2 Kings 19

Verses 1-4

Hezekiah has the correct response to all of threats made by the Assyrians.

He immediately tore his clothes and put on sackcloth as a means of humility, sorrow and mourning before he approaches the house of God.

He then instructs the leaders of Israel to put on sackcloth and to go seek a word form the Lord from Isaiah the prophet.

Hezekiah is fully aware that the threats from the Assyrians were not something to take lightly or ignore. This was a serious threat against Judah that unless God intervened would lead to the destruction and overthrow of Judah as a nation.

Sometimes when we are faced with such huge circumstances we might think it’s easier to just ignore it as if it wasn’t happening but that simply never works.

The first step is to honestly evaluate the situation, then to accept that it is happening, and then to recognize that it is far too big for us to handle on our own. Once we have come to that point we are free to cry out to God for His help.

That is precisely what Hezekiah is doing in this moment.

Look also at the message that Hezekiah sends to deliver to Isaiah in verses 3-4...

Hezekiah understood that ultimately the threats and mocking by the Assyrians was against God not Hezekiah.

Remember what the Rabshakeh said?

2 Kings 18:28–35 ESV

Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’ ”

The Assyrians were making a statement against God more than they were making a statement against Hezekiah or Judah.

That is why the message to Isaiah is for him to “lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left”

Hezekiah knew that only God could rescue.

Do we know that?

Verses 5-7

Now notice the response from the Lord through Isaiah...

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Do not be afraid of the words you heard.

servants - this is an interesting word because it is also used to describe a young man, child, lad, young, children, youth, babe, boys.

It seems that the Lord is reminding Hezekiah that while the words of the boys sound threatening, God is more than a man is not in the least intimidated by their little words.

Also notice that God doesn’t say that Judah will defeat the Assyrians. God had a different plan to deal with the blasphemies against him by them.

When we get to the last couple verses of the chapter we will see God do the very thing He promised here.

Verses 8-13

Cush/Ethiopia

This was the Egyptian forces that the Assyrians already warned Hezekiah not to trust in...

2 Kings 18:19–21 ESV

And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

So in the midst of the Assyrians leaving Judah to fight against Libnah they still find time to send a message to Hezekiah not to trust the Lord.

It was more blasphemy against God and more effort to scare Hezekiah and the people of Judah.

Verses 14-19

Verses 20-21

Take not that this powerful and gracious answer came because Hezekiah prayed and asked God once again to intervene.

Look at how the response begins...

God points out that although Assyria thought they were going to invade and destroy Jerusalem, they were not successful and now Jerusalem (the virgin daughter of Zion) would be safe from Assyria’s failed attempt.

Verses 22-28

The rest of this lengthy answer from God delivered by Isaiah is a rebuke to Assyria itself.

Notice in verses 27-28 God says that He is fully aware of everything the Assyrians have done, are doing, and will do.

Since they are so fond of taking nations captive by putting hooks in them to lead them out of their homeland, God will repay them with the same treatment.

Verses 29-31

Now God gives Hezekiah a sign or a proof that what He said will come to pass.

The timeline of events is like this.

In 702BC the Assyrians invaded Judah and began to threaten Jerusalem so the inhabitants of Judah could not sow (plant) seed, so they would have to eat whatever came up from the previous year’s planting. In 701BC the Assyrians were packing up and leaving Judah but their presence still prevented the people of Judah from being able to prep the ground and plant their crops in time so they would have to eat whatever came up out of the ground from pervious plantings as well. When 700BC came around they could then prepare the ground and plant their crops again.

So in the 3rd year when they were able to work the ground and plant again they would have an abundant harvest to eat and they would remember the word of the Lord and be able to rejoice in His faithfulness toward them.

Verses 32-34

About 300 years earlier God made this promise to David, and here we see God has not forgotten that promise in response to Hezekiah’s prayer for help.

2 Samuel 7:10–17 ESV

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

The difference between God saving Jerusalem here and allowing it to fall and be taken captive in chapter 24 is that here God found in Hezekiah the heart of a king who would cry out to God for help and trust the Lord to save. That will not be the case with King Jehoiachin who instead of crying out to God will just surrender to Nebuchadnezzar.

In fact in those days there will be a warning from Jeremiah not to think that God wouldn’t allow Jerusalem to fall just because the Temple and thus the name of God was there. No doubt by that point they just assumed they could do whatever they wanted and God would save the city as He had done in this instance.

Jeremiah 7:1–15 ESV

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.

Verse 35

Maybe that is why people in the Bible who see angels are immediately terrified!

Verses 36-37

It seems from historical accounts that there is about 20 years that pass between verses 36 and 37.

God did just as He said He would, just as he always does.