4/5 2 Kings 18 - Standing Against Evil

God calls us to trust Him even when life is going sideways. Today, in our study of 2nd Kings 18, we’ll learn about the account of Hezekiah and Sennacherib. This is one of the most uplifting passages in the Bible and we look forward to going through it with you. Join us! 

DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:

1.    According to verse 1, how old was Hezekiah when he became king? How does verse 3 describe his character? When you consider the spiritual life of the typical 25-year-old man today, how does Hezekiah compare? Given his family background that was explained in this podcast, what do you think explains Hezekiah’s faithfulness to the Lord? How does this show us that we are not bound to our previous generations faithfulness (or lack thereof)? 
2.    What does Hezekiah do in verse 4? What kind of moral courage would this have taken? 
3.    What was the Nehushtan in verse 4 (c.f. Numbers 21:4-9)? Why were the people worshipping this object? How had this become an idol? What does this indicate about people’s natural tendency to turn things that are possibly even “good” into something “ungodly” to worship? Was the Lord displeased that Hezekiah destroyed this? Why or why not?
4.    What is the importance of the word “in” in verse 5 where it says that Hezekiah “trusted in the Lord”? How is this slightly different than simply saying that he “trusted the Lord”? When you think of your own faith, are you “trusting the Lord” or “trusting IN the Lord”? How are they different in your life? 
5.    What does verse 6 mean by saying that Hezekiah “clung to the Lord?” On top of trusting “in” the Lord, what does “clinging” to the Lord suggest? 
6.    How does verse 7 describe the Lord’s response to Hezekiah’s faith? What do you think this looked like in Hezekiah’s life? How does the Lord bless him in verse 8? Along those lines, what does Hezekiah NOT do in verse 7? Why was this especially bold, given the fact that Hezekiah’s father was a vassal of Assyria? 
7.    Verses 9-11 describe the conquering encroachment of Assyria. Who is defeated in these verses? What impact, do you think these victories would have had on the uneasiness of the Southern Kingdom? 
8.    Who does Sennacherib come against in verse 13? What does this indicate about his intentions for Judah and the Southern Kingdom? 
9.    What does Hezekiah do in verses 14-16? Was this a good thing? What does this indicate about Hezekiah’s imperfect faith? What was Sennacherib’s response in verses 17ff? What lessons can we learn about the futility of trying to appease evil? 
10.    Who (or what) did the podcast say was “Rabshakeh” in verse 17? What was his message to Judah in verses 19ff? How does he mock the people’s trust in the Lord? How does Rabshakeh claim the Lord “guided” him in verse 25? Was he right? How do people today inappropriately claim God’s guidance? 
11.    How does the Rabshakeh undermine Hezekiah’s leadership in verses 29-32? 
12.    How does the Rabshakeh promise to give the people mercy in verses 21-32? How would this have been tempting for the people of Judah? 
13.    How does this passage set the scene for what it means to have faith, even when things go severely sideways? What principles can you apply to your life today?

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