Living a life that pleases God has powerful implications. When Scripture tells us that God covers His people with His hand, it means His hand becomes a protective covering for us if we live a life that pleases Him. If we choose to step away from His extended hand and do what does not please Him, we put ourselves in a vulnerable place where the outcome of our difficulties is now in our hands, not God’s.

Hezekiah was king over Judah. “He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done.” (II Kings 18:3). The word “pleasing” has been translated as what is straight and true. Hezekiah did what was pleasing in the sight of God, no matter what opposition came against him or what mockery was thrown at him for his obedience to the Lord.

When Hezekiah was threatened by the king of Assyria, he refused to pay tribute to him. His refusal set in motion a confrontation with Assyria. This happened as Hezekiah watched surrounding nations be conquered by Assyria, even Israel. The defeat of those nations was because those nations “Refused to listen to the Lord their God and obey him. Instead, they violated his covenant – all the laws that Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded them to obey” (vs. 12).

The king of Assyria sent this message to Hezekiah because of his refusal to obey Assyria’s threats: “What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?” (vs.19-20).

The king continued, “Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death!” (vs. 31-32). Judah was told to remain in the land God had provided, not to enter another land that required them to disobey God. It was better to die in an act of obedience than to die in a place of compromise.

The king of Assyria topped off his threat by saying, “What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So, what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?” (vs. 35).

After hearing the king of Assyria’s mockery of him and his trust in God, Hezekiah tore his clothing and dressed in burlap and entered the Temple to seek the Lord. It was at this time that Isaiah the prophet entered into the fray. Isaiah spoke and said, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him” (19:6-7. Hezekiah’s pleasing faith now put the conflict in God’s hands.

Isaiah’s response to the king of Assyria was this, “Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!” (vs. 22). As a result of the king of Assyria defying Hezekiah’s obedience to God, “I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came” (vs. 28b).

Then the Lord said this, “For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it” (vs. 34). That was the reason why the Lord protected Hezekiah and Judah. It was for His honor and for the sake of what the Lord had promised to David and his descendants.

The king of Assyria would soon find out that God was protecting Hezekiah and Judah, when, during the night, 185,000 Assyrian troops would be killed by the angel of the Lord. The king of Assyria went to bed that night confident of his victory, only to awaken the next morning and see that his army had been decimated. He returned home in defeat.

To accept a compromise of our integrity and do what displeases the Lord is what will precede our defeat. We need to always live a life that is pleasing to God, even when we are tempted to walk out the gates of that trust and accept a compromise. To live a life that is pleasing to the Lord is our most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare.