The commander of Assyria has questioned the “confidence” of the leaders of Jerusalem. As inducements he offers them more horses than they need (v23), reminds them that they are no match for the Assyrian power (v24), and tells them that it is their God, YAHWEH, who has brought him to Jerusalem to destroy it. This is a reminder of their sin and how much they deserve the wrath they had been receiving. They are being told that their God is actually against them.
This reminds me of the
temptations of Satan. They should: both
the Rabshakeh and Satan have a plan to get God’s people not to trust in
God. When we are in a trial, rather than
wait on the Lord, we might be tempted to take an unrighteous shortcut and leave
the narrow path. We might think the
shortcut will improve our financial bottom line. I remember a time, years ago, when we were
tempted with putting our trust in the government for our daily needs (“its
there for you; just take it") rather than to put our trust in God who had
proven Himself. It was an important time
in our lives to learn of God’s desire to “give us this day our daily bread.”
Satan might also seek
to entice us with the thought that the problem we are facing is just too
difficult. Do you remember when, on two
occasions, David fled to the Philistines for protection when he was running
from King Saul? The first time (1 Sam.
21:10-15) he had to fake insanity and cry out to God (Ps. 56) for help. The second time (1 Sam. 27:1) almost put him
in a position where he had to fight with the Philistines against Israel. Both times David gave in to fear of Saul,
rather than trusting God who had told him he would be king someday.
Satan, called in
Scripture “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10), likes to remind us that
we are sinners, undeserving of any help from God. Of course, we are undeserving. That’s why we are dependent on the grace and
mercy of God. But if Satan can keep us
from meditating on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the grace of God in bodily form
(Titus 2:11), then he can lead us into discouragement. In that state of mind we will not stand up for
Christ in our world. This was a part of
the attack on our Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet he stayed the course. He put His confidence in His Father.
I see in this story the usual three
enticements of 1 John 2:15-17. Two thousand horses: that’s the lust of the eyes, the things in which we trust. Fear of the enemy: that’s the lust of the
flesh, the feelings we allow to overcome us.
Discouragement: that’s the pride of life, when we depend on our own
righteousness to earn God’s goodness rather than depending on God’s love and
grace. Satan would have us do anything but
say, as our Commander announces, “not My will but Thine be done.” The commanded announced these same things to
the people on the wall (18:27-35). Their
response was to be silent. There’s no
arguing with the devil. As the people
obeyed their King (18:36) so we must steadfastly wait upon the Lord! “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”
(James 4:7).
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