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Home , 2 Kings 18, Rabshakeh

Isaiah 36:1-22 The Assyrian Invasion 5/16/2021

On our currency in America are the words “In God we trust.” It is interesting and ironic that that saying should appear on our money. Because so many Americans now trust in money rather than God, and have done so for some time. In whom do you trust? In this country, when we are sick, we are told to trust in our doctors, or the CDC. When catastrophe strikes, we are learning to trust in the government. Athletes and counselors will tell us to trust in ourselves. Inside is the strength we need. But when health and money and government fail… and when we ourselves fail… in whom do we trust? This world does not have an answer for that. It just says to go back to your money and doctors and government… or try yourself again. And, then you get to the end of life, when all these things are obviously insufficient, and what then? Is it not obvious that this world is only covering for its lack of answers to life’s most important challenges? The world says that money will make you happy, success will make you happy, health will make you happy… That a car will make you happy, or a house, or a boat, or winning a championship, or lots of friends. That what you really need is a break, a long vacation, or a sense of peace and security.

This world lies to you. In whom do you trust?

In the year 930 BC Israel split into two kingdoms and suffered the beginnings of a civil war. The result was Israel in the north and Judah in the south, as its capital. 200 years later began his prophetic ministry in Jerusalem in the year that King died, 740 BC. His ministry continued through the reigns of the kings Jotham, , and then . Isaiah would serve God as His prophet in Jerusalem for around 50 years. Jotham reigned only about 5 years before Ahaz became king. Upon ascending to the throne in Jerusalem, Ahaz was confronted by a military crisis. Israel, allied with , was making plans to conquer little Judah. They got as far as the gates of Jerusalem when Ahaz, rather than trusting in the Lord, Sent letters to and Egypt requesting help. :7-9 The Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser, attacks Damascus and annexes it. The attack on Jerusalem is over. Ahaz has now allied himself with Assyria. 2 Kings 16:10-13 So he adds an altar to Moloch to the Temple. Then Tiglath-Pileser dies, and Sargon II becomes king of Assyria. He continues to menace Israel. The population of the northern kingdom is exiled, exported, and resettled. () Sargon II dies violently in battle after about 10 years and becomes king over Assyria. About 35 years into Isaiah’s ministry, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, becomes king in Judah. Hezekiah, while growing up, has seen the northern kingdom destroyed by Assyria… and he has seen his father worshipping the Assyrian gods in the Temple in Jerusalem.

All these years, as we have been reading in this book, Isaiah has been warning Ahaz and now Hezekiah. Isaiah has been telling the people of Israel that they have left their Lord, Yahweh Elohim. They have rebelled against God their Father. They have broken the commandments of His covenant. They have become corrupted by the world and the false gods and fake worship. Isaiah has been saying over and over that God is going to bring Assyria to destroy them for their sin. Isaiah has been urging a remnant of God’s people to listen and trust in their God. Isaiah has prophesied the eventual coming of a Messiah who will rescue them from their sins and the world. Now, finally, there is a king in Jerusalem who will listen. :1-12

But, through Isaiah, the Lord has said that He is coming in wrath to visit His people. Assyria is His instrument.

I. God said what He would do, and He did what He said. :1-3 We learn from 2 Kings 18 that the first thing that Hezekiah does is to try to buy the Assyrians off. He gives them all the silver in the Temple and the golden doors. But that only makes Sennacherib more interested. The world is a lying, greedy place.

It is a horrible moment for Judah and God’s people look like they are in a terrible place. And they are here because of what they have done, years of disobedience, corruption, and rebellion. And, when God speaks, He means what He says. Over and over in the God says what He will do, does what He says, and then tells us what He did.

You might think that even though God warns us about sin… greed, sensuality, lies, gossip, idolatry… It seems like He is not doing a thing, that His warnings are just so much wind and amount to nothing. Like ancient Israel and Judah, we live in a society that is full of more and more corruption. People think that because the standards around us seem to have changed… We have redefined marriage, made all sorts of extramarital sexual activity normal. We have legalized the slaughter of unborn people we don’t want. We have promoted the idea that greed is good and makes society go. We have normalized debt and gambling and all kinds of misinformation if it serves a greater purpose. If it feels right, no matter what God says, that makes it right. Morality is driven by our desires. And so, we think, that God’s standards have changed. After all, He’d better catch up with the times… or else… well… we won’t believe in Him anymore.

But God is still God. He speaks truth. You cannot escape the righteous hand of almighty God. So, the people of Jerusalem find themselves in a pickle. Worse than a pickle, they stand on the edge of destruction. There is no escape. The judgment of God has arrived at their door. It will happen for us someday as well. God says so. And, even at this moment, the fear and the lies are louder than ever.

II. The world says that we are weak and powerless. Isaiah 36:4-10 Do you hear the nature of this taunt from the messenger of Assyria, ? “In whom do you trust?” This world hates it when you do not go along and do what it says. “Submit,” says the world. Then this world seeks to terrify you or seduce you into submission.

He begins by saying that if they trust in their alliances, in Egypt, they will only hurt themselves. True enough.

Next in Rabshakeh’s taunt we have what one would call spin. But it is spin without understanding. Rabshakeh knows that Hezekiah has eliminated most of Judah’s high places and religious shrines. Many of these were devoted to the Lord (and other gods as well). Rabshakeh has been educated by the world and so he thinks this has reduced Hezekiah’s favor with God. How wrong he is. Yahweh never approved of these high places. He commanded that they be torn down. The one God mandated that worship of Him be performed in one place, the Temple. This was to avoid just the sort of idolatry that Rabshakeh thinks is normal.

Next, he invites the people of Jerusalem to trust in the king of Assyria, the most powerful guy on earth. This is nothing short of intimidation, meant to maximize the effect of fear. This would be like the hens trusting the fox to protect them… but there is a lot of that in the world.

Moreover, these words exemplify the principal attack of this world upon followers of God. “If you do not deny the Lord and trust in us and what we say we will hurt you.” This shows up in many different creative and not-so-creative ways. “If you do not agree with us about evolution, we will cause you to get fired.” “If you do not bake the cake that the LGBTQ people tell you to bake, we will take you to court.” “If you don’t shut up about and the Gospel, we will humiliate you publicly.” “If you keep talking about sin, we are going to have you hauled off to jail for hate speech.” Fear is the language the world uses to force people into its mold, to conform us into its image. What is the right response for the one who trusts in the Lord? Matthew 10:16-39

So, we have seen truth, spin, intimidation, fear… and finally distortion of God’s own words. In verse 10 it is apparent that Rabshakeh has been listening to Isaiah. He knows that the prophet has said that the Lord God has appointed Assyria to punish Judah. So, he tells them that they had might as well submit to the God-approved subjugation. This is, however, not what God would want… and why it is so important to know God’s Word. The Lord, in every situation, desires repentance and faith. Always. This is part of the great theme of the Bible. Not giving in to the world… but turning from sin and trusting God. This is the right way.

But this is the very thing that the world hates and fears.

III. The world says not to listen to or trust in the Lord. Isaiah 36:11-20 Now Rabshakeh continues, speaking in the language that all Judah can understand. Why? Because he is engaged in propaganda. This is the world’s way. Not rational argument but manipulation. His message? 1. You’re all about to die in a siege, starving to death. (vs. 12) 2. Hezekiah cannot help you. He is nothing compared to the king of Assyria. (vss. 13-14) 3. The Lord cannot help you. For no god has been able to deliver anyone from the power of the Assyrians. (vss. 15, 18-20) 4. So, give up and let us care for you and then put you where we think you should go. (vss. 16-17)

It is a compelling argument, and would be utterly convincing except for one thing. God. If it were not for God everything that Rabshakeh is saying would be true, sort of… except for the part about the fig tree and waters and wine and bread and vineyards. That’s all a lie. If it were not for God we should all give up and do whatever they say, these people who don’t believe in God. Of course the world is sure of all these things because they think God is not really there. If it were not for God, we would have no hope. We would just conform and be like the world. If it were not for God.

But God does exist. He is alive. Jesus did rise from the dead. He does transform lives. God rescues the hopeless and is faithful to those who have faith in Him. God created the world and is coming in judgment. God is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. God is the foundational and greatest truth in all the universe, seen and unseen. God is. Yahweh is the great “I Am who I Am.” The world says that He is not. God speaks and says that He is.

IV. Are you listening to the World? Isaiah 36:21-22 It is tempting. There are so many voices that the world uses and so much of our attention that it grabs. We are constantly urged to conform, to fear, to submit, to surrender, to trust in the lies.

What does Hezekiah the king do? How does he answer? “Do not answer him.” Why? Because Hezekiah must talk to God first. This is an amazing moment in the Scriptures, filled with wisdom. When the world is pressing in… do not listen. Do not answer. Do not argue. It is time to pray. It is time to talk to God, who is really there and hears. It is time to listen to what He has to say.