Because of God’s awesome power, the Christian does not need to fear the enemy.

This lesson is about a great military victory given to Hezekiah and the kingdom of Judah by God‘s supernatural intervention. Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, a wicked king, but he chose to be the exact opposite of his father. Hezekiah‘s desire was to restore the kingdom of Judah to godliness. Ahaz had lead the nation into idolatry, and his policies had brought the nation into religious, political, and moral decay. Hezekiah sought to abolish all idolatry and restore the warship of the God of Israel. He also endeavored to bring the nation out from under the oppression of the Assyrian empire. For this, God blessed Hezekiah and protected Judah.

GOLDEN TEXT: 2 Kings 19:35  And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

In order to understand this lesson it is important to read the beginning of the chapter…

2 Kings 18:1  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.

18:3  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

…….One of the most important facts to know is that Israel had been rebellious and serving strange gods up until the reign of Hezekiah.

18:4  He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

…….He took away all the false gods and lead Judah back to only worshipping the one true God.

18:5  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.

18:6  For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

18:7  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.

18:8  He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

18:9  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.

18:10  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.

18:11  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:

18:12  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.

18:13  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.

18:14  And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

18:15  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.

18:16  At that time did 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.

1. GOD’S PEOPLE THREATENED

A. Sennacherib’s Boast

18:17  And the king of Assyria (Sennacherib) sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh (2 officers and a field commander) 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 (washers) field….(A very public location meant for Judah’s officials)

18:18  And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder….(3 of Hezekiah’s officials)

18:19  And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

18:20  Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

18:21  Now, behold, thou trustest 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.

18:22  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

…….Not only are the opposing men trying to intimidate the people of Judah, but they are mocking the one true God.

18:23  Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

…….They tell the men of Judah that if they can find the men to ride, they will even provide the horses to fight against them. Humiliation is a tactic of the enemy. The battle so often starts in the mind.

18:25  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.

…….The Rabshakeh now claimed that Judah’s God had turned against them and sided with Assyria. What a place to be in, knowing the opposing enemy is multiple times larger and physically more powerful. Not only that, but the verbal tactics seem so true that it’s hard not to believe.

B. Sennacherib’s Blasphemy

18:33  Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

18:34  Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

18:35  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?

…….The Rabshekeh concluded his speech by comparing the God of Judah with the Gods of other nations! The Assyrians believed that when they conquered other nations, they also conquered that nations gods. How ignorant to place the one true living God in the same category of nonexistent gods.

Since the spokesperson spoke for the king, the words of blasphemy came as being directly from Sennacherib himself.

2. HEZEKIAH TURNS TO GOD

A. Hezekiah humbles himself

2 Kings 19:1  And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

…….It makes me wonder, what if Hezekiah would have taken this step in the first place? Instead of stripping the gold from the temple trying to subdue a wicked kings demands, though Hezekiah was a righteous king, what if he would have turned to the Lord on the very beginning? It’s such a common fleshy thing to do, sit around and worry about the attack of the enemy rather than focusing on the promises of the Lord. But, we don’t have to entertain the turmoil and mental attacks of the enemy. His words have told us and prove to be so true that our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds! 2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ….. Jesus takes away the “what if’s” and replaces it with truth!

19:2  And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

B. Hezekiah Requests Prayer

19:3  And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

19:4  It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.

…….He said they felt like a woman due to give birth, but had no strength to perform the great task. That’s exactly what anxiety and stress causes, complete spiritual and physical exhaustion. Even though Hezekiah seemed to had lost his faith, he was honest about his troubles and knew where to turn to.

3. ALMIGHTY GOD RESPONDS

A. God’s Encouraging Assurance

19:5  So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

19:6  And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

19:7  Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

B. Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death

19:35  And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand (185,000): and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

19:36  So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

19:37  And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

God‘s destruction of the Assyrian army to save Jerusalem and Judah affirms that God has sovereign authority and power over events and people in this world. While the miraculous nature of God‘s destruction of the Assyrian army is clearly seen, the fact is, God is always working by his sovereign authority and power, and events and through people, to bring outcomes to pass He has willed. The fact that we do not always clearly see or understand what God is doing, must not be allowed to keep us from knowing he is always, in all things, working for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose Romans (8:28).