King Hezekiah at War

Another timely chapter for Israel At War.

Israel’s enemies may be many, but all are human might.

Hashem is with the Jews, to help them and to fight their wars!

Unless, Israel will rely on themselves with other powers — they will not succeed.

“Preparations for War”

“Hezekiah and Isaiah Pray and are Answered”

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and was headed for battle against Jerusalem, he conferred with his leaders and warriors and decided to stop up the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him —
32:2-3
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid and do not be dismayed in the face of the king of Assyria and in the face of the entire multitude that is with him, for we have more with us than he has with him.
:7
With him is human might, but with us is Hashem, our God, to help us and to fight our wars!” The people were reassured by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
:8
Thus said Sennacherib, king of Assyria: On what do you trust as you sit under siege in Jerusalem?
:10
Of all the gods of those nations whom my fathers annihilated, which was able to rescue his people from my hand, that your God should be able to rescue you from my hand?
:14
And his servants continued to speak against Hashem, God, and against Hezekiah His servant.
:16
He also wrote notes blaspheming Hashem, God of Israel, speaking against Him, …
:17
They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as about the gods of the peoples of the land, which are the handiwork of man.
:19
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this, and they cried out to Heaven.
:20
Then Hashem sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, captain and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. [Sennacherib] then returned in shame to his land, and he entered the temple of his god; there some of his own offspring struck him down by the sword.
:21
Thus Hashem saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of everyone, and He guided them all around.
:22
Many [people] brought tributes to Hashem to Jerusalem, and luxurious gifts to Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations.
:23
In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to Hashem, and He answered him and gave him a sign.
:24
But Hezekiah did not reciprocate the benevolence that he was shown, for his heart became haughty. {God’s] rage then came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.
:25
But Hezekiah humbled himself from the haughtiness of his heart — he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem — so the rage of Hashem did not come against them in the days of Hezekiah.
:26

1 After these deeds of integrity, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came, and he entered into Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and he planned to make a breach therein for himself.
2 And Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and his face was directed to wage war against Jerusalem.
3 And he took counsel with his officers and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the fountains that were outside the city, and they assisted him.
4 And a large multitude gathered and stopped up all the fountains and the stream that flowed in the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”
5 And he strengthened himself and built the whole breached wall, and he raised it to the towers and outward to the other wall, and he reinforced the millo, the City of David, and he made many swords and shields.
6 And he appointed officers of war over the people, and he gathered them to him to the square of the gate of the city, and he spoke encouragingly to them, saying:
7 “Be strong and of good courage; do not fear and do not be dismayed because of the king of Assyria and because of all the multitude that is with him, because He Who is with us is greater than those with him.
8 With him is an arm of flesh, and with us is the Lord our God to help us and to wage our wars,” and the people relied on the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
9 After this, Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem- and he was besieging Lachish, and all his staff was with him-to Hezekiah the king of Judah, and to all the Judeans who were in Jerusalem, saying:
10 “So said Sennacherib the king of Assyria: In what do you trust that you stay in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Is not Hezekiah enticing you to give you over to die by famine and thirst, saying: The Lord, our God, will save us from the clutches of the king of Assyria?
12 Did not he – Hezekiah – remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying: Before one altar you shall prostrate yourselves, and upon it you shall burn incense?
13 Do you not know what I did-I and my forefathers-to all the peoples of the lands? Could the gods of the nations of the lands save their land from my hand?
14 Who is it among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers destroyed, that could save his people from my hand, that your God should be able to save you from my hand?
15 And now, let Hezekiah not deceive you, and let him not entice you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom could save his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers; surely your God will not save you from my hand.”
16 And his servants spoke further against the Lord God and against Hezekiah His servant.
17 And he wrote letters to blaspheme the Lord, the God of Israel, and to say about Him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands, which did not save their people from my hand, so will the God of Hezekiah not save His people from my hand.”
18 And they called out with a loud voice in Judean to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to terrify them, so that they might seize the city.
19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the land, the handiwork of man.
20 And King Hezekiah and the prophet, Isaiah the son of Amoz prayed concerning this, and they cried out to Heaven.
21 And the Lord sent an angel, and he destroyed every mighty warrior and ruler and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria, and he returned shamefacedly to his land, and he entered the temple of his god, and some of his own issue felled him there with the sword.
22 And the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all, and He led them from roundabout.
23 And many brought an offering to the Lord to Jerusalem and delicacies to Hezekiah the king of Judah, and he was elevated in the eyes of all the nations henceforth.
24 In those days, Hezekiah became ill until he was near death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he spoke to him, and he gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not repay Him according to that which He had bestowed upon him, for his heart became haughty, and there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 And Hezekiah became humbled when his heart was haughty, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had much wealth and honor, and he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all precious vessels.
28 And storehouses for the increase of corn, wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of beasts, and flocks for sheepfolds.
29 And he made himself cities and possessions of small cattle and large cattle in abundance, for God gave him exceedingly abundant possessions.
30 And he-Hezekiah-stopped up the source of the waters of the upper Gihon, and he led them straight down on the west to the City of David, and Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 And so, because of the emissaries of the officers of Babylon, who sent to him to seek the sign that was in the land, God forsook him to test him to know all that was in his heart.
32 And the rest of the affairs of Hezekiah and his kind acts-behold they are written in the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the best of the sepulchres of the sons of David, and all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bestowed honor upon him at his death, and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.