2 Chronicles 32 — After the Reforms, the Siege
Hezekiah prepares wisely—diverting springs (the Siloam Tunnel inscription still speaks), raising the “Broad Wall” we can touch in Jerusalem—but his rallying cry is deeper: the arm of flesh fails; the LORD fights. The Hebrew echo chazaq ve’ematz (“be strong and courageous”) reaches back to Joshua. Assyrian propaganda mocks like the serpent in Eden; the Lachish reliefs boast while Sennacherib’s prism concedes Hezekiah was “shut up like a caged bird.” Hezekiah and Isaiah pray; an unseen messenger unravels an empire. Psalm 46 may be the soundtrack of that night.
Then the subtler siege: recovery, riches, envoys. God “left him to test him” (32:31)—not to learn, but to reveal the heart. Pride swells; humility bends, and wrath is turned aside. The Chronicler, who yesterday prized ordered generosity (ch. 31), adds this: practices are strong walls, but only trust, repentance, and prayer hold the city.
Cross-refs: 2 Kings 18–20; Isaiah 36–39; Jeremiah 17:5–8; Ephesians 6:10–18; 2 Corinthians 10:3–5. Hymn: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
Prayer: Warrior and Tester of hearts, fortify me within—teach me to prepare, to sing, to pray, and to bow low after victory. Amen.
Narrated version of this devotional on 2 Chronicles Chapter 32