What does Sennacherib's question reveal about his understanding of God's power? Setting the Scene • 701 BC: Assyria’s armies, led by King Sennacherib, surround Jerusalem. • Hezekiah has fortified the city and calls Judah to trust in “the LORD who is with us” (2 Chronicles 32:7–8). • Sennacherib answers with a taunt designed to dismantle that trust. Sennacherib’s Question in Focus “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: ‘On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?’” What the Question Reveals About His Theology 1. He views faith in the LORD as irrational. • “On what are you basing your confidence…?”—as though no sane person would trust a God they cannot see when siege walls and starvation stare them in the face. • He reduces reliance on the Almighty to psychological wish-fulfillment. 2. He equates the LORD with powerless idols. • Verses 13-15 broaden the taunt: “Were the gods of those nations able to deliver…? …How then can your god deliver you from my hand?” • By lumping Yahweh in with “the gods of the nations,” he shows no grasp of the LORD’s uniqueness (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5). 3. He exalts human power over divine sovereignty. • “I and my fathers” (v. 13)—the string of Assyrian victories is his ultimate proof. • He sees military success as self-generated, not granted or restrained by God (cf. Proverbs 21:31). 4. He denies any historical evidence of God’s intervention. • Yet Israel’s history is filled with supernatural rescues: the Exodus (Exodus 14), the conquest under Joshua (Joshua 6-12), Gideon’s 300 (Judges 7). • His ignorance—or rejection—of these acts shows spiritual blindness (1 Corinthians 2:14). Contrasting Sennacherib’s View with Biblical Truth • Sennacherib: gods are territorial, limited, ultimately powerless (32:13-15). • Scripture: the LORD is Creator of heaven and earth, unrivaled (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 40:12-26). • Sennacherib: past victories guarantee future domination. • Scripture: “The LORD foils the plans of the nations” (Psalm 33:10). • Sennacherib: siege logic = inevitable defeat. • Scripture: “The battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47). The Divine Verdict • Overnight, the Angel of the LORD strikes down 185,000 in the Assyrian camp (2 Chronicles 32:21; 2 Kings 19:35). • Sennacherib retreats, later dies by the sword in his own temple (2 Chronicles 32:21). • The living God decisively answers the taunt, proving His power incomparable. Lessons for Today • Unbelief often masks itself as realism; faith rests on the proven character of God, not wishful thinking. • Any worldview that demotes the LORD to the level of created things will eventually clash with undeniable reality. • Past victories of evil do not nullify God’s promises; “He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). • The question is flipped: not “On what are you basing your confidence?” but “Who is the LORD, and will you trust Him?” |
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