(The previous post covered Israel being taken completely into captivity and the kings of Judah up through Hezekiah, as well as Hezekiah's confrontation with the Syrians.)
2 Kings 19
(This chapter continued Hezekiah's story.)
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 Jehovah.
(Hezekiah was informed and upset regarding Rabshakeh's words and how he spoke against Hezekiah and told the people to not let Hezekiah lead them to trusting in God.)
2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
(Hezekiah sent messengers to Isaiah, the prophet.)
3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
(The word contumely meant "insulting language or treatment." It is also translated as "blasphemy.")
4 It may be Jehovah thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
(Hezekiah told Isaiah to pray for the remnant that were left.)
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith Jehovah, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tidings, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
(God said, through Isaiah, that the king of Assyria would return to his own land and die there.)
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee, he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,
10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
(God cannot deceive. Deception is a right what with a wrong how/why. God is always completely Right and always completely Just. Therefore God cannot give a wrong how/why.)
11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
(Rabshakeh continued to taunt Hezekiah. He listed these many cities that the Assyrian army had conquered.)
14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of Jehovah, and spread it before Jehovah.
(Verses 15-19: Hezekiah laid out the letters before God and prayed.)
15 And Hezekiah prayed before Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, that sittest above the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith he hath sent him to defy the living God.
(Hezekiah recognized God and built his faith through understanding by declaring God as the living God.)
17 Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
(Hezekiah referenced Justice. The kings of Assyria had been unjust, so Judah had gained spiritual value.)
19 Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, save thou us, I beseech thee, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou Jehovah art God alone.
(Hezekiah made a request: salvation of the people from the Assyrians. He left the how to God.)
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard thee.
(God heard Hezekiah’s prayer.)
(Verses 21-28: Isaiah proclaimed the Word of God.)
21 This is the word that Jehovah hath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
22 Whom hast thou defied and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
(God recognized the Assyrians had blasphemed God.)
23 By thy messengers thou hast defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into his farthest lodging-place, the forest of his fruitful field.
24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.
25 Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
(God revealed that the Assyrians were able to do what they had done because God wanted to chasten Judah.)
26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as grain blasted before it is grown up.
27 But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me.
28 Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
(God said the king would return back by the way he came. This meant God would do unto them as they had done unto God (and Israel/Judah). This was Just.)
(Verses 29-31: God's Word continued, now regarding Judah.)
29 And this shall be the sign unto thee: Ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.
30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this.
(Verses 32-35: God's protection over Judah.)
32 Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith Jehovah.
34 For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
(God finished by giving the reason why He would save this city: lovingkindness and mercy for David.)
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
(That night, the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. One angel was able to kill at least 185,000 people in one night.)
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
(Nineveh was the capitol of Assyria. In the Book of Jonah, Jonah was sent to Nineveh to speak to the king of Assyria.)
2 Kings 20
(Hezekiah's story continued.)
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
(In those days, Hezekiah was sick unto death. He was going to die that day or very soon. Isaiah told him that God said he shalt die and not live. God did not say Hezekiah "maybe" would die. This sickness would end in death soon enough that Hezekiah needed to put his house in order.)
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah, saying,
3 Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
(Hezekiah prayed. He asked God to remember how he lived. Hezekiah prayed this in response to Isaiah’s pronouncement of death. Hezekiah wanted to live.
Key point here: Hezekiah was righteous. This sickness was not a judgment from God that Hezekiah wanted to be released from.)
4 And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out into the middle part of the city, that the word of Jehovah came to him, saying,
(Before Isaiah was out of the middle court, God gave him a word.)
5 Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of Jehovah.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
(In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, through Justice, God said He would heal Hezekiah and add fifteen years to his life. The result: Hezekiah actually did live fifteen more years. That point proved Hezekiah was going to die very soon after the original word was given (vs.1). God wasn't speaking of the final death that Hezekiah would eventually experience as all men do. God was speaking specifically of Hezekiah dying very soon.
To say that God had always planned on healing Hezekiah and adding fifteen years to his life is calling God a liar. Again, in verse 1 God said "thou shalt die and not live." Then God said He would add fifteen years and Hezekiah lived fifteen more years. Either Hezekiah was going to die (because God had to add fifteen years to avoid him dying) or God did not add fifteen years (meaning God lied) and Hezekiah was always going to live fifteen more years.
The only explanation that was non-contradictory with the rest of God's Word was: Hezekiah’s prayer and his righteousness (Reward) caused God to move and heal Hezekiah...and God did NOT know EVERYTHING that will happen ahead of time.
Omniscient, according to the Bible, meant that God knew all the causes that existed and their effects. God did not know the causes that did not yet exist. At the beginning of this story, the causes that existed were that Hezekiah would die. Hezekiah's prayer provided a new cause and God stated the effect of that new cause.
Also, this story proved it was possible to pray against God's Will and have God answer a prayer that was against His Will. The key? The person praying needed to have enough spiritual value.
If you doubt this non-contradictory explanation, this story was told from Isaiah's perspective in Isaiah 38. In that chapter, Isaiah even documented a song that Hezekiah sang that gave further proof that God added fifteen years to Hezekiah's life.)
7 And Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that Jehovah will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of Jehovah the third day?
(Hezekiah wanted a sign to confirm his healing. Would he need this sign if his death was far off?)
9 And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten steps: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.
(The sign would be for the shadow to return backward ten steps, also translated as degrees.)
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Jehovah; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.
(The "dial of Ahaz" was a type of sundial.)
12 At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
(It didn't seem like Hezekiah handled his extra time well. 2 Chronicles 32:24-26 speaks to this part of the story even stating, "But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up.")
(Verses 14-18: God, through Isaiah, rebuked Hezekiah.)
14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
15 And he said, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of Jehovah.
17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah.
18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
(Hezekiah showed the Babylonians all the treasure he had. God told Hezekiah, through Isaiah, that Judah would be carried away to Babylon, their sons would be taken away and would be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. The events of this prophecy were documented in the Book of Daniel.)
19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, Is it not so, if peace and truth shall be in my days?
20 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers; and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
(Hezekiah was happy that he would have peace during his own time.)
2 Kings 21
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hephzibah.
(Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign over Judah. Manasseh would not have been born if God had not healed Hezekiah. This was a key piece of information for understanding the upcoming events. It was never God’s plan for Hezekiah to live long enough for Manasseh to be born. Manasseh being born was Hezekiah’s doing. In fact, it looked as if God was trying to prevent Manasseh from being born by having Hezekiah's illness end in death.)
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
(Manasseh, the eleventh from David in the lineage of Christ according to Matthew's genealogy, did evil and rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah took down.)
4 And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.
(He built pagan altars in the temple of God.)
6 And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and used enchantments, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.
7 And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever;
8 neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.
(Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations God had destroyed. Manasseh may have been even more evil than Ahab.)
10 And Jehovah spake by his servants the prophets, saying,
11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, that were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols;
(Manasseh was the cause...)
12 therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
14 And I will cast off the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
(…of the evil brought upon the people.)
15 because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.
17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
(Amon was the twelfth from David in the lineage of Christ according to Matthew's genealogy.)
19 Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father.
(Amon reigned over Judah and did evil.)
21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:
22 and he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of Jehovah.
23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.
24 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
(Josiah was made king. 1 Kings 13:2 - "And he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee.")
25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
26 And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.
(Josiah was the thirteenth from David in the lineage of Christ according to Matthew's genealogy.)
(This post covered Hezekiah's prayer against God's Will and the reigns of Manasseh and Amon.)
Day 110
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