Recordings:

After the Assyrian Empire plundered Israel, swallowing the small kingdom of Judah was a foregone conclusion. With the confidence of devouring their prey in one fell swoop, the Assyrian army arrived at the gates of Judah, making unbridled threats and taunts, every word filled with a sense of inevitable victory. This was an uphill battle against overwhelming odds. Facing this terrifying and powerful enemy, would Hezekiah repeat the tragedy of the Northern Kingdom's monarchs, or would he create another seemingly impossible miracle? The only gamble was Hezekiah's reliance on Jehovah.

Questions for Reflection:

Where can you see Hezekiah relying on Jehovah?

What was the result of Hezekiah paying tribute to Assyria? What lesson do you draw from this?

What was the purpose of Rabshakeh's words? What methods does the devil often use to deceive us?

In the face of attack, Jehovah God remains my salvation. This chapter is very well written. The author of the Bible wants to tell us: No matter how strong a Christian you are, one thing is unavoidable, and that is the attack of the devil. But don't be afraid because the devil attacks you, because God is always our salvation.

Following this chapter, it is written that the King of Assyria brought nearly two hundred thousand soldiers to fight, but only the King of Assyria and a few generals returned. Will the mighty arm of our God be shortened? God has never hidden his power from those who wholeheartedly trust in him. No matter what situation we are in, God is still our salvation. Did the Judahites defeat the army of the King of Assyria? No. It was God himself who killed them, killing nearly one hundred and ninety thousand. These one hundred and ninety thousand people became corpses overnight, which was a very terrifying thing. For the Assyrians, they had never experienced such a thing. What caused the one hundred and ninety thousand soldiers of the King of Assyria to die completely overnight? The answer is Hezekiah’s heart that wholeheartedly followed God. If you have a heart that wholeheartedly follows God, even if the people who challenge you say a series of words, these words cannot shake your faith. We must learn the character of Hezekiah. From David onwards, no king in Israel or Judah could surpass Hezekiah. He was a very good king. We must learn how Hezekiah strengthened his faith when he encountered difficulties.

Two reasons for being attacked by the devil

Facing attacks tests a person's focus. There must be a spiritual reason for a person to be attacked by the devil. I divide this spiritual reason into two categories. One type is like Samaria. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the King of Assyria, which was the army of the King of Assyria brought by God to discipline the Northern Kingdom of Israel, because they worshiped idols (see 2 Kings 18:9-12); the second type of attack is because King Hezekiah destroyed the pillars, removed the high places, cut down the idols, and smashed all the idols that everyone worshiped. When Hezekiah changed people's customs, what he faced was the dark forces in the air. Hezekiah confronted him directly. As a result, these dark forces in the air brought the army of the King of Assyria to attack the Kingdom of Judah. The results brought about by these two types of attacks are completely different. With the first type of attack, you have no chance of winning at all, because it is an attack brought by God himself. With the second type of attack, you can definitely have faith in God and believe that you can completely defeat these dark forces.

Don't think that the three words Christian can exempt you from the devil's attacks. We stand firm, remove idols, launch attacks against these dark forces in the air, remove the customs in our lives, be completely separated from the world, cut off any spiritual connection with the world, and begin to live a separated life. When we do this, the devil will definitely attack us. But the good news is that no matter what kind of devil attacks us, as long as we wholeheartedly follow God, we will surely win. There are many benefits to wholeheartedly following God. We must learn from King Hezekiah and believe that God will definitely make us victorious in the end.

Even if you see the devil succeed, don't be afraid. Continue to follow God wholeheartedly

When a person removes idols, he angers the dark forces in the air. Jehovah was with him, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled and would not serve the King of Assyria (2 Kings 18:7). The author wrote about Hezekiah many years later. His understanding of Hezekiah was not based on one person's understanding of another, but on a person's understanding of God. Here it is written that Hezekiah rebelled and would not serve the King of Assyria. Earlier we read that the result of other kings rebelling against the King of Assyria was that they were destroyed. But Hezekiah prospered wherever he went, though he also rebelled and would not serve the King of Assyria, but was not destroyed. If we offend our boss at work, don't worry, don't be afraid. The boss definitely doesn't have the final say in you, only God does.

After the rebellion, the first step is to test faith. When the devil attacked King Hezekiah, he first captured several cities. He began to lose a piece of land and then he would see the devil succeed. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib King of Assyria came up and attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them (2 Kings 18:13). A person who wholeheartedly trusts in God must also go through such a test, and you will have times when you fail. But when you fail, don't think that you have been completely defeated. Even if there is a small failure, a small defeat cannot determine the final victory, you must still be firm and persistent. Many of our brothers and sisters are like this when you wholeheartedly follow God, you will face attacks, and this attack seems like God is not helping you. Then you will see that the enemy attacking you seems to be succeeding, and you seem to be losing some benefits. This is the best test for you.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, you will see some people who trust in God often face tests of faith. Let me give everyone an example: Jacob escaped the hand of his brother Esau and came to Shechem, but his daughter was defiled (see Genesis 34:1-2). If a person's spiritual life is not strong enough, he will begin to complain and say: God, where are you? Why didn't you protect me and my daughter? But Jacob did not complain, nor did he panic. This is what made him so powerful. Even if your spiritual life has reached the point of perfection, you will still experience some bad things, which is God's test for you.

To give another example, Isaac dug a well and it was taken over, then he dug another well and it was taken over again. If a person's faith is weak, he will fall at this time. But Isaac said nothing and continued to find a place and dug another well, and no one came to argue with him, so that place was called a place of breadth (see Genesis 26:19-22).

Brothers and sisters, we must change our concept. As long as we wholeheartedly follow God, nothing is a problem. You can overcome anything. Even if you lose a few cities, you can still win. This victory is in our hearts. Don't dwell on a small mistake, start splitting hairs, and then start fantasizing, and finally get confused. The devil said a few more words: Where is your God? You removed the idols and customs, but the environment is still like this. Is your God not working? Then you are fooled and feel that God is really not working.

What does it matter if you lose a few cities? What does it matter if you lose a few wells? What does it matter if your daughter is raped? You must still learn to follow your God, because our God does things according to rules. Later, Jacob found the reason. His daughter was raped because there were idols in his house. The problem was solved after removing these idols and removing these doomed things. This is the first point, you should not be afraid when the devil begins to succeed.

If you are weak, don't accuse God will still help you

The second point is that King Hezekiah was weak and afraid, and gave money and gold to the King of Assyria, but there is no need to worry, and don't say: I am already so weak, will God still help me? God will help you even if you are weak. Brothers and sisters, the great men of faith in the Bible have times of weakness in their lives, but their weakness has never prevented God from working in them, and their hearts still rely on God alone. Our God is a God who loves us. It is not because we are weak that God hates us. God is still our God even when we are weak. Although Hezekiah dug down the gold on the door of the Lord's temple, he was indeed weak, but God knows our weakness and will still help us.

Compromise and concession cannot solve the problem

The third point is that after giving the gold to the King of Assyria, Rabshakeh led a large army all the way to the city of Jerusalem. With the army pressing down on the border, even if several cities were captured and gold was given, the problem could not be solved. At this time, Hezekiah woke up and understood that giving gold could not solve the problem, and concession could not solve the problem. The army was still pressing down on the border. Your boss or superior oppresses you even more and persecutes you even more. At this time, it is a situation of hitting a stone with an egg. If you fight him hard, you will die, and if you don't fight him hard, you will also die. Giving him money is death, and not giving him money is also death. At this time, you can basically come to a conclusion that there is nothing to trust except trusting in God.

When the army is pressing down on the border, the enemy will release a lie. Do we often hear such lies: Who are you relying on? Is the God you rely on useful? No, right. If you rely on Jehovah your God, hasn't Hezekiah removed God's high places and altars and told the people of Jerusalem that you must go to this place to worship God? What we are hearing now is: Don't you all come to study the Bible every Wednesday and Friday? Don't you have small group prayer meetings every week? Do you worship God every Sunday? But isn't the army still pressing down on the border? What will you think in your heart? Will you be weak in your heart?

As long as we still believe in God, we will see the dark forces of the devil lying dead in the wilderness. At this time, the devil will release this lie. What was Hezekiah thinking? Hezekiah said later: Don't talk to them, don't talk to the devil. Because once we talk to the devil, we will be knocked down. At this time, just keep silent and look to God wholeheartedly. This city can be saved by God because of Hezekiah’s heart that wholeheartedly looked to God. Even if he had given the gold to the King of Assyria, he knew that God would surely save this city today. Even if the army is pressing down on the border, the enemy breaks through the city gates, and the entire city will be completely burned and trampled underfoot, at this time, still do not be afraid, because fear is not the way to solve the problem.

Faith in God

The fourth point is that we want to challenge your faith in God. Facing the spiritual dark forces, one only sees the outcome in the last minute. Even if you are at the point of being under siege and in a bad situation, don't be afraid and your faith should not be weak. Because the result has not come out yet, your opponent has not won yet. Even if the power is so disparate, your God is still the God who saves you.

Lie Number One: The Devil's Attack is God's Will

Fifth, the devil will unleash a lie. Verse 25: Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. Do not believe this. When we sin, confessing and repenting immediately solves the problem. Do not believe the voice of accusation. Constant self-accusation is a lack of faith in God. Even if you have committed sins in the past, it is not too late to kneel down and repent. Everyone must understand what kind of God we have. Old Eli offended God deeply. God sent men of God to constantly tell old Eli. Old Eli said, It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him. At this time, God meant, Eli, if you kneel down and repent, I will relent and not bring the disaster I have spoken of. So it is never too late for us to repent.

If some Christian has been destroyed, or a church has been destroyed, it has little to do with us. That is because they are unwilling to wholeheartedly follow God. If you hear of some Christian or some church being destroyed, that is God doing His work there. It is not what God is doing in our place. God still saves us from the power of the devil. The devil will say, See, isn't this in my hand? I will rise up and attack and destroy that land! We must not believe that. Even if the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, led the whole nation to repent at the last moment, the Assyrian army could have been destroyed immediately. But the people continued to walk in the ways of Jeroboam and refused to repent, so they were destroyed. This is a matter of being wholehearted and not wholehearted. Being not wholehearted is the fate of the Northern Kingdom; being wholehearted is the victorious result of someone like Hezekiah.

So we must not be half-hearted Christians. We must be professional Christians. Resolve in your heart that you live today to serve God. Everything else can be put down, but my God cannot be put down. Even if the army is pressing in and the devil is constantly releasing lies, I know that God is my salvation, and those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.

Lie Number Two: Do Not Believe Your Pastor's Words

Sixth, the devil will unleash a lie. Verse 29: Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. Brothers and sisters, the path I am leading you on is the path of Hezekiah, the path of wholeheartedly following God. Even if you encounter suffering, do not believe the devil's lies. The devil will deceive you, Don't believe that stuff from Pastor Liu, it's too superstitious. That won't work, you need to speak like a normal person. Everyone must know that this is the devil's lie. The path I am leading you on is the path of trusting in God. It will definitely defeat the dark forces of the devil, and in the end, the problem will be solved. Haven't many testimonies in the past proven this? Let us continue on without being deceived. Even in a situation where the army is pressing in, the forces are unequal, and it is like hitting a stone with an egg, God can still work. God can destroy the Assyrian army of 200,000 in one night without using a single soldier. Never believe the devil's lies, Don't believe what your pastor says, it's all a lie. Trusting in the Lord is useless!

Lie Number Three: Material Temptation

Seventh, the devil says, Don't go that way, follow me, and I will give you food and drink. We have wine to drink, which is better than the wine you drink at Holy Communion. We have grain, wine, and honey. Everyone must not believe his nonsense. Just look at our relatives at home, how many of them are living well? Aren't they all under the control of the devil? Sister LN said to her father, Look at you, and look at my aunt. None of you are living like human beings. Today, I must follow my God no matter what, and live out God's glory. This is the smart choice!

Lie Number Four: Your God Cannot Save You

Eighth, the devil will unleash a lie. The devil begins to bear witness, Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? Where are the gods of these nations? Can God save so and so Christian from my hand? Who among the gods of these nations has been able to deliver their nation from my hand? Can Jehovah deliver Jerusalem from my hand? No matter who says this, whether it is the devil or the devil speaking through the mouth of our boss, we must stand firm. In the end, Hezekiah lived, and the person who said these words died. Many people in the world have done great things. Even if they do not trust in God, they are still great. Like Chairman Mao's poems, The emperors Qin and Han were slightly lacking in literary talent, and the emperors Tang and Song were slightly inferior in elegance. Genghis Khan only knew how to bend his bow and shoot large eagles. To count heroic figures, we must look to the present. This refers to us. Today we must know that the God we trust in is always our salvation.

The Manifestation of Faith: Not Saying a Word, Completely Entrusting it to God

Ninth, one manifestation of faith is to not say a word and see how God does things. You don't need to do anything, and you don't need to say anything. When our brothers and sisters face challenges in their workplaces, do not say a word and see how God does things. The one who leaves is not you, but the one who despises you and despises your God. As soon as he opens his mouth to despise your God, he will surely incur God's wrath. There is a rule in this world that whoever incurs God's wrath will be dealt with personally by God. So the people who said these things were completely wiped out, not by King Hezekiah of Judah, but by the hand of God.

Our God is a God who loves us.
It is not because we are weak that God despises us.
Even in our weakness, God is still our God.
God knows our weaknesses, and He will still help us.

Scripture

2Ki 18:1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2Ki 18:2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
2Ki 18:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.
2Ki 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
2Ki 18:5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him:
2Ki 18:6 For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.
2Ki 18:7 And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
2Ki 18:8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
2Ki 18:9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
2Ki 18:10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
2Ki 18:11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
2Ki 18:12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
2Ki 18:13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
2Ki 18:14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
2Ki 18:15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.
2Ki 18:16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
2Ki 18:17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
2Ki 18:18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
2Ki 18:19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
2Ki 18:20 Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
2Ki 18:21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
2Ki 18:22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
2Ki 18:23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
2Ki 18:24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
2Ki 18:25 Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
2Ki 18:26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
2Ki 18:27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
2Ki 18:28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
2Ki 18:29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
2Ki 18:30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
2Ki 18:31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
2Ki 18:32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.
2Ki 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
2Ki 18:34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
2Ki 18:35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
2Ki 18:36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
2Ki 18:37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.