These astonishing chapters demonstrate that the God of the Bible is the sovereign Lord of history. The question remains however, are you trusting in yourself, world leaders, or the God of Israel? Hezekiah was an exceptional godly king of Judah, reigning in Jerusalem. He removed false gods, restored worship in the Temple and reinstated the Passover. The children of Israel had worshipped the bronze serpent and called it Nehushtan (Numbers 21:4-9; 2 Kings 18:4). Rather than looking to the Lord for deliverance they made an idol. The name Hezekiah means ‘God strengthens’ and we all need to be strengthened by Him and trust in Him.
Who are you trusting in?
In 2 Kings 18, Shalmanesar V took the Northern Kingdom of Israel into exile in Assyria. Eight years later, Sennacherib came up against all the fortified cities of Judah. In particular, he laid siege against Lachish located around 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Stone panels from Sennacherib’s palace graphically portray this in Room 10b in the British Museum.
Sadly, on this occasion, Hezekiah decided to make temporary ‘peace’ by paying a large tribute to Sennacherib. He gave him 300 talents of silver, 30 talents of gold and even stripped gold from the doors of the temple, in order, to do so. Sennacherib then sent his high-ranking officials and came to Jerusalem. The Tartan was the commander in chief, the Rabsaris acted as the chief officer and the Rabshakeh was the chief of staff or governor. “Representing Hezekiah were Eliakim, the palace administrator, Shebna, the secretary, and Joah, the recorder (see Isa. 22:15-25; 36:3).”[i]
The Assyrian representatives stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool. Pawson notes that 20 years previously God sent Isaiah to the exact same spot foretelling the Assyrians would come to the city.[ii] Also, in Isaiah 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, we read how Hezekiah stopped the water source and diverted it into the city. The outside source was then hidden, preventing both access and potential spoiling from the Assyrians whilst supplying an essential supply off water to the residents in Jerusalem. If you do not mind getting your feet wet you can walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel today.
In a situation of that nature, seeking an alliance to resist the major power is a likely initial move. So, the Rabshakeh then urged them not to rely on Egypt which he compared with a broken reed and not to rely on their horses or chariots either. To some degree he inadvertently made a profound point. Psalm 20:7 counsels us, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of our God.” That is a salutary lesson at all times! Nonetheless, in 2 Kings 18:23, he tauntingly ‘offered them’ 2000 horses, mocking them by drawing attention to the possibility that there might be insufficient people to ride them. Rabbi Levi Ben Gershon noted the sarcasm implied that if Hezekiah did not have enough riders for those horses, how much less the possibility of a rebellion.[iii]
Eliakim, the Jewish official asked the Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic, instead of Hebrew. Why? Aramaic was the language of diplomacy which the Jewish officials would know but the people in the city would not comprehend and he did not want them to be fearful. The Rabshakeh then bellowed in Hebrew to hear the word of the great king of Assyria, stating, make peace (shalom), with me! This was obviously a false peace, that in later years, Jeremiah and Ezekiel would warn of in the context of false prophets, priests and teachers, when certain individuals pronounced, “peace, peace when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; Ezekiel 13:10, 16). Today, there are many leaders who speak of peace towards Israel yet their actions betray them. Whose voice will you listen to, who will you depend on and who will you trust in?
The God of history
I have often marvelled at how similar 2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37 are and pondered the reasons why? After all, these chapters show so clearly how prophecy and history converge and that the God off the Bible is the sovereign Lord of history. In the order of the books, the Tanakh places the book of Isaiah immediately after 2 Kings and 2 Kings is in the Nevi’im (prophets) section too. Another astounding feature is the historicity of both the characters and the events.
In Isaiah 19:1 Hezekiah is mentioned. Archaeological discoveries have uncovered Hezekiah’s seal, Hezekiah’s tunnel and he is also attested in Assyrian accounts. In addition, Hezekiah is confirmed in the Biblical Archaeological Society list of attested biblical characters.[iv]
In Isaiah 19:9 we encounter Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia who is depicted in a sculpture alongside the Ram god Amun in Room 4 of the British Museum. There is an impressively large sized shrine and another ram of Tarharqa in Room 23 in the Ashmolean Museum.
In Isaiah 19:20 Sennacherib is mentioned. Sennacherib’s prism/Taylor’s Prism can be found in Room 55 of the British Museum. Reliefs from his palace are found in room 10b concerning the siege of Lachish can be found in the British Museum. Sennacherib’s prism mentions him trapping Hezekiah in a cage like a bird. Sennacherib took Lachish but never took Jerusalem.
In Isaiah 19:37 Sennacherib’s sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and they fled to land of Ararat. Adrammelech is also mentioned in the Biblical Archaeological Society list of attested biblical characters.[v]
In Isaiah 19:37 at the end of the verse, Esarhaddon his other son reigned in his place. If you venture into Room 55 in the British Museum, Esarhaddon’s Prism is fittingly placed in the same glass case next to that of Sennacherib.
Praying for Israel
We see in these chapters that the Lord is sovereign in history, but how are we to pray for Israel today? These chapters provide us with clear precedent and direction. Hezekiah and his officials tore their clothes and sat in sackcloth. They loved God and His people and they cared. People who love Israel and the Lord have a burden to pray for the good of His people for His glory.
Isaiah counselled them not to be afraid. The way to remove fear of man is to fear God. Leaders and nations will sometimes force you to trust in them by trying to make you afraid of them. So, a wise starting point is to fear the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). In other words, turn your fear of others into faith in God and trust in Him.
One of the enemy tactics is to send messengers or a message to intimidate and overwhelm us. Other than recognising the Lord God of Israel, the Assyrian argument was otherwise rational, logically coherent and persuasive. Their empire had triumphed over plenty of other nations and their gods, so how would Judah be able to oppose them? Expect to receive opposition from time to time such as messengers (people) or messages (letters, calls, emails). The important thing is to respond in a biblical way and trust in the Lord of history.
Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and spread it before the Lord and that is exactly what we must do. But first, note what he does not do. Hezekiah does not pay tribute and he does not go into paralysis mode and he does not put the letter in his pending tray. Hezekiah prays insightfully, recognising who God is, what He has done and that it is for His glory. Hezekiah declares God’s greatness which will strengthen him. Hezekiah asks God to hear, mirroring Solomon’s prayer in the Temple (2 Kings 19:16 cf. I Kings 8:29; 2 Chronicles 6:40). Hezekiah was cognizant and informed of the situation and it is good for us to have an eye on the Scriptures and an eye on the events relating to Israel. Hezekiah knew exactly what to pray for. It was not simply that Jerusalem would be spared but rather he prayed emphatically with God’s glory in view in that all the kingdoms of the earth might know that He is the Lord God, Him alone.
Hezekiah also gleaned insight from someone of understanding, namely Isaiah. Isaiah affirmed how God is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe who is involved in human events. This changed the perspective entirely from human reason to godly fear and an eternal perspective. The Lord was using the Assyrians as His chastening agent since Assyria was the rod of His anger (Isaiah 10:5-6). Similarly, the Lord Called Nebuchadnezzar, His servant (Jeremiah 27:6) and Cyrus, His shepherd (Isaiah 44:28). The Jewish people would return, Jerusalem would be built and the Temple established.
We must keep in mind that when world leaders oppose Israel, they are often God’s chastening agents. We must gain insight from God’s word, examine biblical historical precedents and spread these matters before the Lord. We need to understand the times, pray for the deliverance of God’s people and that He might be glorified.
God graciously gave Hezekiah a sign and there would be plentiful food. The Rabshakeh had earlier threatened that they would have to resort to eating their own excrement and drinking their own urine (2 Kings 18:27). Imagine you are about to face a siege in ancient times. An army marches on its stomach and you would be seriously concerned about a sustainable supply of food and water. Your opponents will have to find sustenance and will do the utmost to obtain food outside your city and attempt to deprive you of the same.
But the Lord promised they would have plenty of food. They were further reassured in that there would be no siege, no arrow shot and no one outside bearing shields. This astonishing prophecy was fulfilled and Sennacherib left the way that he came (2 Kings 19:29-37). Sometimes when we face a situation, we are worried about our daily needs. Remember as well as dealing with the enemy, our Lord is abundantly capable in taking care of our vital daily needs as well.
The Angel of the Lord delivered them
At the close of 2 Kings 19, the Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrians providing deliverance. But who is the Angel of the Lord? Motyer states, “It would better reflect the rest of the Old Testament if this were printed ‘the Angel of the Lord’, for among many angels there is one special personage. He is the Lord, and yet he is distinct from the Lord (Gn. 16:7, 11. Jdg. 13:21-22); and he combines in himself divine holiness and divine condescension (Ex. 23:20).”[vi] The Angel of the Lord is Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), who saves and you must put your trust in Him.
This remarkable passage shows that the Lord is sovereign in history. We are to trust in Him and not in others or ourselves. We are to turn our fear into faith in the Lord. We are to spread our concerns before the Lord and He will provide what we need. We are to gain encouragement from historical precedents in the Bible and gain insights and apply them wisely for today. But above all, the believer will pray earnestly to the Lord, not solely for deliverance, but that His name might be glorified!
[i] Warren W. Wiersbe The Wiersbe Bible Commentary The Complete Old Testament in One Volume (David C. Cook, 2007 Colorado Springs), p720
[ii] David Pawson A Commentary on Isaiah (Anchor Recordings, 2019; Reading), p179
[iii] Rabbi Levi Ben Gershon cited in The Stone Edition Tanakh General Editors Rabbi Nosson Scherman & Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz (Mesorah Publications, 2000; Brooklyn), p929
[iv] Biblical Archaeological Society Lawrence Mykytiuk 53 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/50-people-in-the-bible-confirmed-archaeologically/
[v] Ibid,
[vi] Alec Motyer Isaiah Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Inter-Varsity Press, 1999; Leicester), p231