Isaiah 37:4

Isaiah 37 continues the story of Rabshakeh and Sennacherib (the king of Assyria). After seeming to thoroughly dominate the three Israelites, Rabshakeh goes back to Sennacherib. The Israelites go and report to the king, Hezekiah. Hezekiah, hearing the ominous report, tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth and ashes. He then sends the three high-up Israelites to the prophet Isaiah. They don’t say: ‘The Assyrian’s are going to attack! They have a massive army, and they said God was on their side! We’re doomed! Can you please pray for us?!!!!’ For to say things like that would have been a bit silly. Indeed, if God was on Assyria’s side, then why would He answer Israel’s prayer for deliverance from them? No, the Israelites come with the message:

‘It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ (Isaiah 37:4)

They come saying that Rabshakeh has reproached the LORD, and therefore the LORD will rebuke them for their words! This shows that their fear of the Assyrians was less than their knowledge of God’s righteousness. They knew that God is always righteous, and they knew that those who come intentionally bent on defaming Him will receive judgment appropriately.

They saw this situation as a God issue, not a military issue. See that their initial response was not: ‘We need a better army!’, it was ‘we need God!’.

As a result, God turned the Assyrian army around without them even starting to besiege Jerusalem. God honoured the king’s faithfulness.

Is this how we see situations in our own life? When people sin, do we see it as against us, or against God? Which do we see as more important? Our thinking should be so saturated with God that everything has something to do with Him.