (2 Kings 16), Hezekiah turned to God and trusted his deliverance. In 19:19, Hezekiah affirms his trust that the Lord was the ruler of all the nations of the earth and that there is no God but him, so he places his confidence in his deliverance. God responds in verse 29 that he has heard and will demonstrate his power, for he not only controls the nations, but he is the one who has determined all events. He controls the nations, and he is the one who gives victory or defeat (19:26). It was God who enticed the Assyrians to attack Jerusalem so that he might demonstrate his power over them (vs. 28).
When adversity comes upon us, we sometimes question God. Our faith wavers as it seems heaven has turned aside and is silent in the face of our trouble. However, even in the struggles of life, God is still active. As was also in the case of Job, God allows adversity to strengthen our faith and provide opportunities for our dedication to being radiant to the world around us. Instead of despairing in our struggles, we can trust in God. He has a plan and the power to orchestrate the events to reveal his power and grace in our life. Just as God used the adversity of Hezekiah to demonstrate his power through him, God also uses the circumstances and trials we face to reveal his power through us so that people might see that God is the only God.
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