The Enemy, the People, and the King

In this morning’s text, we will see how a literal historical event illustrates very well the same struggles, battles and choices that you and I face today. God knows this, and He intends for us to learn from His Book, the Holy Scriptures. We’re going to see some things about Satan, who is the enemy of God and of the saints. We’re going to see some things about God’s people, and about God Himself. This morning’s message is called, “The Enemy, the People, and the King.”

Introduction

The place is Israel, the time is approximately 714 B.C. (128 years before the Babylonian captivity.) The conquering hordes of Assyria have already defeated Samaria and carried away many Jews in the Northern Kingdom just a few years prior. Now the Assyrians under King Sennacherib have left a wake of destruction in the land of Judah, and they are threatening King Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem. How did Hezekiah find himself in this position?

Hezekiah’s father, King Ahaz, began servitude to Assyria when he appealed to Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser to rescue him from the attacks of Syria and Israel. When Assyria obliged, Ahaz allied himself further with Assyria. (2 Kings 16:7-11)

Hezekiah was 25 when he became king. He was a godly king! 2 Kings 18:1-8

He ended Judah’s servitude to Assyria, which had begun approximately 20 years before. The Enemy doesn’t avoid you when you begin to follow God. Instead, you attract his attention and anger.

Hezekiah was 31 when Samaria fell, and 39 when Sennacherib’s army began marauding through Judah. (2 Kings 18:13) Hezekiah was probably remembering the 3 year siege that brought down Samaria (2 Kings 17:5-6)! Assyria was likely even more powerful than they had been 8 years ago. How could Jerusalem stand?

Hezekiah tried to negotiate. 2 Kings 18:14-16 (Notice that Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors and pillars. Submission to the enemy had impoverished God’s people! This is always how it is.)

The enemy king took his gifts, but made no concessions. Instead of Sennacherib leaving, he moved to threaten Jerusalem. (2 Kings 18:17) His intention for conquest was unchanged. The Enemy always takes what we are willing to give, and never gives any blessings in return. Had Hezekiah learned his lesson?

Sennacherib sent Rabshekah to convince Hezekiah and the people to surrender. When God’s people give up, they are ALWAYS doing the Enemy a favor!

Many people have heard of the pirate Blackbeard. Blackbeard began his career in 1717, and he and his men sailed the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of North America, torturing merchant ship crewmen and passengers, stealing cargo, and creating a reputation as one of the most notorious pirates in history. In battle, Blackbeard was a savage opponent with a reputation for extraordinary strength and ferocity. He cultivated this image in order to strike fear into the hearts of other sailors, by wrapping slow-burning lighted coils in his long, black hair and beard. Pirates of this era often did such things to create fear in the hearts of their prey, for this simple reason: if their victims gave up without firing a shot—and they frequently did—then the pirates wouldn’t risk or lose ANYTHING in the conquering and plundering of their hapless targets.

Satan has a similar objective. He isn’t afraid of us personally, but he is always the loser when we bring God into the situation. If the Enemy can get us to quit without putting up a fight, then he has lost nothing, and we have lost everything. That is what Rabshekah was sent to accomplish at Jerusalem.

I. Rabshakeh

Isa 36:1-20

A. Who was he?

His name means, “chief cupbearer.” Spokesperson of the enemy; loud-mouthed and wicked.

B. Who sent him?

King Sennacherib; the king of Nineveh.

- Remember Jonah? This outcome might make us think Jonah was right. We might imagine him saying, “I told you so!” Yet, repentance is always preferable and worth celebrating, no matter what happens later. (It is likely that Sennacherib reigned over 100 years after the life of Jonah.)

C. What did he say?

He was intimidating: he attempted to focus the people’s attention on circumstances (the size of the armies) — vs. 4-5

He was intelligent: he could refute the reasons to trust in man’s devices — vs. 6

He was cunning: he attempted to convince the people that they had forsaken God — vs. 7

He was inviting: he promised Sennacherib’s protection if Israel would serve him — vs. 8

He was brazen: he claimed that the enemy was God’s instrument of judgment — vs. 10

He was multi-lingual: he could directly influence the people. — vs. 11

He was eloquent: he could demoralize God’s people — vs. 12-15

He was deceitful: he promised liberty and blessings to those who would surrender and join the enemy — vs. 16-17

He was skeptical: he undermined Hezekiah’s leadership and exhortation to follow the LORD — vs. 14-15

He was bold: he trumpeted the accomplishments of the enemy — vs. 18-20

Is there much more that Rabshakeh could have said? What could a besieged city say in return? How could they argue with his statements?

II. The People

Isa 36:21-22

A. Who were they?

God’s chosen people. (Sometimes, it is very important to remind ourselves who we are!) They were in the land of their possession, right where God wanted them to be....in the center of God’s will.

B. Who put them where they were?

GOD, thus fulfilling His many promises made over centuries of time!

Exodus 6:8 KJV 1900

And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

2 Kings 13:23 KJV 1900

And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

C. What did they say?

The right thing: nothing!! They didn’t try to reason with Rabshakeh, or refute him, taunt him, or destroy him. Truthfully, they could not compete with him on a human level. So they didn’t try.

III. King Hezekiah

A. Who was he?

Son of David. Rightful king of Israel. Faithful servant of God. Not perfect, but not in rebellion.

2 Kings 18:5–6 KJV 1900

He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.

B. Who made him king?

The LORD of hosts. The King of kings!

C. What did he say?

Notice Hezekiah’s message to the people before Rabshakeh showed up.

2 Chronicles 32:7–8 KJV 1900

Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

What did Hezekiah say to the enemy’s spokesman? Nothing. Why? Because the battle is the LORD’S. God doesn’t your wit or wisdom to win His battles. He may use you to speak up occasionally, but in these cases it is His grace and His power that bring results. He doesn’t need our assistance.

D. What did he do? Is. 37:1-7

Went into the house of God, and sent to God’s prophet for help.

E. What did he say to God? Is. 37:14-20

Poured out his heart in prayer to God, asking God to save Israel for His name’s sake. So often, we should not waste our breath with the Enemy, but we should pour out our heart before God. He wants to hear us!

IV. Application

What can we take away from this? Here are a few thoughts.

A. The Enemy WILL come again and again

He is predictably eager for your destruction. He may not bother you much if you serve him instead of God, but that’s because you’re already defeated in that case. If you dare to reject his mastery and make Christ your Lord, you can expect the Enemy to come threaten you. But as in Elisha’s day, so it is with us!

2 Kings 6:15–17 KJV 1900

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

The Enemy is multi-lingual, intelligent, eloquent, deceitful, bold, cunning, brazen, and intimidating. But he is not capable of defeating God, and so he picks his fight with the people. If we can be convinced to disregard our King and come outside the walls, he will defeat us.

B. You will always have a choice to make

It is uncomfortable when the Enemy comes. It is unsettling when you hear/see his path of destruction in lives around you. It is intimidating when you see his mighty armies and hear his enticing offers to quit the difficult path of righteousness and come over to his side for the rewards of sin. We wish we could escape his threats and the need to make a choice. But temptation is part of life, and only you can choose God in your confrontation with the Enemy. You won’t win a battle of wits with the Enemy, but you can resist him. You can stay within the walls of God’s protection.

C. God’s chosen leader is the focus of the attack

Rabshakeh was after the people, but he knew that victory would come much more easily if he could remove Hezekiah’s influence for good. The Enemy takes aim at God-ordained leaders and authorities, because if they surrender or are destroyed, many others will be defeated as well. Hezekiah wasn’t perfect, but he was a man who loved God, who obeyed truth, who was mighty in prayer, and who loved the people he led. What else could we require in a leader?

Prayer for God’s leaders in your life! One might be your father or your husband. One of them is your pastor. Do you pray for these men? Do you submit to them in spite of their flaws, knowing that God put them there? Hezekiah wasn’t capable of defeating Sennacherib, but he wasn’t trusting in himself. He was trusting in the LORD. That is what any child of God should be looking for in their leader.

Isaiah 37:20 KJV 1900

Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.

It is easy for sinners to prepare “a backup plan” in case God doesn’t “come through” for us. We lean partly on God, partly on our own devices. We praise God when He works, and we congratulate ourselves for salvaging things when God doesn’t work. But the kind of prayer that God desires from us is the prayer that says, “God, I don’t have any other options. I don’t have any hope but you. Please come down and rescue me.” And He does! That is the prayer that Hezekiah prayed. And God rescued him and the people of Jerusalem by killing 185,000 soldiers in a single night, without Israel shooting a single arrow or drawing a single sword. He drove the Enemy back to his lair.

Isaiah 37:36–37 KJV 1900

Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

V. THE KING

Hezekiah was the human king in this account, but if we are to get victory over the Enemy in our lives, we must trust in the King of kings, and Lord of lords. You and I should follow our God-ordained authorities and leaders, but we must not trust in them. We follow them because we trust in God. He is able to lead them, and He is able to crush the Enemy. He is THE KING!!

A. Who is He?

Isaiah 37:16

B. What did He say?

To Hezekiah? Truth and words of peace and assurance.

Isaiah 37:21-35

It’s hard to do sometimes, but we can always trust God’s words. We can always count on His promises. He is always reliable and true.

Isaiah 45:19 KJV 1900

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

C. What did He do?

Destroyed the enemy’s mighty army in a single night, and then destroyed King Sennacherib himself.

Isaiah 37:37–38 KJV 1900

So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

This is TOTAL VICTORY!

The enemy can be expected to come. He is predictable; he is fearsome. But if we will take our words and our burdens to the King, the enemy will lose completely, every time.

The Enemy intends our destruction when he threatens us with his mighty army in our lands. But when we trust in THE KING for deliverance, He will use the Enemy’s attack as a blessing to us instead. (Assyria was defeated and Sennacherib killed.) Does that sound familiar?

Romans 8:28–32 KJV 1900

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The Enemy wants to separate people from their king—their God-given leader—and from the King of kings. The Enemy is relentless, he is sly, he is a liar, and he is intimidating. But He is no match for our God!! Don’t be discouraged because of the Enemy. Instead, trust in the King to lead you directly and through your leaders. When the people seek and obey the King, they have nothing to fear from the Enemy.