In Isaiah, chapter thirty-seven, verse one, “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.” Rabshaketh’s intimidation and accusations were unworthy of a response, as demonstrated in chapter thirty-six, verse twenty-one, but they were worthy of earnest intercession. Hezekiah, a man of God, turned to God in humble and contrite prayer and availed himself of God’s directive through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet, as in verse two. Remember, Hezekiah had great confidence in God, as in Second Kings eighteen, verse five, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” In times of trouble, the best thing we can do is seek God’s face and ask Him to speak to us through His written word or through a prophetic message.
Hezekiah went into the house of the Lord, into the temple, to pray to Him there: he could have prayed in his own house, but he chose rather to go to the house of God, not so much on account of the holiness of the place, but because there the Lord promised, and was used to hear the prayers of His people. The house of the Lord is more public, known to the people, and sets an example to follow. Trouble should not keep persons from, but bring them to, the house of God; here the Lord is to be inquired of, here he is to be found; and from hence he sends deliverance and salvation to his people. Nothing is more proper than prayer in times of affliction. It is in no way unbecoming nor lessening the greatest king on earth to lay aside his royal robes, to humble himself before God, in a time of distress, and pray unto him. Hezekiah does not sit down to consider Rabshakeh’s speech, but to take it and give an answer to it, as he applies it to God.