Do you know who Sennacherib was? Would you know where to find him in the Bible? Or to tell why he is important and what role he plays in the history of the people of God?

No? Well, don’t worry – because here is an excellent little book from Day One Publications in their new series ‘Face to Face’, doing with Bible characters for a modern audience what Alexander Whyte did for a previous generation.

David, Elijah, Samuel, Samson and Simon Peter are some other characters featured in this series. Sennacherib, as the sub-title of the book makes clear, was one of the great rulers of Assyria in the seventh century before Christ. He appears in the historical books of the Old Testament, and, crucially, in the prophecy of Isaiah also.

Sennacherib helped to consolidate the power of Assyria to the point where he threatened Judah and Jerusalem. But God showed his power in defending his people and their city.

Clive Anderson, a pastor in Hampshire, is well qualified to write on this topic. He has an interest in archaeology and history of all kinds, including Egyptology and Assyriology. He has written one of the Day One guides booklets on the British Museum and the Bible. He also leads tours to Egypt and the Holy Land.

This little book not only fills out the gaps in our knowledge of Sennacherib, but also brings the Old Testament history up to date and relevant for Christian readers of Scripture. As he applies the lessons of that history to the present day, he shows us how Sennacherib reveals our native sin, our pride, and our end, if we do not acknowledge God.

Above all, he points us to the king of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me whet your appetite with the following quotation:

'Today, when confronted by those opposed to God’s laws, to the Lord Jesus and his people, criticising them and seeking to undermine their every effort, what should be done? When this question is asked, listen to Hezekiah’s exhortation and learn from it: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles’ (p92).

A gem of a book!

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