The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-11-11
THE ASsYRIAN INVASION.
tnnday school Lesson In the Interna-
tionaI Lesson Series for November
13. 1sos-2 Kings 19.20-22, 2s-37.


GOLDEN TExT.-God is our refuge and
strength, very present help in trouble
Psa. 461.
THE SECTION includes the rest of Heze-
kiah's reign e Kings 1913 to 20:21) The
parallel passages are Chron. S2a-3S; lsa.,
Chaps. Sc to SO.
TIME-Probably about B. G. 7O1. The
last half Of Hezekiah's reign 220-240 years
after the beginning of the kingdom, and
llO-1S0 before the exile-a period of refor-
nation.
PEAcE.-1n and around Jerusalem. the
capital of Judah.
EXPOSITION.
Scene |. The Invasion of Judah by
Assyrian Hordes.-Assyria at this time
was al the height of its arrogant pow
er. Sennacherib, their king. about B.
C. 701, marched from Nineyeh with an
immense army like the Huns and
Saracens of later history. They took
city after city by storm, till the cities
of the Philistines and the south of
Judah were in their power, and little
was left to Hezekiah but his capital,
Jerusalem. Hezekiah tried to buy off
the invaders by the payment of the
former tribute, and other immense
and costly gifts, to obtain which he
stripped the gold plating from the
temple doors, and despoiled his palace.
Scene II. Around the Walls of Jeru-
salem.-Among the most dramatic
scenes in all history were the inter-
views described in lisa. 36 and 81, and
also in Kings between the rabshakeh,
one of the Assyrian officers, on the one
hand, and on the other, Hezekiah's Of
ficers, and the people of judah answer
ing from the walls of Jerusalem. The
rabshakeh demanded an unconditional
surrender. He appealed to the people
themselves, promising to spare their
lives, and take them to country far
better than Palestine, if they would
only open the gates in spite of their
rulers. He warned them that no pow
er had stood before the Assyrian
force; the gods of no place had been
able 10 save their people.
Scene III Hezekiah Praying in the
Temple.-King Hezekiah rent his
clothes, and put on sackcloth, and
went to the house Of God, while his
messengers sought out the prophet
Isaiah, to know what to do. He did
all he could, as well as prayed.
Scene ". The Answer Sent by
Isaiah.-vs. 20-22. 1884. 20. .Thus saith
the Lord" Jehovah. 81 have heard"
He would have them understand de-
liverance was from him.
81. "The virgin the daughter of
Zion:" Zion, the citadel of Jerusalem,
stands for the city, like a beautiful
virgin ''unviolated by a coaqueror"
Hath despised thee Assyria, and
laughed thee to scorn:" She defes
you, and mocks at all Jour threats, be-
cause she is safe, not in her own
strength, but in that of the Almighty
God, her protector.
%. "Eren against the Holy One of
Israeli" Whom they had rreproached
and blasphemed" by comparing him
with their idols, and declaring he
could not resist their power.
2S. 81 will put my hook in thy nose:"
AS was done with wild bulls to lead
them, and as the Assyrians are repre-
scented on their tablets as doing with
their captives.
20. "And this shall be sign unto
thee" This sign was given to Heze-
5Siahs such things as grow of them
selves" For two years the regular
operations Of agriculture shall be sus-
pended, by the occupation of the Assy-
rians, but the third year everything
would go on as usual.
30. THE remnant that is escaped
The Assyrians had already destroyed
large part Of Judah and carried away
l2 aaa, 600 OF the people, according to Sen
nacherib's account. Yet God would
not permit the nation to be destroyed,
but this remnant, like the stump of
tree cut off, should ''again take root
downward, and bear fruit"
80. tsTbe king of Assyria, He shall not
come into this city, The promise was
clear. direct, positive and it was full
filed.
"a. "For my servant David's sake:"
Not because the people deserved it,
but because of the kingdom of God
promised to come through David.
Scene v. The Destruction of the As
syrian Army.-Vs. 35-37. IS. That
night" The promise was immediate
ly fulfilled. "The angel of the Lord
went out:" The use of the word
..angel' here does not determine the
manner in which the destruction was
accomplished. It may have been a
storm, a pestilence, or food. The de-
struction of the great host in the Phil
istine plains appears to have been from
a sudden outbreak Of pestilence. This
is the Jewish tradition, and pestilence
is said in the Bible to be the work of
an angel e Sam. 24:16, ~. I'm the
camp of the Assyrians:" Where this
camp was is not stated, but the main
body Of the army we're last reported
at Libnah (Isa. 1879, not far from
Lachish, but nearer to Jerusalem. "a
hundred fourseore and five thousand:
Giving some idea of the immense size