Deception at the Door, C. R. Oliver [best classic books of all time .TXT] 📗

"Deception at the Door"
Isaiah 36-49

Introduction:

          Our New Year's study brings us to a grouping of chapters that shows the King of Judah and Jerusalem being threatened by an army of Assyrians. Political pressure is clearly understood in these passages, as well as threatening castigations against the God of Israel. The use of Propaganda is tested by the enemy and results in anxious moments for the people of God. Seemingly, theirs is a hopeless scenario and they appear to have no "way out." With desperation looming inside the walls of Jerusalem, God summons the prophet with a message of hope and love.

           There are principles to be learned during this distraught period of Israel's history, lessons about how God deals with the nations and His people. (To Israel, He is the rescuer with deliverance "in His Hands.")

          2015 will be a year when the tools of discernment will be used very frequently by the saints. Deception will continue to drop from the lips of liars, but the saints will know the truth. This will be a great year for deliverance from the façades that have been theatrically raised to intimidate and spread vitriolic propaganda. Like Hezekiah, deliverance comes through prayer in the house of God. Many will "re-find" their spiritual roots.

Chapter 36 Official Deception: The use of Propaganda

           This entire chapter is mostly discourse between officials of Jerusalem and the invading army of Sennacherib.

Isaiah 36:1-2
Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.

"The Rabshakeh" rises up like a demon, to reason and threaten the Jews, ordering them to capitulate and take "the easy way out." "The Rabshakeh" was the highest ranking diplomat in the Assyrian King's court-he was the cupbearer who tested all the food and drink going to the King's Table.

As the scene unfolds, various scriptures will be referenced to show this "devil's advocate" at work. Like the devil in Jesus' temptation, he advises, "Just bow down and take the easy road." (No wonder Proverbs said not to "trust your own understanding.")

          l. "The Rabshakeh" positioned himself by the aqueduct; there is significance in his posturing. Often the enemies of God position themselves in places of power. (This aqueduct was built by Hezekiah as a resource for water in case of Assyrian invasion.) So, "The Rabshakeh's" position created a strong affront because one of the defense provisions, thought to sustain Jerusalem against siege, was compromised.

           2. The king's emissaries, Eliakim, Shebna and Joah met with "the Rabshakeh," who used a propaganda technique when he said, "Tell Hezekiah what the Great King, the king of Assyria says." In other words, "Our Great King is greater and more powerful than your puny leader." (He doesn't refer to Hezekiah as King.)

           3. "The Rabshakeh" continued his tactics. He claimed complete knowledge of Hezekiah's war plans. So, he tells the king, "Don't depend on your contract with Egypt. They can't deliver." Propaganda claims greater advantage than actually exists. Notice how he attacks each of the defense avenues including religious ones. He claims to have a spiritual mandate from the Lord to conquer them.

           "Also, don't plan on your God saving you," for your God is no better than the other gods we have conquered. Besides this, The LORD said to me, "Go up against this land, and destroy it."

           4. "The Rabshakeh" presented "a deal" to the king. Just bow down now and he will give you a gift of 2,000 horses, "if you have enough men to ride them?" Intimidation through numbers is a form of propaganda.

           5."The Rabshakeh" used the native language of Hebrew in making his threats. The emissaries requested him to speak in Aramaic, in order for the watchmen on the wall not to understand what was said. Arrogantly, he refused and declared his desire for all Jerusalem to know what was being said. The Assyrians planned to lay siege until all supplies were exhausted and they could easily have victory over an emaciated citizenry. To predict dire circumstances, if a matter is not settled as the aggressor determines, is a form of propaganda. (Politicians use this one all the time.)

Isaiah 36:12
2 But the Rabshakeh said, 'Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?'

          6. Verses 13-20 comprises an affront to the people of God and seeks to intimidate their faith. Each sentence begins with "The Great King" of Assyria and continues with "don't listen to Hezekiah."

Isaiah 36:13-14
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and said, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!"

Persuasion is a form of propaganda along with the repetition of "untruth" as if it were truth.

Notice below a listing of the use of this technique:

1. Isaiah 36:14

'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you; 15 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

(Note: These words are exactly the words of the Lord through the prophet.) Notice how God answers with the opposite of The Rabshakeh's threats.

Isaiah 37:33-35
'He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
34 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,'
Says the LORD. 
35'For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'

2. Again "the Rebshakeh" offers a "way out." (Church, you are being offered man's "way out." That offer must never be enough to forsake waiting on the Lord. No circumstance of life is so dire that taking the Mark is justified.)

Notice the offer starts with "give me a bribe (present)."
Then he promises "nothing will change immediately."
Then, He says, "I will take you away to a land as good as this one, if not better." (Of course slavery was never mentioned and second class citizenry did not occupy their discussion. Judah was an anointed land; no other is as "good.")

Isaiah 36:16-18
'Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: "Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and everyone from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your ownland, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards."

3. "The Rabshakeh" discredited their faith. (One of the techniques of propaganda is to discredit one's opponent and his rationale.)

Isaiah 36:18-20
'Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' 

(The inclusion of Samaria [The northern 10 tribes of Israel] was a reference to Jehovah. The Rhetorical question is now complete, "what's so special about Jerusalem?" The answer hoped for was, "nothing." We have heard from officials, "America is not special." Sound familiar?) Satan often asks the question, "What makes YOU so special?"

The three emissaries did not answer the questions. This took discipline, especially when he denigrated the Lord.

Isaiah 36:21
But they held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, 'Do not answer him.'

Chapter 37 Seek out the prophet

           Hezekiah humbled himself, by tearing his garments and donning sackcloth before going straight to the house of God. He told his emissaries to go to Isaiah and have him seek the Lord. (Any national figure who does this will receive an answer from God. The problem is the world's leaders are acting more like the king of Assyria and The Rabshakeh than Hezekiah.)

Isaiah 37:2-4
Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and theelders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, 'Thus says Hezekiah: "This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left."'

Notice: Hezekiah adds "the elders" to the group, with no mention of Joah. Wisdom seeks Revelation. Notice the King's appraisal of the day: "trouble, rebuke and blasphemy." (He is pretty well depressed.) Notice further: Hezekiah's confession of his "inability" in the passage, "there is no strength." Hezekiah then endowed Isaiah with the power of spiritual intervention, "(Perhaps) it may be the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh." Hezekiah wants Isaiah "to lift up prayer for the remnant that is left." The prayer of the prophet outweighed the words of the Blasphemer. Oh, it is time to hear the prophet's prayer!

Isaiah was ready with a word from God.

Isaiah 37:6-7
Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'

The first words out of the mouth of God were, "don't be afraid of the words which you have heard." Wow! Fear is never an answer. God said He would do two things to Sennacharib.

l. He would send an evil spirit upon him and he will hear lies.
2. He will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. (Two of his sons murder him while he is worshipping his false god.)

Isaiah 37:38
38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. .

3. "The Rabshakeh" made his last threat. The propaganda technique used here declares, "The matter is not over until I say it is over." He seeks to draw fear by enumerating the "kings" that are no longer in power for they have been conquered by Assyria. The roll call is daunting. He sends messengers to Hezekiah with a written word emphasizing, "We are not done with you yet." Up to this point, he has not used emissaries. Now he is positioning himself as one "removed" from the mundane court of Hezekiah.

a. Isaiah 37:10
'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, 'Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

b. Isaiah 37:12
'Have the gods of the nations delivered