2 Kings 18
Hezekiah is the next king of Judah and he is 25 years old when he started and ruled for 29 years.
Hezekiah is recorded as a remarkable king, who followed God wholeheartedly, going so far as to remove all the high places and shrines, smashing the alters and chopping down the Asherah poles - ensuring people worshipped God according to the rules.
During the 4th year of his reign the siege of Samaria began and in the 6th year Samaria fell to Assyria and the vast majority of the Israelites were taken off as plunder into exile.
In the 11th year of his reign Sennacherib from Assyria attacked and captured the fortified towns in Judah at which Hezekiah sent a message suing for peace - the King of Assyria demanded 10 tonnes of silver and 1 tonne of gold.
Hezekiah found this by removing all silver from the temple and his palace and the gold - going so far as stripping the gold plating from the doors and frames of the temple.
The king of Assyria sent his army and senior generals to attack Jerusalem, the halted for talk near the walls of the city - Hezekiah sent the palace administrator, secretary and official recorder to talk to the representatives of the Assyrians.
this is the gist of the message -
Who do you think will help you? Your army is pitiful compared to the might of Assyria, do you think Egypt will come to your aid? Egypt is like a reed that splinters and damages your own hand.
You rely on your God? Haven't you destroyed all the high places, don't they belong to god?
Come let us make a bargain, I'll give you a thousand horses if you can find people to ride them! You lot could not even defeat a minor officer and his squad, even if Egypt does come to your aid.
Also do you think that God did not tell me to conquer this land ?
Hezekiah's officials asked to conduct negotiations in Aramaic which was not commonly understood, but the Assyrians said their message was for those on the wall who would suffer if they laid siege to Jerusalem.
They are advised not to trust Hezekiah or put hope that God would help them - if they surrender they will be taken to a land like their own and would live in peace.
What god of any nation I have conquered has saved them?
Hezekiah is the next king of Judah and he is 25 years old when he started and ruled for 29 years.
Hezekiah is recorded as a remarkable king, who followed God wholeheartedly, going so far as to remove all the high places and shrines, smashing the alters and chopping down the Asherah poles - ensuring people worshipped God according to the rules.
During the 4th year of his reign the siege of Samaria began and in the 6th year Samaria fell to Assyria and the vast majority of the Israelites were taken off as plunder into exile.
In the 11th year of his reign Sennacherib from Assyria attacked and captured the fortified towns in Judah at which Hezekiah sent a message suing for peace - the King of Assyria demanded 10 tonnes of silver and 1 tonne of gold.
Hezekiah found this by removing all silver from the temple and his palace and the gold - going so far as stripping the gold plating from the doors and frames of the temple.
The king of Assyria sent his army and senior generals to attack Jerusalem, the halted for talk near the walls of the city - Hezekiah sent the palace administrator, secretary and official recorder to talk to the representatives of the Assyrians.
this is the gist of the message -
Who do you think will help you? Your army is pitiful compared to the might of Assyria, do you think Egypt will come to your aid? Egypt is like a reed that splinters and damages your own hand.
You rely on your God? Haven't you destroyed all the high places, don't they belong to god?
Come let us make a bargain, I'll give you a thousand horses if you can find people to ride them! You lot could not even defeat a minor officer and his squad, even if Egypt does come to your aid.
Also do you think that God did not tell me to conquer this land ?
Hezekiah's officials asked to conduct negotiations in Aramaic which was not commonly understood, but the Assyrians said their message was for those on the wall who would suffer if they laid siege to Jerusalem.
They are advised not to trust Hezekiah or put hope that God would help them - if they surrender they will be taken to a land like their own and would live in peace.
What god of any nation I have conquered has saved them?
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