Posing for truth is the title which I felt fit justly for tonight’s message
The scriptures we are to expand upon is from Isaiah the 36th and 37th chapters.
A story that was also mentioned in 2 Kings the 18th and 19th chapter. This dual expression of the same event in the Old Covenant is nothing but bringing the truth into light from two different aspects. First I believe from the kingly prospective and showing King Hezekiah’s response and secondly the prophetic side of the same event from the lips of prophet Isaiah.
However in both cases the story is resting upon the same principal of an intense spiritual warfare and the power of prayer and discernment.
Although I have previously preached about this same event in the history of Israel, yet I would like to approach it’s truth with a completely different angel.
Today’s message is based upon two important aspects of our warfare, Faith and discernmentThe 36th chapter of Isaiah starts with the 14th year of King Hezekiah’s reign over the fortified cities of Judah and how the Assyrian king Sennacheribcame against them and took them. Right after this heroic invasion of the Assyrian monarch he sends Rabshakeh his army official to meet with three major officials of king Hezekiah to threaten them to completely give up and to surrender to the Assyrian king.
The three who came to meet the official of the army of Sennacherib , were Eliakim who was over the household of the king of Judah Shebna the scribe and Asaph the recorder.
First they were threatened by the Assyrian official for their reliance on Egypt and then they were reminded of the Assyrian Kings prior victories over other nations and their gods and how they were not able to stand before the invasion of the Assyrian Monarch and finally he poses to be sent to them by the Lord God of Israel Himself. Isa. 36:10
This part completely amazed me since it just caught my eyes as I was listening to the audio version of this scripture. You see, previously I have read and preached this passage of the scripture but not with this discernment from above that the enemy threatens with some so called realities, even using the unbelievers and their life predicaments in regards to failure and defeat, yet when it seems not convincing enough he poses as being God Himself.
But praise the Lord that in all his threats and demonic persuasions he could not convince the true Godly though posing to be sent by Him.
Wow what a dark way of transforming as the angel of light. You see this is what happens many times when the immature in Christ or the wavering saints are being confronted by the enemy in any situation they are trapped in. See the cities of Judah were taken by the Assyrian king and King Hezekiah was trapped in, which means even the righteous often are overtaken by trouble. Just like Hezekiah who was placed in cage like a bird in Jerusalem, yet God has not done that to them.
The Assyrian monarch had invaded Judah, took 46 fortified cities, carried away 200,000. people and in all this God was still on the throne for the righteous.
To the believers in the body of the Messiah Yeshua ( Jesus) This could mean, though we are brought low at times by the enemy’s craftiness, yet those who know their God will triumph through prayer and divine grace over their trials and severe difficulties.
The second interesting thing in this Biblical event is that the speech used to speak to them were a common spoken language by all in Judah, yet the officials asked to hear their reproach in a more secretive way, so that the watchmen would not be terrified from within, though they were to watch from outside.
Yet the enemy raises it’s threats even louder to even scare the watchmen, which in our case are the pastors or the servant leaders of the flock of God with reproaches that sounds like God’s condemning when it is not Him at all.
It is very much like in Isaiah 54 verse 15 that says “ Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake”. See here Isaiah says many times the righteous will be entrapped, and it would seems like it is God’s doing, yet it is not Him at all, though the enemy will pose as God, yet it is his doing and not God’s. Even with the watchmen of today who are the ministers and pastors of the New Covenant. The enemy being the same and his tactics being the same gives us a chance to become Overcomers through spiritual discernment and reliance on God’s promises through obedience of grace .
You see the enemy is always seeking for opportunity to entrap us when we are confused and threatened and it is then that he approaches us with showing us our natural circumstances and blinding us of seeing God’s heavenly provisions for us.
We clearly see that Sennacherib’s boasting is in the strength of his own flesh, and the fact that many surrendered to his threats is not a reason for all to give in, but he tries through his official’s reproaches until he takes many victims through fear & intimidation. 200,000 had already been defeated by his armies within Judah, but God had His own remnant who would soon through His intervention would recognize their enemies strategies and hidden tactics. This is exactly what is happening with the Church today .I believe many are victimized by the adversary thinking it is God who is pursuing them unto defeat.
If we take other’s predicaments in their choices in unbeleif we too would fall victim of their circumstances. Many hear the ill report of other’s defeat and see themselves in it and that is how they are frightened to quit their own battle grounds with him. I myself too many times have been fooled by this disguised tragedy of defeat, but no more.
In Isaiah verses 14 through 19 the reproach continues to go on until even false promises are made for surrender. Promises that very much resemble the true promises of God to allure men to willingly surrender to the enemy’s plan and purpose for them to stop their warfare and give in to the enemies addenda for their lives. Satan not only stops at this this, but he makes even the true leader’s credibility to be brought under question to scatter the flock and weaken the battle, yet in verse 20 of chapter 36 of Isaiah the enemy is unmasked through a very contradicting proclamation of his own words.
Here the commander of the Assyrian army who proclaimed in verse 10 that were sent by The Lord (Yahweh) is now saying “ Who among the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord
( Yahweh) should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”Wow what an unveiling of the true face of the enemy by his own arrogant ignorance.
Now is when Isaiah chapter 36:21 says
“ But they held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was Do not answer.”
With this the officials of the King tore their clothes and brought the news to king Hezekiah.
You see after the unveiling of the enemies plan and recognizing the enemy we too should not speak to the enemy but now that we know who was behind all of our assaults we too need to tare our own hearts by running to our King Jesus ( Yeshua)
And cry for help, since it is only Him who could deliver us. Now it is unmasked that the assaults was against God and not us, and just like Job we too need to ask for vengeance from God, since this battle is the Lord’s to fight and not ours. Though we are being attacked but the Lord is the target and not us. The battle belongs to the Lord.
The warfare takes different path from here on.
When king Hezekiah was informed the 37th chapter of Isaiah says that he too tore his cloths and covered himself withsackcloth and ashes and then he went into the house of the Lord, and he sent forth all including the scribes and the elders and the priests including Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz to come to him. Then they all said “ This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come up to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. It maybe 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 prayers for the remnant that is left”.
Wow ! Look at the treasure found in these few simple, but profound words. “ The Living God ” “The Children coming to birth” The reproach being to the Living God, and the part that they say “ may the Lord rebuke the words” Wow it is unbelievable the collection of all these hidden treasure in this passage. It is an amazing unveiling of the truth.
Now the awesome part here in these events is the final intervention of God on behalf of His King and the remnant elect who had not bowed their knees to the voice of the enemy in accepting his lies.
Isaiah the prophet upon hearing from the Lord is giving them this answer… “Thus says the Lord; “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard , with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
“Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land”.
That was exactly what the Lord of Hosts did with the enemies of the Living God of Israel, So will it happen today when we stop listening to the voices speaking to us and calling to our Lord Adoni to fight our warfare that is directed unto Him in reality by touching us who are the apple s of His eyes.
Well upon such proclamation from the Lord through Isaiah the prophet King Hezekiah went to pray according to the direction received from the prophet of God, though the enemy now started very plainly and obviously fighting with them rehearsing all the previous words spoken to them by even a more taunting tone., but to no avail.
However this time the adamant prayers of King Hezekiah in chapter 37 verses 16 through 20 brought the unfathomable results to their request. Calling the Lord by His name which is “ The Lord of Hosts,”
Now when Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz spoke concerning Sennacherib in verses 21 through 35 I saw another awesome revelation of God’s beauty in avenging for His elect and that was the verses 30 to 32 especially the huge truth in verse 31, which said… And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this”. WOW this means grace at work again.
Right after this Isaiah 37 :33-35 verses speak about the judgment against Assyria and Sennacherib’s army.
In closing we see in verses 36-38 How the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousands; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses –all dead the scripture says.
Then the scripture gives us a picture of Sennacherib’s personal defeat and death by his own two sons.
You see God has such predicaments for the enemy of our soul who seldom personifies as God Himself in posing for truth, when he is only a defeated foe destined for destruction by his own strategies, just as by crucifying our Lord He brought his own end. Rom 8:28
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