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A Tale of Two Kings he Book of Judges recollects “when there was no king in Israel each person did what was right in their own eyes” (17:6, Ch 19, 21:25). Even when there were rulers in the divided monarchy, most were unfaithful; of the thirty-nine kings in Israel and Judah (1 & 2 Kings), only eight did right in the eyes of the Lord. One such good leader was Hezekiah. This Davidic descendent reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern realm of Israel had succumbed to Assyrian conquest, and now, the foreign menace threatened Jerusalem (Isaiah 36:1). Sennacherib sent his chief officer, the Rabshakeh, to Hezekiah’s envoy with a demand of surrender (36:2-20). He boldly attempts to shake Judah’s confidence by showing off his nation’s superior military might (36:4-6). As Sennacherib’s mouthpiece, he relays his king’s arrogance by mocking faith in twisting words (36:7, 10) and subsequently claiming the Lord is powerless (36:14-20). The taunts demean the Lord as no more able to deliver than any other god (36:19). Wisely, Hezekiah had instructed his representatives to remain silent, “not casting pearls before swine.” In humility, they report back (36:21-22), and the news they bear drives Hezekiah to prayer (37:1). Judah’s king sends word to God’s prophet (37:2-5), and God foretells the Assyrian leader’s demise (37:6-7). Providentially, the political winds shift. The Rabshakeh returns to find his king engaged in a skirmish, distracting Assyrian forces from attacking Jerusalem (37:8-13). Messengers deliver Assyrian insult to Hezekiah regarding their unfinished business (37:9-13), and the enemy departs. Hezekiah receives their message, reads it, and returns to prayer (37:14). He praises the majesty of God, affirming the Lord’s sovereignty (37:16). The false accusations of the adversary are neutralized, acknowledging the Lord as the
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God of all gods. Judah’s king asks that God be keenly aware of the enemy’s irreverence (37:17-19); they have impugned the Lord of all lords. His concluding petition is to rescue his nation, blessing all kingdoms of the earth with the knowledge that there is but one God (37:20). God’s response to Hezekiah’s prayer comes through His inspired messenger, Isaiah (37:21-35). Sennacherib’s arrogance in verbally attacking the Holy One of Israel will not go unanswered. Sennacherib trusted his military prowess without considering the true strength of God the Creator! The Lord will stifle Sennacherib’s feeble efforts at regional domination, and Jerusalem, the intended war-trophy, will endure—God Himself defending the city! With that, the enemy army is miraculously vanquished (37:36). Assyria’s king returns to his homeland emptyhanded. Tragically, Sennacherib, a foreign monarch, is given to empty idol worship, and in the house of his false god, he lost his life when betrayed by his sons (37:37-38). Sennacherib’s god did not protect him. In contrast to Hezekiah’s humility, Sennacherib’s blasphemy left him spiritually bankrupt, deprived of political victory, and alone in death—it had cost him everything. The would-be conqueror is conquered. Two kings, two choices, two outcomes. How each king acts and worships in the narrative portrays options, each with consequences. Humility or arrogance, trust in God or self-reliance, and worship that is genuine or misguided? Through the stories of two kings, the antithetical ways of life and death are linked to faith and set before readers. The account poses choices for how we will govern our lives, inferring, if it were your name in the story, which example would you want as your resume?
About The Author
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by Dr. Rob Debelak
Dr. Rob Debelak is an Associate Professor of Bible in Lee University’s Online Program. He has taught at Lee University for over 25 years and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He and his family reside in Cleveland, TN.
