Hezekiah Part 4 II Chronicles 32

II Chronicles 32:1 "After these things and the establishment thereof, Sennach'e-rib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities and thought to win them for himself."

Sennacherib stayed at a place called Lachish and sent his servant to carry his message to king Hezekiah. This in itself seems like an insult to king Hezekiah that another king would send a servant instead of coming himself. It may have be a ploy to lower Hezekiah to a servants level. His reasons are not mentioned here. When I saw the name Senacherib (and there is no spiritual insight here) I could not help but think it sounded like snatch-a-rib which I thought was funny.

Anyway the servant came to Jerusalem and started out telling how Hezekiah had done away with all the high places and idols and so the people had no gods to pray to for deliverance. He bragged about all the other nations they had destroyed who gods of their own, which seems a contradiction to me. Then he made a grave mistake, he bundled the true God with the false gods and railed against him.

v10 Thus saith, Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?" Then he asks a bunch of questions like the serpent did in the garden of Eden.

v11 "Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst... v12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars...v13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? v14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people...v15 ...how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?"

The man was full of questions. It was all an effort to dishearten the people and turn them against their king and their God. Hezekiah did the best thing, he called a prayer meeting.

v20 "And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven."

v21 "And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword."

After this Hezekiah became sick but prayed for more years and was given 15 more. During this time he had a son whose name was Manasseh who started his reign as king at the age of 12.

Hezekiah made some mistakes near the end but in the end he humbled himself and was buried with honors.

Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."

Hezekiah prays and is delivered from the king of Assyria.

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