Assyria - Ezekiel 31

Ezekiel 31:3 "Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs."

In speaking to Egypt, the Lord told Ezekiel to tell Egypt about Assyria and their majesty. Upon doing so, it should have been clear to Egypt that even the greatest can be brought down.

Assyria was one of four great kingdoms (monarchies) of the time. It sat where Kurdisten now stands but spread far and wide. It is also related to Nineveh where tablets with a strange form of writing has been dug up in recent years.

v5 "Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth."

Assyria is compared to the garden of God, Eden.

v8 "The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty."

But even this greatness came to nought under the judgment of God. So, Egypt would be no exception.

v16 "I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth."

It is God who raises up nations and who has the power to cast them down.

v18 "To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the neither parts of the earth; thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD."

The Remnant Isaiah 10

Isaiah 10:12 "Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the LORD hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks."

Assyria is the instrument used to punish the children of Israel but Assyria thought themselves to be more than that. So, in this chapter we are told that once the purpose of Assyria is fulfilled, their attitude will be dealt with.

v20 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."

There were the very poor who were left by the conquerors to tend the vineyards and then there were those who returned from captivity to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. These are the remnant. Others did not return when given the opportunity because they were doing well financially in the land of captivity.

v21 "The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God."

I'd recommend Nehemiah and Daniel as study books here. We should keep in mind, as Christians, that all the prophecy concerning Israel has not been fulfilled. The gospel is still a mystery to those who do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. We live now in a time when redemption is come to the Gentiles, a time of grace, before the events of Daniel and Revelation fully come to pass.

We are looking from Isaiah toward the short term future events and the long term future events. I think there are some key words and phrases which should be considered: v12 "whole work" "remnant" "v25 "very little while" "indignation" .

v33 "Behold the LORD, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled."

We could say that the LORD is chastening Israel but he will not allow the punisher to exceed his bounds without cost.

Psalm 119:81 "My soul fainteth for thy salvation; but I hope in thy word."

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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