Both of these slightly different readings help us to understand the situation in Israel.
The Story
Chapter 16 “Standing Strong Against Sennacherib”
2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 31-32
Intro – welcome back to ch. 16 in The Story…
Anyone fighting big battles these days? Any overwhelming challenges in your life? Anyone up against spiritual forces of evil that are intense and threatening?
There’s lots of you…God certainly knows there are because of what He gave me this week in ch. 16 of The Story…
-what we are going to hear today goes right to the heart of spiritual warfare…of standing strong when being assaulted by the powers of hell…of the overcoming power and victory that God wants His people to experience when it seems we’re up against an enemy we just can’t beat…
-specifically we are going to look at the life of King Hezekiah and see how he was able to stand strong against the powerful and hostile Sennacherib, King of Assyria.
-need to keep your finger in two places in your Bible:
2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 31…open there…because this story is told in both places and there are details given in one passage that aren’t in the other…so between the two we get a more complete picture of what was going on…and a more thorough plan on how to handle the tough spiritual battles we are facing…
Background/Review
-this is the period of the divided kingdom…a northern kingdom consisting of 10 tribes and a southern kingdom consisting of 2 tribes…
…and as I said last week, this is the period of the evil kings…of the 38 kings over about 200 years, only 5 were good…the rest were evil and led the people of God into detestable pagan worship practices and disobedience that aroused God’s anger…
-even though God sent many prophets to call the people back to Himself, and patiently waited for them to respond…they did not listen…and so God is now taking things to the next level of judgment so that He can get through to the people He loves and wake them up to the reality of their sinful condition and bring them back to faithful obedience to Him and Him alone…
And the next level of judgment is…captivity in Assyria…God is about to remove His people from their homeland and place them in exile in Assyria under the cruel hand of King Sennacherib…(2 Kings 17:23).
But, there is a bright spot in this whole dark time for the OT people of God…and that bright spot is King Hezekiah, a king God raises up in the southern kingdom, who is a good guy…
…even though he is the son of an evil king (King Ahaz) and even though he will be succeeded by his son, Manasseh, who was a very evil guy…the Bible says he did more evil than the kings before him…
-despite all that family history, Hezekiah is a good and godly king…
-how in the world does that work? See it today: person grows up in godless family (anti-Christian), yet becomes a dedicated follower of Jesus…another person grows up in godly home, raised in church, etc. yet turns their back on God and pursues evil…there is no guaranteed formula…
We are about to learn something so helpful from Hezekiah’s life today, namely how he handled the battle with his enemy, King Sennacherib of Assyria…
Ready to be equipped with some real life strategies to deal with the spiritual battle we are all facing to one degree or another?
Prayer…
1. Godliness invites opposition 2 Chr 31:20 – 32:1
-let’s line up our reality with God’s word…adjust our expectations acc to God’s truth…you live a godly life, you’re going to be opposed for it by Satan himself and those he can recruit to be his agents on the ground…
2 Tim 3:12 everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2. Don’t try to pacify the enemy 2 Kings 18:13-16
-we understand why Hezekiah did this…he and his people were under the control of the Assyrians, so he was trying to be a good exile, cooperative with the dictator running his life and that of his people…
But, it was wrong for him to just give in…you will never be victorious in spiritual warfare if you simply give in to the demands of the enemy…know why?
Because he’ll always demand more…you’re going to see that in a minute…you can’t satisfy the enemy of our souls, make him like you and reward you for being cooperative…
-you’re giving the enemy power by giving in to him…
-so overcoming spiritual victory depends on us taking a stand against the enemies demands…this stops now!
3. Be prepared for battle 2 Chr 32:2-5
-so basic and simple but so important…
-How? we get ourselves ready for battle in a number of ways:
• consecrating ourselves Josh 7:13
• putting on the armour of God Eph 6
• familiar with God’s weapons of warfare, prayer and the word Eph 6
• be alert and watchful 1 Pet 5:8
We are to remain in a constant state of battle readiness…but we don’t…when things are peaceful and calm and easy we get lulled into complacency and our guard is down…Be ready!!
4. Focus Your Attention on God 2 Chr. 32:6-8
-the people gained confidence in God, not themselves or their king or their weapons or their military might…
Before we go on to the next point, let’s take a look at how the Assyrians attacked the people of God…32:9-15…
-just vile, poisonous, evil trash talk against God…nothing but intimidation and scare tactics and mockery designed to defeat God’s people…
-this is one of Satan’s best strategies that he still uses on us today…especially in our thought life…we rehearse the lies that we are weak, can’t trust God or our leaders…we rehearse our fears that we are doomed… going to fail, that nothing is going to help…
By the way, this question the Assyrian spokesman asks is a good one: v.10, “On what are you basing your confidence?”
So, person of God, on what are you basing your confidence? Confidence that God will deliver you and you will not be defeated, but instead victorious and safe and protected? Confidence that God wants you to have…
If you’re basing your confidence on yourself, (ingenuity, plans, skills, strength, leaning on your own understanding) then you’re doomed to fail…
If you’re basing your confidence on others (leaders, loved ones, someone praying for you) then you’re in better territory…but still on shaky ground…
But if you’re basing your confidence first and solidly on the true and living God, in His power, authority and strength…then you’ve really got a reason for confidence…
Ps 27:3, 5 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
5. Don’t answer the enemy on his terms 2 Kings 18:36
-so smart! once you start trying to answer the enemy’s accusations and threats and prove him wrong…then you are fighting a losing battle…
-you don’t win spiritual battles by trying to defend yourself or convince the enemy he is wrong about you or God.
-you win by operating out of the opposite spirit
-ie answer hatred with love, hostility with gentleness, lies with truth, pride with humility, evil with good…
-that’s exactly what the Bible teaches us…1 Cor. 4:12-13
* don’t take the bait Satan tosses out to you…
Be careful with rebuking Satan directly in prayer…Jude 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
6. retreat into God’s presence 2 Kings 19:1, 14-16
-you get into God’s presence to talk to Him about what’s going on and to hear His voice…
-the strongest position on the spiritual battlefield is on your knees in prayer…you are the most powerful when you are talking to God…your greatest authority comes from being united with Christ…you are the greatest threat to Satan when you bow humbly before God in prayer instead of trying to power up and intimidate him back…
Let’s see what happens when Hezekiah retreats and prays… 2 Kings 19:32-34…
* spread your trouble out before the Lord v.14
-know what happens when we do that? we’re handing our troubles over to God…taking our hands off them…letting Him take those from us and do something on our behalf…
1 Pet 5:17 Casting all your cares upon him because he cares for you.
7. Let the Lord defeat the enemy 2 Kings 19:35-36
-God promises to fight for you if you are willing to let Him…
There you go. This is gold; pure spiritual gold…God is giving you a great gift…offering you a seven point battle plan that works! …that will bring you victory and deliverance if you’re only willing to put it into practice…
This is how to stand strong against Sennacherib.
God’s Upper Story Purpose
Let me close by taking a look at God’s upper story purpose for this whole chaotic time in Israel’s history…
It’s given to us through Isaiah the prophet…who was Hezekiah’s pastor…keen prophet of God…
-here is what God is up to in all this lower story messy spiritual warfare and battle and rebellious evil on the part of God’s people…
God is trying to implant a vision of a kingdom to come and of a King to come, a Messiah, through whom God’s people will be delivered and restored…and all the world will be invited to know God…
God is reminding all of us of His unstoppable rescue mission to bring the people He loves back into a relationship with Him…
So here’s what Is saw as God’s unfolding upper story: just two samples:
Is 42:1,6 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.
Is 53:4-5 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
God is up to something eternally good in the challenges of your life…even the Sennacheribs who are trying to defeat you…
Believe it, be confident in it, hold onto it, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer…