Hezekiah-What to Do When the Bully Comes Back

By Mary Vee
II Kings 18 and II Chronicles

From the Journals of Hezekiah

Photo courtesy

Sennacherib, king of Assyria was an evil man. He has been bullying my people. This king told the people of Jerusalem that God couldn't help them. He also said they should surrender to him and he would take good care of them. Of course he wasn't telling the truth.

God sent a message to me, Hezekiah, king of Judah and loyal servant of the Almighty God, saying not to be concerned. He would punish Sennacherib.

Sennacherib heard that the king of Egypt was marching across the land to fight him. After hearing the report he sent messengers to me again. Can you imagine that?

I am not afraid of him because God said He would take care of the problem. 

Still I will tell you what Sennacherib said, "Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them? The gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar. Where are all those kings? You will end up like them.

I did not answer him.

Instead I went up to the temple of the Lord and laid the papers with the message out before the Lord. I prayed these words: 

"O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear. Open your eyes, O Lord, and see. Listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 

"It is true, O Lord that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire an destroyed them, for they were not god but only wood and stone, made by men's hands. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand so that all the kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord are God."

Come back next time to see what God said. 

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1. What lies did Sennacherib tell the people of Jerusalem?
2. Even after he heard the king of Egypt was marching against him, Sennacherib did what?
3. Did Hezekiah listen to the bully's words?
4. What did Hezekiah do?