Page 73 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Travel in both Isaiah’s and Jesus’ times was dangerous. There were wild animals, Judges 14: 5; there
were robbers Luke 10: 25-37. On the Highway of Holiness, nothing like this will be found.

‘The ransomed of the Lord’ will return to Zion, the New Jerusalem, with singing and everlasting joy. No
sorrow, no sighing. What a beautiful promise.

Chapter 36 - Main Idea: The taunts of the royal spokesman of the
Assyrian army before the walls of Jerusalem picture Satan’s assaults
on our souls.

The previous 35 chapters have been building toward the next two. Here, we
see the showdown between good and evil. We know that the battle between good and evil is not really
a battle because the power of the devil is nothing compared to the power of God.

Although this is the story of the battle between Assyria and Judah, it is also a picture of God’s salvation
for us in Christ. In both cases, we see the defenseless being rescued by the power of God.

We will be introduced to the ‘Rabshakeh’, the royal spokesman. He is symbolic of the devil. Both use
words of intimidation, insult and false promises.

V. 1-3 Assyria had a new king, Sennacherib, and he led an assault on Judah. He was able to conquer all
the fortified cities of Judah, and then sent his royal spokesman, the Rabshakeh, to try to convince King
Hezekiah to surrender rather than go to the trouble and expense of laying siege to the city.

V. 4-6 The Rabshakeh told King Hezekiah’s representative that his king, Sennacherib, was a great and
mighty king. He then asked what the people of Jerusalem were trusting in. He ridiculed their plans and
their alliance with Egypt.

In our lives, the devil pretends to have great power. He ridicules the things that we hold dear and the
‘alliance’ we have with our God and Father.

It is ironic that the Rabshakeh ridicules the ‘mere words’ of Jerusalem by using…mere words.

V. 7-10 He then tries to undermine and distort what King Hezekiah has done. He claims that Hezekiah
tore down the ‘high places’ and altars to the One True God. In fact, Hezekiah had removed the worship
places for the pagan gods built by his father, King Ahaz.

Next, the Rabshakeh ‘promises’ great things if the people would surrender by giving a pledge to his king.
Finally, he claims that the Lord has instructed the Assyrians to go up and destroy Jerusalem. In fact, God
had ‘allowed’ the Assyrians to go up and destroy, but He has also promised to deal with the Assyrians as
well.

Just like Satan, the Rabshekah is promising peace and prosperity if they will surrender to his will. In
reality, they will be trading their freedom for enslavement.

72