May 27, 1915

Deliverance From Assyria

(Continued.)

EGW

The Assyrian officers, sure of the strength of their disciplined forces, arranged for a conference with the chief men of Judah, during which they insolently demanded the surrender of the city. This demand was accompanied by blasphemous revilings against the God of the Hebrews. Because of the weakness and apostasy of Israel and Judah, and name of God was no longer feared among the nations, but had become a subject for continual blasphemy. Isaiah 52:5.RH May 27, 1915, par. 1

“Speak ye now to Hezekiah,” said Rabshakeh, one of Sennacherib's chief officers, “Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?” 2 Kings 18:19, 20.RH May 27, 1915, par. 2

The officers were conferring outside the gates of the city, but within the hearing of the sentries on the wall; and as the representatives of the Assyrian king loudly urged their proposals upon the chief men of Judah, they were requested to speak in the Syrian rather than the Jewish language, in order that those upon the wall might not have knowledge of the proceedings of the conference. Rabshakeh, scorning this suggestion, lifted his voice still higher, and continuing to speak in the Jewish language, said:RH May 27, 1915, par. 3

“Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.RH May 27, 1915, par. 4

“Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern; until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.RH May 27, 1915, par. 5

“Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath 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 Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” Isaiah 36:13-20.RH May 27, 1915, par. 6

To these taunts the children of Judah “answered him not a word.” Isaiah 36:21. The conference was at an end. The Jewish representatives returned to Hezekiah “with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.” 2 Kings 18:37. The king, upon learning of the blasphemous challenge, “rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.” 2 Kings 19:1.RH May 27, 1915, par. 7

A messenger was dispatched to Isaiah to inform him of the outcome of the conference. “This is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy,” was the word the king sent. “It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.” Verses 3, 4.RH May 27, 1915, par. 8

“For this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.” 2 Chronicles 32:20.RH May 27, 1915, par. 9

God answered the prayers of his servants. To Isaiah was given the message for Hezekiah: “Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” 2 Kings 19:6, 7.RH May 27, 1915, par. 10

The Assyrian representatives, after taking leave of the chief men of Judah, communicated direct with their king, who was with the division of his army guarding the approach from Egypt. Upon hearing the report, Sennacherib wrote “letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.” 2 Chronicles 32:17.RH May 27, 1915, par. 11

The boastful threat was accompanied by the message, “Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?” 2 Kings 19:10-13.RH May 27, 1915, par. 12

When the king of Judah received the taunting letter, he took it into the temple and “spread it before the Lord” (verse 14), and prayed with strong faith for help from heaven, that the nations of earth might know that the God of the Hebrews still lived and reigned. The honor of Jehovah was at stake: he alone could bring deliverance.RH May 27, 1915, par. 13

“O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims.” Hezekiah pleaded, “thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.” 2 Kings 19:15-19.RH May 27, 1915, par. 14

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims,
shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and
Manasseh stir up thy strength, And come and save us. Turn us again, O God, And cause thy face to shine; and we
shall be saved.

“O Lord God of hosts, How long wilt thou be angry against the
prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of
tears; And givest them tears to drink in great
measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors: And our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, And cause thy face to shine; and we
shall be saved.RH May 27, 1915, par. 15

“Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: Thou hast cast out the heathen, and
planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, And didst cause it to take deep root, and
it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow
of it, And the boughs thereof were like the
goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, And her branches unto the river.RH May 27, 1915, par. 16

“Why hast thou then broken down her
hedges, So that all they which pass by the way
do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, And the wild beast of the field doth
devour it. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: Look down from heaven, and behold, and
visit this vine; And the vineyard which thy right hand
hath planted, And the branch that thou madest strong
for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.RH May 27, 1915, par. 17

“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy
right hand, Upon the son of man whom thou madest
strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: Quicken us, and we will call upon thy
name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, Cause thy face to shine; and we shall
be saved.” Psalm 80.RH May 27, 1915, par. 18

Hezekiah's pleadings in behalf of Judah and of the honor of their Supreme Ruler, were in harmony with the mind of God. Solomon, in his benediction at the dedication of the temple, had pleaded with the Lord to maintain “the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.” 1 Kings 8:59, 60. Especially was the Lord to show favor when, in times of war or of oppression by an enemy, the chief men of Israel should enter the house of prayer and plead for deliverance.RH May 27, 1915, par. 19

(To be continued.)