2 Kings 16 - 19

From the days of Jeroboam, the kings of Israel had never repented and continued in wickedness. In contrast, the kings of Judah had varied somewhere between righteous and wicked. The Lord’s patience came to an end with Israel as -

“…the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:7 - 12)

During this period –

“…the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:13)

But Israel, more than Judah –

“…would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:14 - 17)

“Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight….” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:18)

And -

the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 ¶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
(Old Testament 2 Kings 17:5 - 6)

“…there was none left but the tribe of Judah only…” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:18)

Isaiah gives us some great insight with the removal of Israel as the king of Assyria thinks –

“…By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man;
14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.”
(Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 20:13 - 14)

And of this thinking Isaiah responds –

“Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!” (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 20:15)

For –

“…the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight…” (Old Testament 2 Kings 17:18)

At the same time, because of the righteousness of King Hezekiah, the king Assyria was not allowed to do the same to Judah. The march of the Assyrians continued in capturing many cities Judah, even to the point of encompassing the city of Jerusalem. All must have appeared lost but Hezekiah continued to trust the Lord and went into the house of the Lord and prayed

“… O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,
18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.” (Old Testament 2 Kings 19:15 - 19)

In answer to that prayer, Isaiah the prophet comes and prophecies to Hezekiah –

“…Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.”
(Old Testament 2 Kings 19:20)

“…the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake…” (Old Testament 2 Kings 19:32 - 34)

And then occurred the marvelous miracle in that –

“…that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.” (Old Testament 2 Kings 19:35 - 36)

“The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—“ (Doctrine and Covenants Section 1:19)