Question 1

Why did Hezekiah tear his clothes and wear sackcloth?

Accepted Answer

Hezekiah tore his clothes and put on sackcloth because he was deeply grieved by the threats and blasphemy spoken against the Lord. Tearing clothes and wearing rough cloth was a sign of sorrow, fear, and repentance. He was not just upset about the danger to his kingdom, but also about the way the Assyrian messengers had mocked the living God. His outward actions showed a humble heart, and they led him into the house of the Lord to pray instead of relying on his own strength.

Question 2

What is the meaning of Hezekiah spreading Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord?

Accepted Answer

When Hezekiah spread the letter before the Lord, he was bringing the whole problem honestly to God. The letter contained the proud words and insults against God and the threats against Jerusalem. Instead of answering the letter himself, Hezekiah laid it out in the temple, as if to say, “Lord, here is what they are saying about you and your people.” It was a simple picture of prayer: he did not hide anything, but put the situation in God’s hands, trusting God to answer for His own name.

Question 3

What does Hezekiah’s prayer show about how to pray in danger?

Accepted Answer

Hezekiah’s prayer shows that in danger we should come to God humbly, worshipfully, and honestly. He begins by praising God as the one who sits between the cherubim and rules all kingdoms, and as the Maker of heaven and earth. Then he asks God to hear and see the insults spoken against Him. He admits that Assyria has destroyed other nations, but explains that their gods were only idols. Finally, he asks to be saved, not just for safety, but so that all kingdoms will know the Lord alone is God. His focus is on God’s honor as well as his own need.

Question 4

How did God answer Hezekiah through Isaiah in this passage?

Accepted Answer

God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by sending a message through Isaiah. God told Hezekiah not to be afraid of the words he had heard, because those words were against God Himself. God promised to send a report that would pull the Assyrian king away and to make him fall by the sword in his own land. God also spoke against the king’s pride, reminding him that all his success had only happened because God allowed it. Finally, God promised that Assyria would not enter Jerusalem at all and that He Himself would defend the city for His own sake and for David’s sake.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about God’s control over proud rulers?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that even the strongest and proudest rulers are under God’s control. The king of Assyria boasted about his armies, his chariots, and the lands he had crushed. He compared the Lord to powerless idols. God replied that every success Assyria had was part of His plan from long ago, and that He knew the king’s rage and arrogance. God said He would put His hook in the king’s nose and turn him back the way he came, a picture of leading a stubborn animal. In the end, the army is struck down, and the king dies in his own land, just as God said.

Question 6

What is the significance of the sign about eating what grows by itself and then planting again?

Accepted Answer

The sign about eating what grows by itself for two years and then sowing and planting in the third year was meant to comfort the people of Judah. War had likely damaged their fields and normal farming patterns. God was promising that they would survive the crisis, live through the next seasons on what sprang up on its own, and then return to normal life and planting. It was also a picture of the remnant of Judah: they would take root downward and bear fruit upward. In other words, they would not be wiped out, but would be planted again and grow.

Question 7

Who is the “remnant” in this passage, and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

The “remnant” is the part of Judah that survives the Assyrian threat and stays in Jerusalem and Zion. The passage says that this remnant will take root downward and bear fruit upward, and that those who escape from Mount Zion will go out again. This matters because it shows that God will not let His people be completely destroyed, even when they are surrounded by enemies. He keeps a people for Himself, not because they are strong, but because He is faithful. Their survival is proof that God keeps His promises and is still at work.

Question 8

What does this passage show about God answering prayer in desperate times?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God hears and answers when His people cry out to Him in desperate times. Hezekiah faced a threat he could not handle, from an army that had crushed many nations. Instead of giving up, he humbled himself, asked others to pray, and brought the problem to God. God’s answer did not come because Judah was powerful, but for His own name and for His promise to David. In one night the angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian army, and the danger was removed. It encourages us that God is able to act even when a situation looks hopeless.

Question 9

Why does the Assyrian king mock the idea of trusting God, and how does God respond?

Accepted Answer

The Assyrian king mocks trust in God because he looks only at human power and past victories. He points to all the nations and their gods that could not stop him and suggests the Lord is no different. He even tells Hezekiah not to let his God deceive him. God’s response is firm. He reminds the king that He is the living God, not like idols of wood and stone, and that every step of Assyria’s rise was under His control. God then shows the emptiness of the king’s pride by sending him home in defeat and ending his life there. Trust in God is not empty, because God truly rules.

2 Kings 19:1

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance

Sennacherib’s Blasphemous Letter

Hezekiah’s Prayer

Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied

Jerusalem Delivered from the Assyrians

Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance

Cross References

2 Kings 19:1

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

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Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance

Sennacherib’s Blasphemous Letter

Hezekiah’s Prayer

Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied

Jerusalem Delivered from the Assyrians

Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance

Cross References