March 30 - Sennacherib Threatens/Deliverance Foretold

March 30 - Sennacherib Threatens / Deliverance Foretold - Isaiah 36:1-37:38

Isaiah 36-39 is a bit of an interlude in Isaiah's prophecy. This is the story of King Hezekiah and is found nearly in its entirety in 2 Kings 18-20.

King Hezekiah was a godly man, but he was still a man. He was afraid, he was frail, he was easily swayed by his human side. However, when Isaiah stood by him and reminded him that their God was the Lord Almighty, Hezekiah listened.

Sennacherib believed that the God of Israel was the same as the gods of the other countries that he had absorbed in his mad dash across the region.

He sent his commanders to the walls of Jerusalem. He knew that Hezekiah had met with the Egyptians to form an alliance and that the alliance would not hold against his immense army (Isaiah 36:6-10).

Did you notice his words in Isaiah 36:10? The commander had the audacity to claim that the Lord had sent Assyria to destroy Jerusalem. Famous last words? I do believe they will be!

The commander continued to try to fill the people of Jerusalem with fear, speaking words against Hezekiah. He tried to incite them, but they remained silent. (Isaiah 36:11-22)

Hezekiah was in complete panic. The Assyrian army had finally advanced to the gates of Jerusalem. He didn't know what else to do. He sent for Isaiah. We see that Hezekiah feels that it is soon to be over and there will simply be a surviving remnant ... not much more (Isaiah 37:1-4).

Isaiah hears from Hezekiah's priests and associates and encourages them to tell Hezekiah to not be afraid ... the Lord will take care of it. (Isaiah 37:5-7) But, Sennacherib, sends a message to Hezekiah asking him to remember the kings of all of the other kingdoms that had fallen to him - did their gods help them in any way? (Isaiah 37:8-13)

And here is where we find out what kind of man Hezekiah is. When he got that letter from Sennacherib, he went to the temple and spread it out before the Lord and he prayed. He prayed! Rather than counting on other gods or other human leaders, he fell on his knees before the Lord Almighty and he prayed. (Isaiah 37:14-20)

And because he prayed and acknowledged the power of the Lord, the Assyrians were now going to have to face the power of the Almighty God. No more would He allow them to insult Him. (Isaiah 37:21-27) I don't know about you, but the threat that is found in Isaiah 37:28-29 would absolutely terrify me.

It is one thing to know as a Christian that the Lord knows all of my ways, but as a King that has insulted and blasphemed the Lord, I would be running for my life. And after 185,000 men were killed in the Assyrian camp, he returned to Nineveh, where he stayed until his sons murdered him in the temple of his god. (Isaiah 37:36-38)

Hezekiah was promised years of hope and a remnant that would be strong in Jerusalem. He was promised that the Assyrians would not enter the city but that the Lord would defend it.

Why? Because he prayed. That's all it took. The Lord wanted nothing more than to care for His people, but they couldn't simply humble themselves before Him. Human pride destroyed so many ... humility saved the remnant.