Faith Put to the Test

4, 5. (a) How has Hezekiah demonstrated his independence from Assyria? (b) What military action has Sennacherib taken against Judah, and what steps does Hezekiah take to avoid an immediate assault on Jerusalem? (c) How does Hezekiah prepare to defend Jerusalem from the Assyrians?

⁴ Serious trials lie ahead for Jerusalem. Hezekiah has broken an alliance that his faithless father, Ahaz, concluded with the Assyrians. He has even subdued the Philistines, who are allies of Assyria. (2 Kings 18:7, 8) This has angered the king of Assyria. Hence, we read: “It came about in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and proceeded to seize them.” (Isaiah 36:1) Perhaps hoping to protect Jerusalem from an immediate assault by the relentless Assyrian army, Hezekiah agrees to pay Sennacherib an enormous tribute of 300 silver talents and 30 gold talents.a​—2 Kings 18:14.

⁵ Since there is not enough gold and silver in the royal treasury to pay the tribute, Hezekiah retrieves what precious metals he can from the temple. He also cuts down the temple doors, which have been overlaid with gold, and sends them to Sennacherib. This satisfies the Assyrian, but only for a while. (2 Kings 18:15, 16) Evidently, Hezekiah realizes that the Assyrians will not leave Jerusalem alone for long. Therefore, preparations have to be made. The people block up water sources that could supply water to invading Assyrians. Hezekiah also strengthens the fortifications of Jerusalem and builds an arsenal of weapons, including “missiles in abundance and shields.”​—2 Chronicles 32:4, 5.

6. In whom does Hezekiah put his trust?

⁶ However, Hezekiah puts his trust, not in clever war strategies or in fortifications, but in Jehovah of armies. He admonishes his military chiefs: “Be courageous and strong. Do not be afraid nor be terrified because of the king of Assyria and on account of all the crowd that is with him; for with us there are more than there are with him. With him there is an arm of flesh, but with us there is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles.” Responsively, the people begin “to brace themselves upon the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 32:7, 8) Visualize the exciting events that follow as chapters 36 to 39 of Isaiah’s prophecy are reviewed.

Rabshakeh Presents His Case

7. Who is Rabshakeh, and why is he sent to Jerusalem?

⁷ Sennacherib dispatches Rabshakeh (a military title, not a personal name) along with two other dignitaries to Jerusalem to demand the city’s surrender. (2 Kings 18:17) These are met outside the city wall by three of Hezekiah’s representatives, Eliakim the overseer of Hezekiah’s household, Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.​—Isaiah 36:2, 3.

8. How does Rabshakeh try to break Jerusalem’s resistance?

⁸ Rabshakeh’s aim is simple​—convince Jerusalem to surrender without a fight. Speaking in Hebrew, he first cries out: “What is this confidence in which you have trusted? . . . In whom have you put trust, that you have rebelled against me?” (Isaiah 36:4, 5) Then Rabshakeh taunts the frightened Jews, reminding them that they are completely isolated. To whom can they turn for support? To that “crushed reed,” Egypt? (Isaiah 36:6) At this time, Egypt does resemble a crushed reed; in fact, that former world power has been temporarily conquered by Ethiopia, and Egypt’s present Pharaoh, King Tirhakah, is not an Egyptian but an Ethiopian. And he is about to be defeated by Assyria. (2 Kings 19:8, 9) Since Egypt cannot save itself, it will be of little help to Judah.

9. What evidently leads Rabshakeh to conclude that Jehovah would forsake His people, but what are the facts?

⁹ Rabshakeh now argues that Jehovah will not fight for His people because He is displeased with them. Rabshakeh says: “In case you should say to me, ‘It is Jehovah our God in whom we have trusted,’ is he not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed?” (Isaiah 36:7) Of course, far from rejecting Jehovah by tearing down the high places and the altars in the land, the Jews have actually returned to Jehovah.

10. Why does it not matter whether Judah’s defenders are many or few?

¹⁰ Next Rabshakeh reminds the Jews that militarily they are hopelessly outclassed. He issues this arrogant challenge: “Let me give you two thousand horses to see whether you are able, on your part, to put riders upon them.” (Isaiah 36:8) In reality, though, does it matter whether Judah’s trained cavalry are many or few? No, for Judah’s salvation does not depend upon superior military strength. Proverbs 21:31 explains matters this way: “The horse is something prepared for the day of battle, but salvation belongs to Jehovah.” Then Rabshakeh claims that Jehovah’s blessing is with the Assyrians, not the Jews. Otherwise, he argues, the Assyrians could never have penetrated so far into Judah’s territory.​—Isaiah 36:9, 10.

11, 12. (a) Why does Rabshakeh insist on speaking in “the Jews’ language,” and how does he try to tempt the listening Jews? (b) What effect might Rabshakeh’s words have on the Jews?

¹¹ Hezekiah’s representatives are concerned about the effect that Rabshakeh’s arguments will have on the men who can hear him from the top of the city wall. These Jewish officials request: “Speak, please, to your servants in the Syrian language, for we are listening; and do not speak to us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.” (Isaiah 36:11) But Rabshakeh has no intention of speaking in the Syrian language. He wants to sow seeds of doubt and fear in the Jews so that they will surrender and Jerusalem can be conquered without a fight! (Isaiah 36:12) Hence the Assyrian speaks again in “the Jews’ language.” He warns the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you people, for he is not able to deliver you.” Following this, he tries to tempt those listening by painting a picture of life as it could be for the Jews under Assyrian rule: “Make a capitulation to me and come out to me and eat each one from his own vine and each one from his own fig tree and drink each one the water of his own cistern, until I come and actually take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.”​—Isaiah 36:13-17.

¹² There will be no harvest for the Jews this year​—the Assyrian invasion has prevented them from planting crops. The prospect of eating succulent grapes and of drinking cool water must be very appealing to the men listening on the wall. But Rabshakeh has not yet finished trying to weaken the Jews.

13, 14. Despite Rabshakeh’s arguments, why is what happened to Samaria irrelevant to Judah’s situation?

¹³ From his arsenal of arguments, Rabshakeh draws another verbal weapon. He warns the Jews against believing Hezekiah should he say: “Jehovah himself will deliver us.” Rabshakeh reminds the Jews that the gods of Samaria were unable to prevent the ten tribes from being overcome by the Assyrians. And what of the gods of the other nations Assyria has conquered? “Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?” he demands. “Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?”​—Isaiah 36:18-20.

¹⁴ Of course, Rabshakeh, a worshiper of false gods, does not understand that there is a big difference between apostate Samaria and Jerusalem under Hezekiah. Samaria’s false gods had no power to save the ten-tribe kingdom. (2 Kings 17:7, 17, 18) On the other hand, Jerusalem under Hezekiah has turned its back on false gods and has returned to serving Jehovah. However, the three Judean representatives do not try to explain this to Rabshakeh. “They continued to keep silent and did not answer him a word, for the commandment of the king was, saying: ‘You must not answer him.’” (Isaiah 36:21) Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah return to Hezekiah and make an official report of the words of Rabshakeh.​—Isaiah 36:22.

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