“In the fourth year of King Hezekiah…Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. At the end of three years they captured it…Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria.”2 Kings 18:9-11

For centuries, the Hittites were one of the most powerful nations in the world. Dominating others from their homeland in Anatolia (modern Turkey), they were on equal terms with Egypt. Then, in 1205 BC, under the crush of a series of problems, their kingdom collapsed. The Hittites who survived resettled in small states in southern Anatolia and an area that includes modern Syria. But these states were assaulted by Assyria under the leadership of Shalmaneser I. The Hittites tried to resist but archeological evidence reveals that Shalmaneser boasted, “I cut down their hordes, 14,400 of them I overthrew and took as living captives.” He claimed to have captured 180 cities, turning them into ruins. He boasted that he slaughtered the Hittites army “like sheep.” By the end of the 8th century, every Hittite state had been conquered. The once-mighty Hittites quickly disappeared from history. Soon after this assault, the same Shalmaneser and his Assyrian army besieged Israel (2 King 17:3), and they eventually carried Israel away into exile. Then, in a similar way, the southern kingdom of Judah was besieged and defeated by Babylon. As we think about the Hittites, we realize how easily the Jews could have faced the same fate and been completely destroyed. They had been judged “because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant” (v. 12). Yet they survived. God was merciful to His people, for He still had a plan and a purpose for them. Brothers & Sisters today, remember that God has a plan and a purpose for your life. He is with you, right now. Don’t fear or worry, but commit your life to Him. Let Him direct your path. Let Him remove your fears and give you His peace.