Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-27
] GlD TESTAMENT TimESH
~ kfBR0KlYN D
GfIABEKSACEE.
~ .BIBLE-STUDIE
BIBLE STUDIES.
SENNACHERIB TURNED BACK.
Isaiah 37:14-39-JuIy 2.

God is our refuge and strength, a |
very present help in trouble. -Fsa. |
46.1.
In a previous study our attention |
was drawn to the good King Heze- |
kiah of Judah, mis- zeal for the Lord |
ana the notable Passover celebration !
which he brought about and the over |
throw of idolatry following our
present study relates TO him at a |
later period in his reign. The Assy-
rian empire To the north and east. |
with its capital at Nineveh had be-
come great and powerful and threat
ened to become the first Universal
Empire.
Before Hezekiah came to the throne
Of Judah his father entered into a
treaty whereby peace was secured by
the payment OF an annual tribute,
Egyptians, Phlistines and Sidonians
urged Judah to join them in the con
federacv by which they hoped ali
might regain their liberty from the
Assyrian yoke Urged by his people
Hezekiah Joined this c0nfederacy and
stopped the tribute money-contrary
10 the Lords admonitien through the
Prophet Isaiah. The measure was
popular. and the king did not seem to
realize how fully the Prophet repre-
scented the Lord in the matter. He
she uld have remembered that Israel
was under n special Covenant with
tie Almighty by which He was their
Sovereign, their King, and the Arbiter
OF their destiny The error was al
lowed to work ont a serious penalty
for the diSobedient, but when the king
and the people repented and gave evil
dence that the lesson had been learned
Divine mercy came miraculously to
their assistance, as we shall sec.
Sennacherb the conqueror.
The King of Assyria. with large
army. took the field knowing the ull-
heallies OF a siege OF Jerusaiem, he
did not begin with it, but passed dow
the Mediterranean coast, oyerthroWins
the Sidcnians and Philistines, to Joppa
and farther south: and then eastward
10 Lachish, 4 fortified city OF Judah.
The whole country was filled with fear
as nearly forty cities of Judah, one
after Tire other, fell. King HeZekiah
and his counselors resolved to avoid
if possible, siege Of war and sent
ambassadors TO King Sennacherih
apolOgizing for their ternerity in re-
fusing the tribute money and asking
what compensation would satisfy him.
The penalty was a heavy one,
amounting to nearly one million dol
lars, which at that time was Il muca
larger sum than il would be today.
| The payment of il required the re-
moval of much ornamental gold from
the temple but it was paid over and
the release granted. The successful
Sennacherib, about to attack Egypt,
rued his agreement with judah, and,
in violation of his compact, his gen
eral appeared before Jerusalem and
demanded its surrender Loudly did
he proclaim the victories already
achieved and warned the people of
Jerusalem not to trust in their God
| fer deliyerance, telling them that
| other peoples had trusted in their gods
and that all had failed before Sen
nachcrib.
Fear prevailed in Jerusalem. The
| king and his counselors We're not only
| fearful of war and captivity and the
| loss of their all. but they dared not
! trust the people lest they should sur
render and open the city gates Then
it was that the king and his advis-
ors and the people sought the Lord
| in prayer.
The Lord was waiting to be gracious,
| as He always is to those who are His
true people. He delayed, however. to
give the word of comfort, until the
necessities of the ease had humbled the
| people and taught them a lesson OF
faith and dependence upon their God.
| Then came the answer of the Lord,
| the prophecy that the King of Assy-
ria should not come into the city nor
| shoot an arrow there. nor even come
before it with shields. nor cast up
embankments of siege, but that the
! Lord would defend the city as His
own. Doubtless the prophecy seemed
strange to the people BY what mira
Gle this could be accomplished they
could not think. The lesson.to US Is
| that:
| God moves i'm mysterious way
| His wonders to perform,