One of the memorable stories from Israel’s monarchy is the siege of Jerusalem. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, invaded the Southern Kingdom and conquered the fenced cities. In the face of defeat, the king of Judah, Hezekiah, sent all of the silver and gold that could be found in the temple to Sennacherib. When studying this particular story there are some similarities and differences that are evident between the Assyrian army and the Israelite army.
The first similarity is the strong leadership of both armies. The Assyrian army was led by an experienced fighter. The Bible mentions the past victories that Sennacherib had, and it would make sense that the Assyrian army had complete trust in their king. On the other side was Hezekiah, a man who had faith in God. The people living in Jerusalem were frightened by the invading army, but their king was able to give them strength by turning them towards the Lord. Just as the Assyrians had trust in their king, the Israelites trusted their king and believed that God would deliver them.
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Sennacherib attempted to convince the army of Judah to surrender in exchange for its security. His messenger made a compelling argument and gave every reason why this would be in the people’s best interest. However, Hezekiah’s strategy was more militaristic. The king cut off the water supply to the city, hoping that this would disinterest the Assyrians. Furthermore, he fortified his defenses by rebuilding the walls that were torn down, building towers, setting up captains over the people, and creating an abundance of weapons and