“So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”
– 2 Kings 19:19
Please hear this prayer. It is a fundamental picture that we see over and over and over again in the Bible, that if we’re not careful we will totally miss. Let me read the verse again. “So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord are God alone.”
So let me summarize it. The first part of the verse is, save us, God save us, show mercy to us. And this picture, it’s a picture of asking for salvation from a foreign army, for deliverance from their hands. Save us so that… So here’s the second part, and the connector is “so that”, here’s the purpose clause, save us, God, so that… Why are they praying for salvation here? So that for the purpose of all the kingdoms of the earth knowing that the Lord is God alone.
God Glorified in Us
So we pray, God, save us for a purpose, that God might be glorified in us. Save us, God, for your glory, God. Do you see it? This is what we see all throughout the Bible, God saves his people, but that’s not the end of the story. It’s not, God saves his people, put a period on it, and that’s it and move on. No, it’s, God saves his people so that, there’s a purpose in God saving his people, God saves his people so that his glory will be made known through his people among all the peoples of the earth.
This is what we see over and over and over again. God’s promise in Genesis 12, “Abraham, I will bless you, I will bless those who bless you. And him who dishonors you, I will curse. And through you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God will bless Abraham, the people of Israel, so that his blessing would be made known among all the peoples of the earth. Which is why we see it, we see it over and over and over again in Scripture, that God saves his people for his glory.
2 Kings 19:19 Brings God’s Glory from His People
As he delivers them out of slavery in Egypt and brings them to the Red Sea, and he splits the sea in half, God saves them so that his glory will be made known. Exodus chapter 14 verse 4, among the Egyptians, among the peoples around them. This is what we see over and over again in the prophets, Ezekiel 36, “It is not for your sake, oh house of Israel, that I’m going to do these things…” basically, so that I’m going to save you, “for the sake of my Holy name I’m going to do this, my name among the nations.”
God’s Power of Salvation for All
This is why when Jesus comes and he brings salvation to you and me through his death on a cross, what does he say after that? This good news of salvation must now be proclaimed so that all the nations might know it. Go and make disciples of all the nations. We know in the very end of the Bible, this is where everything is going, Revelation chapter 7, all the nations, all the peoples giving praise to God for the salvation he has brought. God saves his people for his glory among all peoples.
So we pray, God, help us to make this connection. God, help us to realize that your salvation is not just for us. God, help us to see this all over the Bible, including right here in 2 Kings 19:19. Help us to pray like this, God, for your help, so that you might be glorified, for your salvation in our lives, your provision in our lives, your deliverance in our lives, your healing in our lives, your every bit of work in our lives, so that others might know that you, O Lord, are God alone. We know this is how Jesus taught us to pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, cause your name to be made known.
2 Kings 19:19 Prays for God’s Glorification in Our Lives
So, God, we pray for help in all kinds of ways in our lives today. Some of us need healing. God, some of us need help in decisions we are making. Some of us need wisdom in assignments you’ve given us. We need strength when we feel weak. We need, just so many different things from you in my life alone, and then all those who are listening to this, praying with me right now. God, we have so many needs. So we pray for your help in all these ways, but not as an ending of itself.
We pray for your help in all these says so that your greatness might be made known through our lives, so that your grace and your glory might spread through our lives, literally, O God, to all the ends of the earth, to the central Thai Muslims in Thailand, God, we pray that those central Thai Muslims might know the love of Jesus because of your salvation in your people.
We pray for the spread of your gospel to all peoples through your church that’s been saved by your grace. God, save us. Lead us and guide us today. We pray, for your glory in others’ lives, because of your grace in our lives. God, help us to connect your salvation with its purpose in the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
