Israel had been whipped. Assyria came in and literally tore apart the nation. Anyone and everyone of wealth and influence, along with a good percentage of the rest of the surviving population was carried away into exile. We are not sure exactly how much of the population did survive but it was probably far less than we might at first think. Unlike the modern armies of today that (supposedly) do their best to limit collateral, or civilian, damage, Sennacherib and his horde was notoriously brutal. One could say that this evil general-king invented the cesarean section. Unfortunately the sword is not as precise a tool as the scalpel. Not only that but a soldiers hands are the opposite of the tenderness of a doctors. If a baby happened to be born before these operators arrives thats OK, the young childs head is much softer than a rock. He did not just want to defeat his enemies. He wanted them destroyed, devastated, and then displaced.
After this had been carried out, Sennacherib turned his eyes on the other Jewish nation. Hezekiah, then king of Judah, was frantically at work trying to prepare Gods people for the inevitable invasion. He built up the walls of his major cities to prevent them from being overrun. He stopped up all the unprotected wells to make it more difficult for the invading hordes. He also set all the blacksmiths and craftsmen to work making stockpiles of swords, shields, and armor. These military preparations, however, were far less important than the spiritual revival that he ignited and encouraged. Not only was the worship of false gods put down, but even worship of YHVH was, for the first time since David, purified and centralized. He was ready.
When the Assyrian horde first swept into Judah, it looked like they would again be unstoppable. Every major fortification except Lachish and Jerusalem fell offering little or no resistance. Sennacherib then marched up to Jerusalem and began mocking the defenders, their king, and their God. We call this today psy-ops. Hezekiah took a copy of the invading kings threats, spread it out before God in the Temple, and asked God to honor His Name and His people. A few days later 185,000 Assyrians died outside the gates of the city and Sennacherib goes running, with his head between his legs, back home.
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This is all history and we know it is true not just from 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, but also from extra biblical sources. But it is actually an event that occurred After the fall of Israel and before the invasion of Judah that I want to highlight.
As a part of his program of purifying the Temple and the worship of God, Hezekiah called for the biggest Passover celebration in Judahs history. Not only did he send runners throughout his nation calling everyone together for this most important of festivals, but he also sent runners north to gather in the survivors of the northern tribes as well.
Now you have to understand that when the two nations split, all the Levites, the teachers, migrated to the Southern kingdom. Well the Israelites are guilty of turning worship of YHWH into idolatry with the creation of their two calf idols, the fact is they truly did not know how to properly worship God. So when they came south to celebrate the Passover, and in large numbers they did come, they didnt go through with all the rituals and the purification ceremonies that, for a southern Hebrew would be par for the course. As they began, unpurified, eating the sacrificed animals, the Levites, obviously, were furious.
Hezekiah, here shows great wisdom. In regard to the Israelites he does two things: he prays to God for their protection and then encourages them for their heart. But not stopping there he then turns to the Levites and encourages them as well. He basically tells them to do their best with this beautiful mess.
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We, as a church today have these two options before us. I am always so encouraged when I hear reports of God moving in this church or in that service. Praise God. I love it. Since Easter God has been doing some great things as well in our church and our little congregation and on an almost weekly basis one or more person has been getting saved. But these are reports of converts. God has called us to make disciples.
Conversion is a glorious process. God calls, they cry, then they come, the others clap, afterwards, the congregation crowds around to congratulate. Afterward everyone goes home to watch football. Some time during the week we make our follow up call and clarify and questions. And now Im out of Cs so Ill stop.
Then they come back next week. At this point they are clearly (hehe, one more) saved, but most definitely not yet sanctified. (are any of us completely?) If conversion is a glorious process, discipleship is a messy one. While the seasoned saints come in and begin going through the rituals of Sunday morning worship, the newcomers come in and start eating up our sacred cows. Ignoring the fact that, perhaps, some of those cows should be eaten, how do we react? Will we get indignant or discouraged like the Levites, or will we intercede for them as God, over time, gives them wisdom while we encourage (and perhaps catch a little of) their zeal.
Thank God for this beautiful mess. Im a part of it. And in spite of my multiple decades of seasoning as a saint, I am still far more often messy than I am beautiful.
