August 2, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

2 Kings 20 - This chapter describes Hezekiah's sickness and the prediction that he would die from this illness.  He prayed for God to spare his life and God did give him fifteen more years to live.  Hezekiah needed a sign from God that He would fulfill His promise and God gave him the sign of the sun going backwards by 10 degrees!  Hezekiah was visited by men from Babylon who showed concern about him.  He showed them all his riches.  Later, Isaiah would warn Hezekiah that the army of Babylon would eventually conquer Judah.  (A note is often made here.  If Hezekiah had died when God first said he would, then Manasseh would never have been born.  Note 2 Kings 21:1:  Manasseh was twelve years old when Hezekiah died, and he would be one of the worst kings ever to reign over Judah).

2 Kings 21 - Manasseh's reign is shown and the vile and corrupt things he did!  He encouraged the people of Judah to do worse than all the sins of the nations that were destroyed in the days of Joshua!  Manasseh was rebuked and it might be noted that his humbling himself that is recorded in 2 Chronicles 33 is not noted here in 2 Kings.  After his death his son Amon would rule for a short and wicked two years.  He would be killed by his own servants.