October 13, Isaiah 36
”Do you think that mere words are strategy and
power for war? In whom do you now trust, that
you have rebelled against me?" - Isaiah 36:5
When bullies threaten, those who are too weak to defend themselves must look to someone else to defend them and fight for them. That's true with children on the playground, baby chicks in the barnyard and weak nations oppressed by a threatening enemy.
Assyria was a bully among the nations. Their king Sennacherib was a ruthless aggressor, and he sent his most threatening leaders out to intimidate (and if possible take captives). But their main job was to destroy the enemy.
Assyria had already devastated Israel and taken the people captive to other lands the Assyrians controlled. Then the Rabshakeh (a top Assyrian military leader) had advanced across Judah, destroying towns and villages, enslaving those he did not slaughter. Then Sennacherib's fierce attack dog came to Jerusalem. When the capital city fell and the king of Judah was humbled, the people who resisted would be destroyed. The rest would be herded away into slavery that would end only when the back-breaking labor killed them.
The Rabshakeh used propaganda to soften resistance inside the walled capital of Jerusalem. He mixed outright lies, twisted truth, vulgarity and insults to either provoke or humiliate the people of Judah. He lied about God, suggesting first that the Lord had sent him to take Jerusalem. He later contradicted himself and said that God would be unable to stop him, just as the other gods of the pagan nations had been unable to do.
The Assyrians had already extracted all the wealth they could from Judah and her king. When the Assyrian king first threatened, Hezekiah tried to buy peace, and gave the Assyrians all the gold he could scrape together, Then Sennacherib ignored the deal he made with Hezekiah, and advanced toward the city of Jerusalem. It was then that the Rabshakeh came to the city and made his threatening speech so that the people within the city walls could hear as well as the delegation Hezekiah sent out to meet the invaders.
The Rabshakeh's threatening speech was designed to destroy the people's confidence by destroying their trust in their king and in their God. He lied to them, insulted them, demanded their surrender, and belittled their God. Hezekiah's ambassadors were dismayed and distraught. They tore their clothes in grief and agony as they returned to their king to give their report. Neither Egypt nor any other neighbor could help them. What could they do against the powerful Assyrian threat?
The Rabshakeh asked, "In whom do you now trust?" He wanted to intimidate them, rob them of their courage and break down their resistance to make it easier to take the city. But that hateful question is a good one for us to ask ourselves. We have an adversary even more powerful and threatening than the Assyrians were to Judah. Satan is powerful and crafty. He also lies and tries to destroy our faith in God because he knows that our secret of victory lies in our faith and trust. He knows that the victory that overcomes the world is our faith. So he does all he can to destroy that faith, just as the Assyrian bully general tried to discourage and destroy the Israelite's’ faith in God.
Let's remember that our great God is absolutely trustworthy, His power is inexhaustible; his love is never-ending. God is altogether faithful to his people and his promises. His wisdom is perfect; his goodness is unimpeachable. The old Rabshakeh was right about no help from Egypt, but he could not have been more wrong about God. He was about to find out how wrong he was, but it would be too late for him and his army.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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