2 Kings 19

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Read 2 Kings 19

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10 “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

17 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall

20 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

“‘Virgin Daughter Zion
    despises you and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head as you flee.
22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,
    “With my many chariots
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars,
    the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts,
    the finest of its forests.
24 I have dug wells in foreign lands
    and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
    I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

25 “‘Have you not heard?
    Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.
26 Their people, drained of power,
    are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,
like grass sprouting on the roof,
    scorched before it grows up.

27 “‘But I know where you are
    and when you come and go
    and how you rage against me.
28 Because you rage against me
    and because your insolence has reached my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
    and my bit in your mouth,
and I will make you return
    by the way you came.’

29 “This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,
    and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
    plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
    will take root below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
    and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.

“The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

32 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

“‘He will not enter this city
    or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
    or build a siege ramp against it.
33 By the way that he came he will return;
    he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
34 I will defend this city and save it,
    for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”

35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

37 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

Go Deeper

In 2 Kings 19, we see Hezekiah pray for God to save Jerusalem. But why would He when His people disobey Him again and again? Instinctually, you probably expect God to protect His chosen people because it feels like rescue aligns with God’s character and plan. But at the same time, you might feel like they deserve to be taken over. They have constantly been unfaithful to theLord, and this cycle of turning from God might be exhausting for you to read. Whichever way you feel, know that both can be true at the same time!

This isn’t the chapter where we see God discipline His people, but know that will come later. Rather, there are three main reasons God reveals as to why He defends the city.

The first reason is Hezekiah prays to the Lord in desperation as a response to Sennacherib’s 

letter (v. 20). Hezekiah takes all of his fears and anxieties, coming humbly before the Lord for help. It is a beautiful example of how God desires for us to come before Him. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God cares for the desires of our hearts and listens to us when we bring things to Him.

The second reason God defends Jerusalem is to bring glory to Himself. Verse 34 says, “For I will defend this city and save it, for my sake.” When God does the impossible, it reminds His people of His power and holiness. So often we need to be reminded of who He is and what God can do to take our eyes off ourselves and direct our focus back to Him. The other thing these miraculous works do is serve as a witness to the world of  the clear existence of the Lord. For how could 185,000 people die simultaneously, if not by some supernatural power? Pastor and commentator David Guzik describes the act this way: “The unstoppable was stopped, the undefeated was defeated.” God puts Sennacherib in his place; even the greatest army is no match for God.

The third reason for this defense is “for the sake of David my servant” (v. 34b). The time of David is in the distant past, and yet God still keeps the promise that He made in 2 Samuel 7:10-17. The same God who has kept His promise with David keeps His promises with us! He has given us a spot in eternity forever if we simply believe in Him- how sweet to know that we have a God who holds fast to His promises!

Questions

  1. What do you observe about Hezekiah’s prayer? How can you learn from it?
  2. What does this chapter teach you about dependency? Why is it essential in our faith?
  3. There is a lot about this passage that speaks on God’s wrath- if something here made you feel uncomfortable in this chapter, what was it? What other aspects of God’s character do you also see in this passage?

By the Way

2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37 are identical, word for word. Most likely, since Isaiah was written before 2 Kings, the author used Isaiah as a reference of sorts.

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4 thoughts on “2 Kings 19”

  1. Hindsight is 20/20 is true. Should-a would -a could-a is another. If only I had ___. Pray is the answer to decreasing the if only’s. It is a common thread that God wants to be a part, a very intrinsically part of our life. I believe He can help find lost paperwork (happened yesterday) or whatever it is that we need help with, PRAY!!! He is a very very detailed minded God so He wants us to come before Him with ALL of our lives. These guys had to go to the temple and do all sorts of ritualistic things whereas we just say God help. It doesn’t have to be a eloquent pray or lots of words. Just pause ask for help and listen quietly. The quietly may be more of a problem these days. Find a scripture and say it as a pray. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God thank You for caring for the desires of my heart. I am casting them on You over and over today in Jesus name amen. WOOHOO!!

  2. Ella Snodgrass

    Daily we need guidance to navigate life. The real question is where will we seek help. Will we run to the Maker of heaven & earth or will we turn to the countless voices vying for our attention? Will we give up and wallow in our despair or see problems as opportunities to grow in our faith and press into the Savior? Praying for discernment that recognizes God’s sovereignty over every circumstance we will ever face and like King Hezekiah come boldly to the throne of grace where we will find true help in every need. May we stand our ground in faith refusing to give up or bow down to evil and be amazed at the deliverance of our God.

  3. I love this account of God’s faithfulness! Because HE IS FAITHFUL, I WILL TRUST HIM today! I’m so thankful for Hezekiah’s choice to trust God by going straight to God after reading Sennacherib’s letter detailing the Assyrian’s destruction of nations and taunts. He must have felt fearful, BUT he ran to God, poured out his heart and asked God to save them and exalt Himself as God! Thank you God for reminding us to live by trusting you today!

  4. Amen,Michele! 🙌🏻
    What would have made this passage even more miraculous would to know the time frame in between events! It doesn’t seem like God wasted time in responding to Hezekiah either! I loved how Isaiah heard his prayer and sent words to comfort Hezekiah.
    It’s evident today how important our prayer life is to God. How he intercedes on our behalf, and protects those who may be undeserving of grace and mercy. May we learn when others oppose us, or try to tear down our spirits of hope,(v9) we hold steadfast to the promises of our Father. To have people we trust, who serve God, in our circle to help navigate in hard times.
    Great commentary and thoughts today! 🤗

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