After conquering Israel, naturally, Assyria targeted Judah next. It was during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. The war was recorded both in the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 18:13-19:37) and Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 36:1-37:38). The two texts are nearly identical. Of course, we cannot base on this identity of texts to prove the status of Kings as books of Prophet. Somehow, we have more "evidence" to accept the classification of Kings as books of Prophet.
Let's review.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it
and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken (2 Kings 18:9-10).
Notice that the author of Kings wrote "Samaria was taken" instead of "Israel was taken".
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them (2 Kings 18:13).
To save Jerusalem from the plundering of the Assyrians, Hezekiah was willing to pay a heavy tribute.
And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear." And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house.
At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria (2 Kings 18:14-16).
Sennacherib would not be satisfied that easily. He intended to wage a psychological warfare, backed up with a huge army.
And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller's Field (2 Kings 18:17).
Rabshakeh shook the confidence of the court officials of Hezekiah with 2 strokes. Firstly, the defeat of Egypt.
Behold, you are relying now on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him (2 Kings 18:21).
Secondly, the "sins" of Hezekiah, his removing of the high places and altars for Baal. But if you say to me, "We rely on the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"? (2 Kings 18:22)
In the eyes of Assyrians, Hezekiah was a sinner because he had removed the high places and altars for idols. Therefore, it had to be god's will for Assyria to conquer Judah. Rabshakeh was logically correct but he had totally misunderstood true religion.
Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. (2 Kings 18:25)
Then Rabshakeh spoke to the people of Jerusalem in the language of Judah!
Firstly, he assured them of the benevolence of the king of Assyria. He might not be telling lies. It was a humane attempt to reduce the number of casualties in taking the holy city which the Jews would surely defend to the last man!
Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me; then every one of you will eat of his own vine, and every one of his own fig tree, and every one of you will drink the water of his own cistern;
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die.' (2 Kings 18:31-32a)
Secondly, Rabshakeh tried to make the reliance on God a superstition, a deception cooked up by the king. He was very scientific, backed up with lots of empirical evidence. All the gods of the countries had failed to protect their countries and it looked as if Yahweh was no exception. This was a real test of the Jewish faith.
And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, The LORD will deliver us.
Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Who among all the gods of the countries have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? (2 Kings 18:32b-35)
King Hezekiah sent Eliakim to Isaiah for help (2 Kings 19:2). Two things happened.
Firstly, psychological warfare for psychological warfare.
Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'" (2 Kings 19:6-7)
The Assyrian king heard rumours and turned his forces to fight against Libnah and Ethilopia (2 Kings 19:8-9).
Secondly, whatever Rabshakeh had said about the failures of gods of the nations, the God of Israel defended the city of David. Isaiah sent Hezekiah the following message.
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it.
By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, says the LORD.
For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David (2 Kings 19:32-34).
That night, God sent an angel to kill all 185,000 Assyrian army. The Assyrian king returned home and was later assassinated.
Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went home, and dwelt at Nineveh.
And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, slew him with the sword, and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead (2 Kings 19:36-37).
Judah was on the verge of religious reformation. It would take another century before Judah fell into the hands of the Babylonians.
Dear Lord, defend Your Church. Defend her various departments, institutions and the personnel for the sake of Your name. May they prosper and bear witness for Your gospel in the hostile world. Amen.
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