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HE 2 main national characters in this chapter are the
Assyrians and the people of Judah. Isaiah said much about both groups. We can
safely conclude that this account is inserted here to verify some of the
predictions which Isaiah had recorded earlier.
The spokesman for the Assyrians in this situation was an
evil general named Rabshakeh. With a crude vocabulary and an irreverent heart,
he stood outside Jerusalem threatening its citizens. His words were aimed at
King Hezekiah. He spoke directly to a squad of royal emissaries. Some of the
general population of Jerusalem overheard the words of this gentile blasphemer.
But, he didn't even know who his real opponent was. Ultimately, every one of
his insults ended up on the desk of the Almighty.
Now, there is a lesson to be learned here that is not necessarily
obvious, but it is important. Notice that Rabshakeh said something valuable and
true, but followed it up with the gravest of errors. He mocked the idea of a treaty between Judah
and Egypt. Well indeed, God had the same opinion of any bilateral agreement
between His elect nation and Egypt. Rabshakeh's reason and God's reason were
not the same though. Rabshakeh was focused on the weakness of Egypt as a
military power. God was concerned rather with the temptation of His own people
to depend upon Egypt instead of depending on Him. This is where Rabshakeh
really got off track though.
Rabshakeh had no more respect for God's ability to help the Jews than he did in
Egypt's abilities. Actually, he was speaking out of both sides of his mouth
even in relation to Jehovah. On the one hand, he claimed to have the God of
Israel on his side (Isaiah 36:10). On the other hand, he compared Jehovah to
the smorgasbord of powerless gods whose nations the Assyrians had already
defeated (Isaiah 36:15, 18 - 20). Lesson: evil men can't be trusted, even if
they do occasionally say things that are true.
But, Rabshakeh (and his master) picked the wrong opponent to
defy.
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