What do we do when faced with an impossible situation that nobody else in similar circumstances has escaped? Let’s look at Isaiah 36.
Did Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, begin to conquer the cities of Judah?
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. (Isa 36:1-3 NLT)
Did Sennacherib’s official Rabshakeh speak against Israel’s trust in Egypt as an ally?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust? I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. (Isa 36:4-6 WEB)
Did the official mock any reliance upon God to protect Judah?
Now suppose you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah removed, telling Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship only at this altar’? (Isa 36:7 CEB)
What bet did Sennacherib make with the people of Judah?
The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation! (Isa 36:8-10 CEV)
Why did the Assyrian army commander speak in Hebrew, the language of the common people, rather than Aramaic, the language of trade and diplomacy?
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.” The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!” (Isa 36:11-12 CEV)
What did Rabshakeh say to glorify Sennacherib and mock God?
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. (Isa 36:13-17 ESV)
What did Rabshakeh say to mock anything that Hezekiah might say about trusting God?
Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of these lands ever delivered his land from my power? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem.” (Isa 36:18-20 HCSB)
What did the people say back to Rabshakeh, and what did Hezekiah’s officials do?
But the people remained silent and didn’t respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, “Don’t answer him.” Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said. (Isa 36:21-22 ISV)
Is there battle armor that God gives us so that we may be victorious?
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:14-17 KJV)
What do we do when faced with an impossible situation that nobody else in similar circumstances has escaped? You decide!
