The Art of Warfare

Day 128

Reading: 2 Chronicles 30:1 - 2 Chronicles 32:33

Certain things are constant in life. One of them is that as long as you live on earth you will need to learn the art of warfare. Life as a friend told me is not fanfare but warfare. Life is a battle and the enemy will do anything to ensure you are not winning. The Bible has many testimonies of victory in warfare when the children of God have encountered the enemy. 

Hezekiah not only restored worship in the temple by opening the doors he also had the people celebrate Passover. The Passover was instituted to be celebrated yearly, yet this had not happened as commanded. The nation had not celebrated Passover from the reign of Solomon a timeline of about 200 years had passed. The children of Israel had not enjoyed the blessings of celebrating the Passover one of them being that the nation would be reminded of the power of God in delivering them from captivity. 

Sennacherib arrives in the land of Judah with one aim to take captive the land. The enemy arrived after Hezekiah had done deeds of faithfulness in worshipping God. The enemy doesn't arrive to bring fun for life. He comes to destroy. The enemy is not after your life for no reason. It's because he can see what you are doing against him. Hezekiah had restored the altar of God: the place of prayer and worship. Hezekiah had brought the people together to celebrate God and removed the altars of baal which idolised satan. Hezekiah was a revivalist who had brought the nation back to God. 

Note that when the enemy arrived Hezekiah we are told went to prayer. He didn't look for help anywhere else but in God. He knew that only God could deliver the nation from this tyrant. He wasn't alone in praying. We are told of Isaiah the prophet praying with him for God's intervention. Child of God learn the power of the prayer of agreement. Hezekiah understood the potency of having a prophet pray alongside him. He wasn't relying on the priesthood and prophets to pray. He also was praying. 

The enemy will never boast of the doings of God. His strategy is to shake your faith in God and move you away. Once you are drawn from the place of faith in God the enemy will have succeeded. Once your faith is not in play you cannot receive from God.  In every battle of life ensure you guard your faith. Feed your faith more than ever. God through the Bible has continually rewarded those who have faith in Him, especially when faced with adversity. Abraham believed in God's promise for a son. Hannah believed that God could give her son whom she dedicated to God. David believed that Goliath was fodder and God wouldn't allow shame to rest on him when facing the giant. In the battle, you are facing what do you believe? Whom do you believe? Why do you believe? How do you believe? These are all questions you need to answer before you fight the enemy.

Sennacherib came boasting that every land he had conquered no god had stopped him. He compared God to the gods. This was his undoing. He boasted against Jehovah whilst Hezekiah encouraged the people to be strong and courageous in the midst of this enemy who was mocking God, the Almighty. 

In life walk with the understanding that God can defend Himself. As Hezekiah and the nation prayed, God sent an angel of death who cut down the enemy. Remember in Exodus 12 when the Passover was instituted and celebrated an angel walked through Egypt and slain the firstborn. Sennacherib's army was reduced by God as Judah was certainly passed over from being overrun. Sennacherib on returning to his city was killed by his sons. Let every boaster against God know that God is more than capable of defending Himself. All God requires is our cooperation in the place of prayer.

Hezekiah allowed pride to enter his heart after seeing the Hand of God in healing him. The same thing that plagued Uzziah plagued him. Pride was the result of his downfall that God withdrew Himself from him. Clothe yourself with humility. Let humility be the dressing you wear in the valley and on the mountaintop in life and victory will never leave your side.

Memory Verse: 2 Chronicles 32:7

Decree

2 Chronicles 32:7

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the enemy, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. (paraphrased; italics mine)