After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.
2 Chronicles 32:1 (ESV)
King Hezekiah was zealous for God. He restored the Temple and the daily sacrifices. Reinstituted the Passover celebration. Tore down the high places throughout the land. And broke up the idols, casting them into the dump. He did everything right, and the people of the land were brought back to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31 closes by saying that Hezekiah did what was good, right, and faithful before the Lord, whom he sought with all his heart.
But then we see that, despite all the good Hezekiah had done, the land was invaded by Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. Sennacherib attacked and destroyed many of the fortified cities in Judah. And he mocked the Lord, the God of Israel, saying that He was powerless to defend Hezekiah and Judah from the might of the Assyrian army.
Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah took the matter to the Lord in prayer. And God answered them, defeating the Assyrian army and sending Sennacherib home, where his own sons later killed him.
But Why?
But why did God allow Sennacherib to invade in the first place? Judah had a godly king who was doing everything right. The people were being brought back to worship the Lord alone, according to the practice mandated in the Law of Moses. Revival had broken out. And then disaster struck. Why did God allow that?
This experience is not limited to Hezekiah and Judah. We do not have to look far to find examples of people who are faithfully serving God who are also experiencing a time of crisis. Why does that happen? Is God powerless to stop it? Or does He not care?
I do not find there to be any easy answer to why God’s faithful people suffer. But I am convinced that God does care about what happens to His faithful people and that He could prevent the crises that we sometimes face. And I have no doubt that He does have a purpose in what He allows to occur. But that purpose is often a mystery to me.
What I can do, however, is to trust Him. To know that He is Sovereign God and nothing happens to me that He does not use for my good—even when I cannot see that good. And to know that God will guard what I have entrusted Him with—bringing me safely into His presence one day.
Hezekiah trusted in God. And God did deliver him.
