Now You’ve Crossed the Line

Today’s Reading – 2 Kings 18 – 19 

(Second Milers Read – Luke 19 – 20; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

“Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. … Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” (2 Kings 18:30, 33 KJV)

“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. … Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.” (2 Kings 19:4, 28)

In chapters 18 and 19 of 2 Kings we see the city of Judah surrounded by the powerful army of Assyria, not just once, but twice. The first time they came up against Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem, God caused the Assyrians to become distracted by news of an attack on them in another area, which forced them to temporarily pack up and leave. They soon returned, and once again promised to utterly destroy the city if the people did not surrender to them.

In a previous post on this passage, I focused on the fact that Hezekiah depended completely on the Lord for deliverance from this impossible situation, which God did. This morning, however, I wanted to consider another reason that God delivered the people of Jerusalem, and destroyed the army of Assyria. The Assyrian leader did not merely speak against the people of Jerusalem, he spake against the Lord. Rabshakeh basically said that his army was more powerful than Israel’s God. That’s where he crossed the line. Had he left God out of it, who knows what may have happened, but when Rabshakeh’s “rage” against the God of Israel was announced, God quickly moved in and destroyed him.

God destroyed the Assyrians, not only because of His love for His people, but also because of His own glory. God will not share His glory with anyone, and when the little men of the earth attempt to elevate and exalt themselves above God, He will put them in their place. Isn’t that what happened to Goliath (1 Samuel 17). He “cursed David by his gods”, and he challenged the God of Israel. God took out that giant with a boy and his slingshot. God does not like it when you mess with His children, but God will really get angry when you attack His glory.

“For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:11)