https://esv.literalword.com/?q=2+kings+18
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 17 October 2025:
2 Kings 18:1-4 — In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
Hezekiah stands as a model of courageous reform and true devotion to God. Unlike his father Ahaz, who led Judah into idolatry and compromise, Hezekiah returned to the pattern of David, wholehearted worship and covenant faithfulness. Most importantly, he did what the kings before him had the courage to do: he destroyed the high places. The high places had stood for over 300 years, originally built or permitted by Solomon. Despite being blessed with immense wisdom by God, Solomon’s many foreign wives turned his heart toward other gods in his old age. As a result, he built high places for these pagan deities, including Chemosh and Molech, on a hill east of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7–8).
By allowing pagan worship to be institutionalized, Solomon established a foothold for idolatry that corrupted the people for centuries. As a direct result of Solomon’s unfaithfulness, God declared that He would tear the kingdom away from his son, leaving him only one tribe (1 Kings 11:11–13). This led to the permanent split of the kingdom of Israel into two separate nations, Israel and Judah, which never reunited. We must not miss the significance here — despite being the “wisest” man of his day, after having direct encounters with God and access to the greatest spiritual counselors available, and despite experiencing amazing blessings in his life, Solomon still chose infidelity and idolatry, leading to generations of devastation. This is why the Bible warns, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Israel wasn’t destroyed by mighty armies, it was destroyed by infidelity to God.
In Christ, nothing can stand against us, but we must remain (abide) within His “thy will be done” Kingdom by first obeying the First Commandment and the Greatest Commandment – Have no other gods, and love the LORD with all that we are. Of course, when you truly love Jesus, what is required is what is desired, so obeying is the easiest thing in the world – it is natural, like fruit – “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
Solomon’s story is a sobering reminder that compromise usually starts very small and grows out of control. Solomon’s seemingly small compromises, marrying foreign wives for political gain, eventually led to a complete spiritual downfall with massive, generational consequences. The path to unfaithfulness can begin with subtle, seemingly justified decisions. This is why idols can’t be managed or contained in our lives; they must be totally destroyed. Many kings before Hezekiah were described as righteous, but with the caveat that they did not remove the high places. As long as high places remained, sin was inevitable and was passed down to the next generation. Tolerating a “spiritually gray area” allows corruption to fester and reappear. Tearing down high places and idols is not easy or a casual decision, and it will face much opposition, internally and externally. Make the decision and be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:8-9)
Today, consider again what idols you might be allowing to remain standing in your life. Listen to this brief commentary by Barry Cooper on the topic: https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/simply-put/high-places
- Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
- Matthew 12:30 — Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
- Revelation 3:15-16 — “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’”
Hezekiah demonstrates with good leadership looks like — the very first thing he did was not political but spiritual. His reign began with repentance, tearing down what his father had built. The mention of his mother, Abi, again highlights the influence of godly mothers in raising reformers (Proverbs 31:28-29; 2 Timothy 1:5). Leadership starts in the home. Parents must be very careful to lead like Hezekiah does here (spoiler alert — but not as he does later).
Hezekiah even destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made, an object God once used to bring healing (Numbers 21:8-9). What was once a symbol of salvation had become an idol. This shows the subtle danger of turning even good, God-given things into replacements for God Himself. The serpent that once represented faith in God’s power now became an object of misplaced devotion. Hezekiah called it Nehushtan, “a mere piece of bronze.” He refused to let symbols overshadow the Sovereign. Jesus later referred to that same serpent as a foreshadowing of His own crucifixion (John 3:14-15). The lesson is profound: what once pointed to salvation must never replace the Savior. For example, even Bible study can become a substitute for a genuine relationship with God and true followership of Jesus. This is why James warns, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) Some people deceive themselves by increasing their Bible ‘knowledge’ without seeking first Christ Himself, which is the point of the Bible in the first place – “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
2 Kings 18:5-7 — He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
This is the essence of faith: “He trusted in the Lord.” His legacy was not measured by his wealth, military might, or political power, but by the depth of his trust and obedience. To “hold fast” to the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:20) is the language of covenant loyalty, it implies clinging in dependence, affection, and perseverance. The result was that “the Lord was with him.” Prosperity here is not mere success but divine favor flowing from alignment with God’s will (Josh. 1:8-9).
Hezekiah’s rebellion against Assyria was not rebellion against authority but submission to the higher authority of God. He refused to bow to worldly powers that demanded compromise. Like Peter and the apostles, he could say, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The Bible clearly tells us to obey all human authorities, but not expense of our fidelity to our LORD. Sometimes we must choose Him over them.
Hezekiah was different. Hezekiah stood alone in his uncompromised faith (at least for awhile). The Bible says that he was surrounded by people who claimed faith in God, but they did not “fear the Lord” enough to honor and serve Him faithfully. (2 Kings 17:34-41) They had a half faith which is really no faith at all, unacceptable before the Lord. Consequently, when crisis came, their false faith failed them, and they lived in subjugation. If you are truly walking with God, very few will be walking with you. If you find yourself in the crowd, you had better take pause. Are you willing to walk on the narrow path with Jesus in this world?
In today’s readings, Hezekiah’s faith is put to the ultimate test as the undefeated mighty king Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem. Consider the situation — Sennacherib has already defeated Israel and has taken possession of Samaria, and he has already defeated and taken all the fortified cities of Judah. Now Sennacherib has surrounded Jerusalem and is claiming that, in fact, he is acting on behalf of God and that he holds the power of life and death, blessings and curses. (Hezekiah 18:25) Is your faith strong enough to withstand today’s challenges, particularly from those who profess faith themselves?
2 Kings 18:6 — For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
Hezekiah did not hold lightly to God and His commands. Obedience is not easy in this world, nor has it ever been easy. Are you willing to cling to Jesus when everyone else is chasing after something else? Are you considered a fanatic in your faith by others?
2 Kings 18:9-12 — In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria… because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
The fall of Israel stands as a dark warning beside Hezekiah’s faithfulness. The chronicler reminds us that the northern kingdom’s downfall was due not to military weakness but spiritual rebellion. They “did not obey,” “transgressed,” and “neither listened nor obeyed.” This repetition drives home that hearing without doing leads to destruction (James 1:22–25). Hezekiah must have watched this tragedy unfold and determined in his heart not to repeat their mistakes. His reformation was not merely pious, it was urgent. He knew compromise leads to captivity.
2 Kings 18:12 — They neither listened nor obeyed.
First you have to commit to listening day-by-day (Bible study, prayer, receptiveness to the Holy Spirit); then you have to be willing to obey the Holy Spirit. Few really listen. Few faithfully obey. Are you among the few?
2 Kings 18:13-16 — In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
Even great men of faith can waver. When faced with the overwhelming might of Assyria, Hezekiah panicked and tried to buy peace through compromise. He stripped gold from God’s temple, something unthinkable for a man who had restored it, to pay off a pagan king. Fear leads to foolishness when faith falters. Yet even in this moment of weakness, God’s mercy endured. Hezekiah’s story reminds us that faith is not perfection but perseverance. Even the faithful stumble, but they rise again through repentance (Proverbs 24:16; Micah 7:8).
This is where Hezekiah begins to slip. The world (Assyria) demanded of Hezekiah what was God’s, and Hezekiah gave it to him in order to “keep the peace.” At this point, Hezekiah feared man more than he feared God. As usual, this compromise involved money. Look at the church in America today. We pay what we owe to the government and to creditors, but we don’t bring God the tithe, nor do we offer additional gifts and alms which God desires. The church will never be the influence it should be in the world as long as God’s people honor themselves and others with their resources before they honor God who actually owns it all.
2 Kings 18:17-25 — And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem….
The Rabshakeh’s taunting speech is a masterpiece of demonic deception, designed to instill fear and sow doubt. He mocks Hezekiah’s trust in God and claims that the Lord Himself sent Assyria to destroy Judah. This is how the enemy still works: twisting truth, weaponizing fear, and urging compromise. His words echo Satan’s in Eden, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). When faith is under siege, the battle is fought not first in the field but in the mind and heart.
2 Kings 18:20 — Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
Each day, everyone will make decisions on whether they trust their own intellect and might or God’s. Sennacherib was a powerful strategist who conquered everyone around him. It took great faith to believe the unseen God was more powerful than the very visible and powerful ruler Sennacherib who openly taunted the Israelites for their faith and apparent weakness. Do you trust God beyond the apparent realities of the visible world? Was it strategy that brought down the walls of Jericho or the power of God? What will you rely on to tear down the walls in your life?
2 Kings 18:22 — But if you say to me, We trust in the Lord our God, is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
Sennacherib uses a common tactic, used by Satan in the garden and used by the ungodly today to weaken the hearts of God’s people — he tried to make them question their own religion and their religious leaders. He suggested that Hezekiah’s faithful acts were really demonstrations of infidelity. He suggested that Hezekiah was merely using religion to control the people. Could you remain strong under such scrutiny? Today, many celebrate sin under the pretense of a greater understanding of religion or a higher revelation. Sennacherib did the same thing — “Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” Do you know the truth well enough to combat the lies?
2 Kings 18:25 — Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.
God’s enemies seek to undermine the resolve of God’s people by claiming obedience to God in their disobedience. They claim to know God’s will better than God’s people and point to their worldly successes as proof.
2 Kings 18:29-35 — “Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
The king of Assyria promised God’s people a comfortable captivity, a bondage with benefits. So does the world today. You will be asked to compromise your faith and obedience to God by the majority around you who claim to be very religious and noble; by those who claim to be on God’s side; by those who will appeal to common sense and reason. You will be told that God’s commands must “evolve” and be re-defined to suit the changing times. You will see many around you surrender to the world and compromise for comfort. Will you have the faith to hold the line and remain obedient to God’s commands though apparently surrounded?
- Psalm 37:39 -- The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
- Proverbs 24:10 -- If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
- 1 Corinthians 16:13 -- Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
- 1 Peter 3:15 -- But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
- Hebrews 11:7 -- By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Colossians 2:8 -- See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
The world believes that all religions are basically equal, just different paths to God. The world teaches that we should respect all religions equally. Those who accept such notions will ultimately come to the conclusion that Christianity is just as powerless as all the other false religions of the world. Do you understand that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father and the only source of true power? When all other beliefs prove false, will you remain unmoved on the Rock of Jesus?
2 Kings 18:26-37 — Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic…. But the Rabshakeh said…. Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men sitting on the wall…?” Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah…. “Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord…”
The enemy loves to speak in the language of the people — publicly, loudly, and persuasively — to undermine confidence in God’s promises. He offers false peace (“Make peace with me and come out to me”) and worldly comfort (“each one of his own vine and his own fig tree”) in exchange for obedience. Yet as Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The people’s silence is their strength, “they held their peace and answered him not a word” (v.36). When lies abound, the faithful wait for the Word of the Lord.
2 Kings 18:36 — But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”
Don’t waste your time debating with the ungodly or even acknowledging their false doctrines. If they want to hear the truth, they will listen.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 17 October 2025: Tear down the “high places” of compromise in your life and refuse to let fear dictate obedience. Hezekiah’s faith teaches that reform begins at home, by removing anything that rivals God’s place in our hearts. His moment of weakness warns us that even faithful people can trade gold for security when fear replaces faith. Today, examine where fear tempts you to compromise, whether in integrity, devotion, or courage, and replace that fear with trust in the living God. Cling to Him as Hezekiah did, holding fast through adversity and refusing the enemy’s lies.
Pray: “Lord God, You alone are worthy of all trust and worship. Forgive me for the high places I have allowed to remain in my heart, those subtle altars to comfort, pride, or fear. Give me the courage of Hezekiah to tear them down, the faith to cling to You when the enemy taunts, and the humility to repent quickly when I falter. Let me hold fast to Your Word and refuse every voice that speaks against Your promises. Be my refuge and strength, my fortress in times of trial. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 