OUR LORD IS NOT MOCKED

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked and captured all the fortified  cities of Judah and was preparing to take Jerusalem. Sennacherib sent his field commander to advise Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to give up the defence of the city and surrender.

Using the principles of psychological warfare, the field commander of the Assyrian army loudly told the people of Jerusalem not to listen to Hezekiah their king when he advised them to trust in the Lord their God to rescue them.

Sennacherib's representative proclaimed to the people of Jerusalem that no nation had been able to resist the power of Assyria and so their city would be destroyed because even their God could not save them.

When Judah's representatives returned to Hezekiah with the words of Sennacherib, he was deeply distressed and sent palace functionaries and leading priests to consult with Isaiah the prophet.

Isaiah chapter 37 verse 4 - 6 records the message that was sent to Isaiah and Isaiah's response that he received from the Lord. The passage reads this way;

It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 

This passage reveals a breath-taking reversal of fortune. 

Hezekiah's message to Isaiah indicated that the Lord would have heard the ridicule that the king of Assyria had hurled at the God of Israel through his field commander.

Isaiah responded with a word from the Lord gently assuring Hezekiah not to be afraid of the words of intimidation from Sennacherib.

Then came the hairpin turn;

The Lord said that the reason they were not to be afraid was that the underlings of the king of Assyria had blasphemed Him.

This verdict from the Lord God almighty resulted in the existential deletion of Sennacherib and his army. 

That night, an angel killed the 185,000 men in Sennacherib's army and Sennacherib himself returned to where he came from where he was soon ignominiously killed by his own sons.

Such was the end of those who deigned to arrogantly blaspheme the Lord God of Israel.

Let us fear the Lord, for who can overturn His verdict and who can resist his judgement?

Amen.