2 Kings 18

CHAPTER 18THEME: Revival and testing under HezekiahNow we come to King Hezekiah. This section is so remarkable that it is not only recorded here in 2 Kings, but also in 2 Chronicles, and in the historical section of the prophecy of Isaiah. We have just seen that the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity by Assyria. God gives three reasons why this happened: Israel disobeyed God, they doubted God, and they defied God. During the same period the southern kingdom of Judah had a very wonderful king. From this point on we shall be following only the history of the southern kingdom since the northern kingdom is out of the picture. The reason God did not send Judah into captivity at this time is because Judah did have a few good kings who were responsible for a time of revival. Hezekiah was one of these. In fact, he was the best king who reigned in the land after David.

2 Kings 18:1

Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah, was a very wicked king; yet he had this wonderful son. This leads us to believe that the mother of Hezekiah was a very fine mother and a godly woman. We are told here that her name was Abi.

2 Kings 18:4

JUDAH’S REVIVAL UNDER HEZEKIAHHezekiah was a remarkable man. He led his people in a revival and began by attempting to remove idolatry from the land. This verse mentions the brazen serpent that Moses put up in the wilderness (see Num_21:1-9). What happened to that serpent that Moses had made? Well, it had been kept. Naturally it would be a tremendous memento, and it was kept in the temple. Then the day came when the children of Israel began to worship it! Instead of looking at it in faith as their fathers had, when they had been bitten by poisonous serpents in the wilderness as a judgment from God for rebellion, they began to worship it.

Now it was a stumbling block. They had forgotten the meaning of it. The serpent pointed to Christ according to Joh_3:14-15 which says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The brazen serpent was a symbol that was fulfilled by Christ. These people had turned the thing all around and had begun to worship the serpent instead of God. As I have studied the seven churches of Asia Minor, I have noted that in the city of Pergamos (more correctly, Pergamum), the serpent was worshiped. It seems the children of Israel were doing the same thing. They burned incense to the brazen serpent and called it Nehushtan. Now Hezekiah broke it in pieces. It was time to get rid of it. There is a great spiritual lesson in this. There are certain organizations, certain movements, and certain methods that God has used in the past. Unfortunately, folk did not know when God was through with them, and they refused to disband them. I could name half a dozen organizations that I am confident God raised up and which served a great purpose, but which went to seed. They continued operating for no other reason than to perpetuate jobs for those they employed. They became Nehushtan. They became brazen serpents that at one time had served a purpose and were mightily used by God. Then the day came when God was through with them. I have been in churches where people have been using the same methods for years and years. They say, “This is the way we have always done it.” It may be that it is time to change some of those methodsthere is no monotony with God. Do you realize that Paul never gave an invitation for people to come forward after a service? Apparently Dwight L. Moody began that practice. Now most evangelists think they have to give an invitation for people to come forward, and I have seen it actually become a stumbling block.

God led Moody to do it, but He may not lead you to do it. Although I was pastor in a downtown Los Angeles church and there were many converts who responded to the invitation at the Sunday services, my most solid converts were those who were saved in the Bible study on Thursday night when no invitation was given. What God leads someone else to do, He may not lead you to do. You can certainly begin worshiping the equivalent of a brazen serpent and call it Nehushtan. I have spent some time on this subject because I think it is important. Thank God that Hezekiah got rid of the serpent. I am of the opinion that many of the long-faced saints really criticized Hezekiah. They probably said, “He has gotten rid of our marvelous, wonderful, brazen serpent.” Well, thank God he broke it to pieces, friend. If you have a few little idols lying around your church or in your life, I suggest you get rid of them. Maybe there is some method or some particular way you have of doing things that you ought to change.

2 Kings 18:5

If there was none after Hezekiah to compare to him, and none before him, then we must conclude that he was outstanding. He is on a par with David. He was a great king who was mightily used of God. That is the reason that his life is given to us in three books of the Old Testament: 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah.

2 Kings 18:7

THE FIRST INVASION OF JUDAHHezekiah was a courageous king. Under his command Judah rebelled against Assyria and defeated the Philistines. During the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, took Samaria. The northern kingdom was defeated. Now there was nothing, not even a barbed-wire fence, between Assyria and Judah. King Hezekiah was in a bad spot.

2 Kings 18:11

This is a review of Israel’s captivity.

2 Kings 18:13

Hezekiah tried to rebel against Assyria, but he was not successful. Because he did not succeed, he will have to pay.

2 Kings 18:17

THE SECOND INVASION OF JUDAH BY SENNACHERIBSennacherib threatens Jerusalem with a great army.

2 Kings 18:18

Rab-shakeh attempts to frighten them by suggesting two things.

2 Kings 18:20

Knowing that Hezekiah is expecting aid from Egypt, Rab-shakeh ridicules Egypt as a bruised reed that would snap and pierce his hand the moment he put any weight on it. He says, “You won’t get any help from Egypt!” Now he attempts to knock out the second prop.

2 Kings 18:22

When Hezekiah took away the high places, Sennacherib thought he was taking down the altars to the living and true God. He did not understand that Hezekiah was cleansing the land of pagan altars and idols and that his action was obedience, not sacrilege. The Jews were to worship God at the one altar in Jerusalem, and they approached Him only through a bloody sacrifice. It looked to Sennacherib, however, as if Hezekiah had thrown over his God just when he needed Him most.

2 Kings 18:23

This an insult and a strong expression of contempt for the military power of Judah.

2 Kings 18:26

The Jews were lined up on the wall of the city of Jerusalem hearing all that was going on. The officials of Judah say; “Speak to us in the Syrian language; we can understand it.” Old Rab-shakeh said, “Not on your lifethis is going on television!” He was really demoralizing the troops.

2 Kings 18:28

He is getting through to the people, brainwashing them with propaganda.

2 Kings 18:30

He is attempting to persuade the Jews to surrender. He repeats that neither Hezekiah nor God can help them. He promises that their lives will be spared only through surrender. He is saying, “Make terms with me and I’ll leave you in peace to enjoy your own homes for a time.” Then he adds, “Even if we transplant you, it will be to a beautiful land like your own.”

2 Kings 18:33

To Rab-shakeh this seemed a crushing and unanswerable argument. It was true that no god had ever delivered his people out of the king of Assyria’s power. Of course he did not know that gods of the other countries were “no gods,” while the living God was “the Lord of the whole earth.”

2 Kings 18:36

Whatever impression his arguments may have made in the hearts of those who heard, no one said a word.