_And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes._ A NATION’S CALAMITIES, COUNSELLOR, AND GOD I. The exposure of a nation to an overwhelming calamity. 1. The nature of the threatened calamity. It was the invasion of the king of Assyria. This was announced in startling terms a... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers._ THE HISTORY OF A LETTER How easy to say, “the letter”; and yet, how much the words may mean! The postman, as he goes his rounds, would become the most melancholy of men if he thought much upon the budget he carries. To some houses jo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord._ WHAT TO DO WHEN TROUBLE COMES Hezekiah the King of Judah was in very great trouble. For some time the forces of the Assyrian had overcome the land and had taken the fenced cities: Jerusalem had been spared only on payment of a ransom that had greatly impoverishe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out._ THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB’S ARMY I. That this deliverance was miraculous, because-- 1. It was foretold with absolute certainty (2 Kings 19:22). Certainty is not an element in human plans. “Ye know not what shall be on the... [ Continue Reading ]
_His sons smote him with the sword._ THE DEATH OF SENNACHERIB Why are we told of this fact? Holy Scripture, as a general rule, passes over the lives and deaths and exploits of the mere great men of the world in a most cursory way. Only one incident, for example, is mentioned in the life of Herod t... [ Continue Reading ]