2 Kings 18:1-37
Q.1. What was it about King Hezekiah that made him stand out from the other kings of Judah? How did God treat him? – (2 Kgs.18:1-8)
Hezekiah’s father had been one of Judah’s worst. It is therefore all the more remarkable that Hezekiah turned the nation back to God. He was devoted, just as King David had been, and – … clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses (2 Kgs.18:6 c.f. 2 Kgs.18:3). People had worshiped foreign gods on every high hill, but Hezekiah – removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah (2 Kgs.18:4). As so often happens, people worshiped the symbol rather than the Lord, so Hezekiah – also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan (2 Kgs.18:4 c.f. Num.21:8-9). God particularly prospered Hezekiah in his early years of devotion (2 Kgs.18:7-8).
Q.2. Why did the northern kingdom of Israel go into exile? What do we learn from Israel’s demise? – (2 Kgs.18:9-12)
Samaria, the capital of Israel was captured by the Assyrians. The people of the northern tribes were taken into exile (2 Kgs.18:9-11). This was – because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; they would neither listen nor do it (2 Kgs.18:12).
Q.3. How did Hezekiah repulse the invasion of Judah? What is the advantage of conciliation? – (2 Kgs.18:13-16)
When Assyria came against the fortified cities of Judah, Hezekiah humbled himself and agreed to pay whatever was needed to turn the fierce army away. In order to pay for the tribute of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold Hezekiah, opened up his treasuries and even stripped the gold from the exterior of the temple (2 Kgs.18:13-16). He opted for freedom over wealth and was spared by conciliation for a time (c.f. Prov.6:2-5).
Q.4. What advice had Hezekiah given to his people to help them resist the boasts of the general of the Assyrian army? – (2 Kgs.18:17-37)
Israel’s former glory was hard for the surrounding empires to resist. Eventually the greed of the Assyrians brought a further attack. This time it was on the fortified city of Jerusalem (2 Kgs.18:17). From outside its walls, the Assyrian commander tried to break down the resistance of the king and his people. His line of reasoning was geared to discourage and divide the people against their godly king: ‘Don’t trust in a king who has taken your liberties away’ by destroying their foreign gods and insisting that God should only be worshiped in Jerusalem (2 Kgs.18:2). He claimed that Assyria had an unparalleled record of triumph against other gods and boasted – 29 … Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from my hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria (2 Kgs.18:29-30). The people refrained from answering the Assyrian commander, as commanded by King Hezekiah (2 Kgs.18:36-37). Rabshakeh, the Assyrian army commander was not clever, when he too insulted the Lord (2 Kgs.18:22, 30-35).