Bible in one year 6/20/2022 2Kings Chapter20-22 Hezekiah, Isaiah was martyred by Manasseh By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Bible in one year 6/20/2022 2Kings Chapter20-22 Hezekiah, Isaiah was martyred by Manasseh

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 2Kings Chapter 20 Hezekiah’s illness, and recovery

             After the angel of the Lord defeated the Assyrian camp and king of Assyria died, in those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “ This is what the Lord says, ‘ put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (v.1). Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. “ Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. The word of the Lord came to Isaiah, and said to him, “ Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘ this is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says, “ I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.”(vv.5-6).  The Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. (v.11). This was a geographically localized miracle, nonetheless spectacular, but not involving the reversal of the earth’s rotation, which would have affected the entire world.                                                                     

 Hezekiah's foolishness before the Babylonians         

          At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letter and gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses, the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil, his armory and everything found among his treasures.(vv.12-13). Merodach-Baladan.(v.12) Twice king of Babylon (722-710 and 703-702), who apparently sent this delegation to enlist Hezeiah’s aid against Assyria. Because Hezekiah showed all his treasures to them, the prophet Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “ hear will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. (vv.16-18). Hezekiah replied, “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” for he thought, “ Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” (v.19). Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

 2Kings Chapter 21 Manasseh reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years (695 -642;2Chron.33:1-20)

            Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five year. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord has said, “ In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” in both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger.(vv.1-6).                                    

              Though he had the advantage of a godly father with whom he reigned as coregent for ten years, Manasseh was Judah’s worst and longest reigning king. Manasseh led Israelites astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. He has done more evil than the Amorites, who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says, “ I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their foes, because they have done evil in my eyes and have provoked me to anger form the day their forefathers came out of Egypt until this day.” (vv.9-15). Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem for end to end besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so they they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.(v.16). According to tradition says that Isaiah was martyred during the reign of Manasseh (696 -642) by being sawed in two inside a hollow log (Heb.11:37).  Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. Amon his son succeeded him as king.                     

           The reign of Amon (642-640; 2Chron.33:21-25). Amon was twenty –two years old became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two year. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. Amon’s officials conspired against him an assassinated the king in his palace. Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place. (vv.23-24).

2Kings Chapter 22 The Reign of Josiah thirty-one years (640-609;2Chron.34:1-35:27).

        Josiah repairs the Temple. He was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, to the temple of the Lord. “ Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord. (vv.4-5). Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “ I have found the Book of Law in the temple of the Lord” (v. 8). Possibly the entire Pentateuch or perhaps the book of Deuteronomy or Scripture portions such as Lev.26 and Deut.28, which speak of judgment. Manasseh had doubtless destroyed all the copies that had not been hidden.

 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Lord, he tore his robes. And ordered Hilkiah the priest to inquire of the Lord for him and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Hilkiah, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah who lived in Jerusalem. She said to them, “ this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “ I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.(vv.16-17). Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, “ this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: “ Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heart you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.” (vv.18-20).  Huldah.(v.14) Only rarely did God speak to the nation through a woman (Miriam,Ex.15 and Deborah,Judg.5). Keeper of the wardrobe. Either the royal wardrobe or that of the priests. The Second District. A suburb of the city of Jerusalem. in peace (v.20) In fellowship with God; not in peaceful circumstances, for Josiah was killed in battle (2Chron.35:23). 

 Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986