The reign of Hezekiah is a breath of fresh air after the wickedness of his father Ahaz. In faithfulness to the LORD alone, Hezekiah works to root out all sorts of idolatry in Judah. Hezekiah reigns over Judah during the destruction of Samaria, and the Assyrian threat comes against Judah next. The tribute Judah pays isn’t enough to keep Assyria away, and Assyrian officials come to threaten Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh’s speech taunts not only Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem, but ultimately mocks the one true God. Where Ahaz did not trust the LORD to deliver, Hezekiah will.

Rev. Andrew Jagow, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 18:1-37.

To learn more about Bethany Lutheran, visit www.bethany-lcms.org.

"A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected]