V.1-8 Now back again to the kingdom of Judah. In the whole story of king Hezekiah, we see what can be done when the heart is turned toward God. If only the other kingdom had done this! Notice how the Lord was pleased, and helped him.
V.9-12 The Assyrians had taken the other kingdom captive. Its capital was Samaria. The reason why the enemy could win was not because they were stronger, but because of what we read in the 12th verse.
V.13-16 Eight years later, the Assyrian army returns to do the same thing to the kingdom of Judah. But will it succeed? Will king Hezekiah also be disobedient, or will he turn to the Lord? He had a very disobedient and foolish father (2 Kings 16:10-2010And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. 11And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. 12And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. 13And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar. 14And he brought also the brazen altar, which was before the Lord, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the altar. 15And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. 16Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded. 17And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. 18And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the Lord for the king of Assyria. 19Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 16:10‑20)), and it would have been easy for him to follow his father’s ideas. At first, when Assyria took the other towns of Judah, Hezekiah pays a tribute. But this was not trusting the Lord. It only put off the evil day.