VERSES: 2 Kings 18:13-19:27
MEMORY VERSE: 2 Kings 19:35 "...the angel of the LORD...smote in the camp of the Assyrians (185,000)..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Zechariah. Write "Zechariah" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may take it home to memorize.
PRAYER: Thank God for His protection and our safe night's sleep.
SPECIAL SONG: The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Write the questions below on the whiteboard in advance, covering up the answers that are written on the board in advance, much like the Activity below..
LESSON POINTS:
- After Hezekiah had ruled fourteen years over Judah, the king of wicked Assyria named Sennacherib sent his army down to Judah and took all the cities that had walls around them except Jerusalem where Hezekiah was living. Hezekiah had always rebelled or was strongly against Assyria, but when he saw that Assyria had taken the cities so easily, he was nervous and afraid. He sent a messenger to Sennacherib and said that because Hezekiah had offended the King of Assyria and wanted to stop the fighting against Judah, he would pay Assyria whatever Sennacherib wanted him to pay. So, Sennacherib told him to pay a huge amount of silver and much gold. Hezekiah was not rich like King Solomon had been, so in order to pay his bill, he took all the silver and gold from the LORD's temple and from his palace and gave it to the king of Assyria. Hezekiah even had to to cut off all the gold from the doors and the pillars of the temple. Hezekiah must have been very sad.
- Then Sennacherib sent three officers to King Hezekiah. When they got to Jerusalem, they stood by the conduit or a canal or tunnel of water and called out to King Hezekiah, but the king's three of his servants came out instead. They listened to the Assyrians say how great Sennacherib was and how King Hezekiah should be afraid of all the things that the Assyrians could do to his people. The messengers had no respect for the LORD God and blasphemed against God. They asked Hezekiah who was going to come and save them from the Assyrians. After they were done talking, no one answered them at all. They didn't say anything because King Hezekiah told them to hold their peace.
- When his servants told him what the messengers had said, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went to the house of the LORD. He sent his servants in mourning to Isaiah, a prophet of God, to ask him to pray to God and ask him what the remnant of his people should do. Isaiah replied that the LORD God said not to be afraid of the Assyrians who had blasphemed His name. God said he would send a rumor to him and he would return to Assyria. God was going to cause him to fall on his own sword in his own land of Assyria.
- When the messengers returned to Assyria, they found Sennacherib in the middle of a fight with another nation. They reported to the king what had happened and Sennacherib send messengers again to King Hezekiah with many more threats. Hezekiah did the only thing he could do and that was to pray to God to save them. Isaiah came and told Hezekiah that God had heard his prayer and He had a plan. He said that no one from Assyria would shoot one arrow in Jerusalem! God said that he would save the city of Jerusalem for His servant, David's, sake. How relieved Hezekiah must have been to hear those words of Isaiah!
- That same night, the angel of the LORD went out and struck the Assyrians camp. The next morning, they found that 185,000 soldiers were found dead in the camp!! When Sennacherib heard that all the soldiers were dead, he left and went to another city named Nineveh.
- God protects His people when they are obeying Him and doing those things that please Him. He protects and provides for those who love Him just like He does today.
- God has always had a remnant or a leftover part of His people who have always wanted to please Him and serve Him. This is true even to this day. Many only say that love God, but few actually do His commandments.
- To blaspheme God means to talk disrespectfully to God, to insult God, or to show a lack of respect. This was a very serious offense.
Materials needed: 6" x 18" red construction paper, two 4" x 4" blue squares of construction paper, two 4" x 4" yellow squares of construction paper, marker or crayon, glue.
- Hand out red paper.
- Hand out blue and yellow papers.
- Fold down a small edge of each blue and yellow square.
- On right side of red paper, glue the blue and yellow edges down ONLY.
- Press down on right side of paper, so that each flap pops up.
- Write "2 Kings 18 & 19 " and "Hezekiah's Problem" down left edge of red paper.
- On FLAP ONE: Write "What did Hezekiah do when Sennacherib took all the cities that had walls around them?
- Under FLAP ONE: Write "He finally told the King of Assyria to stop fighting and he would pay silver and gold to him."
- On FLAP TWO: Write "What did the Assyrian officers do and say that was sinful and wicked?"
- Under FLAP TWO: Write "They had no respect for God and blasphemed against Him."
- On FLAP THREE: Write "When the Assyrian officers left Jerusalem, what did Good King Hezekiah do?
- Under FLAP THREE: Write "He tore his clothes, covered himelf in sackcloth, went to the temple, and sent messengers to the prophet, Isaiah.
- On FLAP FOUR: Write "When God said He would save Jerusalem for David's sake, what did the angel of the LORD do?"
- Under FLAP FOUR: Write "He struck the Assyrian's camp. 185,000 died. No arrows were shot in Jerusalem. Not one!"
