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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey, an ordained Baptist minister, claims no originality for the contents
of these Bible study outlines. However, every Bible study posted on this website has been
taught by Rev. Purkey. To see more Bible study outlines go to the Archives Page:
rcpbibleoutlines.com/index10.htm_

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HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER
September 15, 2024

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 19:14-20, 29-31

KEY VERSE: Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only (2 Kings 19:19).

INTRODUCTION: We now enter into the study of one of the most exciting periods in Judah’s history, the reign of godly King Hezekiah. Israel had fallen to Assyria, and now the enemy was attacking Judah. King Ahaz had made a covenant with Assyria years before (2 Kings 16:7-9), but Hezekiah rebelled against it (2 Kings 18:7; 13-16); and this invited an invasion from the enemy.

Actually, the events in these chapters are not recorded in their exact order, for Hezekiah’s sickness occurred during the siege (2 Kings 20:6), and the visit from the Babylonian leaders followed his recovery. He reigned twenty-nine years (2 Kings 18:2). Since fifteen years were given him after his recovery, and the invasion took place in the fourteenth year of his reign (2 Kings 18:13), then his sickness and the invasion occurred at the same period in his life. We will notice three enemies that Hezekiah had to face and how he dealt with them.

INSIGHT: The Assyrian invaders were coming (2 Kings 18-19). This means war!

I. THE REFORMATION (see 2 Kings 18:1-8; see 2 Chron. 29-32).

INSIGHT: Notice the reformation under King Hezekiah.

This godly king immediately set out to rid the land of idolatry and sin. He reopened and repaired the temple, cleaned out the rubbish that had gathered there, and reestablished the services. He was especially interested in the singers and the sacrifices. He also called the whole nation (Israel included) to a great Passover feast. It was a time of revival, but, unfortunately, it did not get into the hearts of the people. The changes were only on the surface. However, Hezekiah proved that he did love the Lord, and God blessed him for his service.

II. THE REBELLION (see 2 Kings 18:9-37).

A. For years, the nation had been under tribute to Assyria, but Hezekiah rebelled and refused to pay tribute.

This brought the Assyrian army to Jerusalem, but instead of turning to God, Hezekiah feared the enemy and gave in (2 Kings 18:13-16), even to the point of robbing the temple to pay Assyria. There were actually three “parties” in Judah at this time: (1) one wanted to surrender to Assyria; (2) another wanted to go to Egypt for help; and (3) a third group (led by Isaiah) called the nation to trust in the Lord for deliverance.

B. The king of Assyria took the money and then turned around and invaded Judah anyway.

Isaiah called this move “treachery” (Isa. 33:1-8), for Assyria did not keep her promise. Three of the Assyrian officers taunted the Jews (2 Kings 18:17—these are titles of offices, not personal names) and tried to undermine Hezekiah’s faith and leadership. 2 Kings 18:31-32 illustrate the deceitfulness of sin; (1) Assyria promised them peace and plenty (2) until they were taken away into captivity. There is always an “until” to disobedience.

III. THE REQUEST (see 2 Kings 19:14-19).

INSIGHT: This is Hezekiah’s prayer to the LORD for Israel.

And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16 Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17 Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. (2 Kings 19:14-19).

Unable to save himself, the king went to the temple to pray. 2 Kings 19:2 is the first mention of the Prophet Isaiah in the Bible. The prophet sent the king an answer of peace: God would deliver Judah and defeat Assyria. Difficulties with other nations forced Assyria to pull back their forces, but Rabshakeh sent an arrogant letter to Hezekiah to frighten him into surrendering. The king took the letter to the temple and “spread it before the Lord.” Notice that verse 19 emphasizes the glory of God, which is the real basis for prayer.

INSIGHT: This is Pastor/Bible Teacher Tony Evans teaching about 2 Kings 19:1-19: “Hezekiah didn’t tear his clothes in anguish when he read the letter from Sennacherib. He took it to the temple and spread it out before God and prayed (2 Kings 19:14–15). Acknowledging his submission to the divine King, Hezekiah began, LORD God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim (2 Kings 19:15). He then reminded God of his unique relationship with Israel as opposed to the purported relationships between conquered peoples and the false gods of the nations Assyria had defeated. He knew that none of the gods of the nations had delivered their people because they were made by human hands and lacked any power (2 Kings 19:18). But, the Lord is different. He isn’t a creation of man; he is the Creator of man. He made the heavens and the earth (2 Kings 19:15). Hezekiah saw Sennacherib’s letter as an attack on God’s character (2 Kings 19:16), and he pleaded with God to vindicate himself and his people (2 Kings 19:19). Hezekiah was reminding him that answering his prayer would bring God great glory. This prayer is a model for believers in distress.” – From the Tony Evans Bible Commentary (p. 396).

IV. THE REWARD (2 Kings 19:20-37).

INSIGHT: Isaiah prophesies Sennacherib's fall.

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. 23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. 24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places. 25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. 26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the house tops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. 28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.

32 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhad his son reigned in his stead (2 Kings 19:20-37).

A. What a wonderful combination—(1) the Word of God and (2) prayer.

Hezekiah prayed and God sent the answer through the man of God, Isaiah—the Lord would judge Assyria and treat them as they had treated the nations.

B. God gave Hezekiah the promise that after two years Judah would have harvests again (2 Kings 19:29).

(The Assyrians had devastated the land.) Notice that God answered prayer for David’s sake and not because Judah or the king deserved such mercy (verse 34). God killed 185,000 soldiers in one night, and later Sennacherib’s own sons assassinated him. God was able to defeat the enemy without the help of Egypt (see Isaiah chapters 30-31).

INSIGHT: This statement is from Dr. J. Vernon McGee: “I wonder if you have noted the parallel to the days in which we are living. We think of our nation as being Christian and sophisticated and of Hezekiah’s nation as being uncivilized and halfway pagan. Well, in our disturbed condition have you heard of any of our politicians, educators, leaders, or military men turning to God and appealing to Him for deliverance? No! Instead the nation looks to the “expert” and listens to the man who has a high I.Q. to give the best advice. We have listened to men like that, friend, since I was a young man, and that is a long span now. We get farther and farther into the night. Our problems are mounting. Our difficulties are overwhelming today. Nowhere, not even in the church, do you hear anyone appeal to God. Our only chance is to turn to God in this dark and late hour in the history of our nation. We are a young nation, but we are already old and on the way out. History tells us that the life of most nations is around two hundred years. Instead of turning to God, it is always, “Let’s get together. Let’s try a new approach. Let’s get a new method. Let’s work on this problem from a different angle. Let’s get an authority in psychology, or medicine, or government, or education, and they will show us the way out.” My friend, all of these experts have moved us farther into the night, and we are in trouble. We need God. No nation ever needed God as this nation needs God right now. Thank God Hezekiah had enough sense to call upon God in his hour of need! He sent a delegation to God’s prophet, Isaiah. – By Vernon McGee, from Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 343).

REMNANTS

By David Jeremiah

And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward" (2 Kings 19:30).

 

Remnant stores are almost a thing of the past. These are shops that specialize in bits of cloth helpful to those who make their own clothes or need patchwork pieces for quilts. The word “remnant” has to do with bits, pieces, and fragments that are left over. A good seamstress can do a lot with remnants.

God can do a lot with remnants, too. In the Bible, the word “remnant” often referred to what was left of a community following a catastrophe. After the Babylonian captivity, for example, a remnant of Jewish people returned to the Promised Land. There by God’s grace, they took root downward and bore fruit upward.

In our world today, Christians often feel they represent the remnants of godliness in our communities. But by God’s grace we can take root downward and bear fruit upward. Wherever there is a remnant that serves the Lord, there is hope.

Remnant stores may be few and far between, but remnant stories are abundant among God’s people. Don’t worry if you’re in the majority or minority, if you’re popular or alone. Just take root downward and God will make you fruitful where you are.

No matter how wicked the world scene may appear, God always has a remnant that is faithful to Him. Sometimes that remnant is small, but God is always great.

 -- Adapted from Warren Wiersbe, in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, October 11, 2016

CONCLUSION: What have we learned from our lesson today?

First, God’s people had an idol within. Hezekiah removed all the idols from the land, including the brazen serpent that Moses had made (Num. 21:5–9). It is easy for God’s people to make idols out of good things that outlive their usefulness.

Second, God’s people had an enemy without. Having conquered Israel, Assyria wanted to capture Judah. The nation was divided three ways: some wanted to give up to Assyria, others wanted to go to Egypt for help, and a minority wanted to trust the Lord for deliverance. Notice the emphasis on the word trust in  2 Kings 18:19–25, and notice that the enemy always has a bargain to offer (2 Kings 18:23). However, each bargain has a fatal “until” attached to it (2 Kings 18:31–32).

Third, God’s people had an encouragement above. Hezekiah depended on the Word of God and prayer; he spread the matter before the Lord. His only desire was to glorify the Lord before that heathen army (2 Kings 19:19). God gave him a message of peace and victory (2 Kings 19:6–7), and the enemy was defeated. God knows the battles you fight, and He will give you the help you need. Spread the matter before Him in faith, and seek to glorify His name.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness” -- Phillips Brooks.

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REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the Moody Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary: (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Dr. Tony Evans (https://tonyevans.org/), KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Dr. Robert Jeffress’ Pathway to Victory (https://ptv.org/), Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, Radio Bible Class Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected illustrations and other references.

 

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