THE ASSYRIAN INVASION

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 27, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 43.

THE ASSYRIAN INVASION

Lesson VII.—Sunday, November 13, 1898.

THE ASSYRIAN INVASION.

Note.—In the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came against him with a great army. The Assyrians had taken all the principal cities of Judah excepting Jerusalem. On demand of Sennacherib for tribute, Hezekiah had given him “all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house.” He had also cut off all the gold from the doors of the temple, and from the pillars which the king had overlaid, and given it to the Assyrian king. But Sennacherib was not satisfied with this. He demanded a surrender of Jerusalem, and sent messengers to tell the rulers and the people that it was useless to contend with the Assyrian host, as no power could stand against them. Then Hezekiah prayed earnestly to God for relief, and sent word to the prophet Isaiah for counsel.

Lesson Scripture, 2 Kings 19:20-22; 28-37, R.V.

20 “Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard thee. This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.”

28 “Because of thy raging against Me, and for that thine arrogance is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion they that shall escape; the zeal of the Lord shall perform this. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast a mount against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.

35 “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.”

Golden Text.—“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Ps. 47:1.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What word did Isaiah send to Hezekiah? V. 20. (2) Whose word was it that the prophet sent? Concerning whom? Notwithstanding her apparent weakness, how did the Lord regard the position of Jerusalem before the Assyrians? V. 21. Note 1. (3) Against whom were Sennacherib’s boastful messages and blasphemies really directed? V. 22. (4) Because of the rage and tumult of the Assyrians, what would the Lord do? V. 28. Note 2. (5) What sign did the Lord give to Hezekiah? V. 29. Note 3. (6) What blessing was promised to the remnant of Judah that had escaped the Assyrian assault? Who would accomplish all this? Vs. 30, 31. (7) How completely would the Lord protect Jerusalem? V. 32. (8) By what way should the king of Assyria return? V. 33. (9) Why would the Lord thus defend the city? V. 34. Note 4. (10) How was the word of the Lord verified that night? V. 35. (11) Then what did Sennacherib do? V. 36. Note 5. (12) To what tragic end did he come? To what land did his murderers escape? Who reigned in his place? V. 37.

NOTES.

1. “The Lord hath spoken.”—That settled the matter. It made no difference if the king of Assyria had conquered all other nations around, and had taken all the fenced cities of Judah, and had frightened Hezekiah into giving him all the available gold and silver; it mattered not if the heathen king had blasphemed the God of Israel; Hezekiah had prayed, and the Lord had spoken; therefore the doom of the praying man’s enemy was sealed. What need have the people of God to fear any other power when the Lord has spoken in their favor?

2. “My hook in thy nose.”—Referring to one of the ways in which the Assyrians treated captives, as shown on some of their own historical tablets. “My bridle in thy lips.”—Showing that, notwithstanding the boasted power of the Assyrian Government, God could lead it about at His will, as a man leads a horse. Though all the opposing armies had failed to turn back Sennacherib’s conquering hosts, yet the God of Israel could turn them back.

3. “This shall be a sign unto thee.”—The Assyrian invasion had cut off agricultural operations for two years, but in the third year they could sow and reap, and eat the fruit. Thus the Lord tells His people through His prophets (that is, He makes known to those who believe the spirit of prophecy) the prominent things pertaining to their welfare and His intentions. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.

4. “For Mine own sake.”—The city where He had planted His name was threatened, and God would demonstrate His ability to defend it, and would do so as long as there was any disposition on the part of the rulers and the people to put their trust in Him and maintain His worship. “For My servant David’s sake.”—God had promised David that “of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne.” Acts 2:30. David was of the tribe of Judah, of whom a like prophecy had been uttered. Gen. 49:10. Therefore a “remnant” of Judah must be spared. See verse 30 of the lesson.

5. “And it came to pass.”—There was completeness in the victory. The Assyrian army was so utterly vanquished that the terrible disaster, without visible hands, was clearly the work of the God of Israel. Altho Sennacherib lived twenty years afterward, he never attempted another campaign against Judah.