Thursday, May 23, 2019

HEZEKIAH PRAYED AND PRAYED!!!

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 19

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

This photo was taken near the top-end of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, or the Siloam Tunnel. It is a tunnel that was dug underneath the City of David in Jerusalem in ancient times. It dates from the reign of Hezekiah of Judah (late 8th and early 7th century BC) and corresponds to the waterworks mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20. The tunnel, leading from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 2 Kings 19:19

Now Therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.

Our reading begins with the statement, “Hezekiah …. went into the house of the Lord.” The tearing of Hezekiah’s clothes and the sackcloth were evidences of extreme fervency. When we fast, the same fervency is indicated. Jesus practised fasting and encouraged us to do the same. This is evidence of our determined focus on God; it is not a way of earning God’s favour. Everything we receive from God is pure grace (undeserved favour). We learn from Hezekiah the power of prayer! Four times we are presented with the words “prayer, prayed, pray, prayed.” We get it, Lord!
Isaiah, the man of God, is introduced here for the first time. Let us check on Isaiah’s preaching. He began his ministry when Uzziah was king and continued throughout the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. As a youth, Hezekiah would have sat under the teaching and preaching of Isaiah, no doubt comparing the message and the life of Isaiah against the wickedness of his father Ahaz. Read Isaiah 1:16-20 and Isaiah 2:1-11, and then consider Isaiah’s experience of God recorded in Isaiah 6:1-8. We can be sure that as a youth, before he became king, Hezekiah had prayed the words of Isaiah to the Lord, “Here am I! Send me.” The results of this prayer are very evident in history.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I’ve heard Your call. You have said, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” I respond with those powerful words, “Here am I! Send me.” I pray this in Jesus’ Name! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I was about to turn 17 when I attended Lakeshore Pentecostal Youth Camp for a week. It was there at the altar in the tabernacle that I prayed approximately this prayer with all my heart, “Lord Jesus, I want to serve You fully in Your great cause. Please Lord, do me the great favour of calling me into the ministry with a definite call so that I will know You have called me, and so that I will never turn back from serving You.” He gave me an unmistakable call almost immediately when the Youth Evangelist came to where I was kneeling in the middle of hundreds of other teens and said, with authority in his voice, “You are called into the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ!” I’ve never doubted that call for even one minute for the past 64 years.

In reference to today’s reading, my English teacher in high school had us memorize the poem “The Destruction of Sennacherib,” by Lord Byron. I remember it to this day… “The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold, and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold….” Lord Byron was a student of Holy Scripture (click here for the entire poem).

Yours for God’s call on our lives,

David

P.S. In 11 days we’ll be half-way through the entire Bible. If you have just started reading with me, in 104 weeks you’ll finish the entire Bible, moving from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Greek, the Old Testament to the New, alternating between the two. Please tell others about this blog and encourage them from time to time to stick with it throughout the entirety of the Bible. Throughout the years, I have become convinced that with the two-year reading plan, over 70% of people who start to read with me complete reading the entire Bible. In the one-year plan, which I promoted for years, only about 30% completed the entire Bible. I discovered this because of the requests (or the lack thereof) for additional study materials.

Up until 2004 this exit from Hezekiah’s Tunnel was thought to be at the Pool of Siloam. However, you will see in tomorrow’s 100words blog photo that the recent discovery, just 100 metres to the south, was in fact the Pool of Siloam. That is where Jesus, in John 9:7, after spitting in the dirt and putting it on a blind man’s eyes, told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the man was healed.

10 thoughts on “Thursday, May 23, 2019

  1. Overcome with the Spirit, today, saints–my Heavenly Father loves me. It was an undeniable love I cannot describe and brought me to tears. How divine to know our Heavenly Father, above all human fathers, rules over us and is there to love us. Praising Him above all Names. Wishing all saints a most blessed day. May you feel our Heavenly Father’s love as I felt Him, today, holding you in the palm of His hands.

    Prayers for Gavin: But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 ESV

    My Heavenly Father Loves Me with lyrics
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0rAJExEzzY

    • Thank you once again for your prayers for Gavin Beverlee. I found out about two hours ago that all supports have been taken of Gavin. He has opened his eyes and follows voices so far he has’t spoken, however the doctor said he is doing very well so far. Praise God from whom all blessings flow Blessings to all Eleanor M. I will try to update again tomorrow.

  2. Thank You Lord for Your love; for Your Great Love, as the Love and Faithfulness you extended to Hrzektah.

    Agreed with Davtd’s prater; and his explanation re the photos.

    Seems summer is hear at last; thank You Lord!

  3. Thanks for sharing your heart Beverlee and about Gauvin Eleanor. That is good news and will continue to pray for him. My sister Sylvia came home today from the hospital but is still on antibiotics. Thank you so much for your prayers and would you please continue to pray for her health and soul. God bless you saints.

  4. So strange to read the poem The Destruction of Sennacherib
    By Lord Byron (George Gordon). My dad used to quote poems at home all the time when I was a child and I couldn’t stand them. Now I would love to hear him once again. I remember him quoting this particular poem. He probably had to learn his poems at school or Sunday school. They did things like that there away back when.
    Blessings on all dear saints this and every day.

  5. PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! TY Lord for healing Sylvia, she will be doing all the things that she enjoys doing and all thanks to You dear Lord, IN JESUS NAME AMEN AMEN
    PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! TY Lord for hearing our prayers for Gavin; Lord I know that You have great plans for this sweet child; we Thank You for his healing;
    PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! TY Lord for keep in my wallet safe over night and for the neighbour’s dog finding it at the back of the lot! TY Lord, I am over whelmed with thankfulness; Lord help me to take photo copies of my documents and get affairs settled;
    Lord I also ask for a financial breakthrough; TY Lord Bless my neighbours for helping to find the wallet…

  6. I am still praying for Gavin . Glad to hear a positive report. God is good.

    Sah, you lost your wallet and the neighbors dog found it? Wow! God knew where it was and had the dog find it, how amazing.

    I had a good day, praises to God, I pray you are all blessed with a good nights sleep.. good night all.

  7. (We had a great time of worship at the Revival in Belfast,PEI with Robin Mark,wife Jackie,Pst Paul and Priscilla Reid and host Pastor Roger McPhee and his wife,Cathy…so I am playing catch up because our internet was unavailable.)
    ..No one will see this now but may later on.I am posting this because of the poem,written before I began to read…..study the bible.I am quite sure I was unaware of this scripture then although I could have heard it in a sermon.God bless
    The Mountains Of The Lord

    His mountains shall be above all mountains,
    His house above Zion’s hills shall rest,
    For this is the pool of the golden fountain,
    His people,the chosen few and best.

    The rivers will flow to the shores of Zion,
    For the world will soon know this King,
    The proven Master we could rely on,
    The Shepherd worthy above everything.

    His exalted name will be widely praised,
    When He returns to vanquish the beast,
    And everywhere voices will be raised
    In celebration with His banquet feast.

    Let fair warning go throughout the land
    He will return with shield and sword
    And as Satan shall take his last stand,
    My Friend shall show that He is Lord.
    G W (Bill)Marshall /Nov 9,2012
    I did not know then that ‘rivers’ meant people.
    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201%3A16-20%2C%20Isaiah%202%3A1-11&version=NKJV;MEV
    “…That the mountain of the Lord’s house
    Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
    And shall be exalted above the hills;
    And all nations shall flow to it.
    3 Many people shall come and say,
    “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, “

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