(credit: Varsha Salome)
Sayanora Sennacherib!
Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, was a thorn in the flesh of Hezekiah, king of Judah. His military success went to his head and he sends a huge army to attack Jerusalem. Hezekiah sends a delegation to meet with the Assyrian chief of staff in a feeble effort to diffuse tensions. With clever words of rodomontade, discouragement and inveiglement, the Assyrian commander sends the delegation back to Hezekiah. Hezekiah has nowhere to go but to the Lord and enquires of prophet Isaiah.
As prophesied by Isaiah, Sennacherib hears a rumour and moves away to another field of battle. And the angel of the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. Finally Sennacherib dies by the hands of his own sons, with none of his threats against Judah carried out.
Watch your words, Sennacherib!

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*26 Aug, setting 1 January as Day 1