1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's Chapter nineteen, 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. As 6 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: into the temple of the Lord. He told Prime Minister 9 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: Eliah Kim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebnah, and the senior priests 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: to dress in sacloth and tell the prophet Isaiah. These 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: woman too weak to give birth when it's time for 13 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: her baby to be born. Please pray for those of 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent 15 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the 16 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: Lord heard what he said and will do something if 17 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: you pray. When these leaders went to Isaiah, he told 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: them that the Lord had this message for Hesekiah. I 19 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: am the Lord. Don't worry about the insulting things that 20 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: have been said about me by these messengers from the 21 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: King of Assyria. I will upset him with rumors about 22 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: what's happening in his own country. He will go back, 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: and there I will make him die a violent death. Meanwhile, 24 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king 25 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: had left the town of Lakish and was now attacking Libna, 26 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: so he went there. About this same time, the King 27 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: of Assyria learned that King Trhika of Ethiopia was on 28 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: his way to attack him. Then the King of Assyria 29 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: sent some messengers with this note for Kiah, don't trust 30 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: your God or be fooled by his promise to defend 31 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: Jerusalem against me. You have heard how we Assyrian kings 32 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: so safe? The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns 34 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: of Gozen, Heron, Resif, and everyone from Eden who lived 35 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: in Tallassar. What good did their gods do them? The 36 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hennah, and Iva have all disappeared. 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: After Hezekiah had read the note from the King of Assyria, 38 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: he took it to the temple and spread it out 39 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: for the Lord to see. He prayed, Lord God of Israel. 40 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: Your throne is above the winged creatures. You created the 41 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: heavens and the earth, and you alone rule the kingdoms 42 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: of this world. But just look how Sanakarib insulted you, 43 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: the Living God. It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian 44 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: kings have turned nations into deserts. They destroyed the idols 45 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: of wood and stone that the people of those nations 46 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: had made and worshiped. But you are our Lord and 47 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: our God. We ask you to keep us safe from 48 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth 49 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,839 Speaker 1: will know that you are the only God. Isaiah went 50 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of 51 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: Israel had said, Hezekiah, I heard your prayer about King 52 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: Sanakarib of Assyria. Now this is what I say to 53 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: that king. The people of Jerusalem hate and make fun 54 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: of you. They laugh behind your back. Snakarib, you cursed, 55 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: shouted and sneered at me, the Holy God of Israel. 56 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: You let your officials insult me the Lord. And here 57 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: is what you have said about yourself. I led my 58 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: chariots to the highest heights of Lebanon's mountains. I went 59 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: deep into its forest, cutting down the best cedar and 60 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: cypress trees. I dried up every stream in the land 61 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: of Egypt, and I drank water from the wells I 62 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: had dug Snakarib. Now listen to me, the Lord, I 63 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: planned all this long ago, and you don't even realize 64 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: that I alone am the one who decided that you 65 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: would do these things. I let you make ruins of 66 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: fortified cities. Their people became weak, terribly confused. They were 67 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: like wildflowers or tender young grass growing on a flat roof, 68 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: scorched before it matures. I know all about you, even 69 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: how fiercely angry you are with me. I have seen 70 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: your pride and the tremendous hatred you have for me. 71 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: Now I will put a hook in your nose, bit 72 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: in your mouth. Then I will send you back to 73 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: where you came from. Hezekiah. I will tell you what's 74 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: going to happen. This year, you will eat crops that 75 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: grow on their own, and the next year you will 76 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: eat whatever springs up where those crops grew. But the 77 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: third year you will plant grain and vineyards, and you 78 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,239 Speaker 1: will eat what you harvest. Those who survive in Judah 79 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: will be like a vine that puts down deep roots 80 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:36,119 Speaker 1: and bears fruit. I the Lord all Powerful, will see 81 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive. 82 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: I promise that the king of Assyria won't get into Jerusalem, 83 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: or shoot an arrow into the city, or even surround 84 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: it and prepare to attack. As surely as I am 85 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 1: the Lord, he will return by the way he came 86 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: and will never enter Jerusalem. I will protect it from 87 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: myself and for my servant David. That same night, the 88 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, 89 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: and he killed one hundred eighty five thousand of them, 90 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: and so the next morning the camp was full of 91 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: dead bodies. After this, King Sanakaib went back to Assyria 92 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: and lived in the city of Ninevah. One day he 93 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok when 94 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: his sons Adramelek and Shariza killed him with their swords. 95 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son 96 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: Esar Haddan became king. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you 97 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: for your word, and we thank you for the privilege 98 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: of being able to look at it today. And Lord, 99 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: as we look at this portion of scripture, we see 100 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: that King Sanakarib had set his heart against you. He 101 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: was filled with pride, he was filled with conceit, and 102 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: he failed to realize that the things that had been 103 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: accomplished during the course of his reign were only accomplished 104 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: because you allowed them to take place. And he failed 105 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: to give you credit, and he failed to honor you 106 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: as Lord, and ultimately he suffered a terrible fate. Lord, 107 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: these are things that all humanity wrestles with, and we've 108 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: wrestled with these things as well. But Lord, we pray 109 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: that we would trust you with our lives. We pray 110 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: that we would trust you with our futures. We pray 111 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: that when we have needs and concerns and things that 112 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: weigh heavy on our hearts, that we would lay them 113 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: out before you, just as Hezekiah did, and that we 114 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: would trust that you will accomplish your purpose and your will, 115 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: and that whatever you decide is what's best. Lord, we 116 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: know that you have our futures secure in your hand. 117 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: Through faith in your son Jesus Christ, we have been 118 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: set apart. We have been sealed by your Holy Spirit, 119 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: and you call us your children, and you remind us 120 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: that we have an inheritance in your kingdom that will 121 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: never be taken away. It's gone, it's never going to rust, 122 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: it's never going to disappear. So we're grateful Lord for 123 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: these promises, and we're grateful that, in the midst of 124 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: whatever we face this side of heaven, that we can 125 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: be confident that you're working all things together for good 126 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: and that you have good things in store for those 127 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: who love you. So we do love you, Lord, and 128 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: we thank you for your presence with us, and we 129 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: pray that throughout the course of this day that we 130 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: would honor you as our Lord and our God. And 131 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.