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Today's reading
December 13, 2024
Picture: Out of Options
II Kings 18:14-15, 19:10-13; Isaiah 36:1, 4b-6, 37:15-20
"In the fourteenth year of King
Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of
Assyria came up against all the
fortified cities of Judah and took
them."
​
Isaiah 36:1
Now Hezekiah is getting desperate. Every city in Judah has been taken, and the survivors have fled to Jerusalem recounting the tale of destruction they have seen firsthand. Hezekiah decides his best option is to bribe Sennacherib.
"And Hezekiah king of
Judah sent to the king of Assyria at
Lachish, saying, 'I have done
wrong; withdraw from me.
Whatever you impose on me I will
bear.' And the king of Assyria
required of Hezekiah king of Judah
three hundred talents of silver and
thirty talents of gold. And
Hezekiah gave him all the silver
that was found in the house of the
LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house."
​
II Kings 18:14-15 (ESV)
But this did nothing to assuage the fury of the King. He sent his general Rabshakeh to the outer gates of the city to ask for their surrender. He taunted them saying,
"Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says
the great king, the king of Assyria:
On what do you rest this trust of
yours? Do you think that mere
words are strategy and power for
war? In whom do you now trust,
that you have rebelled against me?
Behold, you are trusting in Egypt,
that broken reed of a staff, which
will pierce the hand of a man who
leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of
Egypt to all who trust in him.'"
​
Isaiah 36:4b-6 (ESV)
The Assyrian General told them resistance was futile. Egypt would not save them. The very fact that they were trusting Egypt assured Assyria that Judah was pathetic, impotent against the might of their army. The men on the wall begged the General to speak in his native language and not the language of the Judeans. The General replied that the men listening should know that they are about to eat their own dung and drink their own urine.
​
When Hezekiah heard this news, he immediately fled to the temple and called for Isaiah. As Isaiah encouraged Hezekiah to trust in God, news arrived that Egypt, their ally, has shown up to defend them. Relief crept on to the face of Hezekiah as the Assyrians left Lachish to provide reinforcements. Perhaps their alliance would save them after all. But Egypt is no match for the Assyrians and they are defeated soundly. After the battle Sennacherib sends this message ahead of his troops as they made their way to Jerusalem.
"Thus shall
you speak to Hezekiah king of
Judah: 'Do not let your God in
whom you trust deceive you by
promising that Jerusalem will not
be given into the hand of the king of
Assyria. Behold, you have heard
what the kings of Assyria have done
to all lands, devoting them to
destruction. And shall you be
delivered? Have the gods of the
nations delivered them, the nations
that my fathers destroyed, Gozan,
Haran, Rezeph, and the people of
Eden who were in Telassar?
Where is the king of Hamath, the
king of Arpad, the king of the city
of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or
the king of Ivvah?'"
​
II KIngs 19:10-13 (ESV)
All of the other nations had relied on their gods to protect them and now their temples were in ruin and the people were in captivity. Would Judah be any different? Hezekiah had nowhere else to turn. His alliance had failed, and now he would head into the temple he had stripped of silver to throw himself on the mercy of the Lord.
"And
Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 'O
LORD of hosts, 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. Incline
your ear, O LORD, and hear; open
your eyes, O LORD, and see; and
hear all the words of Sennacherib,
which he has sent to mock the
living God. Truly, O LORD, the
kings of Assyria have laid waste all
the nations and their lands, and
have cast their gods into the fire.
For they were no gods, but the work
of men's hands, wood and stone.
Therefore they were destroyed.
So now, O LORD our God, save us
from his hand, that all the
kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone are the LORD.'"
​
Isaiah 37:15-20 (ESV)
There is always a moment when we realize that we cannot outrun the consequences of sin. But, when we come before the Lord, acknowledge His power and give up the idols that have competed for our affections, we will find mercy. For we have a High Priest who has removed the veil separating us from the presence of God. Through Jesus we have access to mercy in our greatest time of need.
This is Christmas to you.