‹ Back

Isaiah 36:4 "And the Rabshekeh said to them, 'Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this confidence of yours?''"

 

This is one of my favorite quotes from the Bible. During COVID my friend made me a T-shirt (which I am wearing right now!) with this quote emblazoned on the front. (The back says "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in men." Psalm 118:8) At the time, this was a question I wanted to ask all the people who were so certain that they were 100% right and entitled to shut down any questions or dissent (again, as discussed yesterday, a sure sign of false god - there was a real religious fervor in those who took COVID so seriously). This was also a question I was dying to be asked by one of the COVID believers as I continued my life as normally as possible. I never was asked, though. I think they didn't want to know the answer, or maybe they knew it, and did not want to be reminded.

 

But that is not the only reason this quote speaks to me. I love that it is asked by people who really would benefit from knowing the answer, but don't really want to know; I love that it is meant as mocking, but really reveals the askers' cluelessness; I love that the answer is so simple and true, but so hard for the askers to see. The Assyrians held all the earthly power in this situation, they could not comprehend where the much weaker Jewish king was getting his confidence. Surely he could see the strength of the army amassed against him! Was he crazy or just stupid? (Do those questions sound familiar?) Meanwhile, Hezekiah did of course know the strength of the Assyrian army, but he also knew where real strength lies. So he dressed in sackcloth and prayed, and he sent representatives to Isaiah to ask for God's help (Isaiah 37:1-4), and God answered Hezekiah's prayers, promising that the king of Assyria would not enter Jerusalem but would be sent back the way he came (Isaiah 37:33-34). Now we all know that this is not the end of the story, and eventually, due to their failure to repent, Jerusalem would fall to Babylon. But in this moment, when threatened by a much stronger army who disbelievingly mocked the Jews' confidence in their God, Hezekiah's confidence did not waver, and he was rewarded for it.

 

Even when much stronger forces are amassed against us, mocking and questioning our confidence in God, we should not waver. I remember seeing news reporters admonishing Christians going to church during COVID, and commentators scoffing at them for thinking that Jesus could save them from a virus. The churchgoers didn't care, they kept right on going to church. That is how we defeat evil and win converts. Our confidence in the Lord will be rewarded, and those with eyes who are willing to see will learn they can have confidence in Him, as well.