Isaiah 37:14-20--Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance

Isaiah 37:14-20
English Standard Version
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Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 16 “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 20 So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD.”

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Hezekiah has the right response her to the letter that was sent to him from Sennacherib and the Assyrian envoys demanding his unconditional surrender or total destruction.  He takes it before the LORD and lays it out in front of Him and prays to the LORD (notice how much the covenant name of the LORD is used here as a reminder that this is God saving His people for the sake of His covenant).  It is not that His people have kept covenant with Him and deserved or earned the blessings of the covenant, but it is for the sake of the even better covenant that is still to come that the LORD seeks to once again save His people.  It is not the time yet for them to be sent into Exile.

Hezekiah correctly identifies that Sennacherib not only mocked the people of God, but it was his desire to mock the LORD Himself.  The Assyrians loved to let their enemies know that not even their gods that they worshiped were able to save them from the king of Assyria and his army.  Well, Hezekiah knows that if the LORD chose for today to be the day, Assyria and all their gods would be thrown into hellfire never to be seen from or heard from again.  The "gods" the Assyrians are comparing the LORD to were worthless idols of wood and stone.  Of course, it was easy for them to be defeated and destroyed.  The LORD, however, is the Living God.  It is He who made us and we are His.

Hezekiah finishes his petition not only asking for the LORD to save His people once again, but to do so once again so that the nations would know that He alone is God and worthy of worship.  He is the LORD, and there is none like Him.  Let all the kingdoms of the world bow down in fear or in worship before Him, but they will one day all bow down to Him.