We’ve all encountered battles in life, some as overwhelming as facing Goliath, where the enemy appears too strong, leaving us unsure of what to do next. This was the predicament of King Hezekiah, ruler of Judah, who found himself under the imminent threat of Shalmaneser, the King of Assyria. Shalmaneser had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, capturing Samaria and sending the Israelites into exile. Now, Judah stood alone, with the relentless Assyrian forces closing in. Despite knowing the immense power of Assyria, King Hezekiah faced the challenge of standing against this mighty foe.
To grasp the full depth of this story, I encourage you to read 2 Kings 18–19, Isaiah 37–39, and 2 Chronicles 32. While I've done my best to provide a summary here, it’s through God’s Word that the true impact can be felt. Take time to read and let His Word speak to your heart.
Short History of King Assyria
2 Kings 17:3-5 'Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. '
Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, attacked and besieged the northern kingdom of Israel during King Hoshea’s reign.
King Hoshea, initially a vassal to Assyria, rebelled by refusing to pay tribute and seeking assistance from Egypt.
In response, Shalmaneser imprisoned King Hoshea and launched a full invasion of Israel. He settled people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim in the towns of Samaria.
The Israelites were deported to Assyrian territories, including Halah, Gozan, and the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 18:11).
This exile happened because Israel had turned away from the Lord, worshiping other gods and breaking the covenant.
The Assyrians then repopulated Israel with people from various regions, which led to a mix of religious practices and further idolatry in the land.
Short History of King Hezekiah
2 Kings 18:2-3 'He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord , just as his father David had done. '
Hezekiah became king of Judah at 25 and ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. He was known as a righteous king, one of the few in David's lineage who faithfully did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
King Hezekiah undertook bold reforms throughout Judah. He traveled to various towns in Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, destroying pagan high places and altars. He tore down sacred pillars and even destroyed the bronze serpent made by Moses, which had become an object of idolatry. His devotion to God surpassed that of any king before or after him.
Hezekiah also appointed priests and Levites to carry out their sacred duties.
His actions were righteous and faithful in God's sight.
King Hezekiah obeyed God's laws and earnestly sought the Lord with all his heart.
Invasion Attempt from King of Assyria
2 Chronicles 32:1-4 'After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. '
When King Hoshea (the king before Hezekiah) reigned, Shalmaneser imprisoned him and fully invaded Israel to conquer it. He attempted the same with King Hezekiah, planning to invade Judah.
In response, King Hezekiah consulted with his officials and military advisors on how to prepare for the war. They decided to “blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him”
King Hezekiah encouraged his people with words of faith 2 Chronicles 32:6-8 'He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. '
He advised to be strong - Be strong and courageous
He advised not to be afraid - Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of this king of Assyria and his vast army
Because of Hezekiah’s trust in God, he boldly declared his dependence on the Lord - “for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
Hezekiah’s message echoes the spirit of what John wrote in 1 John 4:4 'You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. '
Because people were also in faith along with King Hezekiah
Enemy king “Sennacherib” tactics to shake the faith of people
2 Chronicles 32:10 '“This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? '
Deception to remove trust of People : Sennacherib, through his messengers, urged the people of Judah not to trust King Hezekiah, claiming he was deceiving them and instilling doubt and fear. Sennacherib warned of hunger and thirst, attempting to undermine Hezekiah’s credibility and make him seem unreliable. His goal was to pressure the believers into abandoning their faith in Hezekiah's leadership. As stated in…2 Chronicles 32:11: “When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading you, leaving you to die of hunger and thirst.”
Confuse the People on Trust on God : Sennacherib sought to mislead and confuse the people about Hezekiah’s actions, implying that Hezekiah had caused harm by removing the high places and altars. He questioned Hezekiah’s reforms, saying in 2 Chronicles 32:12: “Did not Hezekiah himself take away this god’s high places and altars, commanding Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?”
Boasting the power of Enemy : Sennacherib boasts about his power and how he has defeated other nations and their pagan gods. He mocks the God of Israel, attempting to create doubt and disbelief among the people, hoping they will abandon their faith. As it says in 2 Chronicles 32:13-14 '“Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? '
Accusing the Godly : Sennacherib was the one deceiving the people of Judah, yet he turned the accusation on King Hezekiah, claiming it was Hezekiah who was misleading them. As it says in 2 Chronicles 32:15 'Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!” '
Mocked God of Israel - Sennacherib didn’t stop there—he threatened and mocked the people, as well as the God of Israel. As states in - 2 Chronicles 32:17 'The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord , the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” '
Enemy brought Terror : Sennacherib instilled fear in them to seize control as it states in - 2 Chronicles 32:18 'Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. '
How did the people and King Hezekiah's respond ?
Stay Silent—Hezekiah advised not to respond to the enemy's accusations. They remained quiet, as the king instructed them not to speak out against their adversaries. As it is written in…2 Kings 18:36 'But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.” '
Prayer - Hezekiah urged the prophet Isaiah to pray, and both he and the people “cried out” in desperation for God’s help. This is reflected in:
2 Chronicles 32:20 'King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. '
2 Kings 19:15-16 'And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord : “ Lord , the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord , and hear; open your eyes, Lord , and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. '
2 Kings 19:18-19 'They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord , are God.” '
Their prayer was a mix of praise and pleading, as God communicated through the prophet Isaiah in 2 Kings 19. Rather than being overwhelmed by fear of the enemy, they wielded prayer as their weapon, calling out to God for assistance.
God fights the battle for them
God fought the battle by annihilating Sennacherib’s army and also caused his sons to turn against him, leading to his downfall. As stated in 2 Chronicles 32:21 'And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword. '
When God’s army fights the battle the enemy withdrew in disgrace “So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace”
King Sennacherib king of Assyria was killed by his own Sons sword - 2 Kings 19:37 'One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.'
God brings a message of comfort to the people of Judah through the prophet Isaiah in 2 Kings 19:31-34 'For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “ ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord . I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’ ” '
God’s army struck down 185,000 soldiers. That night, the angel of the Lord went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When the people woke up the next morning, they found all the dead bodies. As a result, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, broke camp and withdrew, returning to Nineveh, where he remained.- 2 Kings 19:35-36 'That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. '
How did God fight the battle, “Annihilated” - It means leaving no trace of the enemy its described in 2 Kings 19:35-36 “who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king”
Many Lesson for us from this Battle
When we walk in faith with God, we encounter mighty Goliaths in the form of struggles, where the enemy may seem so powerful that victory feels impossible. These encounters are to make us stronger like how an army trains soldiers in hard terrain, God uses these Goliaths to fight the battle against us.
Our response is to Seek God and ask God to strengthen in Faith / Seek his power to overcome our weakness.
Remain silent like King Hezekiah and do not react to the enemy's tantrums.
In times of struggle, the enemy’s deceptions remain unchanged; he misleads us to stray from God's plan, abusing and threatening us while tempting us to sin.
Our response is to pray to God when enemy misleads us / threatens us / abuses us / deceives us . when that happens, do not speak a word.
We have a God mightier and bigger than the problem / bigger than the mighty Goliaths - 1 John 4:4 'You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. '
Our response should be to pray earnestly to God and cry out to Him. Let us trust that God will fight for us, as He is far more powerful than our enemy. "For there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the strength of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and fight our battles."
When God fights the battle for us - God will Annihilate “leaving no trace of the enemy”. when you look back you will find no one, the Psalms 91 promise is true to one who trusts God - Psalms 91:7-8 'A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. '
God’s way to fighting the battle will be many ways. he will use the enemy to fight the enemy and also makes enemy come and make a peace with you -
Proverbs 16:7 'When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them. '
Isaiah 41:12 'Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. '
Amen