God Moment - Beth Baxley - June 19, 2020
It isn't very often when something from Chronicles I or II grabs me. It's just not the most gripping pair of books in the Bible. But this passage seemed so pertinent to our moment in time as we seek to trust God, discern his will and endeavor to follow what we know is best human wisdom in this time of pandemic.
Setting the stage....Hezekiah was one of the few truly faithful kings of Judah, who loved the Lord with his whole heart. He knew that the king of Assyria was about to attack Jerusalem. Hezekiah never wavered in his faith in God, but he was also proactive in using state-of-the-art technology and brilliant organizational skills. Read on...
"When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. "“Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?"” they said. Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields. He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: “"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”" And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said."
(BTW, in the end, God sent an angel who swept over the Assyrian forces and ended the battle before it ever began).
What this passage says to me is that God continues to call us to remain faithful, but to utilize the wisdom of our medical and scientific community in our battle with COVID. We must continue to pay attention to the increasing numbers and adhere to the precautions that our medical experts have provided. We cannot relax our vigilance. The country may be moving on in places, but COVID has not. We are a community of faith and a community who are always seeking God's ways and wisdom.