Isaiah 36
Scripture
Isaiah 36:18
“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Observation - What does it say?
As a king of David’s royal line, Hezekiah’s reign is anchored to a promise God made to King David hundreds of years earlier. Judah had enjoyed some success and security, but now everything seems uncertain. Not long before Hezekiah takes the throne in Jerusalem, Israel, his northern neighbor, in invaded and conquered by Assyria. Now more than 20 years later, the Assyrians move against Jerusalem and King Hezekiah. With bullying and intimidating words, the king of Assyria tries to force Hezekiah to surrender Jerusalem and its citizens.
Understanding - What does it mean?
God’s word is full of promises to his people, promises to forgive if they confess sin, promises to always be with them, promises to answer their requests in prayer, promises to provide and care for all their material needs and promises to return again, to reward his people and to take them to spend eternity in a place he has been preparing for them. And, through prophetic words, dreams and visions God has given glimpses of the great destinies he has prepared for individuals, church congregations and geographical regions.
All these promises and visions of God’s plans for his people seem great and it’s easy to believe for them when everything is going well. But here we see that it's not uncommon for God’s people to face seasons where their faith is tested. Although the promises in God's word remain unchanged and godly leaders like Hezekiah try to assure us of them, we still experience challenges that cause us to doubt. We don’t see the fruit we expect for our labor and God seems to be silent, finances are tight and we can’t see how God could possibly provide, we pray earnestly and don’t receive the answer we’re expecting from God, we ask for forgiveness but still feel ashamed, God seems to be delaying and we wonder if we'll die before the fulfillment comes. The enemy whispers like he did in the garden, “Did God really say…” Or, he yells like the Assyrian field commander, “Don’t be misled into thinking the Lord will deliver you!”
When God makes a promise to his people, the enemy will always say things to bring discouragement, fear and doubt.
Life Application
Be prepared for the voices of discouragement, fear and doubt… and reject them!
Meditate on God’s promises and his faithfulness instead.