Justin Houtz

2 Kings 19, Hebrews 1, Hosea 12, Psalms 135–136

DateVersionReading Plan
@November 6, 2024ESV (2016)M’Cheyne Plan 2024

2 Kings 19

2 Kings 19:4 (ESV)
4 It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.”

“Jerusalem was the only fortified city of Judah that had not yet been conquered (2 Kings 18:13).” (FSB)

2 Kings 19:7 (ESV)
7 Behold,
I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ ”

“Perhaps a report of a rebellion or a foreign army. Compare Isa 37:7…Compare 1 Kgs 22:20–23, in which God puts a ‘lying spirit’ in 400 of His own prophets, leading to Ahab’s death at Ramoth-gilead.” (FSB)

The connection here to the Book of Isaiah and 1 Kings is notable. God’s overt placement of a spirit into Sennacherib is not an isolated incident. It seems apparent that those who hold more of a libertarian position on free will may have difficulty with God’s intercession in such passages, but it is clearly presented in Scripture

2 Kings 19:15 (ESV)
15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.

The fact that directly following the reading of Sennacherib’s letter from the messengers Hezekiah turned to prayer is a testament to his faith.

2 Kings 19:25–26 (ESV)
25  “Have you not heard
that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what now I bring to pass,
that you should turn fortified cities
into heaps of ruins,
26  while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.

The use of grass being blighted reminds me of other passages that refer to grass as something vulnerable to withering. In Ps. 129:6, the psalmist speaks of those who hate Zion that they would be “like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up”. Paul in the NT also quotes Isaiah 40:6 when he speaks of grass in talking about the transitory character of human nature: “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls” (1 Pet. 1:24)

2 Kings 19:30–31 (ESV)
30 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.

“This closing metaphor had three levels of meaning. First, the remnants of the agricultural crops would take root and grow, and that growth would be an encouraging sign to God’s people. Second, it promised that the remnant of the people would take root in the promised land, grow there, and survive this disaster. Third, this was a metaphor for the way in which God’s people survive and recover from physical and spiritual enemies when they are fulfilling God’s purposes.” (CSB Notes)

2 Kings 19:35 (ESV)
35 And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

The power of the angel of the LORD is in full view here. Providing more context around the angel of the LORD, the FSB says, “At times, the Angel of Yahweh seems to be a form of Yahweh Himself (Judg 2:1–5). Other times, however, the Angel appears to be distinct from Yahweh (Exod 23:20–23). The Angel also appears as a mighty warrior defeating Israel’s enemies (2 Kgs 19:35; compare Psa 34:7…).” (FSB)

Hebrews 1

Hebrews 1:7–9 (ESV)
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

The author of Hebrews strikes a vivid contrast between what was said of the angels (referencing Ps. 104:4) and what was said of the Son (referencing Ps. 45:6). The ministry of the angels is certainly powerful but they are entirely under the dominion of the Creator and Director. In speaking of the Son, it says “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever”, pointing to Christ’s reign as King of kings and of His deity. Let there be no question that Christ is indeed God.

Hosea 12

Hosea 12:3-5 (ESV)
3  In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
4  He strove with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor.
He met God at Bethel,
and there God spoke with us—
5  the LORD, the God of hosts,
the LORD is his memorial name:

“Hosea rebuked Israel by pointing out that although their namesake Jacob (whose name God changed to Israel) had once been a faithless, self-centered conniver, he met God first at Bethel and was later changed in the encounter at the Jabbok River. The people of Israel, on the other hand, met Baal at Bethel (Beth-aven) and, in effect, died (13:1).” (CSB Notes)

Hosea 12:6 (ESV)
6  “So you, by the help of your God, return,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.”

“Ephraim is admonished to imitate Jacob by depending on God’s strength rather than his own (see Gen. 32:28).” (BBC)

Hosea used Jacob as a positive example in these verses to encourage faith and promote repentance. This echoes previous admonitions in Hos. 6:1, Hos. 10:12 and Hos. 14:2-3. Interestingly, the ESV includes “by the help of your God” in v. 6. This is not a part of many translations, appearing also in the NKJV and LES to which I currently have access, but no others.

Psalm 135

“This corporate praise psalm (meant for group settings) proclaims Yahweh’s greatness in terms of His power over the cosmos and His actions on behalf of His people. The psalmist begins by calling Yahweh’s servants to praise Him because He is good and because He has chosen Israel as His own (vv. 1–4). The psalmist then introduces the theme of Yahweh’s great power over other gods and all of the created order (vv. 5–7). The psalmist illustrates this by recalling events like the exodus and Israel’s entry into the promised land (vv. 8–12). The psalmist discusses Yahweh’s reputation and its connection to His care for His people (vv. 13–14), then reconsiders the powerlessness of foreign idols and the futility of the foreigners’ trust in them (vv. 15–18). He concludes by calling all of Yahweh’s people to praise Him (vv. 19–21).” (FSB)

Psalm 136

“In this corporate praise psalm (meant for use in group settings), the psalmist rehearses Israel’s sacred history, focusing on the events of the exodus and entry into the promised land. The psalmist begins by calling his audience to praise God for His goodness and His power over all that exists (vv. 1–3), and he emphasizes God’s work in creating the cosmos (vv. 4–9). He then focuses on God’s relationship with Israel, describing how He delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and guided them through the wilderness (vv. 10–16). The psalmist depicts Israel’s entry into the promised land (vv. 17–22) and closes with a brief series of statements that echo the various themes of each of the major sections of the psalm (vv. 23–26).” (FSB)

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