Commentary - 2 Kings 19:1-7

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we are brought to the very precipice of disaster. The Assyrian war machine, the terror of the ancient world, is parked outside Jerusalem. Their chief propagandist, the Rabshakeh, has just delivered a masterclass in psychological warfare, blaspheming the living God and attempting to demoralize the people of Judah entirely. The situation is, from a human point of view, utterly hopeless. What we have here, then, is a textbook case of godly leadership under unmitigated pressure. Hezekiah's response is not to call his generals, but to go to his knees. He does not trust in chariots or horses, but in the name of Yahweh his God. This passage is a hinge. On one side is the arrogant blasphemy of man, and on the other is the swift and sovereign response of God. The entire conflict turns on one central issue: the honor of God's name.

Outline

Context In 2 Kings

This chapter follows directly on the heels of the Rabshakeh's speech in chapter 18. That speech was a calculated assault, not just on Jerusalem's walls, but on the foundation of Judah's faith. He argued that Yahweh was no different from the impotent gods of the other nations the Assyrians had crushed. He offered a false gospel of peace and prosperity under Assyrian rule. Hezekiah's officials had returned to him with their clothes torn, reporting the blasphemous ultimatum. The stage is therefore set for a direct confrontation, not between Assyria and Judah, but between Sennacherib and Yahweh Himself.

Key Issues

Beginning: The First Move in a Crisis

When a crisis hits, the first move reveals everything. The worldling calls his broker, his lawyer, or his political allies. The man of God goes to the house of God. Hezekiah provides the pattern for all believers, and particularly for all Christian leaders. Before he does anything else, he humbles himself before the Lord. He recognizes that the problem is fundamentally a spiritual one. The battle is not against flesh and blood, or in this case, against siege engines and archers. The battle is against principalities and powers, and the central issue is blasphemy against the living God. Therefore, the first move must be to get right with that God, to appeal to Him on the basis of His own character and for the glory of His own name. Every other action flows from this first, crucial step of seeking the Lord.

Commentary

Verse 1

Now it happened that when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of Yahweh.

Hezekiah's reaction is immediate and threefold. First, he tore his clothes. This is an outward sign of profound grief and horror. He is not horrified merely at the military threat, but at the blasphemy he has just heard reported. His heart is torn, and so his robe is torn. Second, he covers himself with sackcloth, the uniform of the penitent and the humble. He is not posturing as a defiant king but prostrating himself as a dependent subject of the King of Kings. He is identifying with the lowliness of his people before a holy God. Third, and most importantly, he went into the house of Yahweh. He took his grief, his fear, and his nation's crisis to the one place where it could be properly handled. He went to church. This is the pattern of godly leadership. The first cabinet meeting in a crisis should be on your knees.

Verse 2

Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

Hezekiah does not act alone. He involves his leadership, and he sends them on a crucial mission. Note that they too are covered in sackcloth. The humility is corporate, not just personal. He sends his top officials, the chief of staff and the secretary of state, as it were, along with the elders of the priests. This is the civil government and the church leadership, united in their purpose. And where do they go? They go to the prophet. A godly ruler knows his limitations. He knows he needs a word from God. He doesn't rely on his own wisdom or the counsel of his political advisors alone. He seeks out the man who speaks for God. This shows a proper submission to the divisions of authority God has established. The king runs the state, but the prophet brings the Word of the Lord.

Verse 3

And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth.'"

This is the message from the king, and it is a masterful summary of their condition. It is a day of distress, they are in a tight spot, cornered. It is a day of reproof, of rebuke. Hezekiah likely sees this crisis as, at some level, God's chastisement on Judah for her sins. And it is a day of rejection, of contempt and scorn from the nations. Then comes the metaphor, and it is a powerful one. They are like a woman in the final stages of labor, but who is completely exhausted. The baby is ready to be born, the crisis is at its absolute peak, but there is no human strength left to complete the delivery. This is a picture of utter helplessness. And this is precisely where God loves to meet His people. When we are at the absolute end of our own resources, we are in the perfect position to see the salvation of the Lord.

Verse 4

"Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore, lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left."

Here is the heart of Hezekiah's appeal. Notice the shift. He says "Yahweh your God." This is not a lapse in faith, but a humble appeal to the prophet's unique relationship with God. He is saying, "You are the prophet, you speak with Him." And what is the basis of the appeal? Not "save us because we are your special people," but rather, "Vindicate your own name." The central crime of the Rabshakeh was to reproach the living God. Hezekiah is banking everything on the fact that God is jealous for His own honor. He is asking God to act not primarily for Judah's sake, but for His own. This is the foundation of all effective prayer. We appeal to God's character and His glory. The final request is for the prophet to pray for the remnant. The nation has been whittled down, but a remnant remains. This is a plea for God to preserve His faithful people.

Verse 5

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

A simple, transitional verse, but a crucial one. The king's men have faithfully executed their duty. They have brought the king's desperate and humble plea to the prophet of God. The lines of communication are open. Man has cried out, and now heaven is about to answer.

Verse 6

And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me."'"

The answer comes, and it begins with the great imperative of Scripture: Do not be afraid. The fear of God must always displace the fear of man. God addresses the root of their paralysis, which is fear. And what is the cause of their fear? Words. The Rabshakeh's whole strategy was verbal. And God's counter-strategy begins with His own words. God's Word will always have the last word. Notice also God's contempt for the Assyrian officials. He calls them young men or servants, mere errand boys. And He identifies their crime precisely: they have blasphemed Me. God takes this personally. The insult was not ultimately against Hezekiah or Judah, but against Yahweh Himself.

Verse 7

"Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a report and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land."

Here is the sovereign decree. God does not lay out a battle plan for Hezekiah. He simply declares what He is going to do. And what He is going to do is get inside Sennacherib's head. "I will put a spirit in him." God is the Lord of history because He is the Lord of the human heart. He will manipulate the king of Assyria with a rumor, a piece of bad news from home. The entire imperial war machine will be turned around by a whisper orchestrated by God. This is divine sovereignty in action. And the prophecy concludes with a sentence of death. Sennacherib will not die gloriously in battle. He will be cut down in his own land, a pathetic end for a man who dared to defy the living God. God's deliverance of His people and His judgment of His enemies are two sides of the same coin.

Application

We live in an age of blasphemy. Our culture, through its institutions, its media, and its leaders, constantly reproaches the living God. The temptation for the church is to be terrified by the loud words and intimidating threats of our modern Rabshakehs. This passage gives us our marching orders.

First, our response must be one of corporate humility. We must recognize our own sin and our utter dependence on God. We must tear our robes, not just wring our hands. This means repentance, starting in the house of God.

Second, we must learn to pray rightly. Our prayers should be less about our comfort and safety, and more about the vindication of God's holy name. When the world blasphemes Christ, our prayer should be, "Lord, for the glory of Your name, answer them."

Third, we must trust the Word of God over the words of men. The world shouts its threats and its lies, but God has spoken. His Word is our only sure foundation. We are commanded not to be afraid. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. Fear is disobedience. Faith in the sovereign decree of God is the only antidote to the fear of man.

Finally, we must rest in the absolute sovereignty of God over all things, including the hearts of wicked rulers. God can turn the most powerful tyrant around with nothing more than a rumor. He holds the king's heart in His hand and directs it wherever He pleases. Our job is not to figure out the geopolitical strategy, but to be faithful, to pray, and to stand firm, knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord.