Isaiah 36:1-22

Intimidation is one of Satan’s greatest tricks.  Lies and twisted truths are the key tools that he uses to cause intimidation.  Isaiah is now relating historical events instead of speaking prophetically of the future.  Sennacherib, the king of Assyria is on the march against the nation of Judah.  All of the fortified cities of Judah have fallen so the king, Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah and all of the leadership and military might that has survived to this point are all isolated in the city of Jerusalem.  Their food and water supply has been cut off so from a human perspective, there is no hope of victory.  Sennacherib sends out a commission of leaders to dictated Judah’s surrender and Hezekiah sends out his representatives to hear what is being offered.  The content of this chapter is this commission’s intimidating message for Hezekiah and the people that have taken refuge with him in the city of Jerusalem.

NO NATION CAN DELIVER YOU: Judah’s initial reaction when they heard of the Assyrian invasion was to make an alliance with Egypt to come and defend her from the invasion.  This man made solution made God very angry and Isaiah warned Hezekiah not to ask for Egypt’s help but to trust in God alone for deliverance.  Assyria obviously knew of this failed alliance so the commission throws out how useless Egypt would be to defend Judah from this invasion.  Egypt would be like a useless reed in the wilderness that would pierce the hand of any who would try to lean on her.  From a human perspective Egypt was Judah’s only hope and it was a slim one at that.  Judah’s army is so depleted that Assyria offers to give Judah 2,000 horses for war if Hezekiah can produce 2,000 men to ride on them.  Hezekiah’s men are so intimidated that they ask the Assyrian commission to only speak in Arabic so that the people on the wall would not be able to understand their threats.  This only emboldens the commission so they begin to shout their threats so all can hear.  Their message is clear: no nation is able to deliver you from the Assyrian invasion so you might as well surrender so we can take your city and lead you captive where you will be able to enjoy being assimilated into the Assyrian culture, eat bread and drink wine instead of having to eat dung and urine.  At Hezekiah’s instruction, they make no response.

NO GOD CAN DELIVER YOU: The second line of reasoning the commission seeks to use to intimidate the nation is that it would be useless to trust in God; in fact, the Assyrian’s claim to have been sent by God to invade the land.  Hezekiah had been a godly king and ordered the altars and high places of Judah to be destroyed.  The Assyrians do not understand the difference between idolatry and true worship so in their minds, Hezekiah has been destroying the places of worship.  The commission points to all of the previous nations who had fallen to them and the fact that none of their gods had been able to deliver them.  They shout to the people warning them not to trust in the assurances of God’s deliverance Hezekiah has given them.  Their message is very clear: it is foolish to trust in God.  Satan will do all he can to intimidate us into believing God is unable or unwilling to help us in our times of need.  God always wants us to trust in Him and find our hope in Him.  It comes down to a matter of faith.  Will we place or faith in the promises of God or will we believe in the threats of men and the lies of Satan?  This is a choice we must make all through our lives.  The correct answer is obvious but it is rarely easy in the face of overwhelmingly difficult odds and circumstances.  We must learn to trust the Lord no matter how hard things become.