TAWG - March 11, 2024 - 2 Kings 18:1-37
March 11, 2024

2 Kings 18:1-37

18:1-8 | Unlike those who preceded him, Hezekiah (“Yahweh Has Strengthened”) was a godly king who restored the Passover and returned the temple as a place of worship, pulled down the high places, and destroyed all Baal worship.

18:4 | The bronze serpent was a statue Moses erected to save the Israelites from biting snakes (Num. 21:5-9). According to Jesus, it pictured how He would be lifted up on the cross (John 3:14-15). Over time, however, it had become an object of worship called the Nehushtan (a word that sounds like the Hebrew words for both bronze and snake).

18:5-8 | Held fast means “cleaved to” or “remained close to” in loyalty and faithfulness. Hezekiah’s faith enabled him to make unprecedented religious reforms in Judah and withstand Assyrian tyranny (19:32-36).

18:13-19:13 | First, Sennacherib took the fortified cities of Judah, then he threatened Jerusalem. Tartan (“Field Marshal” or “Commander in Chief”) was the Assyrian general in command. Rabsaris (“Chief Eunuch”) refers to a senior military officer. Rabshakeh (“Chief Cupbearer”) was a high court official often in charge of administrative affairs (Isa. 36-37).

18:19-35 | Sennacherib was uncertain whether Hezekiah’s trust was in Egypt or the LORD, but he believed that Hezekiah was guilty of deceiving his people if he convinced them to rely on either one rather than surrendering to him. As Sennacherib correctly pointed out, no other nation’s gods had delivered them from the Assyrians. But Hezekiah knew that those gods were not the Holy One of Israel.

18:19-20 | What confidence is this in which you trust? In whom do you trust? The enemy – and the world – are always watching God’s people to see if their singular answer to these questions hold up under attack, or whether it is mere words (Ps. 118:8-9). In the end, Sennacherib’s threats were empty words.