By 700 BC, King Sennacherib had achieved unparalleled military success, subjugating 46 fortified cities and asserting dominance over the known world. However, this unbroken chain of victories was fostering a dangerous sense of pride within him. The following is recorded for us in 2 Kings 18 when the Rabshakeh mocks the Israelites, “Has any of the gods of the nations ever 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, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” The interesting thing about this tirade is that it was true. The false gods of the nations did not deliver them from Assyria. But the cupbearer’s mistake was believing that Yahweh was simply the next name to be added to the roster of conquered gods. And so he uses impious speech to disrespect and profane God. In contrast, the Israelite King Hezekiah does the opposite and uses terms of veneration and reverence to plead for help. He says, “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” There is no middle ground; blaspheme him or revere him. If you’re an atheist you insult His name. If you worship another god, He holds you in derision. If you try to be agnostic you deny general revelation. And one thing is for sure, God will not be mocked. Listen to Yahweh’s response to King Sennacherib, “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins. But I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.”
The pagan is quick to attribute success to himself and then blame God for failure. He says, “I know what I’m doing and I know where I’m going.” But let the Christian echo what James says, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” He is in control and He is our God, not our therapist, our bestie, or our bosom buddy. We are to fear him as the righteous sovereign judge of the universe who turns the hearts of blasphemous kings wherever he wills. Let us be very mindful then, of how we reference God, how we talk to Him, the things we attribute to His hand, and what we say about Him.
Daniel Namahoe – April 14, 2024
