The people of God are surrounded by an overwhelmingly superior force. The Assyrian king is gloating over Jerusalem, saying, “Checkmate!” So what move will Judah make next? All they have left is God. And thankfully, their own king, Hezekiah, is ready to lead the way back to Him. At the start of Isaiah 37, Hezekiah humbles himself before the LORD and wisely seeks guidance from the LORD’s prophet. In desperation, he admits Judah’s weakness, failure, and despair. But what matters more to him than their own fate is the fact that the living God is being mocked (v 1-4). Isaiah reassures Hezekiah that the LORD will faithfully intervene on their behalf. Judah will not have to fight this enemy. Why not? Because God Himself will change the very thoughts of the Assyrian king so that he will second guess his current military plans. Upon hearing a rumor, Mr. Bigshot will decide to head back home, where he will be killed in the place of his own safety (v 5-7). The Assyrian army is temporarily drawn away from attacking Jerusalem, but their spokesman promises they will return in force. Arrogantly boasting as if Assyria was in control of the world, he highlights their undefeated record against all the gods of the nations, while insinuating that the LORD is a liar: “Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you” (v 8-13). Hezekiah recognizes that his primary business is not with Assyria but with God. He prays not that tiny Judah will somehow survive, but “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the LORD.” He’s not praying, “God, why did You let this happen to me?” He’s praying, “God, will You not glorify Yourself in this?” To such a prayer there will always be an answer (v 14-20). God’s answer to Hezekiah comes through the prophet Isaiah. Jerusalem will not be destroyed in this emergency, for the LORD will defend her. He is the God of history, and Assyria can only accomplish His eternal purposes. For the sake of His own glory and the promises He made to David, God will judge this defiant enemy with a painful and humiliating defeat (v 21-35). So how does it all turn out? The angel of the LORD strikes down 185,000 Assyrian troops while they are sleeping. Sennacherib, their king, promptly heads for the security of his homeland, where the chapter ends with irony. At the start of Isaiah 37, Hezekiah went into the house of his God and got some help. At the end of the chapter, Sennacherib goes into the house of his god and gets assassinated by his own sons. Truly, our God reigns (v 36-38).