May
8th 2 Kings 18 E. The Decline and Captivity of Judah Hezekiah
King of Judah
1: Now it came to pass in the third
year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king
of Judah began to reign. 2: Twenty and five years old was he when he began to
reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name
also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. 3: And he did that which was right in
the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4: He
removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and
brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the
children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. 5: 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. 6: For he clave to the
LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the
LORD commanded Moses. 7: And the LORD was with him; and he prospered
whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and
served him not. 8: He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders
thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 9: And it came to
pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea
son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against
Samaria, and besieged it. 10: And at the end of three years they took it: even
in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel,
Samaria was taken. 11: And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto
Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the
cities of the Medes: 12: Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their
God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
Sennacherib
threatens Jerusalem
13: Now in the fourteenth year of
king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced
cities of Judah, and took them. 14: And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king
of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou
puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king
of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15: And
Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and
in the treasures of the king's house. 16: At that time did Hezekiah cut off the
gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which
Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17:
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to
king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to
Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of
the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. 18: And when
they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph
the recorder. 19: And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus
saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou
trustest? 20: Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and
strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against
me? 21: Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even
upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so
is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. 22: But if ye say unto me,
We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose
altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall
worship before this altar in Jerusalem? 23: Now therefore, I pray thee, give
pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand
horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. 24: How then wilt
thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants,
and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25: Am I now come up
without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up
against this land, and destroy it. 26: Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in
the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews'
language in the ears of the people that are on the wall. 27: But Rab-shakeh
said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak
these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they
may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you. 28: Then Rab-shakeh
stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying,
Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: 29: Thus saith the king,
Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of
his hand: 30: Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD
will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of
the king of Assyria. 31: Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of
Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then
eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye
every one the waters of his cistern: 32: Until I come and take you away to a
land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and
vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and
hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will
deliver us. 33: Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land
out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34: Where are the gods of Hamath, and
of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered
Samaria out of mine hand? 35: Who are they among all the gods of the countries,
that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should
deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? 36: But the people held their peace, and
answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him
not. 37: Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household,
and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with
their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.
2
Kings 19 Isaiah reassures Hezekiah
1: 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. 2: And he sent Eliakim, which
was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests,
covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3: And they said
unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and
blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to
bring forth. 4: It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of
Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the
living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard:
wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. 5: So the servants
of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6: And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye
say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou
hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7: Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall
return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own
land.
Sennacherib
comes again
8: So Rab-shakeh returned, and found
the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was
departed from Lachish. 9: And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia,
Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto
Hezekiah, saying, 10: Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying,
Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not
be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11: Behold, thou hast heard
what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly:
and shalt thou be delivered? 12: Have the gods of the nations delivered them
which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the
children of Eden which were in Thelasar? 13: Where is the king of Hamath, and
the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?
14: And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read
it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the
LORD. 15: And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel,
which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all
the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. 16: LORD, bow down
thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of
Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17: Of a truth,
LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18: And
have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of
men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19: Now therefore,
O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the
kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.
Isaiah
reassures Hezekiah again
20: Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent
to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast
prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21: This is the
word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion
hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath
shaken her head at thee. 22: Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and
against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high?
even against the Holy One of Israel. 23: By the messengers thou hast reproached
the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the
height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall
cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into
the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. 24: I have
digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up
all the rivers of besieged places. 25: Hast thou not heard long ago how I have
done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to
pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. 26:
Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and
confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the
grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 27: But I
know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
28: Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears,
therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will
turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 29: And this shall be a sign
unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the
second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and
reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30: And the remnant that
is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear
fruit upward. 31: For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that
escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. 32:
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come
into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor
cast a bank against it. 33: By the way that he came, by the same shall he
return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 34: For I will
defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's
sake. 35: And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out,
and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand:
and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36: So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt
at Nineveh. 37: And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of
Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the
sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned
in his stead.
2
Kings 20 Hezekiah is sick
1: In those days was Hezekiah sick
unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto
him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not
live. 2: Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3: I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth
and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And
Hezekiah wept sore. 4: And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the
middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5: Turn again, and
tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David
thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal
thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 6: And I
will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out
of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own
sake, and for my servant David's sake. 7: And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs.
And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8: And Hezekiah said
unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I
shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day? 9: And Isaiah said, This
sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath
spoken: shall the shadow go forth ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 10: And
Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees:
nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. 11: And Isaiah the prophet
cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which
it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
Hezekiah
displays his wealth
12: At that time Berodach-baladan,
the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah:
for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13: And Hezekiah hearkened unto
them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the
gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his
armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his
house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 14: Then came Isaiah
the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and
from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far
country, even from Babylon. 15: And he said, What have they seen in thine
house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they
seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 16: And
Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. 17: Behold, the days
come, that all that is in thine house,and that which thy fathers have laid up
in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left,
saith the LORD. 18: And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou
shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of
the king of Babylon.
Hezekiah
dies
19: Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah,
Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not
good, if peace and truth be in my days? 20: And the rest of the acts of
Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought
water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah? 21: And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son
reigned in his stead.
After the captivity of the northern
kingdom the southern kingdom also declines into idolatry which leads to the
captivity of Babylon. First we have Hezekiah the king of Judah and of
Sennacherib the Assyrian king who comes to besiege Jerusalem. But Isaiah comes
to Hezekiah to give him the word of the Lord. Then Sennacherib comes again to
Jerusalem and Isaiah reassures him again. Eventually the health of Hezekiah
breaks down and he dies. Hezekiah was 25 yrs old when he was crowned king of
Judah and he reigned for 29 yrs. He was a righteous king living according to
the law of the Lord as David his father had done. Be reformed Israel destroying
not only open idolatry but also secret idol worship in the hills. He removed
the high places, smashed the idols and cut down the groves. Places of idol
worship in the open air. And he smashed into pieces the brass serpent that
Moses had made because the children of Israel had burnt incense to it. He put
his trust in the Lord – he was unique in this regard. None were like him before
or after him. He adhered himself to the LORD and never forsook the Lord and he
kept the commandments of the Lord. God was with him in all he did and made all
he did to prosper. He also rebelled against the Assyrian king and refused to
serve him. He also went to war against the Philistines. After only 4 yrs
Shalmaneser the Assyrian king came to war against Samaria. It fell after three
years. Ten yrs later Sennacherib came from Assyria to threaten Jerusalem.
Hezekiah gave all the treasure of the temple – 39,000 lbs of silver and 3,900
lbs of gold. He took the gold off the doors of the temple and from the pillars
to give to the Assyrian king. The Assyrian king came and spoke to Hezekiah
asking him who he was trusting in. He said l have great military minds and a
huge army who are you trusting in? Are you trusting in Egypt a bruised read
which if a man leans on it will break? And if you say we trust in the LORD our
God – isn’t he the god that Hezekiah has destroyed in the land. He said l have
been sent by the LORD to destroy this land. Then he addressed the people of
Judah directly - in Hebrew. He sought to undermine Hezekiah. The people refused
to answer him. Hezekiah had commanded that they do not answer or engage him in
conversation. Hezekiah did the right thing. He humbled himself before the Lord
and went in to speak to the Lord. And he sent a message to Isaiah saying this
is a day of trouble, rebuke and blaspheme because the babies are coming to the
time of birth and there is no strength to give birth. Maybe the Lord will hear
us and pray for us. Isaiah sent a message back saying do not be afraid of the
words of Rab-shakeh the spokesman of the king, because l will send a blast on
him and he will return to his own country. And he will die there from the
sword. Rab-shakeh returned to find his king at war. Sennacherib came a second
time to Hezekiah telling him not to trust in the Lord, but Hezekiah put
everything before the Lord …
O LORD God
of Israel, who dwells between the cherubims, you are the God, you alone, of all
the kingdoms of the earth: you have made heaven and earth. LORD, bow down your
ear, and hear: open, LORD, your eyes, and see: and hear the words of
Sennacherib, who has come to reproach the living God. It is true, LORD, the
kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, And have cast
their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands,
wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our
God, I ask you, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may
know that you are the LORD God, and only you.
After this Isaiah came again to
Hezekiah to reassure him of Gods protection and blessing. He said the LORD has
heard your prayer. First the Lord speaks of all that he has done and then he
gives Hezekiah a sign and a promise. The promise is that the Assyrian king will
not come into the city. I will defend this city for my own sake, to save it for
David’s sake. Then that night an angel of the LORD went out and killed the
Assyrians 185,000 and in the morning when the rest of them woke up they found a
great slaughter. Sennacherib left and never returned. When he was worshipping
in his idol temple his sons murdered him with a sword and escaped to Armenia.
Esar-haddon his son, became king. After this Hezekiah became very sick and the
prophet Isaiah came to him saying put your affairs in order because you will
die. He turned toward the wall and prayed…
I ask you,
O LORD, remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect
heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.
And then he wept bitterly. Then as
Isaiah was still on his way out of the house the LORD spoke to him again saying
go and speak to Hezekiah telling him that I have heard his prayer and seen his
tears and l will heal him. In three days he is to go to the temple and l will
give him another 15 yrs of life. Then Isaiah said take a handful of figs and
boil them and with this Hezekiah recovered. And the Lord said can l make the
sun dial go forward or back ward? Hezekiah answered it is a small thing for you
to do this. Then Isaiah called on the Lord and the sun dial went back ten
degrees. Then Berodach-baladan king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to
Hezekiah because he had heard that he
was sick. And Hezekiah read them and shewed them all the house of his precious
things, the silver, gold, spices, the precious ointment, his armour and all
that was treasury He shewed them everything. Then Isaiah came to Hezekiah
saying why have you shown all these things to these men? Then Isaiah said one
day everything in your house will be taken to Babylon. Hezekiah replied, the
word of the Lord is good that you have spoken. He said is it not a good thing
is l have truth and peace in my days? Hezekiah died. One of the things that Hezekiah
did was to bring water into the city – a great engineering feat.
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