The king who trusted in Yahweh The Life

The king who trusted in Yahweh The Life of Hezekiah

Next class: Study 3 “A Day of Trouble” The Trial of Hezekiah

Babylon ruled by Assyrian Kings Mushezib. Marduk 693 -689 Nabu-nasir (Nabonassar) 748 -734 Marduk-aplaiddina II (Merodach. Baladan) 722 -710 Bel-ibni (vassal) 703 -700 Nabu-mukin-zeri 732 -729 Eriba. Marduk 769 -761 Mardukapla-usur 780 -769 Nabu-shumaishkan 761 -748 Babylon ruled by Assyrian Kings Historical Chronology of the Times of Hezekiah Isaiah 750 -681 Amaziah 796 -767 770 Uzziah Jotham Ahaz 760 755 Jeroboam II Co-regent 793 -782 Sole reign from 782 -753 750 745 740 Menahem 752 -742 (Samaria) Pekah 752 -740 Hezekiah Co-regent 728 -715 Main ruler 743 -715 730 725 Pekah Hoshea 740 -732 (Samaria) 732 -722 (Gilead) Zechariah – 6 months 753 Shallum – 1 month Jonah 780 -765 Amos 765 -755 Ashur-Dan III 773 -755 Pekaiah 742 -740 (Samaria) Hosea Obadiah? 705 -701 732 -701 Co-regent 750 -747 Co-regent 790 -767 Sole reign from 767 -747 Main ruler from 747 -743 Co-regent 747 -739 Co-regent 743 -731 765 Joel? Micah 720 Manasseh Co-regent 695 -686 Sole Reign from 68 Sole Reign from 715 710 705 700 695 690 685 680 BC 701 BC 722 Assyrians take the northern ten tribes Assyrians invade Judah and captive – 6 th year of besiege Hezekiah’s co-regency Jerusalem – 14 th year of Hezekiah’s sole reign 755 -722 Ashur-nirari V 755 -745 Sargon II Tiglath-pileser 722 -705 III Shalmaneser 745 -727 V 727 -722 Sennacherib 705 -681 Esarhaddon 681 -669 6

Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah

BC 728 722 715 701 686 Hezekiah comes to the throne in the 3 rd year of Hoshea (2 Kings 18: 1). This must be the start of his co-regency 12. Six years lateraged the Assyrians take the ten northern tribes captive in the 9 th year of Hoshea, the 6 th year of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18: 9 -10). Ahaz dies and Hezekiah commences sole reign aged 25. He then reigns 29 years (2 Kings 18: 2): 14 years before BC 701 and then 15 years after BC 701 (additional years of life given by Yahweh – Isa. 38: 5). This is when he opens and cleanses the temple and holds Passover. The Assyrians invade Judah and besiege Jerusalem in the 14 th year of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18: 13) – but this is 27 years after he commences to reign, not 14! This must be the 14 th year of his sole reign; age 39. Hezekiah dies aged 54, fifteen years after BC 701 (2 Kings 20: 21).

Sennacherib’s Prism “As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke: fortysix of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small towns in their area, which were without number, by levelling with batteringrams and by bringing up siege-engines, and by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels, and breeches, I besieged and took them. ”

Micah 1: 10 -15 Aphrah was somewhere between Gath and Shaphir Zaanan, Beth-ezel and Maroth were in the area of Shapir The Judean towns singled out for destruction by the Assyrians in Mic. 1: 10 -15 (cp. Isa. 10: 28 -32) The Assyrian Invasion

Hezekiah falls sick By comparing all the records in Kings and Isaiah it becomes evident that Hezekiah fell ill at the same time as the invasion. • Isa. 38: 5, 6 “Thus saith Yahweh…I will add unto thy days 15 years (i. e. BC 701 -686). And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. ” • 2 Kings 18: 2 “Hezekiah reigned 29 years” (sole reign dated from BC 715). • 2 Kings 18: 13 “In the 14 th year of King Hezekiah (i. e. 15 years before the end of his reign) did Sennacherib…come up. ”

Sick unto death Romans 5 Isaiah v. 6 without strength 37: 3 not strength to bring forth v. 6 in due time Christ died 38: 1 in those days was Hezekiah sick v. 8 God commendeth love 38: 17 in love to my soul delivered it v. 9 saved from wrath 37: 29 Sennacherib’s rage…I will turn thee back v. 10 saved by his life 38: 6 deliver thee and this city

How did the people respond? Isa. 22: 1 The people observed the Assyrians coming from their roof tops. And their response…? ? ? • vv. 2 -7 Some tried to flee to Egypt (note ch. 31). • vv. 8 -11 Some trusted in their own strength. • vv. 12 -14 Some gave up and partied! • vv. 15 -19 Shebna tried to build a monument to himself, in self-righteousness, not believing God would let this happen to His people. • vv. 20 -25 Hezekiah, the true servant, trusted in Yahweh and came to High Priest to show he was cleansed.

Sennacherib’s Record “(Hezekiah) himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. . . I added to the former tribute, and I laid upon him the surrender of their land imposts — gifts for my majesty. As for Hezekiah, the terrifying splendor of my majesty overcame him. . . To pay tribute and to accept servitude, he dispatched his messengers. ”

The Type of Christ Isaiah 38 Isaiah 53 v. 1 sick unto death v. 4 stricken of God v. 1 set thine house in order for v. 8 who shall declare his thou shalt die generation? for he was cut off v. 3 walked before thee in truth…perfect heart v. 9 done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth v. 3 Hezekiah wept sore v. 3 man of sorrows v. 5 add unto thy days v. 10 prolong his days v. 10 cutting off my days v. 8 he was cut off out of… v. 11 land of the living v. 8 …the land of the living v. 12 mine age is departed v. 8 who shall declare his generation (same word)

The Type of Christ Isaiah 38 Isaiah 53 v. 12 I have cut off v. 8 he was cut off v. 14 I did mourn as a dove v. 10 He hath put him to grief v. 14 I am oppressed v. 7 he was oppressed v. 15 bitterness of my soul v. 8 He shall see the travail of his soul v. 16 make me to live v. 10 prolong his days v. 17 for peace v. 5 our peace v. 18 grave cannot praise v. 9 grave with the wicked v. 19 father to the children v. 10 he shall see his seed

• Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die (Isa. 22: 14) • And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity (Isa. 33: 24) • Yahweh is exalted; for He dwelleth on high: He hath filled Zion with judgement and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability, and strength of salvation: the fear of Yahweh is his treasure (Isa. 33: 5 -6)

• The word for “degrees” is ma’aloth, a journey to a higher place, or steps. • It appears that the “sundial” of Ahaz was a staircase, possibly the one between the royal palace and the higher level of the Temple area (cp. 2 Kings 9: 13 “the stairs” s. w. ). • Presumably, at the top of the stairs was a pillar that cast a shadow on the steps. As the sun went across the sky, the shadow lengthened on the steps (1/2 hour per step? ). The Sundial of Ahaz

• While God is more than capable of reversing the revolutions of the earth to reverse time, it appears that He did not do this: a) The phenomenon was only seen on the sundial of Ahaz (Isa. 38: 8). b) The wonder was only done in the land later heard about by other nations (2 Chron. 32: 31). • Note: Acts 26: 13 - the glory of the Lord shone greater than the light of the sun. The Sundial of Ahaz

. . . the tunnel. . . and this is the story of the tunnel while. . . the axes were against each other and while three cubits were left to cut? . . . the voice of a man. . . called to his counterpart, (for) there was a crack in the rock, on the right. . . and on the day of the tunnel (being finished) the stonecutters struck each man towards his counterpart, ax against ax and flowed water from the source to the pool for 1200 cubits. and 100? cubits was the height over the head of the stonecutters. . .

The Serpent Speech of Rabshekeh Isaiah 36 • v. 5 Hezekiah is a vain hypocrite! (contrast 11: 1 -3). • v. 5 On whom do you place your trust (cp. Jer. 2: 13). • v. 6 Don’t expect any help from Egypt. • v. 7 How can you trust in God when His altars have been removed? • v. 8 You can’t even find 2000 cavalry soldiers (cp. 21: 13 -17). • v. 9 You couldn’t win against one of my men. • v. 10 God Himself has sent me against you (cp. 8: 7 -8; 10: 5 -6).

The Serpent Speech of Rabshekeh At this point, Eliakim, Shebna and Joah plead with Rabshakeh not to speak in Hebrew to the people. Instead he calls louder (v. 11). • v. 12 Why endure the horrors of a siege? • v. 14 Don’t let Hezekiah trick you. • v. 15 Don’t let Hezekiah force religion on you. • v. 16 If you surrender I will give you peace (cp. Micah 4: 4; Deut. 8: 7 -8). • v. 17 You will enjoy a change of scenery. • v. 18 Religion can’t save people – the other gods of the nations could do nothing (cp. 37: 10). Rabshakeh sealed Assyria’s fate!

Hezekiah’s First Response

Yahweh’s Reassurance Isaiah delivers God’s answer in the form of an oracle against Sennacherib. . . • Sennacherib’s boasting and blasphemy is condemned (Isa. 37: 21 -25). • Sennacherib’s power came from God (Isa. 10: 6), and now God will take his power away (Isa. 37: 26 -29). • Hezekiah is given a sign and promise that Sennacherib will not beseige or invade the city of Jerusalem (Isa. 37: 30 -35). • Yahweh gives a sign that His words will be accomplished – (2 Kings 19: 29 -31 cp. Lev. 25: 5, 11; note Isa. 61: 1 -5, 7, 11)

The Seal of Hezekiah The symbols on the seal impression (bulla) suggest that they were made late in his life, when both the royal administrative authority and the king’s personal symbols changed from the winged scarab (dung beetle)—the symbol of power and rule that had been familiar throughout the ancient Near East — to that of the winged sun, a motif that proclaimed God’s protection, which gave the regime its legitimacy and power, also widespread throughout the ancient Near East and used by the Assyrian kings.

Hezekiah’s mistake

Isaiah 62: 1 -5, 10 -13