Sennacherib invades Judah – Preaching
Preaching Outline on II Chronicles 32: 1-8 – Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and his huge army, for with us is a power greater than that which is with him. With him is only human power, but with us is the Lord, our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah, king of Judah, said.
Introduction to II Chronicles 32:1-8
Hezekiah was one of the kings of Judah who sought to please the Lord and walk in his ways. Israel was going through a period of many spiritual difficulties, and Hezekiah sought to re-establish the spiritual life of the people by restoring the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem. He ordered the Levites to purify their lives and the Temple, regulated the classes of priests and Levites and then summoned all the people to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. All these measures produced great prosperity and there was great joy among the people.
Just at this time, when these things were happening, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, entered Judah and tried to separate its cities for himself.
Whenever someone sets their heart on serving the Lord faithfully, the enemy rises up furiously to attack, surrounding their life with sudden problems and difficulties.
Development
When this happened, Hezekiah took immediate steps to hinder Sennacherib’s action against Jerusalem:
- He plugged all the wells around the city – eliminating anything that would make things easier for the enemy.
2. Strengthened and built up the broken wall – Plug all the existing gaps, put right your spiritual life and communion with the Lord, confess your sins and seek forgiveness.
3. He raised another wall on the outside – Cryingout for the Blood of Jesus.
4. He made weapons and shields in abundance – Prayers, fasts and dawns.
Sennacherib arrived in Lachish and sent his servants to affront King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, as well as the name of the Lord (this was his greatest mistake). They tried to discourage the inhabitants of the city, saying that they shouldn’t trust in Hezekiah or the Lord, because he wouldn’t deliver them from Sennacherib’s hands. They even made references to the gods of the nations conquered by the king of Assyria, who could do nothing to deliver them.
The opponent
Sennacherib’s strategy, when he surrounded and threatened the Lord’s people, is the same one used by the adversary today. When he besieges a servant, he does everything he can to weaken his faith and trust in the Lord, so that things are easier for him. If he manages to convince the servant that there is no hope, that his problem is serious, that he is out of fellowship and that the Lord will not deliver him from the difficulty, then all is practically lost. By involving the servant in this way, the enemy clearly reveals his intention to destroy his life.
Prayer
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed to the Lord for his intervention to deliver them from that great danger, and the Lord sent an angel who struck down all the mighty men of valor, the princes and the leaders of the army of the king of Assyria. When Sennacherib heard what had happened to his troops, he returned to his land confused and ashamed, and when he was in the house of Nisroch, his god, Adra-Melech and Sarezer, his sons, struck him and he died.
Conclusion of II Chronicles 32:1-8
When we trust in the Lord and are in his presence, he always comes to our aid, no matter how difficult or complicated our situation may be. Those who rise up against us are confounded and put to shame, and are destroyed by their own plans and intentions, by what they themselves have produced.
The mysterious illness that struck and destroyed the entire Assyrian army of 185,000 men overnight, without anyone being able to explain how it happened, is referred to today in some medical books as the “Plague of Sennacherib”.
However, the Bible unravels the whole mystery, revealing that everything was the result of an order from God for just one of his angels to smite that army (II Kings 19:35), which came to the Holy Land of Israel with the purpose of destroying Jerusalem and defying the Holy Name of the Lord God of Israel.
Preaching Outline on II Chronicles 32: 1-8 – Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and his huge army, for with us is a power greater than that which is with him. With him is only human power, but with us is the Lord, our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah, king of Judah, said.
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