The Lord himself told me
“Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.” (Isaiah 36:10)
In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib the king of Assyria took over the regions of Judah. And he sent Rabshakeh, the field commander, with many soldiers to demand Hezekiah surrender. Rabshakeh went on talking with a flow of insulting remarks to Hezekiah. It could be delivered to Hezekiah’s ministers well even if Rabshakeh spoke in Aramaic, but he spoke loudly in Judaic language on purpose so that all the people of Judah could know. That was a malicious tactic to bring fear and humiliation to the people of Judah, by their listening in person. Even he did not hesitate to do evil mocking the Almighty God. And he moreover used falsely Jehovah’s name as a tool of selfish injustice.
The time of 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign was around BC 701. Assyria destroyed Israel the northern kingdom in BC 722 before the invasion to Judah. Israel, separated with Judah the southern kingdom, was founded by Jeroboam in BC 931 and was ruled through nineteen kings and lasted for two hundreds and nine years until the time of last king Hoshea. Unlike the kingdom of Judah, which was succeeded from David, Israel’s thrones was often changed into different family due to treason and extortion. Also, most of the kings of Israel served Gentiles’ idols without following the faith to Jehovah. On the other hand, the kingdom of Judah succeeded the reign of David, and the history lasted for three hundreds and forty-four years with twenty kings. Not a few kings of Judah were also biased toward paganism, but kings such as Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, Asa, Josiah, and Jotham among all of them were faithful to the faith of Judaism. The fact that Christ was born as a descendant of David, the tribe of Judah, shows that a special providence worked as God promised.
Sennacherib had invaded Judah, but eventually returned to his country without getting the surrender of Jerusalem. We know, the One who leads the way, however man plans, is the Lord God, as the written in the Bible Proverbs 16:9. But Sennacherib, who had not known such the truth, and done foolish behaviors against the Lord’s, was killed by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer after a while, when he had been in the temple of his god Nisroch. And, the kingdom of Judah lasted more a hundred and fifteen years after then. Anybody would like and demand mostly something big and strong. Of course, the big and strong is not bad, but more important thing than that is what with a gentle appearance as well as sturdy inner, and to have the patience. We know the word a Korean, Woe-Yu-Nae-Gang, which means ‘external mildness and internal mighty strength’. Many people perhaps know the story of the wind and the sun trying to take off the traveler’s coat in Aesop’s Fables. The winner of the match was not the strong wind but the warm sun. Whatever we do, even though it’s simple by theory, but it’s never easy to practice it in our life. The story by Aesop suggests us it’s hard to solve any problems just by reason and will. The story by Aesop suggests us it’s hard to solve any problems just by reason and will. It is natural for us to try for something with will, but remember the most perfect way to solve every matter is relying on God in the faith of Jesus.
Satan uses all sorts of methods to lure people to come into his hands. And the wicked do injustice by any means following Satan’s ways. Rabshakeh, the man under Sennacherib, made insulting remarks in Judaic language to surrender Hezekiah. Even though he had used his language, the Aramaic, the other party would had understood it well, but he had done so on purpose to stir up the people of Judah. And Rabshakeh insulted not only the people of Judah but also Jehovah’s holy name. He said very vulgar speaking to the people of Judah, as written in Isaiah 36:12, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall - who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” He also said this in advance, “have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.” Oh, Jesus my Lord! He had not known who Jehovah is and he did not believe that Jehovah was, but he mentioned the holy name and put himself forward as if he were the Lord’s messenger in a plausible way.
One of the good ways to win over the world is to calm down one’s mind despite all the noisy sounds of the wicked. For this world where Satan is active has no choice but to be always loud. To live here resolutely, we have to be stayed in the real peace of Jesus. Jesus said to the disciples who were anxious, in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!” In Christ who had defeated the world, we believe, with peace and boldness will be able to overcome all the falsehood and injustice, Amen!
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Nov 29th 2020)