Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"Called out in a loud voice in Hebrew"
Text: Isaiah 36:13
THE RABSHAKEH SPEAKING IN HEBREW
The Rabshakeh was a great military strategist. He was the right hand man of the King of Assyria. He was even able to speak in Hebrew.
“Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and said,
‘Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
Thus says the king:
‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you;
nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying,
‘The LORD will surely deliver us;
this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”'”
Isaiah 36:13-15
1. The three advisors of King Hezekiah had made a bad mistake.
a) They showed fear of the Assyrian Rabshakeh.
b) They requested that Aramaic be used rather than Hebrew.
c) This played into the hands of the Rabshakeh.
2. Speaking in Hebrew.
a) This would have caused the people in besieged Jerusalem to respect the Rabshakeh.
b) Here was a foreigner who was able to speak in their native tongue.
c) This was not a common thing.
3. The content of the Rabshakeh’s message to the people in Jerusalem.
a) The Rabshakeh cunningly sought to undermine the confidence of the people under siege in Jerusalem.
b) He urged the people to distrust Hezekiah.
i) He told them that King Hezekiah would not be able to deliver them from the Assyrians.
ii) No matter how strong Hezekiah may be, he cannot defeat the Assyrians.
c) He urged the people in Jerusalem not to put their trust in the LORD.
d) He showed uncanny awareness of what the people in Jerusalem were encouraged to believe in.
i) That the LORD would surely deliver His people.
ii) That the city would not fall to the Assyrians.
iii) The Rabshakeh wanted Jerusalem to disbelieve what the LORD can and will do.