2 Kings 17-19: From Watchtower to Fortified City

Finally Israel gets the fate they deserved.  The entire land is invaded, Samaria is captured and the Israelites are deported to Assyria.  All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. - 2 Kings 17: 7-9 NIV

The same fate would have fallen on Judah if it had not been for a godly king, Hezekiah, coming on the scene.  He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory. - 2 Kings 18:3-8 NIV

After Israel fell, the king of Assyria threatened Hezekiah with these words. "On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending ..... And if you say to me, "We are depending on the Lord our God"-isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed," - 2 Kings 18: 19-22 - NIV

Obviously, Sennacherib didn't realize who he was talking to, which prompted Hezekiah's prayer "O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.  Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. - 2 Kings 19:  15-16 NIV

God answered Hezekiah's prayer through the prophet Isaiah. As far as Sennacherib, God declared :
'But I know where you stay
and when you come and go
and how you rage against me.

And  for his chosen people, God declares:
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

From watchtower to fortified city, the altars to other gods caused the Israelites to fall, while Hezekiah who tore down all of the altars on the high places had success from watchtower to fortified city.  The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this.