King Hezekiah, some visitors,
and Isaiah the prophet
At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.-Isaiah 39:1-4***Joshua was an Israelite from the tribe of Ephraim, descended from Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel) and his 2nd wife Rachel, their firstborn son Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. After the Lord God spoke to Joshua, and Joshua sent 2 spies to Canaan, and Rahab hid the spies, and the spies returned, Joshua led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the Promised Land. After 110-year-old Joshua died, and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, the Israelites were led by elders, judges and their own minds. Samuel the priest, prophet and judge was from the tribe of Levi, descended from Jacob and his 1st wife Leah and their 3rd born son Levi. When Samuel was elderly, and his sons Joel (Vashni) and Abiah (Abijah) were not obeying the commands of the Lord God, and King Nahash and his Ammonite army were preparing to attack, the Israelite elders demanded that Samuel appoint a king to lead them, and Samuel anointed Saul, from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin, to reign, according to the command of the Lord God. David, from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, was the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Solomon, a son born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king. During the 4th year of his 40-year reign, Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, and in the 11th year, workers finished building the temple in Jerusalem. Rehoboam, a son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the Promised Land, the land that the Lord God promised go give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. After Rehoboam gave a specific answer, the Israelites split into 2 kingdoms, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of Solomon. Israel was the northern nation, Samaria was the final royal city and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. Judah was the nation in the south, Jerusalem was the royal city and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. Rehoboam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Ahaz was the 11th king to rule Judah. Ahaz worshiped idols, and closed the temple, and sacrificed at least 1 of his sons in a fire ritual. Hezekiah, the son born to Ahaz and Abi (Abijah), was the 12th king to rule Judah. Hezekiah only worshiped the Lord God. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that among Judah's kings, Hezekiah's trust in the Lord God was unparalleled. During the 1st year of his 29-year reign, Hezekiah gathered the priests and told them to consecrate themselves and the temple. Hezekiah stationed priests and Levites in their places of duty, and invited the Israelites throughout Judah and the northern nation of Israel in the Promised Land to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem together. During the 6th year of Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. During the 14th year of Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib, ruler of Assyria, invaded Judah and captured some fortified cities throughout the kingdom. Hezekiah sent a payment of silver and gold to Sennacherib. However, Sennacherib wanted Judah's people and land. Hezekiah went to the temple of the Lord and sent Shebna the scribe, and Eliakim, and Joah, and some elderly priests to Isaiah the prophet, and Isaiah proclaimed the words of the Lord God to them. Meanwhile, Sennacherib sent a written message to Hezekiah. Hezekiah took Sennacherib's written message to the temple and prayed to the Lord God, and Isaiah sent Hezekiah a message from the Lord God. The angel of the Lord smote 185,000 Assyrians. In Assyria, Sennacherib's sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed Sennacherib. Sometime thereafter, Hezekiah became seriously ill, and Isaiah told Hezekiah to prepare to die. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord God, and the Lord God sent Isaiah to Hezekiah with a new message. Hezekiah asked for a sign confirming the message of healing and life, and the Lord God allowed Hezekiah to see a sign. Merodach-baladan (Berodach-baladan), ruler of Babylon, heard about Hezekiah's recovery and sent an envoy to Hezekiah. Over 600 years after Manasseh, the son born to Hezekiah and Hephzibah, became the 13th king to rule Judah, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 10:1-29:30, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah 36:1-39:8, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
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