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001

 

 

II Kings

Chapter 18

1 Now it came to pass
in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah
king of Israel,
that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz
king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty and five years old
was he when he began to reign;
and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem.

His mother's name also was Abi,
the daughter of Zachariah.

3 And he did that which was right
in the sight of Jehovah/God,
according to all that David his father did.

4 He removed the high places,
and broke the images,
and cut down the groves,
and broke in pieces
the brazen serpent that Moses had made . . .
for unto those days the children of Israel
did burn incense to it
and he called it Nehushtan.

5 He trusted in Jehovah/God 'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel;
so that after him was none like him
among all the kings of Judah,
nor any that were before him.

6 For he clave to Jehovah/God,
and departed not from following him,
but kept his commandments,
which Jehovah/God commanded Moses.

7 And Jehovah/God was with him;
and he prospered whithersoever he went forth
and he rebelled against the king of Assyria,
and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza,
and the borders thereof,
from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

9 And it came to pass
in the fourth year of king Hezekiah,
which was the seventh year of Hoshea
son of Elah king of Israel,
that Shalmaneser king of Assyria
came up against Samaria,
and besieged it.

10 And at the end of three years
they took it . . .
even in the sixth year of Hezekiah,
that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel,
Samaria was taken.

11 And the king of Assyria
did carry away Israel unto Assyria,
and put them in Halah and in Habor
by the river of Gozan,
and in the cities of the Medes . . . 12
because they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah/God
their 'Elohiym/Godhead,
but transgressed his covenant,
and all that Moses the servant of Jehovah/God commanded,
and would not hear them, nor do them.

13 Now in the fourteenth year
of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria
come up against all the fenced cities of Judah,
and took them.

14 And Hezekiah king of Judah
sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying,
I have offended; return from me
that which you put on me will I bear.

And the king of Assyria
appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah
three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver
that was found in the house of Jehovah/God,
and in the treasures of the king's house.

16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold
from the doors of the temple of Jehovah/God,
and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid,
and gave it to the king of Assyria.

{Parallel Passage with Isaiah Chapter 38:2}
17~~And the king of Assyria
sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh
from Lachish to king Hezekiah
with a great army against Jerusalem.

And they went up and came to Jerusalem.

And when they were come up,
they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool,
which is in the highway of the fuller's field.

{Note: This was where the people did their laundry outside the walls of the city - and, from here the people in the walled city can see the 3 leaders of the state department and the acoustics are good - but the men on the wall had been studying doctrine under Isaiah the last year or more.}

18~~And when they had called to the king,
there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
who was over the household
  {Eliakim is the head of the Jewish State Department for Hezekiah},
and Shebna the scribe,
  {Isaiah 22:15:20 Isaiah tells us Shebna was the former State
  Department head but he had been fired because he was a cluck
  and he was proud, stupid and vain - yet here he still is}
and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder
  {Third leader of the State Department - he was responsible for all
  important government records}.

19~~And Rabshakeh said unto them,
"Speak you now to Hezekiah,
'Thus said the great king, the king of Assyria,
  {implying that Hezekiah is just a punk - just a boy}

What confidence is this wherein you trust?' "
  {on what are you depending?? - say you on the wall - What are
  you trusting in? 1st will Egypt whom they just defeated; 2nd will
  be the Lord; 3rd then 'that national guard because the Jewish
  army has been defeated also}

20~~You think mere words are strategy and power for war?
  {referring to Isaiah's bible doctrine teaching the last year}

Now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?' "
  {speaking for Sennacherib}

21~~Now, behold, you trust upon the staff of this bruised reed,
even upon Egypt,
  {they leaned on the crutch of Egypt and that crutch was snapped
  by Assyria at the battle of Al-tee-ka (sp)}
on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it.

So is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all who trust on him.

22~~But if you say unto me,
'We trust in Jehovah/God our 'Elohiym/Godhead.

Is not that He, Whose high places and Whose altars
Hezekiah have taken away,
and have said to Judah and Jerusalem,
you shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

{Note: When Hezekiah came to the throne he threw away all the 'false idols'. Only Jehovah could be worshiped in Israel. The Rabshakeh is mixed up and thinks that the gods in which he believes are the only 'things' that could help them.}

23~~Now therefore 'make a bet', please/'I pray you',
to my master the king of Assyria,
and I will give you two thousand horses . . .
if you be able on your part to set riders upon them.

{Note: Sarcasm - we have a lot of extra horses - we have 2000 extra and if you can get 2000 men who can ride them, we will provide the horses for them to ride! Meaning we know you do not have 2000 military men left in the city.}

24~~How then will you turn away the face of one captain
of the least of my master's servants,
and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

{Note: Means it would be better to put their faith in a corporal in the Assyrian army then a general of the Egyptian army . . . and he is right! Haha But, BOTH are wrong.}

25a~~Am I now come up without Jehovah/God
against this place to destroy it?

{Note: He knows there is a strong movement toward some 'Jehovah' that he does not know. He is now trying to use propaganda against this 'god' - as he has done against others with false gods. He is saying HE is on god's side. Their success PROVES god is on their side!}

25b~~Jehovah/God said to me,
Go up against this land, and destroy it.

{Note: The Rabshakeh says God LEAD them to defeat Jerusalem. But this will not mislead those with doctrine in their souls! So, this is a lie. It was their so-called god who supported their campaign. He is taking Truth and distorting it - propaganda warfare continues.}

{Crackup of Jewish State Department - 3 Frightened Men}
26~~Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
and Shebna, and Joah {Jewish State Department},
unto Rabshakeh, "Speak, please/'I pray you',
to your servants in the Aramaic language
  {the trade language of the day}.

For we understand it and talk not with us in the Jews' language
in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

{Note: The State Department mentally transfer their own 'cowardness' to the people on the wall. But in reality, the people on the wall are strong believers and are relaxed.}

{The People Who Sit Upon the Wall - Mature Believers taught by Isaiah}
{Thesis - Rattling of the Saber}
27~~But Rabshakeh said,
'Has my master sent me to your master
and to you to speak these words?
  {must be shaking his head - Oh no}

Not to them, but to the men who sit upon the wall,
that they may eat their own dung,
and drink their own piss with you?
  {Idiom meaning to die horribly and miserably under a siege of a city}

{Note: The state department is full of cowards and non-doctrinal people. They are defeated already. The Rabshakeh is talking to the hold-outs - the men with doctrine in their souls sitting on the walls and jeering at them and their huge army.}

{Verses 28-31: Antithesis - Promise of Good Times under their Rule}
28~~Then the Rabshakeh stood,
and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said,
"Hear you the words {dabar} of the great king, the king of Assyria."

29~~Thus said the king,
"Let not Hezekiah deceive you . . .
for he shall not be able to deliver you.

30~~Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah/God, saying,
'Jehovah/God will surely deliver us.

This city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

31~~'Hear, listen and obey' {shama`} not to Hezekiah . . .
for thus said the king of Assyria,
'Make an agreement with me by a present,
and come out to me.
  {idiom meaning 'Give up'}

And eat you every one of his vine,
and every one of his fig tree,
and drink you every one the waters of his own cistern.
  {this contrasts with eating dung and drinking piss}

{Deportation Policy Declared because it is Well Understood}
32a~~Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land,
a land of corn and wine,
a land of bread and vineyards,
a land of oil olive and of honey,
that you may live, and not die.

{Note: The Jews know that in the past captives were taken to terrible places. The Rabshakeh is lying about what their fate will be when he conquers them to weaken their resolve.}

{Attempt to Undermine the Authority of Hezekiah}
32b~~And listen not unto Hezekiah,
when he persuades you, saying, 'Jehovah/God will deliver us.'

33~~Have any of the gods/'elohiym of the nations delivered at all
his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

34~~Where are the gods/'elohiym of Hamath, and of Arpad?

Where are the gods/'elohiym of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35~~Who are they among all the gods/'elohiym of the countries,
that have delivered their country out of my hand,
that Jehovah/God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36~~But the people held their peace,
and answered him not a word . . .
for the king's commandment was, saying, 'Answer him not.'

{Note: These spiritual men are leaving it in the hands of the Lord. There place is to trust in the Lord and to respect the authority of Hezekiah. So they held together as a national entity.}

37~~Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
who was over the household,
and Shebna the scribe,
and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder,
to Hezekiah with their clothes torn/rent,
and told him the words of Rabshakeh.