In Isaiah, chapters 36 and 37, we read the story of the Assyrian King, Sennacherib, sending his Chief of Staff, and a huge army, to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They brag about all the nations they have conquered and how the Hebrew God is no match for them. This messenger even uses Hezekiah’s own Hebrew language to say that Hezekiah has been unfaithful to God, so God won’t protect him. Further, he says that Hezekiah’s God has sent him to defeat Hezekiah. The enemy speaks in the Hebrew language as he wants all of the Hebrew people to hear his words and be afraid.
“This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 5 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? Isaiah 36:4-5 NLT.
“But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God!’ But isn’t he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? Isaiah 36:7 NLT.
What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’ Isaiah 36:10 NLT.
The Assyrian official came with all of this “fake news” to try to get the people of Judah to surrender to Assyria; he came to make a deal with them. He was, just as the enemy of our souls’ is today: trying to get us to settle for less than God has for us. Telling us that faith in God is not enough and means nothing. Speaking to our weaknesses and telling us we aren’t worthy because of mistakes we have made in the past or picking on our past attempts to honour God.
So how did Hezekiah respond to these threats? Hezekiah humbled himself before God, prayed to God, and trusted God could save his people.
That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the following day, they found corpses everywhere. 37 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. Isaiah 37:36-37 NLT.
Thank you, Lord, that you are a promise-keeping God. That You love those, who walk in obedience to You, and You defend those who love You! Help us to have deep faith like Hezekiah did. Help us to see past what our eyes can see in the natural world and to hear Your voice above the lies our enemy shouts in our ears. Grant us the ability to trust in Your supernatural deliverance.
Lisa Tripp
I love this. “What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” And his response: “Hezekiah humbled himself before God, prayed to God, and trusted God could save his people.” So good. Thank you for sharing.