You can’t have victories without the fight; you can’t make the summit without the climb.
Did you notice the three-star approval rating Hezekiah received for his service for the Lord? “He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God” (2 Chron 31:20). In the long run, the plaudits of men are of little moment. But when the Lord gives His approbation? That really means something—no, it means everything! Good. Right. True. What do these words mean exactly? “Good” is the Hebrew word tôb and is translated “to be pleasing, joyful, beneficial, precious, favorable.” That sounds good! “Right” (Heb, yâšâr) adds the moral dimension and can mean “straight, upright, correct, just, fitting, proper.” And “true”? This is the word ’emet, speaking of being “stable, certain, trustworthy, dependable, reliable.” That’s some combination, isn’t it! It reminds me of “that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2), made available to every believer when we exchange our wills for His (v 1). With such a record, many people assume that Hezekiah’s life would therefore be marked by peace, prosperity, and the pleasure of the Lord. But listen to the next verse: “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself” (2 Chron 32:1). The Assyrian empire had risen up in Mesopotamia and swept like a tidal wave across the known world. Sennacherib, the son of Sargon II, had proven himself an able general and administrator, had rebuilt Nineveh as his glorious capital, and was taking everything in his path. It was the Assyrians who captured and exiled the ten northern tribes. Now they were besieging the fortified cities of Judah and would soon be knocking at Jerusalem’s door. What should Hezekiah do?