Southern Kingdom of Judah: Difference between revisions
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Hezekiah planned to keep the [[Passover]], which had not been kept for a long time, because he wanted to gain the stability of his country and God’s protection. He sent couriers not only to Judah, but also to the northern Kingdom of Israel to deliver the message of the Passover, but Israel scorned and ridiculed the couriers. Eventually, only the people of Judah and some of the people of Israel, who humbly accepted the words of the couriers, gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2030%3A1-12&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 30:1-12|quote= }}</ref> The people who kept the Passover destroyed all the altars to idols and other gods that they had worshiped,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2031%3A1&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 31:1|quote= }}</ref> and they even broke down the bronze snake that had been worshiped since the time of [[Moses]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings%2018%3A4&version=NIV|title=2 Kings 18:4|quote= }}</ref> Afterwards, Hezekiah entrusted the priests and the Levites with the duties of serving God, and collected various agricultural products and [[Tithe|tithes]] from the people so that they could devote themselves to keeping God’s law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2031%3A4-7&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 31:4-7|quote= }}</ref> | Hezekiah planned to keep the [[Passover]], which had not been kept for a long time, because he wanted to gain the stability of his country and God’s protection. He sent couriers not only to Judah, but also to the northern Kingdom of Israel to deliver the message of the Passover, but Israel scorned and ridiculed the couriers. Eventually, only the people of Judah and some of the people of Israel, who humbly accepted the words of the couriers, gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2030%3A1-12&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 30:1-12|quote= }}</ref> The people who kept the Passover destroyed all the altars to idols and other gods that they had worshiped,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2031%3A1&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 31:1|quote= }}</ref> and they even broke down the bronze snake that had been worshiped since the time of [[Moses]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings%2018%3A4&version=NIV|title=2 Kings 18:4|quote= }}</ref> Afterwards, Hezekiah entrusted the priests and the Levites with the duties of serving God, and collected various agricultural products and [[Tithe|tithes]] from the people so that they could devote themselves to keeping God’s law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2031%3A4-7&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 31:4-7|quote= }}</ref> | ||
*'''Assyria’s Invasion and God’s Salvation''' | *'''Assyria’s Invasion and God’s Salvation''' | ||
Assyria, a powerful power at that time, destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel and turned its attention to the southern Kingdom of Judah. In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, King Sennacherib captured many fortified cities of Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. The prophet [[Isaiah]] delivered God’s message that God would protect and save Jerusalem and that the king of Assyria would return by the way he came. That night, the [[angel]] of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Sennacherib withdrew in defeat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings%2019%3A32-36&version=NIV|title=2 Kings 19:32-36|quote= }}</ref> Judah was protected from disasters and overcame the crisis according to God’s promise contained in the Passover. The surrounding nations, who saw the [[ | Assyria, a powerful power at that time, destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel and turned its attention to the southern Kingdom of Judah. In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, King Sennacherib captured many fortified cities of Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. The prophet [[Isaiah]] delivered God’s message that God would protect and save Jerusalem and that the king of Assyria would return by the way he came. That night, the [[angel]] of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Sennacherib withdrew in defeat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings%2019%3A32-36&version=NIV|title=2 Kings 19:32-36|quote= }}</ref> Judah was protected from disasters and overcame the crisis according to God’s promise contained in the Passover. The surrounding nations, who saw the [[The Power of God|power of God]] through this incident, came to Jerusalem and presented offerings to God.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles%2032%3A22-23&version=NIV|title=2 Chronicles 32:22-23|quote= }}</ref> | ||
*'''Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery''' | *'''Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery''' | ||
Soon after, Hezekiah became gravely ill. He prayed earnestly, asking God to remember his faithfulness. God heard him and extended his life by fifteen years, confirming the promise by making the sun’s shadow move back ten degrees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2038%3A2-8&version=NIV|title=Isaiah 38:2-8|quote= }}</ref> | Soon after, Hezekiah became gravely ill. He prayed earnestly, asking God to remember his faithfulness. God heard him and extended his life by fifteen years, confirming the promise by making the sun’s shadow move back ten degrees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2038%3A2-8&version=NIV|title=Isaiah 38:2-8|quote= }}</ref> | ||