05.17.2014 Old Testament: 2Ki 18.13–16

To read the Bible in a year, read Second Kings 18–19 on May 17, In the year of our Lord 2014

By Don Ruhl

One of the most vicious empires the world has ever seen, attacked Judah and took every fortified city, and then the Assyrians set their eyes upon the prize, the city of God, Jerusalem, 

And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria (2 Kings 18.13–16).

Hezekiah knew what Sennacherib and the Assyrians were capable of doing. Therefore, he sought to pay off the king of Assyria that he might go away. However, did it work? Keep reading to find out.