Nahum: Historical context

Nahum and the Justice of God

Okay, so as you know we're in the book of Nahum. Nahum is really about the justice of God today. We're going to be going over historical context. So last week we just went into a quick introduction as to who wrote it.

Why he was writing it who he was writing it to that type of stuff today. We're going to go through the historical context of Israel Judah and Assyria. So that we know what what is going on at that point in time.

So last week we went through who wrote the book Nahum. Who did he write it to he wrote it to his countrymen the Israelites. About Nineveh and Assyria. It was written approximately 654 BC. It's a prophetic book, but it's laced with poetry.

So we're gonna hopefully dive into that at a certain point the theme or purpose of the book is the justice of God. We're gonna see God's justice on full display here. And finally the historical context text.

The Historical Background in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah

Which is what we're gonna get into today so I told you last week the historical background for Nahum is 2nd Kings 17 through through 23 and 2nd Chronicles 33 and 34 and Isaiah 36 through 39. We're gonna read two long passages out of that today.

Nahum is prophesying while Assyria is still at the height of her power. Assyria is well known among the agents as being a cruel barbaric savage nation that would demolish their enemies. During with during the whole period in which Nahum prophesied the kings of Judah Manasseh and Josiah.

Were vassals of Assyria and a vassal state is basically a state that pays tribute Mob money to the larger country in order so as not to be destroyed to keep them at bay. So real quick I want to give you just a quick overview.

Okay, the green part over there is the northern tribes of Israel. Below that the orange part is Judah and Benjamin. Those are the southern tribes. Up here. These are the prophets that spoke to the northern tribes of Israel.

You have Jonah which we went through several probably over a year ago. Amos and Hosea. They were prophesying to the northern tribes of Israel. All of these prophets were prophesying to the southern tribes of Israel.

We're here.

Nahum now Nahum comes after Micah which we just went through brother. Lawrence went through that and Jonah was before that. So here you see the the Progression. We're at this point in history where Assyria has taken over the northern tribes.

Okay, now this cause this was a split in Israel before Assyria took them over. You had Rehoboam and Jeroboam sons of Solomon who disputed with one another. The northern tribes set up if you see here in Bethel.

They set up a Separate sanctuary. There they were. They were doing worship and animal sacrifices when it was supposed to be done in Jerusalem. So they basically separated and this caused a rift between northern Israel and southern Israel.

In fact when you're reading through the the Gospels and you hear about the Samaritans Samaria right there. I see Samaria.

Okay.

Those are known as the Samaritans and that's why the the Jews in the gospel had such animus towards the Samaritans. Because they were they were they were worshiping God falsely in a temple that was not set up the way it was supposed to be.

So the Samaritans are not some foreign People. They're actually Jews that were intermingled with the Assyrians when they come in they married in. Okay, so that'll give you some context on the Samaritans.

Jonah, Nimrod, and the Rise of Nineveh

So here we are. Nahum. This this dark green area, this is Assyria. Okay in a hundred and fifty years. They took over the land all the light green. What's really important to know is. And we're going to see this in a second.

Nineveh is up there. That's the capital of Assyria.

Okay.

Judah is down here. And then you have this little country known as Syria. Now a lot of people get mixed up between Assyria and Syria. Syria is the smaller nation. Okay, that's not a Syria a Syria is the big nation.

Okay, the cruel barbaric nation took over Syria and took over Israel. Now one of the big things to realize is Actually as the capital of Nineveh the Assyrians were located there and started expanding outward.

They had their eyes on Egypt very important. The only way from Nineveh to Egypt is through what? territory of Judah. So Judah had to make sure that they were Protected. Okay, and the Assyrians knew Judah was a focal point.

If we caught Judah the rest of Egypt is going to follow. So for a little while they went around they went around Judah. But then eventually like we want you to and that's what we're going to get into today.

Judah is the so is the surviving tribes of Israel composed of Judah and Benjamin. Okay, so Nahum is prophesying to Judah about the Assyrians. That's why this is about the justice of God. The Assyrians were a bloodthirsty cruel people, okay.

All right, let's move. Jonah was called. We're gonna start at Jonah because that's where this started. Remember Nahum is Jonah 2 .0. All right, Nahum is the second half of the story. That's we're gonna get to so we're gonna start with Jonah and just go through.

The.

Context biblically and then historically. So Jonah was called to preach to the Ninevites. Okay, as you know Jonah was a prophet of God. He preached repentance to the Ninevites around 740 BC. Nineveh that great city says it over and over and over again kind of poking Judah in the eye Jonah in the eye great city.

These are a bloodthirsty people. So God calls Jonah to preach repentance. What does Jonah do? He takes a hard left and goes the other way. It's like uh-uh. I'm not going there he didn't want to go to the Ninevites because they were brutal bloodthirsty people and Jonah knew that God could actually use the Assyrians to Cause Israel a problem.

He knows that there's a prophecy in Deuteronomy 31 32 They Israel have made me a jealous and made me jealous with what is no God. They have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people Assyria, I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Now Jonah knows Assyria knows their reputation and he's like, please Lord anyone but Assyria. I Don't want them to make us look foolish. But that's exactly what God is gonna do. This is why Jonah runs the other way.

He doesn't want Assyria to repent and be used by God to bring Israel into into favor again, okay. So Assyria is that foolish nation, right? Nineveh is the capital of Assyria. But how did Nineveh get its start who started it?

Anybody know who how? Assyria came to be. Because this is important, too. Yes. It was Nimrod. Excellent. Good job Calista, right and it comes through the sons of Ham. So real quick. I just want to read this Genesis 10 the sons of Ham Cush Egypt put Canaan the sons of Cush Seba Halava Havilah Sabbath Rama Sab Tekka the sons of Rama Sheba Deedin Cush fathered Nimrod.

There's our guy. He was the first on the earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord the beginning of his kingdom was Babel first.

He started a city in Babel where we get the Tower of Babel from Erech Akkad Kalna in the land of Shina from that land. He went into Assyria and built Nineveh Rehoboth a year. Kala resin between Nineveh and Kala.

That is the great city Egypt fathered Luden animin Lahabene now to him path to russum Kalushin from whom the Philistines came and Keff 14, okay. So there's a very very important theological point, I know I did I messed up all those names you don't have to remind no I get it.

I get you all look at me like Alright, there's a very important theological point to be made of this passage. You realize all of Israel's enemies came from the line of Ham. All from the line of Ham. This is why do you realize this is why God banned pork in the Old Covenant now.

I know that that's not true. Just just to let you know that it's not true. But guess what? You're never gonna forget that all the evil line came through him. All right. I know that it's not true. It's a bad joke.

I'm known for that. All right, but the evil line came through ham. So when you go through the story, you're gonna recognize ham is behind all this. All right.

Here we go.

All right. So as God's Prophet Jonah is aware of Nineveh and what's happening, but he wants nothing to do with the mission. He will not be made jealous by these savages. These are barbarians. So we know the story.

Jonah tries to escape he goes the other way. God laughs hurls a storm at him gets the sailors on the boat to repent. They throw Jonah overboard. God gets a fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah repents. And then what.

Then he finally goes to Nineveh. Five steps into the nation. What happens? He preaches these five steps in 40 more years and 40 more days and God's gonna crush Nineveh. Boom everybody hits their knees.

Everybody's repenting. Jonah's like you got to be kidding me. Right. Could you imagine we go into Port Jeff and say 40 more days? God's gonna crush Port Jeff and everybody hits the deck. Oh, we repent Lord.

We want to know you. Jonah's like you really and obviously this is highlighting the sovereignty of God, right? He calls us to to preach that message repent. The kingdom of God is at hand and it's up to God to bring them to their knees.

Our job is to bring speak the message of truth, right. Be faithful to that. God's job is to convert the heart. Now Jonah sees this he's ticked off. Oh gosh, really now in fairness to Jonah He knows that this message is going to bring about the Ninevites repentance which in contrast to his own country.

Israel.

Israel was in idolatry, right? They were not acting faithful to the Lord. They were sacrificing to other gods. They were Oppressing the poor they were not acting according to God's Word. This would be very bad for Israel because God will eventually use the Assyrians to sweep Into idolatrous Israel and punish them for their sinfulness.

So obviously Jonah's upset with that. Jonah's message reached the king of Nineveh. He got up off his throne. He removes his robe. He covered himself with sackcloth satin ashes and he issued a proclamation and published it throughout Nineveh.

By the decree of the king and his nobles let neither man nor beast heard nor flock taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water. He calls for a Public fast even to the animals the animals can't eat or drink.

He's now submitted to the Lord and we know that this was actual repentance because in Matthew and Luke It says the men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it for they Repented at the preaching of Jonah.

All right. This is when we went through the book of Jonah. This is what would be known as the sign of Jonah. Jesus is gonna die. He's gonna be buried for three days and rise from the dead the same way Jonah was Swallowed by the fish stuck in there three days and then comes out.

What Jonah didn't know was that the Ninevites repenting gives Israel time to repent of their sin before God brings judgment. So this is really an act of grace for Israel. Okay, so the Assyrians are coming in they want to take over The northern tribes of Israel.

God gets them to repent. So now they're not as bloodthirsty say, okay, we're gonna follow Lord that gives Israel some time and as you know Miraculously and providentially the Assyrians had a 40-year military pause.

For 40 years, they stopped attacking people. 40 hmm. Where do we hear that number? All right over and over and over 40 is a period of testing so for 40 years God gives grace to Israel in hopes that they would repent.

Okay in hopes that they would see their their condition before God see that even the Ninevites repented. Yet they wouldn't. Okay, so They ceased from warring against their neighbors. Assyria ceased from warring against their neighbors and gave Israel opportunity to repent.

40 years Israel would eventually fail the test and Assyria would come in invade and wreak havoc on them. They would deport them which means taking them out of their land and spreading them throughout all of Assyria.

They would inbreed with them which would dilute their their genealogical line their physical lineage lineage. And you you realize for Israelites physical lineage is a big thing, right? That's why we get all the begets in in the scriptures.

Okay, they trace their physical line. They wanted to keep the the nation of Israel pure. Their goal the Assyrians goal for Israel was for them to lose their identity and it worked the northern ten tribes would become later known as the lost tribes of Israel.

Right you ever hear that term the lost tribes of Israel. This it was this is where it comes from because Assyria came in diluted them to the point Dilute not diluted as in mind. Dilute as in you know mixing two things together and getting it to disperse.

So they came in they intermarried with the Israelites and diluted their bloodline and Deported them throughout the whole land. Got it. Okay.

Micah, Hezekiah, and the Assyrian Threat

So.

Only Judah and Benjamin would be left. That was that lower orange piece of Israel. Only Judah and Benjamin would be left of all God's people to carry on the physical lineage. Syria would eventually invade Judah and it was before this invasion into Judah by Assyria that Micah the prophet Micah comes on the scene.

So now Jonah's out of the picture. Now we have the prophet Micah, which brother Lawrence went through. Micah prophesied to Israel and Judah during the reigns of Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah about 750 to 700 BC about the same time as Isaiah.

So Isaiah is also preaching to this to the southern tribes as as well as Micah. The northern kingdom which was that green piece of Israel actually fell to Assyria during Micah's ministry. Yes. Yes, well he was prophesying mostly to the south because they were the ones who was still not following.

They were seeing what was happened to happening to northern Israel yet. They were not repenting. They still were oppressing the poor. In fact, I think the Hosea calls the women the cows of Bashan. Right.

Okay saying they would they would get in fat dumb and happy and everybody would you know? Health wealth and prosperity basically and forget about everyone else. They were not Concerned with truly following the Lord the way he's prescribed prescribed.

Thank you I'm sorry so the northern kingdom actually fell to Assyria during Micah's ministry in 722 and Judah almost fell in 701 and that's in 2nd Kings 18 through 20 Micah contained three sections with which alternate between words of warning and messages of hope.

Micah told of a day when there would be peace among all nations. Who would then be able to beat their swords into plowshares? Which we hear about in the New Testament and of a royal deliverer who would save God's people from all her enemies.

This deliverer would be born in Bethlehem any idea who that might be. Say it just making sure Joseph Smith. All right. Yeah now Jesus Jesus. All right. There we go. So The northern northern Israel falls and Judah is next in line.

This is where the book of Nahum and Nahum the prophet come in. He comes in at 6 around 640 AD after Micah about a hundred years after Micah and about a hundred and fifty years after Jonah.

Assyria’s Rise, Hezekiah’s Reforms, and the Babylonian Envoys

Okay.

So Nahum's focus was on the Assyrians again. He's the first of the last six minor prophets. So up to this point we've we've gone through Israel's history right now. We're gonna focus a little bit more on a serious history and here I gleaned a lot from a theologian and a historian by the name of Bruce Gore.

If you've if you've never listened to his stuff tune in on YouTube or his podcast. He's got tremendous historical information. So I gleaned a lot of what I'm gonna tell you now directly from him. So we'll get a better understanding of the book of Nahum if we understand the context of a serious history and Israel's history because they're related politically and Spiritually.

Okay. So let's go. I Know I'm moving a little fast, but we got a lot of information to cover. So in about 744 the time of Micah Assyria came back again. This is after the 40-year pause now Assyria Syria kind of went by the wayside.

They forgot about their repentance. They forgot about the Lord said we're gonna go back to our old ways. So they came back with a vengeance on the Tiglath policer and came sweeping through the land with a devastating force.

Remember, there are brutal people. Remember that they repented at the time of Jonah when Jonah preached them gave Israel 40-year Reprieve, which was grace and compassion by God, but now that faded the way and Assyria picked up where they left off.

In.

732 they conquer Syria. That was that little piece of that little nation above Israel, okay and below Assyria. Okay, they come in and basically destroy Syria. It's completely taken over by the Assyrians.

It's under Assyrian rule. Now keep in mind that Syria and Assyria are two different nations. Syria's just that small country above.

In.

722 Assyria continues south and Conquers Israel for good. Okay. Now this we talked about just a few seconds ago. This is the Timeline of Assyria. Okay. I gave you Israel's point of view. This is a serious point of view.

That's why we're going through the the dates Syria continues south Conquers Israel they're wiped out by the hand of God and this is as per Isaiah chapter 10. Isaiah used the Assyrian nation to come in and discipline his people.

The Israelites are deported scattered to the four winds and become known as the lost tribes of Israel. Ten years later Assyria marches further south on the way to Egypt and on the way to Egypt is through Judah and In 712 Egypt comes under Assyrian domain.

Now remember Judah's a vassal state. They're paying the the the king of Assyria money. So he leaves them alone for now, but he passes they pass through they conquer Egypt. Judah will come next right? They got their their their sights set on Judah.

Now part of the reason for this, okay I'm sorry, 10 years later Egypt comes through 712. Egypt comes under Assyria serious domain. What's really interesting is that Jerusalem and Judah dodge a bullet and escapes a serious March.

Anyone know why? Aside from them paying tribute part of the reason for this is because because of Hezekiah King Hezekiah, who's the Israelite king of Judah. He made a deal with pig like Kaleza. He's peace paying him off.

It's mob money. Assyria was okay with that. They were being paid and when Hezekiah assumed his father's throne. He continued the tribute. He continued paying the money. So Hezekiah keeps paying significant tribute each year to Assyria, that's how Jerusalem avoids Destruction and stays out of a serious rampage.

However, Hezekiah sees the writing on the wall. No pun intended right this this this Relationship between him and Assyria is not gonna last for a forever. These Syrians are eventually gonna come in and try to destroy them when Assyria came back in 712.

They went right around Jerusalem and coped engulfed Egypt and pushed back Pharaoh who was the Ethiopian king back into Egypt. Hezekiah is now thinking to himself. I really don't think this relationship is going to continue this way, right?

It's not going to go on like this forever. I need a plan. So he began to recognize that he was at great risk with the Assyrians and it actually he actually came up with a plan to Survive he created what's called Hezekiah's tunnel.

He may have heard of that which is actually still there today. It was built in 710 right and 2nd Kings 2020 says the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the Conduit and brought water into the city.

Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? So King Hezekiah knows there's gonna come a point in time when the Assyrians Decide we're gonna take Judah. He's planning in advance to have water to be able to come into the country just so they can survive.

So he's making future plans just to protect Judah from Assyria.

Okay.

Hezekiah was smartly anticipating that Jerusalem was going to be put under siege and he wants to make sure they have a water supply. So that was part of the reason the tunnel was constructed. He continues paying tribute until 705.

Now in 705 the king that was reigning in Assyria is Sargon the second. He died and was replaced by his then successor and son Sinatrib. You probably heard of him. Now the common thing that would happen in the ancient world at that time when you had a regime change a new king Comes comes into play.

The count the countries that were paying tribute what you would use that as a moment to create some instability. Right. There's a new king or maybe we're not gonna pay tribute. We're not sure many times That the vassal countries would revolt and stop paying the tribute and that's what Hezekiah decided to do.

So in 705 in the Old Testament second Kings 18 7 It tells us that Hezekiah revolted against the king of Assyria and stopped paying tribute.

Let's see.

Second Kings 18. He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel so that there was none like him Among all the kings of Judah after him nor among those who were before him for he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him But kept his commandments that the Lord commanded Moses as the Lord was with him whenever he went out.

He prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. So he's he's deciding at this point. We're not going to be a vassal state anymore. We're not going to pay him no more tribute and this was a dangerous thing to do.

But he did did it probably in part because of what Isaiah Told him he was telling him that Assyria was not going to destroy Jerusalem. Nevertheless, it was still risky. So this is what Isaiah tells him When the servants of King Hezekiah, is this right?

Yeah.

When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah Isaiah said to them Say to your master thus says the Lord do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard With which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.

Behold I will put a spirit in him so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land and I will make him fall by the sword of his own land and. It is that incident when Sinatra ribs armies come to Judah To the surrounding wall of the Jerusalem to the surrounding wall of the city and they're like we're gonna pummel you right.

And then.

The.

Judeans say hey, listen, don't don't speak to us in Hebrew. Everybody else can understand you right? And that's when Isaiah tells him don't worry. Don't worry about these people. God's gonna put a spirit into them and send them the other way.

So about a year after this King Hezekiah becomes ill ill to the point of death so as Hezekiah sick Isaiah the Prophet comes to him and.

And.

It bluntly tells him get your house in order. You're gonna die. Hezekiah gets the word that he's not going to survive or recover from this. Right, and this is what second King says. In those days Hezekiah became sick.

It was at the point of death and Isaiah the Prophet the son of Amos came to him and said thus says the Lord Set your house in order for you shall die. You shall not recover. Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord saying now Oh Lord Please remember how I've walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart and have done what is good in your sight.

And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

So.

Hezekiah is upset. He obviously he knows he's going to die. In fact, he began to remind God that hey, look, I was a pretty good King, you know. I wiped out some of the idolatry. I destroyed the high places.

I've been pretty faithful. He tried to do everything that he was supposed to do to turn the people back to God back to worship. He's basically pleading for his life. But I think there's more to the story.

Anybody want to venture a guess as to why Hezekiah might also be crying aside from wanting his life spared? Is he not saved that could possibly be true? What else what God? Right, right. So what does Hezekiah not have?

Whose line is Hezekiah in. Maybe that'll help. He's in King David's line, what does Hezekiah not have right now? He doesn't have a son. Right, if there's no son and Hezekiah dies without a son son. Then there will be no one to sit on the king on the throne.

Which which would void God's promise that there would always be someone from the line of David seated on the throne. Hezekiah is weeping bitterly because he knows if he does not bring forth a son God's promises to Israel are over and he's done the whole nation of Israel would be gone.

He is the family line of David and the promise to David had been that David would have a son on the throne of Judah. In Jerusalem, in other words, there would be a ruling family Which would remain intact until the promised Messiah came one who would eventually take the throne of David and rule forever.

So without a son there would eventually be no Messiah. That was the problem. Hezekiah knew he was part of this promise. He knew that he was in the lineage and if he died without a son it meant that God himself was Abandoning these people.

In other words They were so wicked so evil that not even God was going to fill his could fulfill his covenant promise. Right, so God think about it showed incredible compassion to the Ninevites who were bloodthirsty people and.

And Hezekiah is worried that he's not going to show the same compassion to Israel. Okay, so. That would mean that Judah which is the the the nation that he's king over would become what Israel had become Scattered not my people not beloved.

Therefore he's weeping bitterly not simply for his own his own life, which would be understandable. He's weeping for the fate of his people Israel. His he's crying bitterly to God, please Lord. Don't you see I've tried to fix things here now.

Hezekiah was brokenhearted for the sake of his people. He wept bitterly over that Isaiah who's there didn't get out of the middle court of the palace before the word of the Lord came to Hezekiah a second time.

And he says this. Before Isaiah had got out of out of the middle court the word of the Lord came to him turn back and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people. Thus says the Lord the God of David your father.

I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you on the third day. You shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add 15 years to your life. I would deliver you you and the city out of the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend the city for my own sake and for The sake of my servant David so God now says, okay I'm going to relent and you will you'll be extended 15 years.

So Isaiah went back said that to Hezekiah. During those 15 years God gives to Hezekiah a son who he names Manasseh. Now I was gonna read this but we're not gonna be able to with the amount of time. So this is 2nd Kings 21 verses 1 through 17 if you want you want to write that down.

So he gives Hezekiah son whom he names Manasseh and Manasseh Becomes one of the most wicked Kings that Jerusalem ever saw and this basically goes through. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking to him to anger and the carved image image of a Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon in this house and in Jerusalem.

Which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I will put my name forever. He goes on and on and on there's a whole nother page of it. There we go. We're not gonna read the whole thing, but Head Manasseh is a wicked King.

He is not good by any stretch of the imagination.

Manasseh’s Repentance and the Limits of Consequences

So.

About a year or so later 704 703 a royal entourage arrives in Jerusalem and from another city that wasn't of no reputation. This time it's from Babylon.

Okay.

So Merodach Balladin visits Hezekiah and he knows now Babylon is a competing Nation against Assyria. He knows Judah is like a linchpin to the whole thing, right? So now Babylon is vying for for Judah's.

Judah's allegiance.

Okay, a man named Merodach Balladin who is known in secular history sees the throne. He usurped the throne usurped the throne of Babylon. He's mentioned is in Isaiah 39. He's looking for support as he wants a foothold against Assyria.

Judah would be a nice piece of real estate to have. So he hears about Hezekiah having been ill and sends him lavish expensive gifts a bribe right a royal visit from the dignitaries of Babylon. He's maneuvering for an ally because he knows he's going to be dealing with Assyria soon, and he wants Jerusalem as a strategic point.

Hezekiah you'll know you'll Be reminded of this story. You'll know it. He receives the the the entourage from Babylon and gives them an inside tour of the palace. Right at that time Merodach Balladin the son of the king of Babylon sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah for he heard That Hezekiah had been sick and Hezekiah Welcome then and he showed them all the treasure of his house.

The silver the gold the spices the oil his armory and all that was found in the storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Right, that's not good.

Isaiah is a little upset and he says you showed him everything. We don't need your money. We don't need all the riches that you have. You don't need to show that to them. So Isaiah says behold the days are coming when all this in your house.

And that's what your father says stored up to this day shall be carried into Babylon. Nothing of it shall be left Says the Lord. So he showed him all his riches which was not a good thing because he's trying to impress the Babylonians.

You don't need to impress the Babylonians. God is on your side. Okay, God's gonna vindicate himself without the help of Hezekiah. So Hezekiah eventually dies in 686 and Manasseh takes over at 13 years old again He's one of the worst kings in Israel now.

This is not biblical, but this is church tradition. Tradition has it that Isaiah was martyred by King Manasseh.

Okay.

Hezekiah son Manasseh again evil King he actually according to tradition Isaiah was tied in a sack placed within the hollow of a tree trunk and was sawed in two. The story traces back to a first century non canonical book called the ascension of Isaiah.

Which claims to tell the story of Isaiah's death? Even Tertullian which is an early church father and Justin Martyr both mentioned the legend of Isaiah's death in their writings. Origin of Alexandria also upheld the tradition that Isaiah was cut in two by Manasseh.

Remember Hebrews chapter 11. States. Some died by stoning some were sawed in half. Others were killed with the sword. According to some extra biblical sources one of those unnamed persons that was sawed in half was Isaiah the prophet.

By men by Manasseh the king. Okay now that's extra biblical Tradition. It may or may not be true, but it makes sense based on everything that we heard. Okay moving right along. In 669 an Assyrian king named Ashurbanipal takes the throne.

Okay, he reigns for a long while. He's a competent, but very brutal King. He captures the essence of what Assyrian kings were. He was given to violence and bloodshed. He came back into the region at 663 and defeated Israel.

The Old Testament informs us that around this time Manasseh was taken captive. Okay, and hauled off to to Nineveh. Second Chronicles. The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

Therefore the Lord brought upon him. The commanders of the army of the king of Assyria who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. So in chapter 30.

Second Chronicles. Chapter 33.

Manasseh.

Will get to this point. Repents. And when he was in distress. This is Manasseh. He entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his father's. He prayed to him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. So yes. It was probably because Manasseh wasn't saved, but he didn't know that he wasn't saved. But this is one of the most incredible stories in the Old Testament of repentance.

Manasseh an evil brutal king. Tradition says he sawed Isaiah the prophet in half and then when he's taken away into Babylon. He comes to his senses he repents now. You would think somebody like that God would say oh no no way.

Look what you did look what you did to my people look how you you prostituted us with with the Babylonians. With with these Syrians, there's no way I'm gonna save you, but this is an Old Testament prodigal son.

Yes. Tradition has it. Manasseh sawed Isaiah in half. Tradition it's not biblical X in non canonical books and in church tradition. Justin Martyr origin. And one of the others say that he did. Those two long passages that I had before.

Hold on. I'll tell you Second Kings 21 verses 1 through 17. You'll you'll get two pages of some pretty horrific stuff that Manasseh has done. We're almost gonna finish on time here so in some way the irony is.