Articles
Sennacherib verses God
Sennacherib verses God
2Kings 18-19
God made a covenant with Israel. On His part He would provide for them and protect them. The threat against Israel as a nation included the timeless and universal problem of war. One of the ways to enrich your own kingdom was to defeat the neighbor kingdoms and take their resources. Time and again nations threatened Israel. Israel's strength and victories were not in the strength of their armies but in the faithfulness to the LORD.
In Hezekiah's day (about 715 - 686 B.C.), Assyria is the enemy that has come against Judah. Hezekiah had rebelled against Sennacherib and made an alliance with Egypt (2Kgs. 18:7; ). In Isaiah chapters 30-31 and also Isaiah 36:6-9 it says Assyria again came to subjugate Judah and take tribute money from them. They have defeated many other neighboring kingdoms INCLUDING the northern kingdom of Israel (721bc). The various 'gods' of those lands had been helpless to defend them. As Sennacherib saw it, Judah was just another nation to conquer and the LORD was just another impotent god. Hence the great struggle of faith. It wasn't about having faith but rather WHO to have faith in! Do they put their trust in Egypt to help them defeat Assyria? Do they put their trust in Assyria to be merciful to them? Or do they put their trust in the LORD? Hezekiah had chosen to put his trust in Egypt! (cp. 2Kgs 18:21).
The option of putting your trust in the LORD is singled out by Sennacherib to deride and make fun of. "Don't let Hezekiah deceive you into trusting in the LORD" (2Kgs. 18:21f). He likens the LORD unto the worthless idols of the other peoples. He boasts in his own great power as king (notice all the "I" statements in verses (2Kgs.19:23-24).
Hezekiah having at first wavered and paid tribute to Assyria, now turns in prayer unto the LORD (2Kgs.19:14-19). God acknowledges that He heard the prayer and will respond by protecting Jerusalem (2Kgs. 19:20f). We then read of God's power and control over even the great king Sennacherib. Without a war, Assyria is defeated and Sennacherib dies. Judah is safe and prospers. Hezekiah lives. Three things are done by the LORD to turn away the threat of Sennacherib. First, he hears of rumors of wars and rebellion 'at home' which require him to call off his attack on Jerusalem. Second God destroys 185,000 of the Assyrian army in one night - all without Judah ever raising a weapon. Third, while Sennacherib is worshiping his 'god', he is assassinated.
We have actually discovered Assyrian writings that tell of these events. We have two stone prisms upon which the Assyrians wrote the exploits of Sennacherib. They both have the same writing. In these writings Sennacherib boasts that he had shut up Hezekiah as a bird in a cage. What is NOT written is that Sennacherib took Jerusalem! Of course not, they only recorded their victories! He did shut up Jerusalem but had to abandon the fight before he could conquer the city. Secular history often tells a different version of history than the Bible.
God is the God of all. God rules in the kingdoms of men - even over the great kings of the earth like Pharaoh, Sennacherib, or Nebuchadnezzar. God is able to raise up kings and to overthrow kings. God had promised to provide for and protect Judah and He did. God will be faithful to what He promises us as His people. Our warfare is spiritual and not temporal. Our warfare is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Yet in another sense the battle is the same - WHO will you trust?
2 Chronicles 32:22 22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. Hugh DeLong
