CHAPTER 18

(710 B.C.)

HEZEKIAH REIGNS OVER JUDAH

¹Now 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 (so begins the reign of one of Judahs Godliest kings; he began his reign as a vassal of the king of Assyria, by whom he was placed upon the throne during the lifetime of his father Ahaz).

²Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mothers name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah (Hezekiahs accession to the throne may be placed almost certainly in 727 B.C.).

³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. (Once again, David is used as the example. Few would come up to this example, as did Hezekiah. In fact, such unqualified praise is only assigned to two other kings of Judah Asa [I Ki. 15:11] and Josiah [I Ki. 22:2]. It is curious that all three were the sons of wicked fathers. Hezekiah was probably, at an early age, brought under the influence of the Prophet Isaiah [Isa. 7:3-16].)

⁴He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves (over and over again, in previous Chapters, the Holy Spirit records that Israel yet sacrificed in the high places; but now, refreshingly, it records the very opposite), and broke 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. (Nehushtan means a piece of copper. Originally, the brazen serpent was set up by God as a symbol of the coming Redemption of Calvary. But so prone is the heart to idolatry that the Holy Spirit records here the action of Hezekiah with approval. Likewise, many in the modern Church have made idols out of water baptism, the Lords Supper, particular religious denominations, etc. [I Cor. 1:17; Num. 21:9].)

⁵He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any who were before him (Hezekiah discarded trust in man and put his trust wholly in God; this was exactly what God required then, and exactly what He requires now [Isa. 30:1-7]).

⁶For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following Him, but kept His Commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses (this doesnt mean that Hezekiah was perfect, for no man is; it does mean that he tried with all of his heart to obey the Lord; and, when there was failure, he would take it to the Lord, even as did David).

⁷And the LORD was with him (of no other king of Judah or Israel is this said, except only of David [II Sam. 5:10]; in fact, its the greatest thing that can be said of anyone); and he prospered whithersoever he went forth (prosperity is dependent upon obedience): and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. (The Child of God is to serve God Alone! However, as Assyria, do not expect Satan to go quietly! He seeks to dominate the Child of God, and will do so, if the Believer doesnt understand Gods Prescribed Order of Victory, which is Christ and Him Crucified, and our Faith in that Finished Work. Such Faith then gives latitude to the Holy Spirit, Who Works exclusively within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ, to work mightily within our lives [Rom. 6:3-14; 8:1-2, 11].)

⁸He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city (this victory over the Philistines, who were an internal enemy, and the later victory over the Assyrians, who were an external enemy, illustrate the fact that victory over both inward and outward temptation is promised to the overcomer [Rom. 6:14]).

⁹And 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 (Verses 9-12 repeat the information already given in the previous Chapter; it is, no doubt, introduced designedly by the Holy Spirit as a solemn reminder to the house of David, and to Christian people of today, that God has the same controversy with evil, and will judge it with a like judgment, whether it be practiced by the followers of David or of Jeroboam).

¹⁰And 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 (the fall of the northern kingdom).

¹¹And 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:

¹²Because 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. (This, and this alone, disobedience of the Word of the Lord, was the cause of the fall of the northern kingdom. Let the reader understand that it is the same presently.

How does the modern Christian properly obey?

We render obedience by placing our Faith and trust in Christ and the Cross exclusively, which then gives us the help of the Holy Spirit. This alone helps us to live a holy life. This, and this alone, is Gods Prescribed Order of Victory [Rom. 6:3-14].)

SENNACHERIB, KING OF ASSYRIA, INVADES JUDAH

¹³Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. (As stated, Satan does not go quietly! This was eight years after the captivity of the ten Tribes. If Hezekiah had yielded, Sennacherib, no doubt, would have taken the whole kingdom of Judah into captivity. As it was, at least for a period of time, he took the entirety of the nation, with the exception of Jerusalem. Ultimately, God gave Hezekiah victory over the Assyrians. It was not until some 125 years later that Judah fell, and then to the Babylonians.)

HEZEKIAH PAYS TRIBUTE

¹⁴And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which you put 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.

¹⁵And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the House of the LORD (the Temple), and in the treasures of the kings house.

¹⁶At 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. (The repetition of Hezekiahs name in Verse 16, after being given in the Fifteenth Verse, emphasizes a lesson. The very Hezekiah who overlaid the pillars of the Temple of Jehovah with gold was the very same Hezekiah who cut off the gold and sent it to the Assyrian king as tribute. Unbelief is costly, and compromise seldom delivers. Had Hezekiah at this time trusted fully in the Lord, he would not have suffered this abuse to the Temple of the Lord.)

JUDAH INSULTED

¹⁷And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem (the balance of Judah had already fallen). 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 high way of the fullers field. (Irrespective of Hezekiahs efforts of compromise, it didnt work! It appears that Sennacherib, content with his tribute from Hezekiah, however, did go back to Nineveh. Hezekiah, left to himself, repented of his submission and commenced negotiations with Egypt, which implied treason against the king of Assyria; hence, the invasion. As well, Hezekiah should not have sought help from Egypt.

As stated, no consecration is perfect. In fact, these enemies appeared because of Judahs unfaithfulness. So it is in the modern Believers life.

Fidelity to the Lord and to His Word saves the Christian from those trials which a lack of fidelity surely brings. And yet, the pitying Love and Wisdom of God may use these very griefs as instruments of spiritual enrichment to those who, like Hezekiah, really love Him, even though that love, as with all of us, is imperfect.)

¹⁸And 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 (as Jerusalem was surrounded by Sennacherib, Hezekiah sends out three officials to address the general in command).

¹⁹And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak you now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria (Sennacherib), What confidence is this wherein you trust? (Sennacherib is inquiring of Hezekiah, as to what strength on which does he rely? What is the ground of his confidence?)

²⁰You say, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? (Sennacherib imagines that Hezekiahs real trust is in the fleshly arm of Egypt. He could not be more wrong, even though Hezekiah may, in fact, have welcomed help from that source.)

²¹Now, behold, you trust 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 who trust on him.

²²But if you say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that He, Whose high places and Whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this Altar in Jerusalem? (The heathen monarch totally misunderstood what Hezekiah had done, as it regards the high places, etc., being removed; he thought that Hezekiah had seriously offended the God of Israel by doing this.)

²³Now therefore, I pray you, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria (so says Rab-shakeh), and I will deliver you two thousand horses, if you be able on your part to set riders upon them (this is a strong expression of contempt for the military power of the Jews).

²⁴How then will you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my masters servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

²⁵Am 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. (In effect, he is erroneously claiming the help of Jehovah. He no doubt does this based on the fact that Assyria, a short time earlier, had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, who purportedly served the same God as Judah. So, he reckoned he would do to Judah what he had done to Israel. These statements are meant as contempt of both Jehovah and Judah. In fact, he does feel very secure, considering that all of Judah has fallen to him, with the exception of Jerusalem. And now he will destroy it, or so he thinks!)

JUDAHS ANSWER

²⁶Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray you, to your servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews language in the ears of the people who are on the wall.

RAB-SHAKEH OF ASSYRIA BOASTS AND INSULTS GOD

²⁷But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you? (The contempt continues!)

²⁸Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews language, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria (history scarcely presents any other instance of such coarse and barefaced effrontery):

²⁹Thus says the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

³⁰Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria (Rabshakeh is appealing to the people of Jerusalem to surrender; it is useless, he continues, for them to depend on God!).

³¹Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus says the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present (make terms with me, but on my own demands), and come out to me, and then eat you every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink you every one the waters of his cistern (you can avoid the war by coming under my control):

³²Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that you may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, The LORD will deliver us (in other words, all of Jerusalem, as well as Judah, will be taken captive into a foreign land; evidently, Rabshakeh knew something of Jehovah, and of Hezekiahs faith).

³³Has any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (Rabshakeh here equates Jehovah with the heathen gods of other countries which Assyria had defeated.)

³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? (Rabshakeh is claiming that no god had hitherto delivered any city which the Assyrians had attacked.)

³⁵Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? (Produce an example of deliverance, Rabshakeh means to say, before you speak of deliverance as probable, or even possible. This heathen field commander cannot conceive the idea that Jehovah is anything but a local god, on a par with all the other gods of the countries which incidentally Assyria had defeated.)

³⁶But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commandment was, saying, Answer him not (evidently, Hezekiah had expected something like this, so he forewarns the people).

³⁷Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh (they had rent their clothes, not so much in grief, or in alarm, as in horror at Rab-shakehs blasphemies).