Hezekiah and the Assyrians

Transcription

1 Assyrians attack Jerusalem Hezekiah prays over letter in temple To read KJV in 21 st Century English go to: Century-King-James-Version-KJ21-Bible/ Hezekiah and the Assyrians Sunday... 2 Assyria comes against Judah... 2 Monday... 5 Hezekiah prays over letter... 5 Tuesday... 7 God delivers Judah... 7 Wednesday... 9 Hezekiah Sick... 9 Thursday Visitors from Babylon Friday Manasseh s Evil Reign Saturday Manasseh dies, Amon reigns Hezekiah sick Isaiah and sun dial To read the Bible online go to: James-Version-KJV-Bible/

2 Sunday Assyria comes against Judah Bible Reading: Isaiah 36v1-21 (cp. 2 Kings 18v13-36; 2 Chronicles 32v9-16) Up to this time, Hezekiah had held out against the king of Assyria (2 Kings 18v7). This would change: 1. Who attacked cities of Judah? (v1) Sennacherib was taking cities in Judah. 2. What did he send Rabshakeh to do? (v2) Tartan and Rabaris went with Rashakeh to Jerusalem (2 Kings 18v17) Find it on a map 3. Who went out to meet them? (v3) 4. What did Rabshakeh say about Egypt? (v6) 5. What did he say Hezekiah had done? (v7) 6. What did he offer to give? (v8) 7. What did he say about the LORD? (v10) 8. Why did Eliakim, Shebna and Joah want him to speak Syrian? (v11) 9. What did he tell the people NOT to let Hezekiah do? (v14+15) 10. What did he promise them? (v16+17) 11. What gods couldn t deliver people from Assyria? (v18+19) These were Samaritan gods. Find these places on a map 12. So, what did he say the LORD could NOT do? (v18+20) 13. Why did the people NOT answer him? (v21) Don t listen to the enemy s lies. He says: You re useless, you ve sinned too many times, give up, destroy yourself. Listen to God s Word: You ve sinned but God will forgive you. He will pick you up when you re down. He ll make you strong. He uses people who are weak and despised. MEANINGS: Defenced cities = walled, defended cities; Conduit = waterway; Fuller = person who bleaches and cleans cloth; Scribe = writer; Recorder = man who writes what happens; Confidence = ; Counsel = advice; Vain = empty; Rebellest = refuse to be ruled by; Pledges = Deceive = trick; Cistern = water tank; Persuade = get you to do something No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 54v17)

3 Answers 1) Sennacherib king of Assyria; 2) Sent from Lachish to win Jerusalem; 3) Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah; 4) It was like the staff of a broken reed, and if a man leaned on it, it would pierce into his hand; 5) Taken away the high places and altars of the LORD; 6) 2000 horses; 7) The LORD was with him and had told him to fight Jerusalem; 8) They didn t want the Jews on the wall to hear and be discouraged; 9) Deceive them or make them trust in the LORD; 10) To take them to a land like their own of corn, wine, bread and vineyards; 11) The gods of Hamath, of Arphad, Sepharvaim and of nations around; 12) The LORD couldn t deliver Jerusalem out of his hand; 13) King Hezekiah told them not to Did you know? Hezekiah had paid Sennacherib to go away from Judah. Sadly, he took lots of gold and silver from the temple. Sennacherib took the money but he didn t go away. He wanted total victory over Judah (2 Kings 18v14-16). Isaiah had said not to go to Egypt for help (Isaiah 31v1+3). Stop and Think! Rabshakeh said things that remind me of Satan. Satan is God s great enemy. Rabshakeh said it was useless to go to Egypt for help (v6). TRUE! Isaiah had said not to go to Egypt (31v1+3). But Rabshakeh wanted them to trust him.not the LORD. Satan sometimes tells you the truth to stop you following the Lord. Rabshakeh said Hezekiah had taken away the high places of the LORD (v7). WRONG! Hezekiah had taken away the high places for worshipping gods (2 Kings 18v4). Satan tries to make good look wrong. He ll even try to make wrong beliefs look right. Rabshakeh said the LORD sent him (v10). WRONG! Satan will tell you lies to discourage you.and to turn you away from following the LORD. Rabshakeh shouted to the people in their own language (v13-15). He wanted to scare them and to turn them from doing what good king Hezekiah said. Satan may try to scare you into doing wrong. Rabshakeh promised he d take them to a good land. They d have lots of good things to eat and drink (v16+17). But they had to surrender to him. Satan will promise you a good life.filled with many nice things and lots of fun. BUT he really wants to make you his captive to sin. Rabshakeh said no other gods could save nations from him (v18-20). TRUE! But the other nations weren t following the LORD. He thought he could beat the LORD too (v20). WRONG! BEWARE! You don t speak against the LORD and get away with it! Satan cannot win against the One True Living God.

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5 Monday Hezekiah prays over letter Bible Reading: Isaiah 36v22; 37v1-20 (cp. 2 Kings 18v37; 19v1-19; 2 Chronicles 32v17-20) 1. What did Eliakim, Shebna and Joah do? (36v22) 2. What did Hezekiah do? (37v1) People put on sackcloth to show they were really sad. 3. Who did Hezekiah send to Isaiah? (v2) 4. What did Hezekiah think the LORD would do? (v4) 5. So, what did he want Isaiah to do? (v4) 6. What did Isaiah say NOT to be? (v6) 7. Why? (v7) 8. What did the king of Assyria do? (v8) Find them on a map 9. Why did Rabshakeh send messengers to Hezekiah? (v9) 10. What did he tell Hezekiah NOT to do? (v10) He didn t think the LORD had any more power than the heathen gods (v11-13). 11. What did Hezekiah do with the letter? (v14) He wrote letters against the LORD (2 Chronicles 32v17). 12. Who did Hezekiah pray to? (v15+16) 13. Why did he want the LORD to save them? (v20) Hezekiah took his big problem to the LORD.and he asked Isaiah to pray too. What do you do when your back is against the wall? And things just seem impossible? Take your problems to the LORD in prayer. There s nothing too big or too small for Him! Don t be afraid to ask others to pray too! MEANINGS: Household = all who live in the one house; Scribe = writer; Recorder = person who writes down what happens; Rent = torn; Sackcloth = rough cloth made out of sacks; Rebuke = tell somebody off; Blasphemy = really hated and spoken very wrongly about; Reproach = speak against; Reproves = show they are wrong; Remnant = what s leftover; Utterly = completely; Dwellest = lives; Cherubim = angels; Incline = bend down Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only. (Isaiah 37v20)

6 Answers 1) Went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what Rabshakeh said; 2) Tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and went to the temple; 3) Eliakim, Shebna and the elders of priests; 4) The LORD would reprove Rabshakeh s words; 5) Pray for the remnant left; 6) Afraid of the words the Assyrians had spoken against the LORD; 7) The LORD would cause the king of Assyria to hear a rumour, he would return to his own land and be killed there; 8) Departed from Lachish and fought against Libnah; 9) He heard that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia came to make war with him; 10) Let God deceive him, saying that Jerusalem wouldn t be given to Assyria; 11) Took it to the temple and spread it out before the LORD; 12) The LORD God; 13) So that all the kingdoms of the earth would know that the LORD is the Only God In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. (Psalm 18v6) Hezekiah s Prayer Hezekiah gives us a good example to follow when we pray. 1. Pray to the LORD (v15) 2. Start with worship (v16) The LORD of hosts (armies) help us God of Israel keep Your promises and don t leave us God who was between cherubim in temple is Holy and would punish words spoken against HIM Only True God Creator He rules over all 3. Admit the truth (v17-19) We re in big trouble, we can t help ourselves, everyone else has failed, only GOD can help 4. Ask God (v16+17) To hear, to save you from trouble, to move against those who defy Him 5. Pray according to God s Word Isaiah said Assyria wouldn t win (v6+7) 6. Pray for God s glory (v20)

7 Tuesday God delivers Judah Bible Reading: Isaiah 37v21-38 (cp. 2 Kings 19v20-37; 2 Chronicles 32v21-23) 1. Who told Hezekiah what the LORD said? (v21) 2. What had the LORD heard? (v21) 3. What had Sennacherib done? (v23) 4. What did the LORD know? (v28) 5. So, what would the LORD do? (v29) A fish caught on the hook has no choice. It must go the way the fisherman pulls the line. So, the king of Assyria would be pulled away from Jerusalem by the LORD. 6. Where would there be a remnant from? (v31+32) 7. What would the king of Assyria NOT do? (v33) Sometimes enemies built a big ramp against the city wall. 8. Why? (v35) 9. What did the angel of the LORD do? (v36) 10. Where did Sennacherib go? (v37) Find it on a map 11. Who killed him? (v38) 12. Where did they escape? (v38) Find it on a map 13. Who was the new king of Assyria? (v38) Hezekiah had a big crisis. He handled it with prayer. He trusted the LORD to keep His Word. And the LORD worked everything out. How do you deal with a crisis in your life? Do you worry? Or do pray? Do you trust the LORD to do what He says? Take your burden to the LORD and leave it there! MEANINGS: Despised = look down on; Virgin = young pure woman; Laughed to scorn = mocked; Reproached = spoke against; Blasphemed = really hated and spoken very wrongly against; Exalted = raised, lifted up; Multitude = very big crowd; Besieged = enemy armies surround city to take it; Ancient = very old; Defenced cities = walled, defended cities; Ruinous heaps = heaps of ruins; Inhabitants = people who live there; Dismayed = afraid; Confounded = confused; Blasted = destroyed with withering disease on plants called blight; Abode = place you stay; Tumult = trouble; Bridle = thing to control and restrain; Remnant = what s leftover; Fourscore = 80; Corpses = dead bodies

8 Answers 1) Isaiah; 2) Hezekiah s prayer against Sennacherib; 3) Reproached and blasphemed and lifted his voice and eyes against the LORD the HOLY ONE of Israel; 4) Where Sennacherib was, when he went out and came in, and his rage against the LORD; 5) Turn him back the way he came; 6) Judah, Jerusalem and Zion; 7) Come into Jerusalem, shoot an arrow, come before it with shields, or build a bank against it; 8) The LORD would defend the city and save it for His own name s sake and for David s sake; 9) Killed Assyrians that night; 10) Nineveh; 11) His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer; 12) Armenia; 13) Esar-haddon Stop and Think! Sennacherib stood against, mocked and spoke against the HOLY ONE. The LORD is HOLY. He CANNOT sin. He won t allow His HOLY name to be spoken against. (Ezekiel 39v7) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12v2) Nisroch was an Assyrian god of agriculture.

9 Wednesday Hezekiah Sick Bible Reading: 2 Kings 20v1-11; 2 Chronicles 32v24-26 (cp. Isaiah 38v1-8, 21+22) 1. What was wrong with Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20v1) We don t know exactly what sickness Hezekiah had. But he did have some sort of boil (v7). It was poisoning his body to death. 2. What did Isaiah tell him? (v1) 3. What did Hezekiah do? (v2+3) This doesn t mean he couldn t sin. It means he wanted to obey God with all of his heart. 4. What did he ask the LORD to remember? (v3) 5. Why did the LORD send Isaiah back to him? (v5) 6. How much longer would he live? (v6) 7. What did they put on the boil? (v7) This figs mixture was the medicine of those days for boils. God uses medicine to heal. 8. What sign did Hezekiah get? (v8-11) 9. Who made the sun dial go back? (v11) 10. Why did Hezekiah not show his thanks to God? (2 Chr 32v25+26) 11. So, what would come on Judah and Jerusalem? (v25) 12. Why did it NOT come in Hezekiah s days? (v26) Are you ready to die? If you knew you were going to die tonight.what would you do? Do you need to repent of your sins? Do you need to put things right with other people? Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. (2 Kings 20v1) MEANINGS: Beseech = beg, plead; Wept sore = cried very much; Deliver = save; Defend = protect; Recovered = made better; Degrees = little stages; Backward = go back; Rendered = repaid; Benefit = help (healing); Wrath = anger; Notwithstanding = nevertheless; Humbled = brought low; Inhabitants = people who live there Answers 1) He was sick and going to die; 2) Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live; 3) turned his face to the wall, prayed to the LORD and wept sore; 4) How he d walked before the LORD in truth and with a perfect heart, and done good in God s sight; 5) The LORD heard Hezekiah s prayer, saw his prayers and would heal him, and he would go to the temple the 3 rd day; 6) 15 years; 7) Lump of figs; 8) The shadow of the sun dial would go back 10 degrees; 9) The LORD; 10) his heart was lifted up in pride; 11) The wrath of the LORD; 12) He humbled himself

10 Stop and Think! What age was Hezekiah? Hezekiah was 25 when he became king. He reigned 29 years (2 Kings 18v2). He lived 15 years after he was sick (2 Kings 20v6) = =39 So, Hezekiah was 39 years old when the LORD healed him. Good men aren t perfect. They can become proud. They don t always say thanks. They can lead you wrong. So, make sure your faith is in the LORD, not man. Did you know? A sun dial was used to tell the time. There were no watches or clocks then. The sun cast a shadow on it. They knew by how much shadow there was on it, what time it was.

11 Thursday Visitors from Babylon Bible Reading: 2 Kings 20v12-21 (cp. 2 Chronicles 32v31-33; Isaiah 39v1-8) 1. What did the king of Babylon do? (v12) 2. Why? (v12) This visit wasn t just a nice get better soon visit. It was really about getting Judah to take sides with Babylon.to fight Assyria. 3. What did Hezekiah show them? (v13) Now they knew all the treasures in Judah. They could get all these if they fought and won Jerusalem. 4. Who asked Hezekiah about them? (v14+15) 5. What did Isaiah tell Hezekiah? (v16) 6. What would happen to Hezekiah s wealth? (v17) 7. And his sons? (v18) 8. What did Hezekiah say was good? (v19) 9. Why? (v19) 10. Why did God let these Babylonians come? (2 Chr 32v31) 11. Why? (v31) For the righteous God trieth the hearts. (Psalm 7v9) How would you do if God left you alone to test your heart? Would you be proud? Would you do secret sins? Would you stop reading your Bible and praying to Him? Or would you keep on living to please Him? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17v10) MEANINGS: Hearkened = listened to; Ointment = perfume; Dominion = kingdom; Whence = from where; Issue = be born of; Beget = to father; Eunuch = man not able to have sexual relations; Conduit = waterway; Slept with his fathers = died; Ambassador = person sent on behalf of the king; Howbeit = however; Try = test Answers 1) Sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; 2) He d heard that Hezekiah had been sick; 3) All the treasures of gold, silver, spices, perfumes and his house of armour, everything in his house and kingdom; 4) Isaiah; 5) The word of the LORD; 6) It would all be carried away to Babylon; 7) They would be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon; 8) The word of the LORD; 9) There would be peace and truth in his days; 10) To test Hezekiah; 11) To see what was in his heart

12 Friday Manasseh s Evil Reign Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 33v1-13 (cp. 2 Kings 21v1-16) 1. Who was the new king of Judah? (v1) He was 12 years old when he became king. So, he was born after Hezekiah was made better (2 Kings 20v6). 2. Who did he do evil like? (v2) 3. What did he build? (v3+5) 4. What did he put in the temple? (v4, 5+7) 5. What else did he do? (v6) 6. What did he fill Jerusalem with? (2 Kings 21v16) Find it on a map 7. What did Manasseh make people do? (2 Chr 33v9) 8. Who would they NOT listen to? (v10) 9. So, what did the LORD do? (v11) 10. What did Manasseh do in affliction? (v12+13) 11. What did the LORD do for him? (v13) 12. What did Manasseh know? (v13) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17v9) Sometimes bad kids come from good parents. Hezekiah was one of the godliest kings of Judah. Manasseh was one of the worst. You can say your parents are too strict. They spend too much time at Christian things. BUT at the end of the day.you will give an account of yourself to God. No excuses! MEANINGS: Abominations = really bad things that God hates; Heathen = people who didn t know and worship the One True Living God; Reared = set up; Groves = wooden images set up in places for worship; Host of heaven = sun, moon, stars; Observed times = fortune telling; Enchantments = spells; Witchcraft = magic; Familiar spirit = medium, one who contacts the dead; Wizard = man witch; Wrought = done; Provoke = make angry; Statutes = laws; Ordinances = rules; Inhabitants = people who live there; Fetters = chains; Affliction = great suffering; Besought = begged; Humbled = brought low; Intreated = heard his pleading; Supplication = prayer

13 Answers 1) Manasseh; 2) The heathen; 3) High places his father Hezekiah had broken down, groves, altars for Baalim and other gods; 4) Altars for gods and a carved image of an idol; 5) Caused his children to pass through the fire in Valley of Hinnom, observed times, enchantments, witchcraft, dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards, and did much wrong; 6) Innocent blood; 7) Err and do worse than the heathen; 8) The LORD; 9) Captains in the Assyrian army bound Manasseh in fetters and carried him to Babylon; 10) Sought the LORD, humbled himself greatly and prayed to the LORD; 11) Brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom; 12) The LORD is God What did Manasseh do wrong? Idolatry He worshipped Baal and other gods (v3, 4, 5+7). He set up images, altars, high places and groves. He rebuilt those his father destroyed. He even put them in the temple of the LORD. This broke God s 1 st and 2 nd commandments (Exodus 20v3-6) Satanic Practices He was into fortune telling, astrology, witchcraft, magic, and went to mediums and spiritists (v5+6). Anything to do with the occult is satanic. Israel was to have NOTHING to do with them (Deuteronomy 18v10-12). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1v9) Murder He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 21v16). He made child sacrifices in the valley of Hinnom (2 Chr 33v6). Find it on a map. Children were burned to death. The LORD really, really hated this. He had said that Israel was NOT to do it (Leviticus 18v21; Deuteronomy 12v31).

14 Saturday Manasseh dies, Amon reigns Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 33v14-25 (cp. 2 Kings 21v17-26) 1. What did Manasseh build? (v14) Find it on a map 2. Where did he put captains of war? (v14) Manasseh wanted the people of Judah to be kept safe from their enemies. 3. What did he take away? (v15) 4. What did he repair? (v16) 5. What did he offer on it? (v16) False worship had to be torn down. True worship had to be set up again. 6. What did he command Judah to do? (v16) 7. What did the people do in high places? (v17) 8. Who was the next king of Judah? (v21) 9. What evil did he do? (v22) 10. What did he NOT do? (v23) 11. How did he die? (v24) 12. What did the people do? (v25) 13. Where were Manasseh and Amon buried? (2 Kings 21v18+26) This garden was in the palace grounds. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. (Matthew 3v8) We need to be truly sorry for our sins.and turn to God for forgiveness. Then, we must tear down what is wrong.and build up what is right. God will give you the chance to undo some of your past wrongs. Others need to see the change that the LORD has made in your life. MEANINGS: Compassed = gone around; Fenced cities = walled, defended cities; Strange gods = foreign gods; Repaired = fixed; Intreated = heard his pleading; Seer = prophet; Trespass = sin; Humbled = brought low; Conspired = plotted Answers 1) Wall outside the city of David, west of Gihon and around Ophel; 2) All the fenced cities of Judah; 3) Foreign gods, idol out of temple, and altars for gods; 4) Altar of the LORD; 5) Peace offerings and thank offerings; 6) Serve the LORD God; 7) Sacrificed to the LORD; 8) Amon; 9) Sacrificed to all the carved images his father Manasseh had made and served them; 10) Humble himself like Manasseh; 11) His servants plotted and killed him; 12) Killed all who had plotted against Amon, and made Josiah king of Judah; 13) The garden of Uzza

15 Did you know? Manasseh reigned for 55 years (v1). For most of his reign he did really, really great sins. The LORD forgave him when he was truly sorry. BUT Judah would go into captivity because of what he did (2 Kings 21v10-14; Jeremiah 15v4) WARNING No matter how bad we are, God can forgive us BUT sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our sin. You can destroy your body with drugs and alcohol. You can hurt other people. You can wreck families. You may kill. But you will have to live with the guilt.and maybe an upset mind. There are some things we just can t undo.