July 28, 2 Kings 18 -19, Psalm 46, 80, 135
2 Kings 18:9-37 We continue on in chapter 18 - we studied the beginning of chapter 18 a few days back, where Hezekiah came to be King of Judah and did right in the eyes of the Lord and was God was with him. Today we take off in verse 9. There was a king of Assyria named Shalmaneser. He took over Israel and carried the Israelites away. Why you may be asking? “…because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.”
About 10 years after the Israelites were captured, we learn about a very wicked man - the King of Assyria, Sennacherib. He was King the same time that Hezekiah of Judah, and he was capturing and pummeling a lot of lands. Sennacherib was now coming for Judah. Hezekiah strategically told Sennacherib that he had done wrong and wanted to know how he could make it better. Sennacherib wanted a lot of gold and silver, so Hezekiah began to gather it all, even stripping it off of doors. Hezekiah gave it all to him, and that wasn't enough. Sennacherib sent in his big boys to persuade him, namely Rabshakeh (high ranking official and personal attendant to the king). They spoke for Sennacherib and they were nothing short of completely sacrilegious to Yahweh, mocking Judah for trusting in God and even falsely prophesying. Remember, God will not be mocked. The Rabshakeh basically told them they were deceived by God and also by Hezekiah (setting the stage for what was coming…). The Rabshakeh went so far as to tell the people that Hezekiah was lying to them in telling them to trust in God. He advised them to put their trust in him and he would bring them to a promised land. Sound familiar? Yeah, there are many imposters but only 1 God. The people were silent and did not answer the Rabshakeh because Hezekiah told them not to.
2 Kings 19 When Hezekiah heard this, he was devastated and went and mourned before the Lord. Then he sent his servants to seek God through Isaiah. Isaiah was aware that Sennacherib mocked the Living God and God was going to protect what remnant was left of Judah. What else did Isaiah say? “Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” God was setting the stage in His Sovereignty and plan. The Rabshakeh was not done mocking God and their faith in Him either. He sent a letter to Hezekiah and told him God was not a deliverer or worthy of putting their trust in. Hezekiah brought it before the Lord and prayed earnestly to Him. Here is part of his prayer, “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth…” He confessed that God is the greatest and the Deliverer and finishes with “So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” His heart is to have God Glorified.
Isaiah responded to them with a sign about God’s supernatural ability to make things work His way. This instance is about crops that take care of themselves for God’s people. “And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.” Just like God will supernaturally make the crops work out, He will supernaturally keep His promised remnant of believers.
How does it end up for Sennacherib? What did God promise would happen? “And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians…Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat…” Just like God said - God supernaturally protected His people & had vengeance on those that mock Him. True Story.
Psalm 46 God is our fortress! Our strength! And our very present help in time of trouble! What more do we need? God is there for us protects us. Especially in times of calamity - do not fear. We don't need to fear because God tells us that He is there for us, just like He has been since the beginning of the world. God is Sovereign and controls and ordains all things, so rest in that. As a side note, Martin Luther was so moved by this Psalm, that he penned A Mighty Fortress is our God.
Psalm 80 God is also the God of Restoration. What is the repeated theme throughout this Psalm? “Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!”
This is a prayer that we can often pray - restore me O God, shine your face on me O God, Save me O God! Like my wife often says, being saved isn't hard but it is the hardest thing you will ever do. Regardless of the circumstances of your life, lean on God to restore you and save you.
Psalm 135 opens and closes with the same thought - Praise the Lord! Can you praise God in all times in your life? God Sovereignly orchestrated all of these events in the lives of the Israelites and also in your life. Reflect back. Remember what God has done. We serve this God - “Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages…” Yes, that is correct. He is Globally famous and eternally forever.
To sum it all up:
- There are many imposters but only 1 God. Nothing like the real thing!
- GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED
- Praise God in all circumstances and may His face shine on each of us as we seek Him and live for Him.
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