II Kings 18
Hezekiah king of Judah pleased the LORD verse 1- 4
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
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
And he did that which was RIGHT in the sight of the LORD
according to all that David his father did
he removed the high places
and brake the images – and cut down the groves
and brake in pieces the brazen serpent
that Moses had made
for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it
and he called it Nehushtan
Hezekiah trusted the LORD verse 5- 8
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 – for he clave to the LORD
and departed not from following HIM
BUT kept HIS commandments
which the LORD commanded Moses
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
He smote the Philistines – even to Gaza – and the borders thereof
from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city
Record of Israel’s fall to Assyria verse 9- 12
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
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
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
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
Hezekiah pays tribute to king of Assyria verse 13- 16
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
And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish
saying
I have offended return from me
that which you put on me will I bear
And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah
three hundred talents of silver – thirty talents of gold
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
At that time 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
King of Assyria sent army anyways verse 17- 18
And the king of Assyria sent
Tartan and Rab-saris 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
And when they had called to the king
there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hikliah
which was over the household
and Shebna the scribe
and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder
Message of king of Assyria to Hezekiah verse 19- 25
And Rab-shakeh
said to them
Speak you now to Hezekiah
thus says the great king – the king of Assyria
What confidence is this wherein you trust?
You say (but they are but vain words)
I have counsel and strength for the war
Now on whom do you trust – that you rebel against me?
Now – behold – you trust 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
BUT IF you say to me – We trust in the LORD our God
Is not that HE – whose high places and whose altars
Hezekiah hath taken away
and has said to Judah and Jerusalem
You shall worship before this
altar in Jerusalem?
Now therefore – I pray you
give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria
and I will deliver you two thousand horses
IF you be able on thy part to set riders upon them
How then will you turn away the face of one captain of the least
of my master’s servants – and put your trust on Egypt
for chariots and for horsemen?
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
Eliakim wants Syrian language to be spoken verse 26
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah – Shebna – Joah – to Rab-shakeh
Speak – I pray you – to your 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
Messenger from Syria refuses verse 27
But Rab-shakeh
said to them
Has my master sent me to your master – and to you – to speak these words?
has 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?
Assyrian chief of staff talks to people in Hebrew verse 28- 35
Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language
and spoke – saying
Hear the word of the great king – the king of Assyria
thus says the king
Let not Hezekiah deceive you
for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand
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
Hearken not to Hezekiah
for thus says the king of Assyria
Make an agreement with me by a present – and come out to me
and then eat you every man of his own vine
and every one of his fig tree
and drink you every one the waters of his cistern
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 olive oil and of honey
that you may live and not die
and hearken not unto Hezekiah
when he persuades you – saying
The LORD will deliver us
Has any of the gods of the nations delivered all his land out of the
hand of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad?
where are the gods of Sepharvaim – Hena – Ivah?
Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
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?
People were silent verse 36
BUT the people held their peace – and answered him not a word
for the king’s commandment was
saying
Answer him not
Eliakim reported back to Hezekiah verse 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
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and break in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (5180 “Nehushtan” [Nachushtan] means thing of brass, bronze-god, serpent of brass, bronze snake idol, snake, or copper serpent of the desert)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel rebelled against the LORD in the wilderness on their trip to the Promised Land. The LORD sent snakes among them. If they were bitten by a snake they were going to die but if after they were bitten they looked at this serpent of brass they would be spared.
Moses was commanded of the LORD to make this snakelike copper likeness to the snakes that were biting the people. However, the children of Israel brought that same snake-like copper item with them to the Promised Land and at the time of Hezekiah were still worshiping it more than they were worshipping the LORD.
Hezekiah broke in pieces this copper serpent because it had become part of the false worship of the children of Israel. He was trying to reform the nation he had just become king of to honor the LORD.
So we have a list of false gods and false places of worship. The LORD had chosen the Temple for HIS place of worship. Any worship done outside the Temple was condemned. HE wanted HIS place of worship to be honored and HIS priests to be active in the life of the children of Israel leading them into proper worship in the chosen place of the LORD.
Today we have many people who think that they can worship the LORD any place. They think that they don’t have to attend a church building to worship the LORD. They think they can worship the LORD at home or in the woods or on their boat or in their favorite hiking spot. That is not something the LORD had told them it is something they have made up their mind to do whether the LORD is against it or not.
The LORD has chosen the local church as a place to worship today. If there is a local church that teaches and preaches the Word of God every believer should be in it on a regular basis. It is not a choice, it is a command.
Christians are not to forsake the assembling of the saints together. United we are blessed of the LORD. Divided we find ourselves lacking in the blessing of the LORD.
I have heard said that “I am a better Christian than the people who attend the local church on Sunday.” That is not true. If we are not attending church when we can we are being disobedient and the LORD cannot bless us.
We have an example to set before the world and one part of our example is our neighbors seeing us going to church each Sunday to worship the LORD. What type of example are you setting for your neighbors, friends and family if you are not attending church on a regular basis?
Hezekiah wanted all other places of false worship to be destroyed in his reign. He wanted the people to attend worship at the Temple. He wanted God to be honored in his nations. What do we want today?
CHALLENGE: Attendance in a local church should be a pleasure to us because we are being obedient to the command of the LORD. Don’t rob yourself of a blessing and witness for the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following HIM, but kept HIS commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. (1692 “clave” [dabaq] means to cling, stick, hold, to stay, conceived of as clinging, keep close, to adhere, to be glued, to be attached to, or join fast)
DEVOTION: Our testimony starts when we come to the point of our choosing to follow the LORD. This can happen at a young age or when we are older. I became a believer at the age of twelve at Niagara Bible Conference Grounds during summer camp. I knew the LORD wanted me to serve HIM at that time but didn’t know what to expect in my years of service.
Hezekiah became king when he was twenty five years old and he reigned for twenty nine years with a testimony of serving the LORD faithfully. He wanted to end the false worship during his reign over Judah. The other ten tribes had been taken into captivity during his reign and he didn’t want that to happen to him.
He started out by ridding the nation of the false gods that were being worshiped in Jerusalem.
It is hard to understand how he could have had such a good testimony that is stated in this verse. He was faithful to the LORD in “everything.” He was “careful” to obey the commands of the LORD. This can only happen if he was a student of the Word of God. He had to have good teachers around him for him to stand out as one of the best kings of Judah.
We have to be willing to stand out for the LORD during our lifetime. This will not mean that we will be sinless but we will confess our sins to the LORD and keep moving forward with the LORD.
Too many believers give up too soon on trying to be faithful and careful in their service to the LORD. We need to keep trying with the help of the Holy Spirit to use the strength the LORD gives us to fight the good fight for the LORD until we die.
We are never to give up because the LORD doesn’t give up on us. HE is faithful as well to those who genuinely seek to serve HIM with their whole heart. It was not easy for Hezekiah but he took all of his challenges to the LORD in prayer and waited for an answer.
Our dedication to the LORD will always be challenged but we know our heart and the LORD knows our heart and we just have to keep fighting the good fight until the LORD takes us home to be with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Never give up the fight for the LORD!!!
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: 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. (5674 “transgressed” [‘abar] means to pull along, to go oon one’s way, to pass over, to act in disregard of laws, commandments or promises, to violate, or be intoxicated)
DEVOTION: Contrast the difference between what Hezekiah wanted to do in faithfully and carefully following the LORD with what the kings of Israel did in relationship to the LORD. There was a great difference. The ten tribes started out wrong in their relationship to the LORD. They had golden calves built because they didn’t want the people to go to Jerusalem to worship the LORD. They had many false gods come in as the kings of Israel’s ten tribes would marry wives from other nations which would cause them to worship foreign gods. This happened in the life of Solomon as well before the kingdom split.
God had made a covenant with the twelve tribes of Israel to be their God as long as they were faithful to HM. The ten tribe nation didn’t care about this promise from the LORD. They thought they could get along without the LORD. They tried it and found that it didn’t work.
They didn’t care to hear what the prophets of the LORD had to say to them. They had many great prophets warn them including Elijah and Elisha. It didn’t matter to them. They were headed in one direction and continued on that course throughout the reigns of the kings they chose. Some did some good but most of the time it was just walking away from the LORD and HIS standard for HIS people.
Captivity was the end result of their actions. We need to learn from their example what we should not do if we want the blessings of the LORD. Our walk has to be toward the LORD and not in the other direction.
We see the end result of those who chose to follow their own way and do their own thing. It is not a pretty picture. Today those who follow this path will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. There is no middle ground. There is no partial punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ. It is plain that they will stand before the Great White Throne judgment and will see the book of life opened and their name will not be there.
We make our choice in this lifetime and pay the consequence not only here but for eternity. Some think that once they die that is it but the Bible doesn’t teach this belief. There is a life after death and those who teach otherwise will be in for a great surprise.
Remember I have told you that there was a group that visited my door who didn’t believe that there was life for those who rejected their beliefs. They taught that those who were not of their belief would just die and have no afterlife. I told them that if I was wrong than I had nothing to lose but if I was right they would spend eternity in a literal hell forever and ever. You have the same choice to make in your life. What do you believe about the life after death?
CHALLENGE: If you will not hear or do what is commanded in the Word of God you will face the truth of the Word of God one day.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak, ye now to Hezekiah. Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein you trust? (982 “trustest” [batach] means be bold, believe, feel safe, hope or confidence)
DEVOTION: Finally, in Judah there was a king that honored the LORD. He was more faithful than any king that came before him and that came after him. He destroyed the brazen serpent that the people burned incense to instead of the LORD. He obeyed the commandments of the LORD. He prospered under the LORD’s blessings.
Lesson to be learned is that when we are having a time of prosperity there is still an enemy out there that wants to bring us down. Hezekiah had to learn this lesson and so do all those who are in leadership.
However, during his administration the king of Assyria Shalmaneser conquered the ten tribes called Israel. They were taken captive and sent out of the Promised Land.
Now this same king came to Jerusalem to question Hezekiah regarding where his hope was based. The kingdom of Judah was asked WHOM they had confidence in. They were told that Hezekiah had destroyed the high places and other places of worship. Hezekiah had told the people that the only place to worship was in the temple.
Now this foreign nation of Assyria was at the gate of Jerusalem telling them to surrender to them. The told the people on the wall that there was no place to go and no one to save them. The people on the wall obeyed the king by not answering him a word.
The leaders came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn because of the enemy. They didn’t know what to do. This chapter ends on a sad note.
The people were being told that they would die. The leaders were told that they could not trust in Egypt or anyone else to deliver them. They were discouraged. They thought they had no hope. Samaria had fallen. Many nations had fallen to the king of Assyria.
Does this sometimes describe the feeling we have regarding those who seem to be winning the battles against the church? Do we think that we are on the losing side of a war? Do all the facts seem to indicate that we need to surrender to the enemy?
The Bible indicates that the LORD doesn’t count on numbers to win a battle. HE knows that HE can win with one man or many. We need to trust the LORD to give us victories in HIS time and in HIS way.
Are we waiting on the LORD for an answer to a hard circumstance that we are facing right now? Remember that we can have full CONFIDENCE in HIM every day!!!!
CHALLENGE: Can we answer this question at this time in our life? Can we honestly say that our hope or confidence is in the LORD? If not, would it be good for us to get into our prayer closet until we have that confidence in HIM?
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: 36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying Answer him not. (6030 “Answer” [‘anah] mean testify, speak, respond, respond as a witness, to react verbally, as to a question or in giving some other kind of response.)
DEVOTION: Is it ever good not to say anything? Too often we find ourselves answering when we should think more about an answer was should be giving.
Here we find that the people were commanded not to answer questions that were given by the enemy. They were to listen and then say NOTHING. Do you think this was easy for them to do? Is it ever easy for us to sometimes stop and think before we answer people’s questions to us or what they think they know about us that is wrong?
We need to go to the LORD before we answer some questions. It is easy to answer some questions from our perspective but we should always be answering questions from the LORD’S perspective.
The enemy wants to trick us into thinking we have the answer but we have to realize that sometimes we don’t have the answer and it is better to not say anything until the LORD gives us a proper answer to say.
There are too many people, even in Christian circles, that think they have all the answers but they need to be like the children of Israel and wait to give an answer because that is what was commanded.
IF we are seeking wisdom from the LORD, we have to wait for HIM to give us that wisdom for our life and for the lives of those around us. A quick answer might not be right.
Is it easy to hold our peace? The answer is NO!! It is never easy when we are confronted by and enemy who wants us to react right away. It is hard not to answer. However, the LORD wants us to seek HIS wisdom whenever we answer questions that deal with our relationship to HIM.
The children of Israel had and continue to wander from the LORD. We have an answer to their problem but we have to wait for them to realize that they have a problem and need the LORD.
That goes for anyone who is seeking the LORD. Some don’t know how to ask the right questions.
CHALLENGE: Waiting is never easy. Neither is not speaking when we think we have the answers. We have to do everything in the LORD’S timing. There is a time to answer and a time to keep quiet.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORD verse 15
Temple of the LORD verse 16
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandments verse 6
Covenant verse 12
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 3, 5- 7, 12, 15, 16, 22, 25, 30, 32, 35
Sight of the LORD verse 3
God – Elohim (Creator) verse 5, 12, 22
LORD God of Israel verse 5
Voice of the LORD their God verse 12
LORD their God verse 12
House of the LORD verse 15
Temple of the LORD verse 16
LORD our God verse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King of Assyria verse 7, 9
Philistines verse 8
Shalmaneser – king of Assyria verse 9- 11
Besieged Samaria
Carried away Israel to Assyria
Sennacherib – king of Assyria verse 13- 35
Came up against Judah
Paid by Hezekiah
Rab-shakeh – spoke for Sennacherib to Judah verse 19- 35, 37
Challenged children of Judah
Egypt verse 21, 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Worship at the high places verse 4, 22
Images verse 4
Groves verse 4
Brazen serpent of Moses worshiped verse 4
Obeyed not the LORD verse 12
Transgressed the covenant verse 12
Not willing to hear or do commands of LORD verse 12
Deceive verse 29
gods of the nations verse 33- 35
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Right in sight of the LORD verse 3
Removed false worship from Jerusalem verse 4
Trust in the LORD verse 5, 19- 22, 30
Clave to the LORD verse 6
Followed the LORD verse 6
Kept the commandments verse 6
Presence of the LORD verse 7
Prospered verse 7
Rebel against foreign power verse 7, 20
Servant of the LORD verse 12
Confidence in the LORD verse 19
Trust in the LORD verse 22
Deliverance verse 29, 30, 32, 35
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Hoseha – son of Elah = king of Israel verse 1, 9 – 12
Israel put in Halah and Habor
Reason: obeyed not the voice of the
LORD
Hezekiah – son of Ahaz = king of Judah verse 1- 10, 13- 15. 22-
25 years old when he began to reign
29 years he reigned
Did right in sight of the LORD
Removed the high places
Broke in pieces the images
Broke the brazen serpent of Moses
Trusted in the LORD God of Israel
None like him before
Clave to the LORD
Kept the commandments
Rebelled against the king of Assyria
Gave Assyria silver from
house of the LORD
treasures of the king’s house
Abi was mother of Hezekiah verse 2
David verse 3
Children of Israel verse 4
Burn incense to serpent called Nehushtan
Moses verse 6, 12
Samaria taken in fourth year of Hezekiah verse 9
Eliakim – the son of Hilkiah verse 18, 26, 37
Asked Rab-shakeh to speak in Syrian
Rent his clothes
Shebna – scribe verse 18, 26, 37
Asked Rab-shakeh to speak in Syrian
Rent his clothes
Asaph the recorder verse 18, 37
Rent his clothes
Joah verse 26, 37
Asked Rab-shakeh to speak in Syrian
Rent his clothes
People held their peace verse 36
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
If the Judahites’ strategy was to rely on the Lord, the commander said they should remember that Hezekiah had incurred His wrath (he supposed) by removing the high places and altars (cf. v. 4) where the Lord had been worshiped throughout the land. The Assyrians obviously had information about what had been going on in Judah, but they did not understand that Hezekiah’s actions had been carried out in obedience to God’s commands, not out of disrespect for Him. (Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 574). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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In 18:22 and 30 (32:12; Isa. 36:7, 10), the commander tried to convince them that they couldn’t trust the Lord their God to deliver them. How could they trust Jehovah when Hezekiah had removed the altars of the Lord from the city? Was the Lord pleased with what the king did? The Commander knew that there were people in Jerusalem who were unhappy because they could no longer worship at different altars and in the high places but had to go to the temple. But the Commander was so bold as to affirm that he and the Assyrian army had come to Jerusalem in obedience to the commandment of the Lord (18:25; 36:10; see 2 Chron. 35:21). After all, the Lord had used Assyria to chasten and destroy the kingdom of Israel, so why wouldn’t He use Assyria to conquer Judah?
If the people of Judah were trusting in their military resources, said the commander, they were really in trouble, for they didn’t have sufficient horses or enough cavalry men to put on them. If the king would “make a bargain” (enter into a treaty) with Sennacherib, the Assyrians would stop the siege and the people’s lives would be spared. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be distinct (p. 139). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)
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18:22 He whose high places and whose altars. The Rabshakeh mistakenly thought Hezekiah’s reforms in removing idols from all over the land and reestablishing central worship in Jerusalem (18:4; 2Ch 31:1) had removed opportunities to worship the Lord, and thus cut back on honoring Judah’s God, thereby displeasing Him and forfeiting His help in war. this altar. That all worship should center in Solomon’s temple was utterly foreign to the polytheistic Assyrians. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ki 18:22). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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18:22, 23 if you are able: The Assyrian official’s taunt is that the Israelites do not have enough men and that the men they have are not trained for the coming conflict. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 484). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
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Ver. 17. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem, &c.] Notwithstanding he took the above large sum of money of him, so false and deceitful was he: these were three generals of his army, whom he sent to besiege Jerusalem, whilst he continued the siege of Lachish; only Rabshakeh is mentioned in Isa. 36:2. he being perhaps chief general, and the principal speaker; whose speech, to the end of this chapter, intended to intimidate Hezekiah, and dishearten his people, with some circumstances which attended it, are recorded word for word in Isa. 36. throughout; see the notes on it. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 829). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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The Assyrian general, with a large army, marches up to the walls of Jerusalem (18:17–25); he calls for the king but Hezekiah’s officials go out. Sennacherib’s message to Hezekiah contains these points: (1) The king of Assyria is the great king. (What makes you think you can oppose him?) (2) The military means you talk about are nothing. (3) You may think you have an ally in Egypt to support you. Egypt is weak; depend on her and she will hurt you. (4) You cannot depend on your God because Hezekiah angered him by tearing down his places of worship. (This point indicates how little the Assyrians knew of the Lord of the covenant and his demands.) (5) Prove to me that you men of Judah can handle horses and chariots—you and I know you cannot. (6) Assyria is here because your Lord sent me here to capture you.
Hezekiah’s officials ask the Assyrians to speak in Aramaic instead of in Hebrew. The common people of Jerusalem understand only Hebrew (18:26).
The Assyrian commander boastfully replies (18:27–36). The people have to know they will share in the humiliation their leaders will suffer. He shouts in Hebrew to the people: (1) Hezekiah deceives you; he cannot deliver you from Assyria. (2) Do not trust in the Lord as Hezekiah says; the Assyrian king is the great king in the earth. (3) Surrender and come with us to another land and you will be given land, homes, food—a good life. (4) Other nations relied on their gods; Assyria captured them. Your Lord cannot deliver you either. (Van Groningen, G. (1995). 1-2 Kings. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, pp. 258–259). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God’s justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. “Depart from evil and do good” (v. 27). “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way” (v. 34). “Mark the blameless man” (v. 37). “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord” (v. 39). (QuietWalk by Walk thru the Bible July 27, 2014)
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OVERCOMING BY FAITH
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:5
As a Christian, because of what has happened to me, I am able to exercise faith and to live by faith. Here is the second step. First you see “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,” and then “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (verse 4). In other words, my rebirth gives me this faculty of faith and enables me to exercise faith and to live by it.
Let me put it in this practical form: The world that I am fighting is very powerful; it is much more powerful than any one of us. The world conquers and masters everyone who is born into it, for indeed we have been born in sin and “shapen in iniquity” (Psalm 51:5); the world is in us the moment we begin to live. Read your Old Testament; look at those great heroes of the faith, the patriarchs, the godly kings, and the prophets “they all were conquered by the world, they all failed.” “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10); the whole world is guilty before God (Romans 3:19); and therefore, if I am to conquer and overcome that world, I need something that will enable me to do so. It is no use trying to fight the world immediately that cannot be done. Monasticism recognizes that and says, “Run away from it.”
So what do I need? I need emancipation; I need to be lifted to another realm; I need a force and a strength and a power that I do not have myself. That is my need, and here is the answer: I am given faith, I am given an outlook and understanding, I am introduced to a source of power, I see something that another person has never seen. I see might and a power that is even greater than all that is opposed to me. Christians are men and women who have been introduced to another realm.
A Thought to Ponder: Christians are men and women who have been introduced to another realm. (From Life in God, pp. 51-52 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God’s purposes. (Quiet Walk)
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SODOM AND GOMORRAH
If the mighty works, which have been done in thee [Capernaum], had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Matthew 11:23-24
Sodom and Gomorrah were given an opportunity. Read the story in Genesis 19. But consider what the names of these cities suggest to us; Sodom has become a symbol of everything that is false and ugly in man as the result of the Fall. Sodom and Gomorrah suggest profligacy, born in the very gutters of sin, with marauders walking the streets with eyes that stand out in lasciviousness—those were the characteristics of the life there. Now what our Lord said in Matthew 11 was that the case of Capernaum and Chorazin and Bethsaida was worse than that of those Old Testament cities.
Now this can mean but one thing, which is that the judgment of all men and women is ultimately going to be in terms of their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not told that the moral life of these cities was the same as that of Sodom and Gomorrah. We can be perfectly certain it was not; there were none of those evil men roaming the streets in their lusts. There was nothing like that at all, and yet they were worse than Sodom and Gomorrah! Why? Here is the answer: He had lived in Capernaum; He had walked its streets and made it His headquarters. Not only that, it was there that He had worked some of His most mighty and marvelous deeds. It was out of these cities that people like Peter and Andrew and Philip had come, and where our Lord had manifested His glory in a most signal manner. Yet these people went on living as if He had never come at all; that is the source of judgment.
A Thought to Ponder: The judgment of all men and women is ultimately going to be in terms of their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 100-101, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Jesus Is the Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)
Most of us would be familiar with the Greek term used by God to convey this unique title of the Lord Jesus: logos. Its basic meaning is “that which can be communicated.” Sometimes it is used to embrace a collection of ideas expressed in a speech, or a thought in the sense of an idea, or the logic behind a concept.
Jesus is all of that: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). Not only did the Lord Jesus declare what the Father said but what the Father was like. It is obvious that Jesus was the Spokesperson: “Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:50). “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
Much of the active ministry of the Lord Jesus was doing what God would do. His healing, His preaching, His gracious ministry to the poor and needy were all a picture of what God was like. But the miracles, the works of creation, were absolutely the “declaration” of God. Turning water into wine, feeding the 5,000, creating a new hand and new eyes—only the Creator could do that. In fact, Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (John 14:11).
Jesus is the Word of God in every sense that can be spoken, understood, seen, and experienced (Colossians 2:9). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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