On Monday, August 14, 2017, Yujin wrote,
But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’? (Isaiah 36:7)
Rabshakah, the messenger of Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, thought that the LORD had sanctioned the high places and altars, which the kings before Hezekiah had installed. But this was not the case. The LORD had specifically instructed His people to worship before the altar in Jerusalem alone. While there were high places throughout the reigns of the kings, these were never approved by the LORD. Rabshakah was either deliberately or mistakenly distorting the command of God. If there were dissidents in Judah still loyal to the ungodly kings before Hezekiah, Rabshakah's words could create disunity among the people and make it easier for Sennacherib to overthrow Jerusalem, the last standing stronghold in Judah.
Have I now come up without the Lord’s approval against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it (Isaiah 36:10).
This was partially true, for Isaiah did prophecy that God would use Assyria to punish Israel and Judah; however, it was not to destroy Jerusalem (see Isaiah 10). Assyria, in her arrogance, was going far beyond God's command.
Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?... Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’” (Isaiah 36:18-20).
Here Rabshakah reveals his arrogance and lack of faith in the God of Israel. Without equivocation, he clearly declares that the God of Israel will fall to the Assyrian king just like every other god. Rabshakah weaves his words like Satan in the garden, but in the end reveals his true nature. Assyria has moved from being a rod of the LORD to being a tool of Satan. So, when Hezekiah humbles himself before the LORD, God delivers him from this agent of Satan with a strond hand.
Friends, what threats and enticements are you listening to today? What challenges to your income, your marriage, your family? Are these voices given you a distorted view of Scripture? Are they enticing you with half-truths that mitigate the evil of sin? Do they finally push you with a human logic that rejects God's revealed Word? Don't be fooled. This is Satan employing the same tricks and deceptions that he has been using against humanity from the beginning of time. Humble yourself before the LORD, and He will deliver you from Satan's schemes.
On Thursday, August 16, 2012, Fernando wrote,
(*Wikipedia isn't solid as a reference but handy to piece together information; as a body of information there are internal contraditions)
Isaiah 37
38�And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Wikipedia says, Sennacherib was killed by two of his sons for his desecration of Babylon.
"Most Assyrian attempts at punishing Babylon were lenient, due to a strong pro-Babylon presence in Assyrian governmental ranks. However, Sennacherib, now an old man with nothing to lose found no pity in his heart and utterly wasted Babylon. An act of desecration of such high-proportions for an Assyrian that he was subsequently murdered by two of his sons. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon succeeded him and endeavored to compensate Babylonia for his father's sacrilege by releasing Babylonian exiles and rebuilding Babylon."
Isaiah 36
7�But if you say to me, �We trust in the Lord our God,� is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, �You shall worship before this altar�?
I have been in several disagreements with atheists recently. Oddly, they tried to argue God's word against me. Its odd to me since, it doesn't mean anything to them, which makes their argument not based on truth but rhetoric to cast doubt and submission. The Assyrian commander is taking this same tactic.
(v)10�Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.��
And the commander uses it to cause fear and doubt. A simple tactic using something that can easily be misused by the enemy. Perhaps God did send him, like he will with Babylon. Perhaps no word had been delivered. Either way we should not fear. It is the Lord at work, with us or around us - for his righteous are never against him, even when put in chains like Paul.
--------As a tangent: History Related to the Bible
I was interested in extra biblical records of these events:
In the Taylor Prism, Sennacherib states that he: had shut up Hezekiah the Judahite within Jerusalem, his own royal city, like a caged bird
2 kings 18
And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15�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. 16�At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
(continued Sennacherib writings) and he sent out to me the chiefs and the elders of Jerusalem with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, and diverse treasures, a rich and immense booty...
... Sennacherib's writings does not mention the 180k death by the angel. Which occurred after he left Hezekiah.
Jewish tradition maintains that the angel Gabriel (along with Michael in the Targum's version) was the angel sent to destroy the Assyrian troops, and that the destruction occurred on Passover night
Josephus' Jewish Antiquities, book ten, verses 21-23 relate an account by the Babylonian historian Berossus, in which Berosus claims a disease befell an Assyrian army led by Rabshakeh, and one-hundred and eighty thousand men were lost. Earlier in the book, the account of Herodotus is also mentioned
The Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote his Histories ca. 450 BC, speaks of a divinely-appointed disaster destroying an army of Sennacherib (2:141):
�when Sanacharib, king of the Arabians and Assyrians, marched his vast army into Egypt, the warriors one and all refused to come to his (i.e., the Pharaoh Sethos) aid. On this the monarch, greatly distressed, entered into the inner sanctuary, and, before the image of the god, bewailed the fate which impended over him. As he wept he fell asleep, and dreamed that the god came and stood at his side, bidding him be of good cheer, and go boldly forth to meet the Arabian host, which would do him no hurt, as he himself would send those who should help him. Sethos, then, relying on the dream, collected such of the Egyptians as were willing to follow him, who were none of them warriors, but traders, artisans, and market people; and with these marched to Pelusium, which commands the entrance into Egypt, and there pitched his camp. As the two armies lay here opposite one another, there came in the night, a multitude of field-mice, which devoured all the quivers and bowstrings of the enemy, and ate the thongs by which they managed their shields. Next morning they commenced their fight, and great multitudes fell, as they had no arms with which to defend themselves. There stands to this day in the temple of Vulcan, a stone statue of Sethos, with a mouse in his hand, and an inscription to this effect - 'Look on me, and learn to reverence the gods.'
So something happened. Non-believers have their version, we have a uniquely God centered one.
---- Another tangent: History related to Sennacherib and the scriptures reflecting his actions
The Assyrians fully appreciated the use of terrorizing their enemies. To conserve manpower and rapidly move on to solve Assyria's multiple problems, the Assyrians preferred to accept the surrender of their opponents or else destroy their ability to resist a surrender.
This corresponds nicely with his commanders taunting at the walls of Jerusalem.
-------unrelated tangents but fun history:
Sennacherib's Predecessor, Sargon II, had the first standing army and reported that he managed to incorporate 60 Israelite Chariot teams into his army; this was a common assimilation of Assyria's conquests.
Although the Sumerians are credited for inventing the wheel sometime before 3000 BC, the Assyrians were the first to manufacture tires of metal, made from copper, bronze and later iron
Also:
Lachish's was the second greatest city. The bible only gave little reference to the battle that totally destroyed it:
2 chronicles 32:9
After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying.
I love the God centeredness of scriptures. It keeps it clean from political corruption or vanity; the second greatest city is destroyed and the focus is put on Jerusalem, Zion of God.
On Tuesday, August 14, 2012, Yujin wrote,
After giving Hezekiah a great victory over Assyria, God is extolled above all nations:
No, for all the nations of the worldare but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing—mere emptiness and froth. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. (Isaiah 40:15, 17, 23 NLT)
The nations are as nothing before God. Thus, He cannot be compared to any of their idols:
To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? (Isaiah 40:18, 19 NLT)
It is a rhetorical question, expecting an unequivocal NO. What follows in chapter 41 is a description of some of these idol makers and their idols. But what is interesting is that rather than comparing the idols to God, God supplies the proper comparison. He is like the idol makers and Israel is like the idols.
The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, “Be strong!” The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.
“But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:6-10 NLT)
The idol makers encourage each other in the making of the idol, taking great care with each part and then fastening the idol to its base so that it will not fall over. While in other places Isaiah would make fun of this very process because of the irony of people worshipping their own creation, here the focus is on the creative act. Even as these idol makers take great care with their idols, God will take great care with His people. As the idol makers take care to fasten the idol to keep it from falling over, even so God will strengthen, help and uphold Israel.
How can God be compared to idols? For God is the Creator and not the created. Yet, when compared to the care idol makers put in making and supporting their idols, God is certainly more reliable with Israel. This was demonstrated when God defended Hezekiah against Assyria.
But here's a lesson for us. What is your perspective of God? You say, "God is greater than all the gods of the world?" But do you also say, "He cannot violate my free will"? In making such an assertion, aren't you making yourself greater than God? Because God allows certain freedoms and choices, does this mean He cannot at any time overthrow or overcome those freedoms and choices? We are like the idols made and upheld by the idol makers in Isaiah's day. We are not creators but the created. As idols are images and reflect the likeness of something or someone, in this way we reflect the image and likeness of God. But to be in the image and likeness of God does not make us God ourselves, just as the idols do not suddenly have power over the idol makers. The fate of the chicken, cow and fish could very well be our fate if God so chose, for they are slaughtered for food without a thought for their choice, their rights, or their agony. We step on ants, squash flies, and pour toxic chemicals on roaches without a second thought, but are we that much different than they beyond being created a day later.
We are different, but not in and of ourselves. We are valued because God gives us value. And what He gives He has every right to take away. Even though Israel is just like a worm, God has chosen to help her:
Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’ (Isaiah 41:14 NLT)
Friends, put no confidence in your choosing God, for you did not so much choose Him. He chose you. Free will is a myth, for who is not influenced by everyone and everything around them. Only God is free. But let us understand that, as in all things in creation, He made us for Himself. Therefore, let us have the proper humility to recognize that our lives are confined to the limitations of what is created and exalt in the promise that God has broken into the world, overcome our sinful and self-destructive exercise of our wills, to extend grace to save some of us, so that we might enjoy His presence and favor forever in eternity.
On Tuesday, August 16, 2011, Unmi wrote,
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
On Monday, August 16, 2010 (Last Updated on 8/14/2012), Fernando wrote,
Please correct me if I am misrepresenting. Is it correct to say that when we see the word 'fear' in the OT we can substitute it for the word 'faith?' not as a perfect synonym, but in concept?
can we replace 'glory' for 'boast?' in the same way?
I read in chapter 41: 16
You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
I don't think I have ever considered the word 'glory' as a verb. Seeing the intention expressed in other words/ways in the NT helps me see the intention. Such as when Paul speak of Boasting in the lord. (/gory in the lord)
Yujin responds... The word "fear" in the OT does have the connotation of the NT idea of "faith," particularly with respect to the concept of the "fear of the LORD." Now, rather than just make a blanket allowance to always replace "fear" with "faith," as it is always good to understand the immediate context first of any passage, there does appear to me to be a very close relationship between the OT idea of the fear of the LORD and the NT concept of faith.
As for verbal idea of "glory" and boast," these seem to be synonymous ideas. To "glory in the LORD" seems to me the same thing as to "boast in the LORD."