Insight! with Garry Nation Garry Nation

Hezekiah lays Sennacherib's threat before the Lord. The prophet Isaiah responds with a taunt song against the Assyrian invader. (2 Kings 19) Then in a flashback the author describes Hezekiah's desperate illness and the sign given by the Lord, and the prophet's forecast for Judah's future. (2 Kings 20)

Inheriting the Kingdom of Judah from his idolatrous father Ahaz, Hezekiah institutes a controversial, radical reformation; but then he faces a profound crisis when Assyria comes to reassert its dominance over the kingdom. 2 Kings 18:1 - 19:19

The Al Qaida attack on 9/11 was a shattering event, an acute crisis in human affairs that marks a great divide between historical eras.

Under King Jotham the Kingdom of Judah takes a drastic turn away from the faith heritage of David. 2 Kings 15-17.

In its later years Israel was ruled by a succession of kings who were basically glorified gangsters. One, Jeroboam II, presided over a surprisingly long and prosperous reign. But afterward political and social chaos reigned until the kingdom was dismantled by Assyria and its people exiled. But the seeds of its destruction were planted at its inception some 200 years earlier. 2 Kings 15-17

Even on his deathbed the prophet Elisha commands the attention of the king. His passing marks the end of an era, while the events of this passage reveal greater theological depth than is apparent on a casual reading. 2 Kings 13-15