The Last Days of Israel

The book of the Kings gives the reader the illustration of God faithfulness to uphold the Davidic line. Originally, these books were created as one large book but eventually became divided as they were translated.[1] Specifically, the second book of the Kings takes place 850 BC and ends approximately 560BC. The author of these books is not entirely known but many believe it to be Jeremiah.[2] Its literary form is best understood as historical writings. In its purpose, the reader is able to view the history of the kings who were over Israel. Additionally, the intent of the prophets is key in the book of the Kings. They came to warn and teach what God was saying to His people. The prophets were utilized to help prevent the kingdoms from immorality however their downfall was unavoidable.

Over and over again the book of the Kings shows how men failed to be obedient to God’s laws. In some ways it is evident to view God’s glory through different kings, however in most of the kings who reigned, we witness how their divided hearts to the Lord ultimately led to their demise. By this point in 2 Kings, the Israelites are divided into two separate kingdoms. Of the northern kingdom (Israel), all of the kings were evil in the Lord’s sight. However, among the southern kingdom (Judah), eight of these kings were deemed as good. Within this commentary the king most spoken of will be Hezekiah of the Southern Kingdom who did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and was even compared to David. Additionally, this story shows God’s faithfulness to uphold the Davidic Covenant even when His people failed to be faithful to Him.

The Northern Kingdom’s Downfall

2 Kings 17:1-6

Entering into chapter seventeen it speaks specifically about the northern kingdom and its downfall. Hoshea the son of Elah becomes the king over the northern kingdom and he does what is evil in the Lords eyes. An important note is that while he did wrong, the Scripture compares him to previous kings and deliberately states that he was not a wicked as them. While we may not know entirely why this pointed out, we do see clearly that Hoshea still loses his kingdom. Hoshea moves politically through Assyria and Egypt. This goes strictly against God’s commands to the Israelite nation. Specifically, God directs them to have no affiliation with Egypt because he freed them from their captivity to them. Yet Hoshea has chosen to work politically with them regardless. Ultimately His disobedience led to his imprisonment to the Assyrians and the Israelites were taken into captivity and dispersed into the Assyrian land.

2 Kings 17: 7-17

While we have already seen portions of why the northern kingdom ended in such a great down fall, in 7-17 we are revealed more reasons as to what lead to their destruction. The Israelites are seen as God’s people, yet they fell to their enemies because they sinned against God. In Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:7 the Lord not only showed the people His character but also left clear instruction to how they were to follow Him in a result of knowing that He was the Lord their God. In these verses we see repeatedly that God called them to worship only Him and not to have any other gods besides Himself. This is the underlying issue that led to their defeat, the Israelites did not fear the Lord their God and they worshipped other idols which provoked the Lord to anger, giving them over to their enemies.[3]

The Israelites could not be who God had called them to be. It is important to remember that God called them to this standard so that He could be worshipped, but also so that He could be in relationship with them. He loved them yet they were not fully devoted to Him as He was to them. They gave all glory to their idols for bringing them out of Egypt instead of God Himself. Heartbreakingly, they failed in understanding that any of their success was to be attributed to God, yet they gave their greatness to false idols. It tells the reader clearly that whether or not men are worshipping what is right, mankind is created to worship and often when men step away from worshipping Truth, they will worship the creation instead of the Creator. In verse 15 it speaks clearly of this by stating, “They became worthless because they worshipped worthless things”. As a result, their pursuit of happiness only lead to emptiness and destruction as that is always the result of sin. Because of their pursuit to appear as the nations that were around them, they no longer appeared as set apart as God had created them to be (Deuteronomy 7, 17).[4] Because they looked like the other nations, they received the same consequence.

2 Kings 7:18-23

In 18-23, Scripture provides a brief history lesson that demonstrates how Israel started in this destructive direction. Jeroboam was the first King, and he led his people entirely astray. Even the people in the southern kingdom during this time refused God’s commands. Jeroboam led his people by introducing to them cult worship through false gods. From the beginning of the divided kingdoms reign, there is corrupt worship to the Lord. Because of this they are given into the hands of Assyria.

2 Kings 17:24-41

In 24-41 The King of Assyria fills the land of Israel with his people. However, these foreigners did not follow the Lord’s laws. As a result, many of the Assyrians were attacked and killed by lions. The King of Assyria brought in one of the exiled priests back into his land, specifically Bethel, to show the Assyrian people how to worship Yahweh. It is important to remember that even though a priest was brought back into the land, he originally was taken out because of his broken worship to the Lord.[5] Therefore, the priest himself led the others in damaged reverence.

As a result, the people worshipped the Lord, but they also worshipped their own idols. Truth be told, it is impossible to worship in split loyalty. It appeared that they worshipped God not because they loved Him, but because they were obligated to and that in itself is just as flawed as what they were doing before the exiled priest had returned to his land. Interestingly the New International Version places quotation marks around the word “worship” in this context insinuating almost sarcastically how flawed their worship was. In the end of the chapter, it is obvious to note that nothing has shifted even with new citizens.[6]

The Southern Kingdom is Given a God-Fearing King

2 Kings 18:1-12

In chapter 18 it begins to focus on the Southern kingdom. Hezekiah son of Ahaz becomes king, and he reigns for 29 years in Jerusalem. Although Ahaz was a terrible king who introduced other idols in the land, his son approaches the picture and becomes one of the nation’s best kings. Finally, we are given a king who does what is pleasing in God’s eyes. Hezekiah is even compared to David. In looking at the kings that reigned in the southern kingdom it was only among David and Hezekiah that God states that He is with them.

In analyzing Hezekiah’s life, it is clear in what separated him from so many of the other kings. He was genuine in his worship to the Lord. He trusted that God was faithful to His people and as a result, Hezekiah was deliberate in following the commands that God had set for them. Because of the way that Hezekiah led his people, the Lord went before him and he was profitable in all things. Even though he received threats from the Philistines and the Assyrians the Lord protected the Davidic covenant. He conquered the Philistines and refused to pay tribute to the Assyrians, Hezekiah chose to serve only the Lord.

During Hezekiah’s reign he removed all of the false idols and reintroduced the sacrificial system. Additionally, he put back in place old festivals such as the Passover. It had been so long since they celebrated different Passovers that it is evident how this had affected their spiritual state. Because they had stopped intentionally praising and worshipping God for who He was and what He had done for them, their hearts had begun to turn away. Hezekiah sees how important celebration is. There is more discovered and discussed about how these celebration played out in 2 Chronicles 30 for further exploration.

Assyria Threatens the Southern Kingdom

2 King 18:13-25

Next the Assyrians came to invade Judah. This occurred after fourteen years of Hezekiah’s reign over Judah. Conquering some of the towns of Judah, King Hezekiah seeks to protect his people. He sends word to the Assyrian King and expresses to him that he will give them whatever he desires. While Hezekiah was seeking to protect his people, we see a human response to fear. The King of Assyria, Sennacherib, asks for a grand amount of money. Hezekiah scavenges to find this money and resorts to the money that is stored in the treasury in the temple of the Lord. He even goes as far as stripping the doorways of its gold and gives it all to the Sennacherib.

The response of Sennacherib is not what is expected at all. Instead of keeping his end of the deal, he sends an army to Jerusalem to try and get Hezekiah to surrender. Here we clearly see an interest on the Assyrian King’s end. He does not understand why they are special, why these people are set apart from other nations. The Assyrians could not grasp who Yahweh really was. This point is made clear is in his words of what Judah places their “trust” in. “Trust” can also be translated as “basing confidence” or “dependent on”.[7] The Assyrians could not fathom the idea that Judah could be dependent on Yahweh. This question appears because the Assyrian King assumes that if Hezekiah truly were reliant on the Lord, then why would he take the treasure from the Temple? Sennacherib even makes claims that Judah could be reliant on Egypt. One reason that the Assyrian King makes these comments, specifically as rhetorical questions, is to instill in Judah doubt, to further make them question.[8]

2 Kings 18:26-37

Just as the world will always twist complete truth, the king of Assyria has his commanders instilling these ideas to the Judean people. The walls of Judah were closed. No one could leave or enter, and the people were becoming hungry. Speaking outside of the Judean walls, Sennacherib’s commanders try to convince the people how life under Assyria cannot be that bad. Those protecting the walls ask the commanders to speak in Aramaic because they were fearful that the Judean people would hear what was being said. Aramaic was the international diplomatic language; therefore, the request was reasonable. However, the King of Assyria wanted the people of Judah to hear. He wanted to convince them that God was not going to protect them, and that Hezekiah was the real enemy. He continues to manipulate them by offering freedom. If they were to agree to be taken into exile by Assyria, the King wanted them to believe that it would not be harsh. In fact, he promises, food, water, and wealth.

The claims from Sennacherib shows to the reader much about his character. Verse 35 states, “Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” Honestly, it shows that in the king’s nature, he idolizes himself. Sennacherib believes himself to be just as powerful as Yahweh, which will always be a dangerous place to land. Yet, even in the offer of freedom and wealth, Judah responds in silence. They refuse to give the King of Assyria any satisfaction.

2 Kings 19:1-7

Entering into chapter 19, Hezekiah responds to the current circumstance. Instantly, Hezekiah reacts with grief. He tears his clothes, puts on burlap, and goes straight to the temple of the Lord. When viewing the claims from the Assyrians, Hezekiah’s following actions show entirely the weight of what has been done. To view how the Lord would be compared to other false gods is entirely heart breaking. Yahweh is alive, active, and their one true living God.

The prophet Isaiah is introduced into the narrative. Hezekiah expresses what has been done and how the southern kingdom has been humiliated. Isaiah’s response reveals an important analysis of what the Lord directs in comparison to what the Assyrian King influenced. Isaiah announces that the Lord is going to place a spirit in Sennacherib, and he will return to his land and be killed. This certainly raises a question of why God had overtaken Sennacherib’s free will, however, the king has shown over and over again deliberate decisions against Yahweh. Therefore, the Lord’s influence on Sennacherib is a mere consequence for his actions against God.

2 Kings 19:8-19

As this is being prophesied, the Assyrian king does his part to fulfill it. He flees from the Southern Kingdom because Assyria was being attacked by Ethiopia. On his way out, he tries one more time to deceive Judah and even goes as far as threatening them by comparing Yahweh once again to other gods even to the point of blasphemy. “He implies, this is a god who will be destroyed just like the deities of so many other lands. This is so much greater that the attack in chapter 18 because it displays so much monumental arrogance.”[9]

In verses 14-19, a beautiful picture is displayed. Hezekiah goes straight to the temple and prays to the Lord. He does not ask Isaiah to be the one to pray for him, but instead he prays to the Lord himself. Hezekiah’s prayer was pointed to the Lord and His glory. Hezekiah understood that this war was not one about himself but more about the Lord and His reputation. We see the beauty of this prayer as Hezekiah addresses God as Israel’s God whose throne was the Mercy Seat.[10] Hezekiah wanted to see how the Lord would show that He was different from other gods. He believed that the Lord was True and faithful. At the end of this prayer, he asks that the Lord restore Jerusalem from the hands of Assyria.

2 Kings 19:20-37

Isaiah comes and prophecies a word from the Lord. The message is dealt with in several portions. It begins by analyzing how the King of Assyria receives penalties for his faulty attitude. Isaiah expresses that this is what brings him to his downfall and that he will be reviled and ridiculed by Jerusalem. Verses 23-24 are key as it shows in Sennacherib his attempts to accomplish what he could in his own strength, yet these verses reveal that God is sovereign over all things and He occurred these events to happen Himself. Because of the Assyrians direct disobedience, God’s judgement is given to them.

Afterwards, Isaiah’s prophecy demonstrates that while Jerusalem’s recovery will not be instant, they will again be sufficient. Specifically, a time-line is given of three years before their land will be able to harvest normally once again. God’s faithfulness and love is over Jerusalem. We do not see judgement on His people but instead protection and care. God chooses to answer Hezekiah’s prayer for the sake of His covenant promise and His reputation.

At the end of the chapter, the text reveals the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. The Angel of the Lord appears at the Assyrian camp and 185,000 Assyrian soldiers are killed. Sennacherib returns to the capitol Nineveh and was murdered by his own sons while worshipping one of his gods. In this we view how not even his own gods could save him from his fate.[11]By the end of this chapter, we see again God protect His people through the imagery of David defeating Goliath over again through Jerusalem being saved by the hand of the Assyrians.

The End of Hezekiah’s Reign

2 Kings 20

Hezekiah becomes ill during the same time the Assyrians were attacking. Although no one is entirely aware what kind of illness it was, we hear references of boils and that it was life threatening. Isaiah approaches Hezekiah and prophecies that his death is coming soon. Hezekiah has a choice in this moment. In his last days, who is he going to choose to give glory to? Although he goes before the Lord in prayer, it is apparent that his attitude shifts. He goes to the Lord and asks to live longer and reiterates how his devotion is to worship the Lord only. However, Hezekiah’s prayer is shifted from God to his own well-being which reveals to the reader some of his own selfishness. After his prayer he weeps bitterly over his fate. Yet God hear Hezekiah and heals him.

God’s decision to heal Hezekiah is interesting because it points to God changing His mind. It is not the first time that we have seen this in Scripture (Numbers 23:19), but many believe that this had been God’s plan and design all along. For the Believer this is a reminder that our prayers should direct us to God’s plan in our life, not our own selfish desires. When we pray for God’s plan, we have the joy and honor of being a part of His will. It in no way is about us receiving everything we pray for but more about cultivating a deeper relationship with God. Hezekiah’s prayer was about his own life, yet God still gives him what he desires, and Hezekiah lives for 15 more years.[12]

Hezekiah lives the last fifteen years of his life with pride revealed in his heart. Some of this is revealed by the Envoys of Babylon. They come to visit Hezekiah and he gladly shows them his wealth and accomplishments. Isaiah comes and confronts Hezekiah. As a result of his pride, Babylon takes his wealth and even some of his sons into captivity. Hezekiah’s response was out of the ordinary, he shows no great emotion. Instead, he responds by being thankful for peace that was over the Southern Kingdom. As the Lord said, Hezekiah reigned for fifteen more years and then passed away. Still, he was one of the best kings the Southern Kingdom had because he genuinely trusted the Lord and was devoted to Him only. After he died his son Manasseh became the next king.

Concluding Thoughts

After analyzing the downfall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians and God’s provision and protection to the Southern Kingdom, there is a remarkable difference between the two that is played out within these chapters. The Northern Kingdom was not disciplined in their allegiance to the Lord. They attempted to worship both God and their own idols, however, God desires complete devotion to Him. The Southern Kingdom was obedient to the Lord because they loved the Lord and trusted in who He was. As a result, the Northern Kingdom was given into the hand of the Assyrians and the Southern overcame the battle against them. God’s hand and protection is over the Davidic Covenant and He proves over and over again how faithful He is to those who remain steadfast to Him.

Overall, we see its theological purpose first within the kings that were reigning during this time. Specifically, it was not their political success that made them a great but instead it was based on whether or not they were able to uphold the theological standards. We can better understand the success of the kings based on whether or not they guided their people to serve only God, if they chose to follow the covenant, and if they worshipped other gods. We are also able to view its purpose through the prophets in how they spoke Truth led by God, called the nation for their sin, and reminded Israel of the covenant. Despite whether or not the kings were able to uphold the law, still God’s purpose is accomplished as He is sovereign and faithful in all things.

Bibliography

Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: an

Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2011.

Myers, Rachel. Essay. In She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book, 550–83. Nashville,

TN: Lifeway Christian Resources, 2016.

Provan, Iaian W. New International Biblical Commentary--1 and 2 Kings. Peabody, MA:

Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck. Bible Knowledge Commentary. Dallas, TX: CDWord

Library, 1989.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Essay. In the Bible Exposition Commentary. Old Testament Genesis-

Deuteronomy. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2001.

[1] Rachel Myers, “She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book,” in She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book (Nashville, TN: Lifeway Christian Resources, 2016), pp. 550-583, 580. [2] Eugene H. Merrill, Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2011), 324. [3] Iaian W. Provan, New International Biblical Commentary--1 and 2 Kings (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 247-254. [4] Warren W Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2001), 392. [5] Eugene H. Merrill, Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2011), 327. [6] Rachel Myers, “She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book,” in She Reads Truth Placeholder Bible Study Book (Nashville, TN: Lifeway Christian Resources, 2016), pp. 550-583, 580. [7] Iaian W. Provan, New International Biblical Commentary--1 and 2 Kings (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 247-254. [8] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary (Dallas, TX: CDWord Library, 1989), 575. [9] Iaian W. Provan, New International Biblical Commentary--1 and 2 Kings (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 247-254. [10] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary (Dallas, TX: CDWord Library, 1989), 576. [11] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary (Dallas, TX: CDWord Library, 1989), 578. [12] Iaian W. Provan, New International Biblical Commentary--1 and 2 Kings (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 247-254.