This they will have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. - Zephaniah 2:10
Over the past several weeks of this study, we have witnessed the rapid rise of the Assyrian Empire. We’ve read how they defeated the Aramaeans and toppled Damascus under Tiglath-Pilesar III. We’ve seen them besiege Samaria and conquer Israel under Shalmaneser. So who would be next? Was there any kingdom that could resist the mighty Assyrians?
Last Sunday we introduced Hezekiah and talked about his godly character and leadership. We detailed many of the reforms he implemented in Judah, including his cleansing and restoration of the temple, his observance of the Passover celebration, and his removal of idols and false worship throughout the southern kingdom. Hezekiah was a righteous, God-fearing king whose faith in the LORD was about to be seriously tested…
I. SENNACHERIB TAUNTS HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 18:13-37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-19)
In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, which would have been 8 years after the fall of Israel (or around 712 BC), the Assyrians, under their new king Sennacherib, invaded Judah and laid siege on many of its fortified cities - including Lachish. Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish stating that he would pay the Assyrians any tribute they imposed if their army would withdraw. He even gave Sennacherib silver from the temple and from his own palace. Whatsmore, Hezekiah gave him the golden doors and doorposts he had recently crafted when the temple was reopened a few years earlier. However, King Hezekiah also began making preparations to resist a siege against Jerusalem if peace could not be achieved.
Upon receiving the message and gifts, Sennacherib responded by sending his own messengers back to Jerusalem. Hezekiah sent his servants out to meet them. The Assyrians told Hezekiah’s servants that Judah’s belief that they could withstand Assyria's dominance was foolish. The Egyptians were powerless to help them. Even God could not deliver them, just as the gods of the surrounding nations had not been able to save them.
Hezekiah’s servants asked the Assyrian messengers to speak in Aramaic, which they understood, but the people of Jerusalem who were listening from the wall did not. They didn’t want their people to become deflated and discouraged. However, this request only emboldened the messengers to speak even louder in Hebrew so that all of their listeners heard and understood their taunts and threats. They even addressed the citizens of Jerusalem directly and told them not to listen to King Hezekiah, but rather to surrender to the Assyrians lest they be destroyed. The people listened silently and did not answer. After the messengers departed, Hezekiah’s servants returned to the king and told him what had happened. Hezekiah was overcome with despair.
II. ISAIAH ENCOURAGES HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 19:1-34; 2 Chronicles 32:20)
Completely dismayed, Hezekiah sent his servants to find Isaiah the prophet and ask him to pray for the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah wrote a letter for the king to read and sent it back with these servants. Meanwhile, Sennacherib, who was now besieging the city of Libnah, sent even more messengers to Jerusalem to openly mock and insult God, question His power to save, and further undermine the wavering confidence of Hezekiah.
When Isaiah’s letter arrived, Hezekiah read it, took it to the temple, and spread it out before the LORD. He prayed that God would demonstrate His almighty power to the surrounding nations by delivering Judah from the hands of the Assyrians. After this, Isaiah sent another message to Hezekiah stating that God had heard his prayer and would rescue His people from the Assyrian onslaught. Isaiah prophesied that Sennacherib and his forces would suddenly depart from Judah without ever even laying siege on Jerusalem. In addition, he predicted that Sennacherib would be killed in his own homeland.
III. GOD DELIVERS HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 19:35-37; 2 Chronicles 32:21-23)
That night, presumably while they were still besieging Libnah, an angel of the LORD went out and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When those who remained awoke the next morning, they were aghast. The Assyrian army had been decimated by God in a single, resounding stroke. Immediately, Sennacherib and his surviving troops withdrew from Judah in shame and returned to the to Assyrian capital of Nineveh. Meanwhile, the people of Judah and Jerusalem rejoiced and exalted God.
Sometime later, while he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Sennacherib was assassinated with the sword by 2 of his own children. His killers escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king of Assyria. Thus, the prophetic words of the LORD spoken through Isaiah were fulfilled.
CONCLUSION
Today’s sermon has a profound application to the people of every generation. Beloved, the enemies of God are on the march. They have been since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden. Untold numbers of people have been overcome by their power and might. Millions have fallen into sin and despair, having been brutally crushed by the Adversary. Satan openly taunts God and questions His power to save, hoping to sow seeds of doubt and discouragement into the hearts and minds of people everywhere. He boastfully and continuously mocks, shouting “God can’t save you from your sin. He doesn't care about you. It’s hopeless. You will never be delivered. You may as well surrender to me and become servants of darkness.”
But friends, the Devil’s words are simply not true. He is a liar, and the father of lies. We serve a God who is more mighty than he could ever hope to be. His empty threats only have power over us if we let them. When we believe his lies, we play right into Satan’s hands. It’s only natural to have doubts - just like Hezekiah did - but we must have faith over fear. Dear one, if you will turn to the LORD and trust in Him to deliver you from the hands of the enemy, not only can He do it, but He will do it!
Although I am not even in the same ballpark as Isaiah, nevertheless, I stand before you today as God’s representative to confidently proclaim, just as he did to Hezekiah, that God hears the prayers of desperate people and will save those who repent of their sin and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sin, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Sinner, Jesus will transform your life. Sinner, He will make you a new creation. Sinner, He will crush the enemy’s power over your circumstances and give you victory as you walk in obedience to Him. So quit quivering, cowering, and believing the Devil’s taunting lies. Turn to Jesus Christ today and receive the salvation and deliverance that He, and He alone, affords!
Over the past several weeks of this study, we have witnessed the rapid rise of the Assyrian Empire. We’ve read how they defeated the Aramaeans and toppled Damascus under Tiglath-Pilesar III. We’ve seen them besiege Samaria and conquer Israel under Shalmaneser. So who would be next? Was there any kingdom that could resist the mighty Assyrians?
Last Sunday we introduced Hezekiah and talked about his godly character and leadership. We detailed many of the reforms he implemented in Judah, including his cleansing and restoration of the temple, his observance of the Passover celebration, and his removal of idols and false worship throughout the southern kingdom. Hezekiah was a righteous, God-fearing king whose faith in the LORD was about to be seriously tested…
I. SENNACHERIB TAUNTS HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 18:13-37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-19)
In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, which would have been 8 years after the fall of Israel (or around 712 BC), the Assyrians, under their new king Sennacherib, invaded Judah and laid siege on many of its fortified cities - including Lachish. Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish stating that he would pay the Assyrians any tribute they imposed if their army would withdraw. He even gave Sennacherib silver from the temple and from his own palace. Whatsmore, Hezekiah gave him the golden doors and doorposts he had recently crafted when the temple was reopened a few years earlier. However, King Hezekiah also began making preparations to resist a siege against Jerusalem if peace could not be achieved.
Upon receiving the message and gifts, Sennacherib responded by sending his own messengers back to Jerusalem. Hezekiah sent his servants out to meet them. The Assyrians told Hezekiah’s servants that Judah’s belief that they could withstand Assyria's dominance was foolish. The Egyptians were powerless to help them. Even God could not deliver them, just as the gods of the surrounding nations had not been able to save them.
Hezekiah’s servants asked the Assyrian messengers to speak in Aramaic, which they understood, but the people of Jerusalem who were listening from the wall did not. They didn’t want their people to become deflated and discouraged. However, this request only emboldened the messengers to speak even louder in Hebrew so that all of their listeners heard and understood their taunts and threats. They even addressed the citizens of Jerusalem directly and told them not to listen to King Hezekiah, but rather to surrender to the Assyrians lest they be destroyed. The people listened silently and did not answer. After the messengers departed, Hezekiah’s servants returned to the king and told him what had happened. Hezekiah was overcome with despair.
II. ISAIAH ENCOURAGES HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 19:1-34; 2 Chronicles 32:20)
Completely dismayed, Hezekiah sent his servants to find Isaiah the prophet and ask him to pray for the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah wrote a letter for the king to read and sent it back with these servants. Meanwhile, Sennacherib, who was now besieging the city of Libnah, sent even more messengers to Jerusalem to openly mock and insult God, question His power to save, and further undermine the wavering confidence of Hezekiah.
When Isaiah’s letter arrived, Hezekiah read it, took it to the temple, and spread it out before the LORD. He prayed that God would demonstrate His almighty power to the surrounding nations by delivering Judah from the hands of the Assyrians. After this, Isaiah sent another message to Hezekiah stating that God had heard his prayer and would rescue His people from the Assyrian onslaught. Isaiah prophesied that Sennacherib and his forces would suddenly depart from Judah without ever even laying siege on Jerusalem. In addition, he predicted that Sennacherib would be killed in his own homeland.
III. GOD DELIVERS HEZEKIAH (2 Kings 19:35-37; 2 Chronicles 32:21-23)
That night, presumably while they were still besieging Libnah, an angel of the LORD went out and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When those who remained awoke the next morning, they were aghast. The Assyrian army had been decimated by God in a single, resounding stroke. Immediately, Sennacherib and his surviving troops withdrew from Judah in shame and returned to the to Assyrian capital of Nineveh. Meanwhile, the people of Judah and Jerusalem rejoiced and exalted God.
Sometime later, while he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Sennacherib was assassinated with the sword by 2 of his own children. His killers escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king of Assyria. Thus, the prophetic words of the LORD spoken through Isaiah were fulfilled.
CONCLUSION
Today’s sermon has a profound application to the people of every generation. Beloved, the enemies of God are on the march. They have been since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden. Untold numbers of people have been overcome by their power and might. Millions have fallen into sin and despair, having been brutally crushed by the Adversary. Satan openly taunts God and questions His power to save, hoping to sow seeds of doubt and discouragement into the hearts and minds of people everywhere. He boastfully and continuously mocks, shouting “God can’t save you from your sin. He doesn't care about you. It’s hopeless. You will never be delivered. You may as well surrender to me and become servants of darkness.”
But friends, the Devil’s words are simply not true. He is a liar, and the father of lies. We serve a God who is more mighty than he could ever hope to be. His empty threats only have power over us if we let them. When we believe his lies, we play right into Satan’s hands. It’s only natural to have doubts - just like Hezekiah did - but we must have faith over fear. Dear one, if you will turn to the LORD and trust in Him to deliver you from the hands of the enemy, not only can He do it, but He will do it!
Although I am not even in the same ballpark as Isaiah, nevertheless, I stand before you today as God’s representative to confidently proclaim, just as he did to Hezekiah, that God hears the prayers of desperate people and will save those who repent of their sin and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sin, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Sinner, Jesus will transform your life. Sinner, He will make you a new creation. Sinner, He will crush the enemy’s power over your circumstances and give you victory as you walk in obedience to Him. So quit quivering, cowering, and believing the Devil’s taunting lies. Turn to Jesus Christ today and receive the salvation and deliverance that He, and He alone, affords!