What If We Don’t Like God’s Answer to Prayer? (2 Kings 22.13–20)
“Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
How we choose to respond to God’s answers to our prayers might matter almost as much as our prayer—especially if the answer we get is heartbreaking.
Background
God kept his promise to King Hezekiah of Israel and allowed him to live another fifteen years. During that time, the king made an alliance with Babylon, despite Isaiah’s warnings against it. Hezekiah did not care because the terrible consequences would happen after he was dead.
Manasseh succeeded Hezekiah, and was one of the worst kings in Judah’s history. Not only did he end the reforms of Hezekiah, but he set up altars to pagan gods, practiced human sacrifice, and murdered those who spoke against his actions. Prophets warned that the south would be destroyed, just as the north was destroyed—but their words went unheeded. Manasseh’s son Amon, the next King, was no better.
Hope was restored during the reign of the next king, Josiah. He began religious reforms, and during a renovation of the Temple, a scroll was found (it may have been the book of Deuteronomy). When the king read it, he understood just how far Israel had strayed from God. Fearing the consequences written in that scroll for such long-term unfaithfulness, he sent a priest to ask the prophetess Huldah to pray on behalf of Israel.
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