Archive for the ‘Sennacherib’ Tag
Above: Jeremiah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING JEREMIAH, PART XXXII
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Jeremiah 49:28-33
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For thus my LORD has said to me: “In another year, fixed like the years of a hired laborer, all the multitude of of Kedar shall vanish; the remaining bows of Kedar’s warriors shall be few in number; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
–Isaiah 21:16-17, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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Kedar was a northern Arabian tribe known for their military prowess. Yet the Assyrian King Sennacherib (r. 705-681 B.C.E.) conquered that tribe in 689 B.C.E. Hazor (location in Arabia uncertain) was near or in the area the tribe of Kedar roamed, apparently.
The oracle refers to Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian campaigns against northern Arabian tribes in 599 B.C.E.
The sin in this oracle, as in other oracles in this set, may have been complacency. We read in verse 31 that the people dwelt secure, without barred gates. We read that God commanded the Chaldeans/Neo-Babylonians to attack, and the people of Kedar and Hazor to flee.
And I will scatter to every quarter
Those who have their hair clipped….
–Jeremiah 49:32b, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Similar language also occurs in Jeremiah 9:26, in the context of uncircumcised nations. In TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), these desert dwellers
have the hair of their temples clipped.
And, in Jeremiah 25:23, we read about:
Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and all those who have their hair clipped….
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
These are some of those who will become
a desolate ruin, an object of hissing and a curse.
–Jeremiah 25:17, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Cutting the hair in this manner was a religious rite for Arabian desert dwellers; the great historian Herodotus wrote about it. Many foreigners emulated this practice, forbidden in Leviticus 19:27:
You shall not round off the side growth of your head, or destroy the side growth of your beard.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Cutting one’s hair or the hair of a corpse in that manner was apparently, for some, at least, an expression of extreme mourning and grief (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). It was also one of a set of
idolatrous and superstitious practices
and
probably in origin an attempt to make oneself unrecognizable in face of the dangers emanating from the “soul” of a dead person.
–Martin Noth, Leviticus: A Commentary (1965), 143
As I emerge from the rabbit hole down which I have gone, I recall one of my favorite quotes:
Superstition is cowardice in face of the divine.
–Theophrastus (c. 371-287 B.C.E.)
Homo sapiens sapiens may be inherently inclined toward superstition, a collection of vain attempts to assert human control where none exists. From a Judeo-Christian perspective, YHWH is in control, and even the most powerful people are bit players in divine plans.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 15, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELLERTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CARL HEINRICH VON BOGATSKY, HUNGARIAN-GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EVELYN UNDERHILL, ANGLICAN MYSTIC AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT LANDELINUS OF VAUX, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; SAINT AUBERT OF CAMBRAI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT URSMAR OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MISSIONARY BISHOP, AND SAINTS DOMITIAN, HADELIN, AND DODO OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
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Above: The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., 1965
Photographer = Warren K. Leffler
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsca-49864
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART XIV
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Isaiah 22:1-25; 28:1-29:24; 32:1-20
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In 701 B.C.E., during the reign (727/715-698/687 B.C.E.) of King Hezekiah of Judah, King Sennacherib of Assyria (r. 705-681 B.C.E.) besieged Jerusalem. That invasion of the Kingdom of Judah failed, by the hand of God (2 Kings 18:13-37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-23; Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 48:17-25; Isaiah 29:1-8; Isaiah 30:27-33; Isaiah 36:1-37:38). In that context, widespread rejoicing ensued in Judah. Isaiah ben Amoz was not impressed.
What is the matter with you now, that you have gone up,
all of you, to the housetops,
you who were full of noise,
tumultuous city,
exultant town?
–Isaiah 22:1-2a, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Or maybe the rejoicing occurred because, in the failure of the Philistine-led revolt against the Assyrian Empire during the reign (722-705 B.C.E.) of Assyrian King Sargon II, Assyrian forces bypassed Jerusalem. King Hezekiah had wisely not joined that uprising. Yet Judah remained a vassal of the Assyrian Empire. Either way, rejoicing was premature. The Assyrian Empire remained a threat, and Judah was still subject to divine punishment for forsaking the covenant. Judah still ignored the moral demands for righteousness and justice, in violation of the Law of Moses. And Judah’s leaders bore the heavy load of responsibility for the kingdom’s predicaments.
An editor repurposed Isaiah 28:1-6, originally about the (northern) Kingdom of Israel, applied that passage to the Kingdom of Judah, and used 28:1-6 as the introduction to a condemnation of Judah. Apart from one word (“Ephraim”), Isaiah 28:1-6 could be about Judah. The oracle originally meant for Judah (28:7f) accused the ruling class of that kingdom of having made a covenant with death–not God–death. Destruction would ensue, but it would not be complete.
The same themes repeat in the portions of scripture I grouped together for this post. Isaiah 32 concludes with another condemnation of widespread, systemic unrighteousness and injustice, and a vision of how the people will benefit from the rule of a just and righteous government.
On April 4, 1967, at the Riverside Church, New York, New York, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke without equivocation against United States participation in the Vietnam War. He also offered a moral critique of his country. The United States of America needed to experience a
moral revolution of values,
King argued. It was a thing-oriented society; the society needed to value people more highly than money and property, King contended. King was correct. He had also read the Hebrew prophets carefully.
King was a modern-day prophet. He was also as unpopular in his day as many Hebrew prophets were in theirs. The vision of a society standing humbly before God, recognizing its complete dependence on God, and acknowledging mutuality has remained an unfulfilled dream.
On that depressing note, I conclude this journey through First Isaiah. Thank you, O reader, for joining me. My next step on my trek through Hebrew prophetic books, roughly in chronological order, will be the Book of Zephaniah. I invite you to join me there, too.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 2, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BLANDINA AND HER COMPANIONS, THE MARTYRS OF LYONS, 177
THE FEAST OF ANDERS CHRISTENSEN ARREBO, “THE FATHER OF DANISH POETRY”
THE FEAST OF CHRISTOPH HOMBURG, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MARGARET ELIZABETH SANGSTER, HYMN WRITER, NOVELIST, AND DEVOTIONAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN OF SWEDEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY, BISHOP, AND MARTYR, CIRCA 1075
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Above: Judas, by Edward Okún
Image in the Public Domain
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART XIII
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Isaiah 21:11-17
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INTRODUCTION
Immediately following an oracle of the Fall of Babylon (Isaiah 21:1-10), we read two short oracles that complete Chapter 21.
DUMAH (EDOM)
Duman was an oasis in northern Arabia (Genesis 25:14; 1 Chronicles 1:30). Seir (Isaiah 21:11) was a place in Edom. Poetically, Dumah equaled Edom.
One may recall a condemnation of Edom in Amos 1:1-12.
The oracle in Isaiah 21:11-12 is superficially vague. “The night” is poetic language for suffering. “Morning” is poetic language for liberation. There is no encouraging news for Dumah from the watchman of Seir yet. Despite the brief respite from Assyrian oppression, the morning of liberation will not dawn yet.
Edom, the nation, had pursued his “brother” (Israel) with the sword. Edom, the nation, was metaphorically the brother of the Israelite people (Numbers 20:14; Deuteronomy 2:4; Deuteronomy 23:7; Obadiah 10, 12). King David had added Edom to the (united) Kingdom of Israel (2 Samuel 8:13f; 1 Kings 11:15-17). Edom, part of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah after the division of the (united) Kingdom of Israel, threw off Judean control during the reign (851-853 B.C.E.) of King Jehoram (Joram) (2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chronicles 21:4-20). Yet Judah reconquered Edom during the reign (798-769 B.C.E.) of King Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chronicles 25:1-28) and the reign (785-733 B.C.E.) of King Azariah/Uzziah of Judah (2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23), contemporary with the time of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Edomites persisted in their anger; they raged in wrath without end.
Circa 715 B.C.E., Edom had rebelled against the Assyrian Empire during a time when that empire was temporarily in decline and Egypt’s new masters (from “Ethiopia”–really Cush/Nubia)–encouraged regional peoples, vassals of Assyria, to rebel. Ultimately and sadly, Edom was no match for the Assyrian Empire.
KEDAR AND THE DEDANITES
Kedar was a northern Arabian tribe known for their military prowess. Yet Assyrian King Sennacherib (r. 705-681 B.C.E.) conquered that tribe in 689 B.C.E.
The Dedanites were a northern Arabian tribe conquered by an unnamed power, presumably the Assyrian Empire. The residents of the oasis city of Tema were to greet the fugitives from Assyrian conquest “with bread.”
CONCLUSION
This material fits thematically with material I covered in the previous post in this series. The warning to Judah, militarily weak, was not to seek a military solution, which was futile. Judah needed to commit to social justice, consistent with the Law of Moses, the prophetic voice tells us. That voice also tells us that saving Judah depended not on the state, but on covenant community founded on a just social and economic order. We read that military solutions did not resolve the problems, even those of renowned warriors, vis-à-vis more powerful neighbors.
The Law of Moses teaches mutuality. This timeless principle informs many culturally-specific laws that, superficially, have no bearing on us in 2021. Mutuality, in the context of complete dependence on God, teaches that all people are responsible to and for each other, and depend on each other. The pursuit of the common good builds up all people and helps them become the best possible versions of themselves. Selfishness, cruelty, indifference, and insensitivity tear down community and harm the whole.
Early in President Ronald Reagan’s first term (1981-1985), staffers at the headquarters of the Church of the Brethren (one of the Historic Peace Churches) peacefully protested the Administration’s budget priorities–less for social programs, more for the military. These staffers pooled the money they received from tax cuts, purchased thirty pieces of silver, and mailed that silver (with a letter) to the White House. Some people were paying attention to the moral lessons in the Hebrew prophets and making an allusion to the betrayal of Jesus and Christian principles.
Sadly, these Hebrew prophetic warnings had something in common with such symbolic protests: they did not change the minds of authorities they addressed.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 2, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BLANDINA AND HER COMPANIONS, THE MARTYRS OF LYONS, 177
THE FEAST OF ANDERS CHRISTENSEN ARREBO, “THE FATHER OF DANISH POETRY”
THE FEAST OF CHRISTOPH HOMBURG, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MARGARET ELIZABETH SANGSTER, HYMN WRITER, NOVELIST, AND DEVOTIONAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN OF SWEDEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY, BISHOP, AND MARTYR, CIRCA 1075
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Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire and Its Neighbors
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART IX
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Isaiah 10:5-34; 14:24-27; 29:1-34; 30:27-33; 33:1-24
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One of the motifs in Hebrew prophetic literature condemns haughtiness, arrogance, and impiety before God. This motif applies to the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah, both of which neglected the Law of Moses, therefore committed idolatry and practiced institutional social injustice, especially economic injustice and judicial corruption. This motif also applies to nations outside of the covenant. They are still accountable to God for violating basic standards of human decency. If you, O reader, have been following my posts here at BLOGA THEOLOGICA since I started blogging on May 12, 2021, the contexts of this paragraph should be a mere refresher course.
I bring up this motif because we revisit it in Isaiah 10:5-34.
The Assyrian Empire boasted of its cruelty. This empire, to that time the latest in a line of Mesopotamian empires, followed in a tradition of official, unrepentant cruelty. Isaiah ben Amoz may have understood the Assyrian Empire to be an instrument of God, for a time, at least. The perspective of the final draft of First Isaiah did, at least. And the Assyrian Empire may have been an instrument of God, for a time, at least. It was certainly never exempt from accountability to God.
The Chaldeans/Neo-Babylonians conquered the Assyrian Empire. Then the Persians and the Medes conquered the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. Then Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Persian Empire. Then he died and that vast Macedonian Empire broke up. Much of Alexander’s realm eventually became part of the Roman Empire. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
One should not trust excessively in human political structures, which rise and fall.
Divine judgment and mercy remained in balance. A remnant survived. Exiles eventually returned to Judea after the Babylonian Exile.
A close reading of Isaiah 10:5-34 reveals layers of authorship, as well as chronological leaping back and forth. For example, 10:27b-34 and 29:1-34 refer to Assyrian King Sennacherib’s failed invasion of Judah in 701 B.C.E. (See 2 Kings 18:17-19:27; 2 Chronicles 32:1-33; Isaiah 37:8-20.) Yet 10:20-23 refer to the end of the Babylonian Exile, centuries later. There is a method to the editorial madness, though; the conclusion of Chapter 10 leads directly into the opening of Chapter 11.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH TO SAINT ELIZABETH
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Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire and Its Neighbors
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
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READING MICAH, PART I
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Micah 1:1
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The prophet was an individual who said No to his society, condemning its habits and assumptions, its complacency, waywardness, and syncretism. He was often compelled to proclaim the very opposite of what his heart expected. His fundamental objective was to reconcile man and God. Why do the two need reconciliation? Perhaps it is due to man’s false sense of sovereignty, to his abuse of freedom, to his aggressive, sprawling pride, resenting God’s involvement in history.
–Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets, Vol. 1 (1962), xiii
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The superscription of the Book of Micah identifies the prophet as Micah, from Moresheth, a village southwest of Jerusalem. “Micah” is abbreviated from “Micaiah,” literally, “Who is like Yah[weh]?” The superscription also specifies the prophet’s mission (to prophecy regarding the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah) and timeframe (during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah).
With a few exceptions (such as in the First Book of the Maccabees, which dated events according to the Hellenistic calendar), when authors of the Old Testament dated events, the usually used relative dating, such as “in the third year of king _____.” Converting these ancient dates to fit onto the Gregorian calendar and the B.C./B.C.E.-A.D./C.E. scale has long proven challenging and with inconsistent results. Perhaps you, O reader, have noticed that when you have consulted two different study Bibles for when a certain King of Israel or King of Judah reigned, you found two different answers.
For the record, as much as possible, I take dates from The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition (2014). It tells me that the four listed kings reigned accordingly:
- Azariah, a.k.a. Uzziah (785-733 B.C.E.); see 2 Kings 15:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 26:1-23;
- Jotham (759-743 B.C.E.); see 2 Kings 15:32-38 and 2 Chronicles 27:1-9;
- Ahaz (743/735-727/715 B.C.E.); see 2 Kings 16:1-20; 2 Chronicles 28:1-27; and Isaiah 7:1-8:15; and
- Hezekiah (727/715-698/687 B.C.E.); see 2 Kings 18:1-20:21; 2 Chronicles 29:1-32:33; Isaiah 36:1-39:8; and Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 48:17-22 and 49:4.
Jotham and Azariah/Uzziah had a co-regency. Did Ahaz and Azariah/Uzziah also have a co-regency? Trying to answer that question accurately is difficult, given that relative dating for the same monarchs is not always consistent, due to factual contradictions in sources.
Scripture does mention “Micah the Morashite” outside of the Book of Micah. Jeremiah 26:17-19, in the context of Jeremiah’s trial and death sentence, quotes some Jewish elders recalling Micah as having prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah and not having received the death penalty. Jeremiah 26:18 quotes Micah 3:12.
The Book of Micah, like the Books of Hosea and Amos before it, has layers of authorship and editing between the original version and the final version, from after the Babylonian Exile. This reality does not trouble me in the Books of Hosea and Amos. Neither does it disturb me in the Book of Micah.
The timeframe of the prophetic career of Micah, as established in 1:1, was very difficult.
- The Assyrian Empire menaced the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah.
- The Kingdoms of Israel and Aram had formed an anti-Assyrian alliance. King Ahaz of Judah refused to join that alliance. Therefore, during the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.), Israel and Aram waged war on Judah and sought to replace Ahaz with a monarch who would join that alliance. Ahaz allied himself with the Assyrian Empire, not God. In 732 B.C.E., the Assyrian Empire seized territory from Aram and Israel and reduced those kingdoms to vassalage.
- The Assyrian Empire conquered the (northern) Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E.
- The Assyrian Empire conquered the Kingdom of Aram in 720 B.C.E.
- In 701, during the reign of King Hezekiah, Assyrian King Sennacherib (r. 705-681 B.C.E.) invaded Judah.
- On the domestic front, wealthy landowners were forcing peasant farmers into debt and seizing their land, in violation of the common good and the Law of Moses. Corruption, injustice, and oppression of Judeans by Judeans was endemic.
The superscription (1:1) refers to “Samaria and Jerusalem,” the capitals of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah, respectively. I mention this because the use of language matters. If, for example, I write, “x” and have one meaning in mind yet you, O reader, read “x” and have another definition in mind, I have not communicated with you, and you have missed the point.
- The Book of Micah, in its final form, generally uses “Israel” in the generic sense–the people of the covenant, not the subjects of any Jewish kingdom. This explains why, in Micah, Israel continues to exist after the Fall of Samaria (722 B.C.E.).
- “Jacob” refers to Judah. The use of “Jacob” recalls the infamous trickster (Genesis 25:19-34; 27:1-35:37; 37:1-36; 42:29-43:14; 46:1-47:12; 47:28-48:22). “Jacob,” of course, is also the original name of Israel, after whom the people of Israel took their name. The use of “Jacob” to refer to Judah indicates the importance of divine promises to the Patriarchs and foreshadows restoration to a state of grace after punishment for sins.
The Book of Micah holds divine judgment and mercy in balance. Much of the prophecy, in its final, edited form, is doom and gloom.
Yet faith in God does not conclude on a note of despair. Hope is the last word, then as now. But the hope which prophetic religion exalts is born of faith in God and in his love of man.
–Harold A. Bosley, in The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 6 (1956), 901
Another detail interests me. Most English translations begin:
The word of the LORD that came to Micah….”
Focus on “came to,” O reader. The Hebrew text literally reads:
The word of the LORD that was Micah….
This leads me back to Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel:
The prophet is a person, not a microphone. He is endowed with a mission, with the power of a word not his own that accounts for his greatness–but also with temperament, concern, character, and individuality. As there was no resisting the impact of divine inspiration, so at times there was no resisting the vortex of his own temperament. The word of God reverberated in the voice of man.
The prophet’s task is to convey a divine view, yet as a person he is a point of view. He speaks from the perspective of God as perceived from the perspective of his own situation. We must seek to understand not only the views he expounded but also the attitudes he embodied: his own position, feeling response–not only what he said but also what he lived; the private, the intimate dimension of the word, the subjective side of the message.
–The Prophets, Vol. 1 (1962), viii
The inspiration of scripture included a human element. The authors and prophets were not secretaries of the Holy Spirit, taking dictation, as in “Put a comma there.” No, the people thanks to whom we have the Bible put themselves into the book. They were the message. They were people, not microphones.
What does the Book of Micah have to proclaim to the world of 2021? Let us find out.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 24, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS SELNECKER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JACKSON KEMPER, EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY BISHOP
THE FEAST OF EDITH MARY MELLISH (A.K.A. MOTHER EDITH), FOUNDRESS OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE SACRED NAME
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA GARGANI, FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS APOSTLES OF THE SACRED HEART
THE FEAST OF MARY MADELEVA WOLFF, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN, POET, SCHOLAR, AND PRESIDENT OF SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE, NOTRE DAME, INDIANA
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Above: How Ahikar Outwitted the King of Egypt, by Henry Justice Ford
Image in the Public Domain
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READING TOBIT
PART XI
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Tobit 14:1b-15
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The novella of Tobit ends as it beings–with historically inaccurate details. Nevertheless, the theology of the book is what really matters.
Superficially, the end of the Book of Tobit resembles the conclusion of the Book of Job. Within that structure, we read “prophecies” projected backward into an anachronistic time. We also read reiteration of major themes of the Book of Tobit. Just in case one forgets about almsgiving, Tobit 14:9 tells one again. And we, in that context, read an allusion to The Story of Ahikar in 14:10-11a.
I have refrained from summarizing The Story of Ahikar so far. This is an appropriate post in which to provide that summary.
Ahikar/Ahiqar was a childless royal official in the court of Kings Sennacherib and Esarhaddon. Ahikar adopted his nephew, Nadin/Nadab, whom he groomed to succeed him in royal service. The ungrateful Nadin/Nadab falsely accused his uncle of treason. Ahikar, condemned to die, survived when the executioner, whom he had saved earlier, rescued him. Ahikar lived in a cave under his (Ahikar’s) house until he accepted a challenge to compete in a contest of wisdom in Egypt. Ahikar received his honor back. Nadir/Nadab died in prison.
The Story of Ahikar also contained proverbs, such as
For he who digs a pit for his brother shall fall into it;
and he who sets up traps shall be caught in them.
–7:58b
Tobit and Anna died. Then Tobias, Sarah, and their children moved in with Raguel and Edna, paying off the Chekovian gun in 10:12.
The Book of Tobit concludes with the wicked perishing and the righteous flourishing. Given that I have already covered the Book of Retribution in this series, I will not repeat myself much in this post. I do wish that more of the wicked would repent, that the unrepentant wicked would fall on their faces and meet with unending frustration, and that more of the righteous would flourish. Alas, that is not the world in which I live.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 5, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, FATHER OF CHRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYRAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF NELSON MANDELA, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, AND RENEWER OF SOCIETY
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICETIUS OF TRIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP; AND SAINT AREDIUS OF LIMOGES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF PETER MORTIMER, ANGLO-GERMAN MORAVIAN EDUCATOR, MUSICIAN, AND SCHOLAR; AND GOTTFRIED THEODOR ERXLEBEN, GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER AND MUSICOLOGIST
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Above: Sennacherib on His Throne, by John Philip Newman
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART CI
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2 Kings 18:13-19:37
2 Chronicles 32:1-23
Isaiah 36:1-37:38
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For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves…
“Let us lie in wait for the righteous man,
because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions;
he reproaches us for sins against the law,
and accuses us of sins against the law,
and accuses us of sins against our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God,
and calls himself a child of the Lord.”
–Wisdom of Solomon 2:1a, 12-13, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
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King Hezekiah of Judah (Reigned 729/715-698/687 B.C.E.)
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This series of blog posts is nearly complete. A set of plans for future Bible-based series exists. One of the planned series is the prophets (major and minor), in roughly chronological order. When I consulted resources and divided the Book of Isaiah in First, Second, and Third Isaiah, I transferred Isaiah 36-39, taken from 2 Kings, into this series.
Sennacherib (reigned 705-681 B.C.E.) was the King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. He had a quarrel with Hezekiah, a former vassal of the empire. King Hezekiah had to pay tribute to Sennacherib. The Neo-Assyrian king, via an underling, presumed to know more about God and divine commandments than did King Hezekiah. That underling also attempted to undermine King Hezekiah’s political support. First Isaiah, conveying God’s message to King Hezekiah, offered comfort. God had plans to end the Neo-Assyrian threat against Judah. King Hezekiah continued to trust God in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. God remained faithful. The invasion force died. Years later, so did Sennacherib.
Trusting God can prove challenging, especially in desperate times. The presence of a large Neo-Assyrian invasion force seems like a dire circumstance. I know the difficulty of trusting God in circumstances much less severe. Trusting God is a sign of good character. Trusting God liberates one to act out of one’s higher nature, not one’s lower nature.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 7, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIBRORD, APOSTLE TO THE FRISIANS; AND SAINT BONIFACE, APOSTLE TO THE GERMANS
THE FEAST OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF JOHN CAWOOD, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN CHRISTIAN FREDERICK HAYER, LUTHERAN MISSIONARY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND INDIA; BARTHOLOMEAUS ZIEGENBALG, JR., LUTHERAN MISSIONARY TO THE TAMILS; AND LUDWIG NOMMENSEN, LUTHERAN MISSIONARY TO SUMATRA AND APOSTLE TO THE BATAK
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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