King Sennacherib's Lying Stone

Friday, February 6, 2026

In II Kings 19, Jerusalem is surrounded and held captive under the threat of annihilation from the Assyrian army. In ancient Assyrian tablets, King Sennacherib records: "and Hezekiah himself, I shut up in Jerusalem, his capital city, like a caged bird." It then says that Hezekiah was afraid and sent a tribute of gold, and they left the city alone. It confirms the biblical account that they never took Jerusalem, with one big difference - the claim that Hezekiah sent a tribute. But the Assyrians never accepted a tribute from a city that rebelled against them. Instead, they destroyed it. So what was the real reason they left Jerusalem alone? The Bible records that King Hezekiah lifted up the crisis to God and an angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army in one night. The Greek historian Herodotus records an account of the Assyrian army struck down in one miraculous swoop. So, whatever you're going through, be at peace. For the same God who upheld Jerusalem will uphold you. When you put everything into His hands as Hezekiah did, you'll rejoice in the morning when your enemies are gone.

From Message #929 - Satan on the Wall