Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 18
Some of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not have liked Hezekiah – but they all knew him to be a good and holy man.
They had heard about the evil rulers of Assyria who had destroyed northern and central Israel. Now, three of the greatest commanders from Assyria had come to Jerusalem to explain the king of Assyria’s demands. So it interested the people to see how these very evil men behaved. The people gathered on the city wall to watch the meeting between these men and Judah’s government officials.
What the people saw, and heard, was a terrible shock for them. These commanders spoke in a more evil manner than the people could even imagine.
God’s law to Israel’s people declared it a crime to speak evil words against their king (Exodus 22:28). For this crime, Shimei deserved death in 1 Kings 2:8-9. So, it was very terrible for the commander from Assyria to declare in a public speech that Hezekiah was lying. Hezekiah belonged to the royal family of David, which God himself had chosen to rule Israel (2 Samuel 7:11-16).
However, it was an even worse shock to hear the commander dare to speak against God himself. The commander boldly declared that the true God was too weak to protect Jerusalem from Assyria’s great king. In other words, he declared the king of Assyria to be more powerful than the God who made heaven and earth.
The people in Jerusalem may never have heard anyone speak such proud and evil words. Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had been a very evil man – but even he respected the true God enough occasionally to inquire of God (16:15).
Next part: Assyria's offer of peace (2 Kings 18:31-32)
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