The reference to Hezekiah's removal of the high places and altars, commanding Judah and Jerusalem to worship before one altar, indicates the Assyrian king's knowledge of the religious reformation. The characterization of these actions as removing the Lord's high places demonstrates either misunderstanding or deliberate misrepresentation of the reformation's purposes. The suggestion that these reforms have angered the Lord represents a direct contradiction of the biblical narrative, which presents them as faithful and approved. The attempt to use the reformation itself as evidence of divine disfavor demonstrates the sophistication of the propaganda campaign. The claim that the people have thus forfeited divine protection represents the culmination of the argument that surrender is the only rational choice.

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