About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

12/19/2023

2 Chronicles 32:1-33 Hezekiah Prepares to Defend Judah Against Assyria

 

Hezekiah Prepares to Defend Judah Against Assyria

2 Chronicles 32:1-33                     2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks]

After these things [were established,] Sennacherib, [Assyria’s] king, came & [invaded] Judah & [set camp near] the fenced cities & [planned] to [conquer] them for himself. 

And when Hezekiah saw Sennacherib was [there] & that he [planned] to fight against Jerusalem, [Hezekiah consulted] with his princes, [a.k.a. officials] & his mighty men to stop [the flow of] the water of the [springs outside] the city & they helped him.

So, [many] people gathered together, who stopped all the [springs] & the brook that ran through the [middle] of the land. [They said,] Why should [Assyria’s] kings come & find [so] much water? 

Also, [Hezekiah] strengthened himself & [rebuilt] the walls that were broken & raised up to the towers & another wall [outside] & repaired Milo, in the city of David & made [an] abundance of [spears] & shields. 

And [Hezekiah appointed] captains of war over the people & gathered them together to him & [spoke kindly] to them, [on] the street of the gate of the city, saying, Be strong & courageous & [don’t be] afraid or [worried, because of Assyria’s] king & all the multitude with him. There [are] more [of] us, than [are] with him. 

With [Assyria's] king is an arm of flesh, but with us, the Lord our God is with us to help us & to fight our battles. And the people [calmed down after] the words of Hezekiah, [Judah’s] king. 

After this, Sennacherib, [Assyria’s] king, [sent] his servants to Hezekiah, in Jerusalem, (but he & all his [forces] with him, [planned an attack] against Lachish.) [His servants said,] Sennacherib, [Assyria’s] king, [says this,]. [On what] do you trust, that you [stay] in Jerusalem [when there’s an attack?] 

Doesn’t Hezekiah persuade you to die [of starvation] & thirst, saying, The Lord our God, shall deliver us out [of Assyria’s king’s] hand? [Hasn’t this] same Hezekiah taken away [the] high places & altars & [has] commanded Judah & Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar & burn incense upon it? 

[Don’t] you know what my [forefathers] & I have done to all the people of other lands? Were the gods of those lands & nations able to deliver their lands out of [my] hand? 

[What god] among all the gods of those nations that my [forefathers totally] destroyed [was able to] deliver his people out of [my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of [my] hand?

Now therefore, [don’t] let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this [matter.] [Don’t] believe him, [because if] no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people, out of my hand [o] the hand of my [forefathers,] how [can] your God deliver you out of [my] hand?

And [Sennacherib’s] servants [still said] more & wrote letters against the Lord God & against Hezekiah, [God’s] servant, saying, [Since] the gods of the nations of other lands haven’t delivered their people out of [my] hand, the God of Hezekiah shall not [be able to] deliver His people out of [my] hand.

Then, they cried [out loudly] in the Jew’s [language] to the people on the wall of Jerusalem to [frighten & worry] them, [so] that they might [capture] the city. And they [spoke] against the God of Jerusalem [like they did] against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of [men’s] hands.

[Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.] And for this [reason] Hezekiah, the king & Isaiah, the prophet, [Amoz’] son, prayed & cried [out] to heaven. 

The Lord sent an angel, [who] cut off all of [Assyria’s] mighty men of valor, the leaders & captains in the camp of [Assyria’s] king. So, [Sennacerib] returned with shame to his own land. 

And when he [came] into the house of his god, [those in his own family struck him down] there, with the sword. [By this,] the Lord saved Hezekiah & the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, [Assyria’s] king & from the hand of all [others & God] guided them on every side. 

And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem & presents to Hezekiah, [Judah’s] king, so he was magnified in the sight of all [the] nations from [then on.] In those days, [when] Hezekiah was sick, [near] death & prayed to the Lord, [God spoke] to him & gave him a [miraculous] sign. 

But [Hezekian’s] heart was lifted up [in pride & didn’t show God respect for all God had] done [for] him. Therefore, [God’s anger] was upon him, Judah & Jerusalem. 

[However,] Hezekiah humbled his [prideful] heart & the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [as well,] so that the [Lord’s anger didn’t come] upon them [during Hezekiah’s life.] 

And Hezekiah had honor & was [exceedingly rich] & made himself treasuries for: silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields & all [types] of [precious] jewels. [Hezekiah] also [made] store houses for the [extra grain,] wine & oil, and stalls for all [types of livestock & pens] for flocks.]

[Additionally, Hezekiah] provided [himself] cities & [an] abundance of flocks & herds, [since] God had given him [lots of property.] This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water [outlet] of Gihon & brought [the water] straight down to the west [side] of the city of David. 

And Hezekiah, prospered in all [he did.] [But] in the [matter when] the ambassadors of [Babylon’s] princes, who [were] sent & [came] to [Hezekiah] to [ask about] the [miraculous] wonder done in the land, God left [Hezekiah,] to [test] him, to know all that was in his heart.

Now, the rest of [Hezekiah’s actions] & all his goodness, [look,] are written in the vision of the prophet, Isaiah, [Amoz’] son, & the Book of Kings of Judah & Israel. 

Hezekiah [died] & slept with his [forefathers] & they buried him in the [best tombs] of [David’s descendants.] And all Judah & the inhabitants of Jerusalem [honored Hezekiah] at his death. And his son, Manasseh [ruled] in [Hezekiah’s place.]