Wednesday: The Rest of the Story
Isa: 37:21-38.
According to Sennacherib, as reported in his annals, he took forty-six fortified towns, besieged Jerusalem, and made Hezekiah the Jew “a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage.” — James B. Pritchard, editor, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1969), p. 288.
Image © John Thompson from GoodSalt.com
But in spite of his penchant for propaganda as an extension of his monumental ego, neither in text nor in pictures does he claim to have taken Jerusalem. From a human point of view, this omission is amazing, given the inexorable power of Sennacherib and the fact that Hezekiah led a revolt against him. Rebels against Assyria had short life expectancies and gruesome deaths.
Scholars acknowledge that even if we did not have the biblical record, we would be compelled to admit that a miracle must have taken place. The fact that Sennacherib lined the walls of his “Palace Without a Rival” with reliefs (carved pictures) vividly depicting his successful siege of Lachish appears to be due to his need for a face-saving device. But for the grace of God, these pictures would have shown Jerusalem instead! Sennacherib did not tell the rest of the story, but the Bible does.
What is the rest of the story? Isa: 37:21-37.
In response to Hezekiah’s prayer of total faith, God sent him a message of total assurance for Judah that boils over with molten fury against the proud Assyrian king who had dared slap the divine King of kings in the face (Isa: 37:23). Then God promptly fulfilled His promise to defend Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35-37; 2 Chronicles 32.21-22; Isa: 37:36-38).
A big crisis calls for a big miracle, and big it was. The body count was high: 185,000. So, Sennacherib had no choice but to go home, where he met his own death (compare Isaiah’s prediction in Isa: 37:7-38).
“The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy.” — Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 361. Also, if Sennacherib had conquered Jerusalem, he would have deported the population in such a way that Judah would have lost its identity, as northern Israel did. From one perspective, then, there would have been no Jewish people to whom the Messiah could be born. Their story would have ended right there. But God kept hope alive.
| What do you say to someone who, not yet believing in the Bible or the God of the Bible, asks this question: Was it fair that these Assyrian soldiers, who just happened to be born where they were, should die en masse like this? How do you, personally, understand the Lord’s actions here? |
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I live in a city with a population of around 200,000 people and I have a pretty good idea of how much space 200,000 people occupy. I live on one side of this city and it takes me about 40 minutes to drive to the other side. Most of the time I am driving in a built-up area. That gives me some idea of the size of Sennacherib’s army.
We have very little indication of the size of Jerusalem at that time. The nearest figure I could find was for the Roman siege period, a thousand years later when it was estimated that the population was around 600,000. Of course, the population would have been swollen by people from the surrounding area taking refuge in the city from the siege. I am guessing that the population of Jerusalem in the Assyrian siege would have been several hundred thousand (including once again, those who had taken refuge in the city).
The army of Sennacherib has been raiding northern Israel and according to their own records has defeated 46 cities in the process. They admit to besieging Jerusalem but say nothing about the event that caused them to go back home. I guess in the circumstances that is to be expected – nobody like to admit failure. History does record however that things did not go well for Sennacherib at home though He had made Nineveh his capital and had built it into a beautiful city. At the same time he had a lot of trouble controlling the Babylonian part of his empire. Eventually, due largely to family infighting, he was assassinated and replaced.
From a biblical archaeology perspective, Sennacherib’s reign is one of the most well documented periods of history. They recorded much of their history of clay cylinders and prisms which have the distinct advantage of being much more permanent that parchment and papyrus. To a large extent their history agrees with the biblical account with the differences explained by the perspectives of those doing the recording.
Is. 37:31: "The surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward."
We are God's remnant now. We again must (1) take root downward and (2) bear fruit upward. What does this mean?
First, we find our security. Our stability. Our source of nourishment. When I drink my first glass of water in the morning I say, "thank You Living Water" (Jn 7:37-39). Soon after that I receive my "Daily Bread" in the Word (Luke 11:3).
Then, in prayer as I review the situations of my life, I become more aware of God's blessing and prosperity. Jesus also prayed often in the early morning hours, eating the fruits of the Spirit to nourish Him for His work that day: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When I am feeling fully blessed and fortified by these spiritual fruits, I am more able to share with others, the upward kind of fruit (for His honor and glory). Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ.
Please, I need help with the question at the end of Today's study.
The question makes it sound like they were innocent bystanders. I do not think that is the intent of the author but it comes off that way. These soldiers were the hand of Sennacherib. After a city was taken, these same soldiers beheaded countless individuals to bring back to their king. They raped, plundered, pillaged and looted the cities they conquered. It is likely that the more they brought back, they better they were rewarded. The Assyrians were the first terrorist (see comment from Tuesday).
It took great courage for Hezekiah to turn to prayer under the threat of losing his head. His relationship with God must have been strong. He knew that God could easily prove that He was not like all the gods of wood and stone from the surrounding countries Sennacherib had already conquered. God sent a message to the known world that his people were protected by His hand wether or not they shot one arrow in their own defense. This action went right to the root of the arrogant letter Sennacherib sent to Hezekiah, “ do not think your God can stop me, it has not worked anywhere else.” Then the living God, creator of heaven and earth, stepped in and showed that king who was in charge and wiped out the kings hand, his army, in one night while they slept.
To whom does God need to explain anything when He is the source of all life? He has provided salvation for every sinner IF they will accept it. Look at Jesus on the cross and find the only answer we need when questioning God.
God has appointed a day for judgment, and that was not that day. This action was a message, not a judgment. We cannot possibly understand the situation over 2500 years later, and don't need to when we have passages such as Isaiah 53.
God owes no one an apology or an explanation, but if we seek to know Him, we will understand that in every action, He is seeking to save as many as will be saved, including this proud but wayward heathen king.
understood. the question "was it fair that these Assyrian soldiers, who just happened to be born where they where, should die en masse like this?" presumes that the Assyrian soldiers did not choose to be in the king's army, the soldiers were innocent of murder, rape and other criminal behavior committed during their conquests of foreign nations, and that they otherwise were innocent bystanders and not actively engaged in conquest of kingdoms surrounding assyria.
It is very interesting the detail inspiration includes in the death of Sennacherib. He was worshiping and was killed in the temple where his god whom he proclaimed is great.
Hezekiah trusted the LORD to do what was best for His overall plan, not just for the individual praying. Two other instances in the Word come to mind - Daniel's 3 friends said even if He doesn't save us we will still trust Him, and Jesus said not my will but thy will be done. Their outcomes were different to Hezikiah's. Also read Hebrews 11 and see some got what they wanted but others did not but were promised eternal life.
Thanks, Jim Williams.
As I see it:
All God’s interactions with mankind and His efforts to direct/influence our ways are solely motivated by God’s care for his creation; all is done in the context of man’s survival as a living soul. God’s efforts to direct man’s journey on earth is solely to influence his ultimate destiny - to receive eternal life in the resurrection at the end of the time of this old earth.
From the Beginning, God secured the survival of man which He calls a *living Soul*. The living soul needed guidance because it can think and has a free will. It is brought into existence through God’s breath of life and received an identity that is based on “let us make man in our image, after our likeness” – Gen.1:26KJV.
Like a story book, the Scriptures open the window to mankind’s past, but it also speaks of its future as it teaches spiritual Truth through its accounts of mankind’s history; accounts of conquest and defeat, names of Kings and people reflecting honor and shame, decisions leading to peace and war. This is the life man lives, where he has to choose his destiny since the separation from the *Oneness of the Fellowship of Righteousness* - His Creator.
God uses the qualities of the personality of man to establish some powerful *movers and shakers* for the influence of the destination of nations, using them ultimately to accomplish His purpose and Will - Salvation. In the context of the power through man’s personality, I can see two aspects of greatness – one, the powers inherent in the personality of man, his arm of flesh; the other, when this man humbly submits these aspects of his personality to God to do what He can do with/by/though him.
Among many others, Sennacherib and Hezekiah are a good example to see the difference in outcome caused by the spirit which leads each one’s efforts, an even miraculously established outcome! Both are Kings, both were given leadership qualities - mental, physical and emotional attributes to lead their nations to succeed in circumstances of ever-present warfare, but only Hezekiah submitted all he is to the Will and Honor of God. This is how it ought to be with those whose eyes are opened to the understanding that God exists as the great I AM.
I believe that all of man’s experiences are ultimately useful in the fulfillment of God’s Promises to provide a way to bring man back into fellowship with Him.
At the Day of Judgement, each person will give account of his/her own actions based on the context of the then present circumstances. Only God’s *recording* angels know the moral *whys* of the choices clearly; their complete record reflects all that man has done and the motivation causing him to do it.
All I know is that God the Father and His Son, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus are the embodyment/expression of their own Law of loving Righteousness - Justice, Mercy and Grace.
It is interesting that Sennacherib, after seeing the destruction of his army at the hands of the God he spoke up against, did not seek to know more, or rather submit to the one true God and be saved, rather to turn back to his false god and thus be killed in the process. Salvation is a choice.
If I were asked about the fairness of the destruction of thousands of soldiers, I’d simply answer that it’s probably safe to say most all of the army supported Sennacherib in destroying Israel. There was a unity of purpose.
It’s not easy to separate people from the way of life that comes with culture. There are many thoughts, traditions, ways of thinking and worshiping that come with being a part of a community. They believed in their gods. Their gods were just no match for the God of Heaven and earth.
Cultural ideas and ways of living that aren’t based on faith in the living God, are impossible to change into God fearing beliefs without the true God.
Prejudice, bias, superiority coupled with the worship of strange gods come into play also.
Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
Deliverance often means rejection of previous group thought and practices.
Matthew 10:37 “ He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
None of the soldiers are recorded as standing against the coming conflict or questioning the justice of Sennacherib’s actions. They went to war on one accord and they fell by the sword of the living God together.
Well said!
Over and over we are told about our total trust must be in God. Many put their trust in their own things and humans. Bible says. Ps 20:7. where do some put their trust. But where do I put my trust? Is it only when things are going right, or is it a lifestyle for me to put my trust in God, moment by moment? Day by day?