Pray Earnestly (2 Kings 19.9-19)

Introduction

I am told that some years ago, there was a series of posters in London, advertising the Tube network and featuring famous characters from British history. One poster had Henry VIII on it, with the caption, “A day return for the Tower of London please.” And someone had got a marker pen and scribbled underneath one of the posters with the words, “Oh, and just a single for the wife!”

* In fact, the anecdote is not quite true as I discovered after giving this talk - and as this picture shows. Transport for London came up with the whole caption, not a cheeky graffiti artist.

Of course we all know about the six wives of Henry VIII from school. But I suspect that most of us feel a bit lost when it comes to history and, if we’re honest, biblical history is even sketchier for some of us. So I’m going to spend a few minutes explaining the background to the story we had read from 2 Kings. I’ll try to be brief.

Background

We’re in the 7th Century BC and the dominant world power at that time is Assyria, to the north east of Israel and Syria is a mighty military machine at that time; they terrorise neighbouring nations and sweep all before them.

They were not only formidable; they were famous for their cruelty and gratuitous violence. They were absolutely ruthless towards anyone who dared step out of line.

You can go to the British Museum today and see the most edifying engravings of Assyrian soldiers flaying alive their conquered enemies, impaling anyone who refused to pay them tribute and throwing in boiling oil anyone who had the temerity to defy them. Women and children too - there were no exceptions. So they struck terror in the hearts of anyone who happened to be in their way.

The Assyrian Empire 7th Century BC

In 745 BC the extent of their empire is represented by the area marked in purple on the map – that’s a surface smaller than Scotland. In 722 BC, having expanded in all directions, they swept south through Syria and conquered it. They continued down through the northern kingdom of Israel (the area marked in yellow) and devastated it. 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel were obliterated, apart from 200,000 people who were deported from Samaria to Assyria in chains, never to see home again.

Ten years later, their king, Sennacherib, pushed further south into the southern kingdom of Judah (the area marked in brown) and he reduced 46 fortified cities to rubble. By this time their empire had grown to a size somewhat larger than the whole of the UK.

But Sennacherib decided not to take Jerusalem. He was keen to head further south into Egypt and invade that, giving him total supremacy of the entire Middle-East. What he did do though was demand a heavy tribute from Jerusalem – protection money – in return for leaving them alone. So King Hezekiah of Judah scraped together all the gold he could find, stripping the temple bare, and he paid Sennacherib his tribute.

But 30 miles south west of Jerusalem, as he laid siege to the heavily fortified city of Lachish, Sennacherib had a change of heart. He decided that he shouldn’t have let Jerusalem off so he made a U-turn and headed back north to attack Jerusalem too.

The Crisis

This is where our reading picks up the story. Sennacherib sends messengers on ahead. They ridicule the living God. They say that Hezekiah is deluded if he thinks his God is going to stand in the way of the irresistible force of the approaching Assyrian military just 15 miles away. “There’s not a single city, nation or deity that has been a match for us. How do you think that little Jerusalem will be the first?”

It must have been absolutely terrifying. But have you noticed how the devil uses the same basic narrative against God’s people today? “Look how feeble and ineffective you are! Nobody takes you seriously anymore. Do you think poor old God is going to help you? You’re finished.”

I was listening to a radio interview with the comedian Frank Skinner this week. He was doing a tour in Scandinavia with Eddie Izzard a few years ago and Izzard, who is a transvestite, was saying “I wonder if I mention it, if the audience will accept me.” And they both agreed that it would be no problem.

Frank Skinner then said that he is a practicing Catholic. And he said “I wonder if I mention it, if the audience will accept me?” And they both agreed that the audience would be far more accommodating of Izzard’s transvestism than they would of Skinner’s Catholicism.

Now, who am I to judge? Eddie Izzard does not profess to be a Christian as far as I know. But has it really come to this that people would think that it’s not OK for a man to follow Christ but that everything is perfectly normal if a man walks around in women’s underwear and high heels?

Just like Hezekiah, we can feel bewildered by the contempt that is poured on us for the sake of Christ. Maybe I’m just a bit oversensitive, but it does feel sometimes like Christians are constantly misrepresented, that the Bible is endlessly belittled and that the church is - at best - ignored in our culture.

This particular story is written down three times in the Bible; in 2 Chronicles, in Isaiah and here in 2 Kings. So it is very important.

In Isaiah’s version of this event, you find a comment from Hezekiah that isn’t recorded in either Kings or Chronicles. When he hears this news, as he is soon to be surrounded on every side, Hezekiah says, “I feel like a woman in labour who hasn’t got the strength to give birth.” I’m no expert but I bet that any midwife would tell you that that’s a most perilous situation for both mother and baby.

What does Hezekiah mean? He means “In this crisis, I just can’t express the inner faith I should have in God.” Do you ever feel like you’ve got faith inside you somewhere, but you just can’t bring it out? Fear can be quite paralysing. That’s where Hezekiah was, that’s where we are sometimes and the prayers we pray at times like that are earnest prayers.

Jesus prayed earnestly we’re told as he contemplated the horrific agonies that he would face in his imminent passion and death.

When you’re desperate, you pray like never before. What better time to pray to the God of the impossible than when things are completely without hope?

Isaiah had warned Hezekiah prophetically about Assyria before and he had ignored it. He probably felt guilty, that it was all his fault.

Do you ever say to yourself “if I had just lived in obedience to God’s word, I wouldn’t be in the mess I am now.” It’s a bit rich for me to go running off to God now and ask him to bail me out.”

But that’s exactly what Hezekiah does. And that’s what we can do as well. Listen, there is no sin so serious, no crime so heinous, no mistake so bad and no decision so stupid that God cannot sort it out, put it in the past and bring to birth something new.

In v14 Hezekiah spreads the letter from Sennacherib before the Lord. That’s not a bad idea. When you are anxious, bring your fears into God’s presence. When you get a bill you can’t pay spread it out before you as you come to God in prayer. When you’ve got a work schedule you feel overwhelmed by, hold it up before God – it’ll feel much smaller.

In v15 he extols God’s greatness and majesty. He speaks out that the Lord is above everything. He alone permits an empire to rise or fall. He determines the flow of history and the destiny of peoples. However fearsome and revered a king Sennacherib might be, the Lord is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

That’s a wonderful place to begin. If you’re going to pray effectively, it helps to get a big picture. This is what we mean when we say we magnify the Lord. We get perspective. We enlarge our vision of his greatness and might. When we pray, we come before the throne of heaven from whence all authority flows.

In v17-18 he presents the problem to God. He tells God what is happening as he sees it. He doesn’t dress it up in spiritual language; he talks to God about these Assyrians and how they have demolished everything in their path. Can I just encourage you, be real when you pray. Tell God how it is - in plain English.

In v19 he makes his appeal. And it’s quite telling what he prays for. Given the situation, we might expect him to pray “Deliver us from his hand so that we will all be safe.” Or “Deliver us from his hand so that we will know that you answer prayer.” But he asks this: “Deliver us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone Lord, are God.”

This year when we commit ourselves to grow in prayer and pray specifically for growth, our prayer is not just that people will grow in faith and come to Christ. It’s not just that our community will be touched by God. It’s that everyone will know without a doubt how wonderful the Lord is.

Some years ago, Nicky Gumbel, the man behind the Alpha Course, got a telephone call from a man called James who asked to see him. They met and had lunch together. James had been an actor and was at that time a TV director. He had married a very beautiful woman called Anna. They had everything, in a way; success, fame, good looks, money, all they needed - except happiness. After three years of marriage, Anna suddenly left him. 

James said, “I don’t know how to forgive for what’s happened.” And Nicky explained to him that it’s very hard to forgive unless you know that you yourself have been forgiven. And so, after a bit more explanation, James said sorry to God for the past, turned from everything he knew was wrong in his life, thanked Jesus for dying for him and invited the Holy Spirit to come and live within him.

James began to experience a relationship with God. Almost immediately, what he wanted more than anything else was to be in contact again with Anna. The Holy Spirit was showing him that not only did he need to forgive Anna for leaving him, but he needed her forgiveness as well for the mistakes he had made in the marriage.

But by this stage she had met someone else, she had moved into another house, and was beginning proceedings for divorce. He could only contact her through her solicitor and she wouldn’t see him.

So, with James’ agreement, Nicky wrote to her on his behalf asking if he could meet her instead. James prayed earnestly that when Nicky wrote to her asking if she would come and meet him she would. And she did. Nicky and his wife Pippa spent some time talking with Anna and they asked her if she would see James just for half an hour, explaining that he was a different person now.

Anna said, “I’ll think about it.” Two days later, she wrote saying, “I’ve thought about it and I’ve decided that I don’t want to see him again. I want to press ahead with the divorce.” But - note this - James carried on praying earnestly. Friends kept praying too.  

As it happened, Billy Graham was doing a mission at Wembley and at that time. James had reached the point where he had said to God, “Lord, I would love this relationship to get back together. But I am more concerned about Anna, that she should come to know what it is to have a relationship with you.” 

So, he sent two tickets for her and the man that she was living with to go to hear Billy Graham. They returned the tickets, saying they couldn’t go. That would seem to be that.

Except that Billy Graham decided to stay on for one extra night so James thought, “I’ll have one last go.” He sent two tickets again. The next morning he got a phone call from Anna. She probably thought she was safe because at that stage the decree nisi had already gone through. She said, “I think I would like to come and hear Billy Graham. The man I live with can’t come, so can I go with you?”

So they went to Wembley and at the end of the talk, Billy Graham, as he usually does, invited people who wanted to give their lives to Christ to come forward. Anna got up out of her seat and went forward. The counsellor at the foot of the stage asked her if she had come with someone else. Anna said, “Yes, I have.” So the counsellor said, “Well, is the person that you’ve come with a Christian?” And she said, “Yes.” So the counsellor said, “Oh, great, well why don’t you go and get him?” And she said, “But it’s my husband.” So the counsellor said, “Well, that’s even better!”  But she said, “No, you don’t understand. I have not been with him for two and a half years!”

The following morning, James and Anna walked into church having spent the first night together in years. They had to go to court to get the decree nisi set aside and when they told their story to the judge, and how Jesus had saved their marriage, he was delighted! He’d never heard anything like it. The court usher was in tears. James and Anna went on to have children, become leaders in the church and as far as I know are still together.

But the thing is this: Nicky Gumbel, when he tells the story, says how he went back through his prayer diary reading dozens of prayers he wrote down that the relationship would be restored - and God answered every one. 

Ending

If you don’t know the end of the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib I’ll sum it up quickly. But do read the rest when you get home.

Isaiah had prophesied that Jerusalem would be delivered without the Assyrians even firing a bow. How totally unlikely was that? But Hezekiah’s earnest prayer that God’s word would come to pass was answered in every detail.

There is evidence from secular history (both Egyptian and Greek) that a sudden epidemic of rodents ate the bowstrings and shield straps of the Assyrian troops at night and decimated the army with bubonic plague. It swept through the camp.

Just like people still remember the Charge of the Light Brigade 160 years on, people wrote about this event 300 years after it happened, because there had never been a military collapse like it before or since.

The Bible says that the Angel of the Lord struck down Sennacherib’s army and archaeologists have uncovered a site full of hastily buried bones believed to be their remains.

Sennacherib broke camp and returned home to Nineveh. He recorded that he had kept Hezekiah in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage but, unsurprisingly, he didn’t mention his military humiliation.

But he never went back to Judah again and popular feeling against him grew. People began to plot against him, even within his own family, and in the end he was assassinated.

Let me conclude: Oswald Chambers once said “We do not pray at all until we are at our wits’ end.” I think that is slightly exaggerated.

But there is something unique about prayer when you are absolutely desperate. If you do feel at your wits’ end this morning there’s a reason why you’re here. When you’ve done all that is humanly possible and you’ve still got an insurmountable problem there’s only one place to go. Our God is able.

Let’s stand to pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 26th January 2014