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In the ancient world, men created civilizations when they began living together in towns and dividing the work of their community. No longer did one
man farm and do everything else that was needed for his family to
survive. Instead, some people farmed and some made tools, while still
others made boots and weapons and anything else needed in their community. Most books on ancient history point to the
development of civilization in China, India, North Africa and Mesopotamia.
These civilizations began to levy taxes on the people in order to support a
growing infrastructure and that required having a form of government. Yes,
it's true, taxes preceded government!
In those ancient times, people built protective walls around
their cities. When an enemy approached, they shut up the gates in the
wall. This practice began as soon as men began to live together in settled
communities. These walls of protection became a symbolic representation
of the protective walls God drew around His convent people. As long as
they worshipped God and kept His commandments, those invisible walls protected
them.
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Assyria Attacks Samaria
Note the Battering Ram
2 Kings, Chapter 6
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When an enemy laid siege to a city, the number one goal was to
breach the wall. Once the wall was cracked, enemies could pour into the
city and wreak havoc on its inhabitants. In ancient Assyria conquered people were taken away and scattered elsewhere in the empire. Other people from other conquered territories were resettled in the area, disrupting any sense of national identity.
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The same thing happens when
Satan attacks a people. As long as they are true to their covenants with
the Lord, the wall of spiritual protection stands firm. However, if the
people turn away from God through pride and sin, they have no protection.
God is very patient, keeping the protection in place so long as there were
faithful believers in the place. When the covenant breakers out number
the covenant keepers, God withdraws His hand of protection and the enemy can
breach the wall.
That is what happened to the Kingdom of Israel. God warned them by
allowing a preliminary attack on Samaria by the Assyrians. The
inhabitants of Israel didn't heed the warning. They did not repent or
turn back to God. Instead, they boasted of their own strength and
determination. "We will rebuild," they said. "The enemy
knocked down buildings of clay but we will rebuild with hewn stone. Where
they destroyed our pines, we will plant sycamores." The people of Israel honestly
believed in their own ability to free themselves. They learned, to their
horror, that only God could have saved them but, because they had rejected Him,
He wasn't there to do so.
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| A wall carving of the exile of Israel |
The people of Israel were scattered literally to the four corners
of the world and ceased to exist as a people. History refers to them as
the Lost Ten Tribes.
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| King Hezekiah leads Judah to repent in sackcloth and ashes |
After Assyria conquered Israel, she attacked Judah. Fortunately,
Judah was ruled by righteous King Hezekiah. Instead of boasting of their own
abilities, the people turned to God in fasting and prayer. The enemy was
camped around the walls of Jerusalem, hoping to breach the walls the next
day. The prophet told the king not to worry, Judah would be
protected.
No one knows exactly how God did it, but the next morning when
people awoke they found all of the hosts of Assyria were dead. Jerusalem was
saved and the Jewish people maintained their cultural identity. The
people gave credit to God and to the wise and righteous King Hezekiah who
followed the prophets' warnings and turned himself and his people toward God
and the covenant.
Why should we care about the fall of an ancient people? We
are not like the inhabitants of ancient Israel? Or are we? See you
tomorrow.
©Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson, 2019
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