“Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: ‘Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and… his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to… a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”’
“But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, ‘Do not answer him.’ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah… the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
“As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.” Isaiah 36:13-37:1
Kings and kingdoms rise and fall, the King of kings has made them all. Assyria’s king was strutting his strength before godly Hezekiah, but God almighty ruled. Nothing he threatened, no provocation or cajoling, would jar Israel’s faith or alter the protection of the Almighty.
Discerning between voices of those who own or pretend authority takes a keen ear trained in truth. The enemy disguises himself as benevolent but persistently speaks to deceive and accuse, and only the Word will conquer his lies. Since the beginning, he’s tempted man to doubt God’s goodness, care, and provision, but the word of God, His promises and character, will stand forever. In our everyday, he speaks through media and situational experts to reorient and unsettle, often resulting in confusion over orthodoxy and whom we can trust. It’s vital we learn which voices to heed. (Genesis 3:1-5; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Peter 1:25; Revelation 12:9-12)
Where do we go when faced with opposition? To whom do we turn for direction and deliverance? How well do we know the scriptures so we recognize counterfeit messages? What are we doing to know them better?
“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!” ~ Robert Grant (1833)
Lord my King, keep my allegiance, hope, and trust in You alone.
As the rain and snow 