SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 36
SENNACHERIB THREATENS JERUSALEM (vs. 1-22)
In the 14th year of King Hezekiah reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He met Eliakim, son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna, the secretary, and Joah, son of Asaph the recorder. This is what the king of Assyria conveyed his message to king Hezekiah: “Do not depend on the king of Egypt nor to the Lord your God but to bargain with me. And I will give you 2,000 horses” (vs. 8-10)
Eliakim, Shebna and Joah requested the filed commander to speak in Aramaic instead of Hebrew so that the people won’t understand what they were saying. But the filed commander intentionally said it in Hebrew to the people” “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you to trust in the Lord. Do not listen to Hezekiah. Instead, make peace with me and come out to me. Then everyone of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water form his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says. :”The Lord will deliver us.” All the gods of other countries were not able to save his lands from me. How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” (vs. 18-20). The people remained silent. Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what the filed commander had said.
THOUGHTS:
Isaiah warned that the Assyrian army was coming and and now it surrounded Jerusalem. But Hezekiah put great trust in Pharaoh’s promise to help Israel against the Assyrians. Sennacherib launched his demoralization campaign by sending his personal representation to try to convince the people of Judah to surrender without fighting. His representation tried another ploy by offering the starving city a land of plenty of food if they surrendered.
Satan the devil is our spiritual enemy. He tries to frighten you into surrendering. He offers to give you something in return for your obedience to him. He wants you to think that the Lord cannot be trusted and He cannot help you. In order to fight the fiery darts of Satan, we should never negotiate with him. Ask help from the Lord. Believe His Word and trust in His almighty power.