The Holt County sentinel., 1911-06-30
lsaiah's Prophecy
Concerning Sennacherib
sssdsy SsAssl Lsssss f~ Jdy Z, 1914
Specially Arranged 10, This Paper
LESSON TEST-Isaiah 37.it-ss.
NERsES- ~ 6

GOLDEN TEXT-"God Is our refuge
And strength. a very present help In trou-
Die. Pisa. 4sI.
T1ME-Probably u. C. 7oi.6o7. toward
the close of Hezekiah's reign
PLACE-Jerusalem and vicinity The
obstruction OF the army was probably
southwest OF Judah toward Egypt. :,
The importance of the event which
forms the subject OF this lesson 10
shown by the fact that its history 10
given In three books Of the Bible, and
probably referred to In another. &C.
cupyins seven or eight chapters. be-
sides the clay cylinder on which Sen.
nacherib made his own record.
1t was q great crisis In Israel's his.
tory like the exodus. and return from
captivity. q signal landmark. to teach
and warn and encourage and comfort
Israel In other great crises, and the
nations and individuals OF oil times.
Hesekiah. although the son Of Q bad
father (but good mother). began his
reign With q thorough and widespread
reformation and revival Of the true 70
ligion. even while the Assyrians were
invading the Northern Kingdom. He
oleansed and repaired the temple, 70
stored the temple services. and pro-
vided for the support Of the Levitss
and for popular religious instruction
from the books Of the law. thus bring.
ing about . great uprising against
idolAtry.
The result was most happy. "Hese.
kiah had exceeding much riches and
honor" His kingdom was tranquil.
strong and wealthy. But one constant
danger threatened Judah--the grow.
Ing power Of Assyria. whose overload.
ship Ahaz had acknowledged. against
the urgent protests OF Isaiah.
In 70l u. C. the great invasion Of
Palestine was made by Sennacherib.
with q double siege Of Jerusalem.
Sennacherib sent an army demanding
the surrender Of Jerusalem. He may
have felt that II was a mistake to
Lave In his rear so powerful . fort.
ress. while he had still to complete
the overthrow Of the Egyptians"
The Assyrians. coming near to the
walls Of the city and speaking through
Rabshakeh. the chief oficer Of Sen.
nscherib. made the contest one be.
tween Jehovah and the Assyrian idols.
between the true religion. the 6ne
means Of redseming the world. and
Hssekiah. and Isaiah. and apparently
tho scribss and elders. clothed In
sackcloth. went into the temple and
prayed from their Utmost souls.
Note how amlictions lead to prayer.
Hssskiah saw before him captivity.
suffering. probably death. the loss Of
his kingdom. the extinction q his
line. the exile Of bis people. but above
oil he saw the fall Of true religion.
the dishonor Of Gods name. . rsiig.
iOus and moral loss to the world. We
should pray for temporal blessings.
for whatever we need; but at the
sams time we should never let the de.
sire for earthly things ovsrshsdow the
larger and more important spiritual
interests; but rather. o. In, Hexekiah's
case. the pressure of personal need
should make nose Intense the desire
for Gods cause and kingdom.
Then came \ message from God
through Isaiah, Hitherto Isaiahs mes.
sage had been one Of warning to
Judah. In order to make them 80 ODE.
dent to God that the relief could
come to them as . blessing. Now his
message concerns the Assyrians. but
also shows judah why God comes to
their help.
The wonderful deliverance came
when the angel OF the Lord smote
Of the Assyrians q hundred and four.
score and Ave thousand. Just where
this occurred we do not know. But
Sennacherib was marching toward
Egypt. The deliverance was . deliv.
srance OF Egypt 40 we'll as Of Judah.
The scene may we'll have been near
Egypt. Whether II WAS by storm,
or pestilence, no one knows. II IL
remarkable that the histories Of both
his chief rivals In this campaign. Ju.
dab and Egypt. should contain indie
pendent "reminiscences OF 80 sudden
ard miraculous . disaster to his host,
From Egyptian sources there has
come down through Herodotus q story
that q king Of Egypt. being deserted
by the military caste. when SIENNA
cherib. king Of the Arabs and Assy.
rians invaded his country. entered his
sanctuary and appealed with weeping
to his god: that the god appeared and
chesred him: that he raised an army
OF artisans and marched to meet Sen
nacherib In Potassium; that by night
q multitude OF field mice ate up the
Quivers, b0wstrings and shieldstraps
OF the Assyrians; and that. a. these
fed on the morrow. very many OF
them fell. A stone statue Of the king,
adds Herodotus. stood In the temple
of Hsphaestus. having q mouse In the
hand. Now. since the mouse was q
symbol Of sudden destruction, and
even OF the plague. this story Of
Herodotus seems to be merely a pic
turesque form Of tradition that pesti'
lence broke out In the Assyrian camp.
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