2 Re 19-22Jehovah’s Word Is Alive

Highlights From the Book of Second Kings

CHAPTER 19*** w13 11/15 pp. 19-20 par. 15 Seven Shepherds, Eight Dukes—What They Mean

for Us Today *** 15 Hezekiah was understandably upset, but instead of turning to a foreign power for help, he sent for Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah told Hezekiah: “He [Sennacherib] will not come into this city nor will he shoot an arrow there.” (2 Ki. 19:32) All that was required of the inhabitants of Jerusalem was that they stand their ground. Jehovah

would fight for Judah. And fight he did! “It came about on that night that the angel of Jehovah proceeded to go out and strike down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians.” (2 Ki. 19:35) Judah’s salvation came, not by Hezekiah’s stopping up the fountains of waters of the city nor by his building up its walls, but by divine intervention.

*** w12 2/1 p. 7 The Truth About Armageddon ***God does not want to destroy

anyone, so he gives fair warning of what he will do. (2 Peter 3:9) By means of accounts preserved in the Bible, he reminds all that in the past he has retaliated when his people were attacked. (2 Kings 19:35) The Bible also warns that in the future when Satan and his human puppets attack God’s people, Jehovah will again step in and meet force with force. In fact, God’s Word long foretold that Jehovah will destroy the wicked. (Proverbs 2:21, 22; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) At that time, there will be no doubt in the minds of the attackers that they have picked a fight with the Almighty himself.—Ezekiel 38:21-23.

*** w12 6/15 p. 9 par. 8 Jehovah Is “a Revealer of Secrets” ***8 The second head of the beast represents Assyria. This mighty kingdom also

attempted to wipe out God’s people. True, Jehovah used Assyria as his instrument to punish the ten-tribe kingdom for their idolatry and rebellion. However, Assyria then attacked Jerusalem. Satan may have had the goal of obliterating the royal line that would eventually lead to Jesus. That assault was not part of Jehovah’s purpose, and he miraculously delivered his faithful people by destroying the invaders.—2 Ki. 19:32-35; Isa. 10:5, 6, 12-15.

*** w11 11/15 p. 7 pars. 5-6 “Do Not Lean Upon Your Own Understanding” ***Hezekiah went to the house of Jehovah and began praying: “O Jehovah our God,

save us, please, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Jehovah, are God alone.”—2 Ki. 19:14-19.

6 Hezekiah acted in harmony with his prayer. Even before going up to the temple to pray, he instructed the people not to respond to Rabshakeh’s taunts. Hezekiah also sent a delegation to Isaiah the prophet, seeking his advice. (2 Ki. 18:36; 19:1, 2) Hezekiah took steps that he could rightly take. On this occasion, he did not try to work out a solution that was out of harmony with Jehovah’s will by seeking support from Egypt or from neighboring nations. Rather than lean upon his own understanding, Hezekiah trusted in Jehovah. After Jehovah’s angel struck down 185,000 of Sennacherib’s men, Sennacherib “pulled away” and returned to Nineveh.—2 Ki. 19:35, 36.

*** w10 7/15 p. 15 “Do Not Be Afraid. I Myself Will Help You” ***Despite all of Rabshakeh’s efforts to frighten the Jews,

Hezekiah and his subjects put their unwavering trust in Jehovah. (2 Ki. 19:15, 19; Isa. 37:5-7) Jehovah, in turn, answered their prayers for help by sending an angel to strike down in one night 185,000 warriors in the camp of the

Assyrians. The very next day, Sennacherib hurried back in disgrace to his capital, Nineveh, with what little was left of his army.—2 Ki. 19:35, 36.

Clearly, Jehovah did not forsake those who put their trust in him. Modern-day examples of our brothers and sisters who stand firm under trial show that the same is true of Jehovah today. It is with good reason, then, that our heavenly Father assures us: “I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, the One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I myself will help you.’”—Isa. 41:13.

*** w08 5/15 p. 16 par. 19 Deliverance by God’s Kingdom Is at Hand! ***19 When God takes action against the nations, ‘they will know that he is Jehovah.’

(Ezek. 36:23) He will send his executional forces—myriads of spirit creatures led by Christ Jesus—to destroy the rest of Satan’s system on earth. (Rev. 19:11-19) When we remember that on one occasion it took just one angel only a single night to “strike down a hundred and eighty-five thousand” of God’s enemies, we can be confident that the heavenly army will easily destroy every vestige of Satan’s system on earth as the great tribulation culminates in Armageddon. (2 Ki. 19:35; Rev. 16:14, 16) Satan and his demons will be abyssed for a thousand years. Eventually, they will be destroyed.—Rev. 20:1-3.

*** w07 3/15 p. 25 par. 17 Angels—How They Affect Mankind ***17 In addition to serving as messengers and strengthening aids to Jehovah’s

worshippers, angels serve another purpose. In times past, they carried out divine judgments. Back in the eighth century B.C.E., for example, Jerusalem was threatened by a vast horde of Assyrian soldiers. How did Jehovah respond? He said: “I shall certainly defend this city to save it for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant.” The Bible account tells us what happened: “It came about on that night that the angel of Jehovah proceeded to go out and strike down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When people rose up early in the morning, why, there all of them

were dead carcasses.” (2 Kings 19:34, 35) How puny man’s armies are when compared with the strength of just one angel!

*** w05 8/1 p. 11 par. 8 Highlights From the Book of Second Kings ***9:36, 37; 10:17; 13:18, 19, 25; 14:25; 19:20, 32-36; 20:16, 17; 24:13. We can be

confident that ‘the word that goes forth from Jehovah’s mouth always has certain success.’—Isaiah 55:10, 11.

CHAPTER 20*** w12 6/15 p. 9 par. 9 Jehovah Is “a Revealer of Secrets” ***9 The third head of the beast that John saw represents the kingdom of which Babylon

was capital. Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to overthrow Jerusalem and to take his people into captivity. Before permitting this humiliation, though, Jehovah warned the rebellious Israelites that such a tragedy would strike them. (2 Ki. 20:16-18) He foretold that the line of human kings who were said to sit on “Jehovah’s throne” in Jerusalem would be removed. (1 Chron. 29:23) However, Jehovah also promised that a descendant of King David, one who had “the legal right,” would come and reclaim that authority.—Ezek. 21:25-27.

*** w09 5/1 p. 27 Did You Know? ***Hezekiah was a king of Judah in the late eighth century B.C.E., a time of conflict with

the mighty Assyrian power. The Bible tells us that he did a great deal to protect Jerusalem and to secure its water supply. Among the works he undertook was the construction of a 1,749-foot-long [533 m] tunnel, or conduit, to bring springwater into the city.—2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:1-7, 30.

*** w05 8/1 p. 11 par. 12 Highlights From the Book of Second Kings ***20:2-6. Jehovah is the “Hearer of prayer.”—Psalm 65:2.

CHAPTER 21*** w09 8/15 p. 31 Did You Once Serve? Can You Serve Again? ***

If your loss of a privilege was due to wrongdoing on your part, you may wonder whether Jehovah and your Christian brothers will ever truly forgive and forget. Well, consider the case of King Manasseh of Judah. He “did on a large scale what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, to offend him.” (2 Ki. 21:6) Yet, Manasseh died a faithful man, ruling as king. How did this happen?

Manasseh eventually responded to discipline. After he had ignored warnings, Jehovah brought against him the Assyrians, who fettered him and exiled him to distant Babylon. There, Manasseh “softened the face of Jehovah his God and kept humbling himself greatly because of the God of his forefathers. And he kept praying to Him.” Repentance from the heart produced fruitage in deeds, and Manasseh was forgiven.—2 Chron. 33:12, 13.

Lost privileges are seldom restored all at once. With time, however, certain limited responsibilities may come your way. Accepting these and doing your best will often lead to further assignments. This is not to say that the road is easy. There may be setbacks. Nevertheless, willingness and perseverance bring fine fruitage.

CHAPTER 22PUNTO SMT – How can Josiah’s example of humility help us to benefit more fully from our Bible reading and study? (2 Ki. 22:19, 20, ftn.) [Sept. 21, w00 3/1 p. 30 par. 2]Humility is a vital factor in having a prepared heart because it makes us teachable and

helps us to accept more readily loving counsel and correction. Consider the fine example of King Josiah. During his reign a document containing God’s Law given through Moses was found. When Josiah heard the words of the Law and realized how far his forefathers had strayed from pure worship, he ripped his garments apart and wept before Jehovah. Why did God’s Word so deeply touch the king’s heart? The account says that his heart was “soft,” so that he humbled himself upon hearing Jehovah’s words. Jehovah noted Josiah’s humble, receptive heart and blessed him accordingly.—2 Kings 22:11, 18-20.

*** w14 12/15 p. 28 par. 5 Do You Appreciate What You Have Received? ***5 It was similar with King Josiah’s sons. Josiah set a superb example in worshipping

Jehovah. When the book of God’s Law was found and read to Josiah, he made an earnest effort to apply Jehovah’s instructions. He worked to eliminate idolatry and spiritism from the land, and he encouraged the people to obey Jehovah. (2 Ki. 22:8; 23:2, 3, 12-15, 24, 25) What a rich spiritual inheritance his sons received! Three of his sons and one grandson in time became kings, but not one of them showed appreciation for what had been passed on to him.

*** w14 4/15 p. 32 Did You Know? ***In Bible times, what was the significance of a person’s deliberately ripping apart

his garments?THE Scriptures describe a number of situations in which individuals

tore their own clothes. Such an action may seem strange to modern-day readers, yet among the Jews it was an expression of strong emotion caused by despair, grief, humiliation, indignation, or mourning.

When Josiah heard the words of the Law being read to him and recognized the errors of his people, “he ripped his garments apart.”—2 Ki. 22:8-13.

Of course, the act of ripping one’s clothing was of no value in God’s eyes unless the person’s grief was genuine. Thus, Jehovah told his people to ‘rip apart their hearts, and not their garments, and return to him.’—Joel 2:13.

*** w02 1/15 p. 20 par. 24 Keep On Displaying Goodness ***24 Let us never underestimate the beneficial effects of goodness. We can keep on

displaying this quality by supporting the Christian congregation and doing what we can to look after its interests and welfare. Surely we do good when we regularly attend and participate in Christian meetings. Our very presence encourages fellow worshipers, and our well-prepared comments build them up spiritually. We also do good when we use our resources to maintain the Kingdom Hall and when we help to take proper care of it. (2 Kings 22:3-7; 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7) Indeed, “as long as we have time favorable for it, may we work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.”—Galatians 6:10.

*** w12 9/1 p. 6 Does God Really Care About Women? ***Women under the Mosaic

Law were seen as individuals in their own right and not as just an appendage to man.

In ancient Israel, women were also free to have a personal relationship with God. The Bible speaks of Hannah, who prayed to God about a personal matter and secretly made a vow. (1 Samuel 1:11, 24-28) A woman from the city of

Shunem used to consult the prophet Elisha on Sabbath days. (2 Kings 4:22-25) Women, such as Deborah and Huldah, were used by God as his representatives. Interestingly, prominent men and priests were willing to seek advice from them.—Judges 4:4-8; 2 Kings 22:14-16, 20.

*** w02 6/15 p. 12 par. 4 Follow the Royal Pattern ***4 Yes, the king that Jehovah would choose for his worshipers was to

make a personal copy of writings that you can find in your Bible. Then the king was to read in that copy daily, repeatedly. That was not a memory exercise. It was study, and it had a beneficial objective. The king who would have Jehovah’s approval needed to pursue such study to develop and retain the right heart attitude. He also needed to study those inspired writings to be a successful, insightful king.—2 Kings 22:8-13; Proverbs 1:1-4.

*** w00 12/15 p. 30 Do You Remember? ***• Was Huldah’s prophecy, as recorded at 2 Kings 22:20, accurate, that Josiah

would die “in peace,” since he was mortally wounded in battle?Yes, he died in peace in the sense that he died before the calamity of 609-607 B.C.E.,

when the Babylonians besieged and destroyed Jerusalem.—9/15, page 30.

*** w02 12/15 p. 19 Are You Acquainted With Shaphan and His Family? ***The Bible introduces “Shaphan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam” to us in

connection with Josiah’s restoration of true worship in about 642 B.C.E. (2 Kings 22:3)

Shaphan Supports True WorshipDuring temple repair work, “the very book of the law” was found, and Shaphan “began

to read it before the king.” Josiah was shocked to hear its content and sent a delegation of trusted men to Huldah the prophetess in order to inquire of Jehovah concerning the book. The king showed confidence in Shaphan and his son Ahikam by including them in the delegation.—2 Kings 22:8-14; 2 Chronicles 34:14-22.

*** w01 10/15 p. 20 par. 15 Acquire a Heart Agreeable to Jehovah ***

15 Just as adding the proper supplements may enhance the physical soil, so our cultivating humility, hunger for spirituality, trust, godly fear, and love for God can enrich our figurative heart. Humility softens the heart, helping us to become more teachable. Jehovah said to Judean King Josiah: “For the reason that your heart was soft so that you humbled yourself because of Jehovah at your hearing what I have spoken . . . and began weeping before me, I, even I, have heard.” (2 Kings 22:19) Josiah’s

heart was humble and receptive. Humility enabled Jesus’ “unlettered and ordinary” disciples to grasp and apply spiritual truths that escaped “wise and intellectual” men. (Acts 4:13; Luke 10:21) May we “humble ourselves before our God” as we try to acquire a heart agreeable to Jehovah.—Ezra 8:21.

*** w95 7/15 p. 14 par. 19 The Dignified Role of Women Among God’s Early Servants ***

19 Several times in Israel’s history, Jehovah used a woman to represent him or to speak for him. Regarding the prophetess Deborah, we read: “The sons of Israel would go up to her for judgment.” (Judges 4:5) Following Israel’s defeat of Canaanite king Jabin, Deborah had a truly special privilege. She was evidently the composer, at least in part, of the victory song that eventually became part of Jehovah’s inspired record. (Judges, chapter 5) Centuries later, to inquire of Jehovah, King Josiah sent to the prophetess Huldah a delegation that included the high priest. Huldah could authoritatively reply: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said.” (2 Kings 22:11-15) On that occasion the king commanded the delegation to go to a prophetess, but this was done to receive direction from Jehovah.—Compare Malachi 2:7.