6/1 2 Kings 19:35

³⁵ And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, had conquered the northern tribes and many of the surrounding nations. He next attempted to conquer Jerusalem and its godly king Hezekiah. Sennacherib's messenger told them to surrender and he would move them to a good land. He told them that none of the gods of the nations could save those nations, and neither would the Israelites' God be able to save them. He even told them not to trust in lying words that somehow their God could deliver them.

Hezekiah took the message to the LORD and laid it out before Him. He also sent it to the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah's prayer pleaded with God to see how Assyria was mocking Him. He asked God to defend Jerusalem for His great name's sake.

Isaiah came with a message from the LORD. Assyria would neither shoot an arrow nor build a siege ramp. They would leave the way they came, and Sennacherib would die in his own land by his own sword. Our verse today tells of the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophecy. Sennacherib waged war against God, so God sent one angel to deal with him. The Assyrians returned to their land and Sennacherib was assassinated by two of his sons as he worshiped his god.

Nothing is too hard for God. It's not a good idea to challenge Him. The armies of this world are nothing to Him. When people mock your faith, pray for them. The emperors and officials of Rome that persecuted Christians met an untimely and painful death. Who can stand against our great God, maker of heaven and earth?

Consider: What confidence and peace we should have knowing the greatness of our God!