Hezekiah Spread Di Letter for God Front

One king waka enter di temple, one letter dey im hand. Di letter full with threat. E no hide am. E no tear am. E open am out for Di Lord front, and e pray.

Hezekiah na king of Judah, and Second Kings talk say e trust Di Lord, di God of Israel. E clear di idols comot. E even break di old bronze snake from di time of Moses, because people don begin dey burn incense give am. But one superpower dey march come. Assyria. For Hezekiah fourteenth year, King Sennacherib of Assyria attack Judah and capture im towns wey get wall, one after di other. Hezekiah try to buy peace. E empty di silver from di treasury and strip di gold from di temple doors. E no do.

Di commanders of Assyria arrive outside Jerusalem with one big army. Dem stand near di water channel of di upper pool, and di chief spokesman shout up to di wall for Hebrew, so dat everybody wey dey listen go understand. Wetin una dey trust? Egypt? Egypt na reed wey don crack, e go pierce di hand of anybody wey lean on top am. Make Hezekiah no tell una say Di Lord go rescue una. Any god of any nation don save im land from di king of Assyria? Hezekiah officials beg am, Abeg, talk to us for Aramaic. No be for Hebrew, where di people for di wall go hear. E only shout pass before. And di people for di wall no talk anything. Not one word. Di king don command, Make una no answer am.

When Hezekiah hear di report, e tear im clothes, wear rough sackcloth, and go inside di house of Di Lord. E send im officials go meet di prophet Isaiah. Dis na day of trouble, di message talk. Strength don finish for us. Isaiah send answer back from God. Make you no fear di words wey you don hear. But soon, one letter arrive from Sennacherib imself, with di same message. Your God no fit stop me. No god don ever stop me.

Hezekiah read di letter. Then e climb go up to di temple, spread am out for Di Lord front, and pray.

Lord, God of Israel, wey sit for throne above di cherubim, na only you be God over all di kingdoms of di earth. Na you make heaven and earth. Lord, bend your ear and hear. Lord, open your eyes and see. Na true say di kings of Assyria don destroy nations and throw dia gods inside fire, because dem no be god at all, na only wood and stone wey human hand carve. Now, Lord our God, save us from im hand, so dat all di kingdoms of di earth go know say na only you be Di Lord.

Isaiah send message give di king. God don hear. Di king of Assyria don mock di Holy One of Israel, and e no go escape am. E no go enter dis city, and e no go shoot one arrow inside am. Dat night, di angel of Di Lord go out inside di camp of Assyria. When morning reach, Second Kings talk say one hundred and eighty-five thousand of di soldiers don die. Sennacherib pack im camp and go back to Nineveh. And Jerusalem still dey stand.

We get Sennacherib own side of dis story too. Im royal records, wey dem write for clay prisms wey still dey today, boast say e capture forty-six of Hezekiah cities wey get wall, and say e lock Hezekiah inside Jerusalem like bird inside cage. Dem list di heavy tribute wey Hezekiah send. But with all dia boasting, di records no ever claim say Sennacherib take Jerusalem. Stone panels wey dem carve from im palace for Nineveh, wey dey now for di British Museum, dey celebrate how e besiege another city for Judah, Lachish.

Dem tell Hezekiah story for Second Kings, chapter eighteen and nineteen. Enemy surround am, dem pass am for number, and dem mock am. So e do di bravest thing wey e know. E carry di threat and lay am out for God front. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which worry or fear you dey carry now, and how e go be if you spread am out for Di Lord front?