HEZEKIAH was king of Jerusalem. He was very good, and always served God and prayed to Him. But a great fierce king named Sennacherib brought an army into his land, and ruined all his towns and villages except Jerusalem, and shut up Hezekiah in his town, so that his people could not dare to come out.
And Sennacherib wrote a letter to tell Hezekiah that it was no use to hope to escape, he was coming to take away the Jews and ruin Jerusalem; and this wicked man even said that Hezekiah need not think that his God would save him, for no nation had ever yet been saved by its gods, so the God of Hezekiah could not help him.
HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER.
In his great distress Hezekiah went up to the Temple, and told God all his trouble. And he said, "Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth." He said he knew the gods of those nations could not save them, for they were no gods, only wood and stone; but he trusted that God would save him and his people, though they were far too weak to defend themselves against this terrible king and his people.
God heard the good king's prayer, and sent him a promise that his enemy should not even come before Jerusalem, nor shoot one arrow at it. And God kept His word. The fierce soldiers of Sennacherib all lay down to sleep one night, but they never woke up again. God sent His angel, with a deadly blast, and all the army that wanted to destroy His people died in one single night.
It was because they and their king had fancied God could not save His people, that they died. And it was because Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and tried to be good and holy, that no one could hurt him. Now try to do like Hezekiah. If you are vexed, or if you are afraid, tell God all about it, and ask Him to help you. And He will be quite sure to hear and help you, if you will only speak to Him and tell Him what is in your heart.
THE ANGEL SLAYING THE ASSYRIANS.—2 Kings 19:35.
QUESTIONS.