Why did the people remain silent in 2 Kings 18:36 despite provocation? Setting the scene • Judah’s fortified city of Jerusalem is surrounded by the Assyrian army. • The field commander (“Rabshakeh”) verbally assaults the people on the wall, mocking the LORD, belittling King Hezekiah, and offering deceptive promises (2 Kings 18:17-35). • A tense standoff hangs in the air; one shouted reply could trigger panic or hasty negotiations. The verse under the spotlight “ But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, ‘Do not answer him.’ ” (2 Kings 18:36) Immediate reason: obedience to godly authority • Hezekiah’s directive was clear: “Do not answer him.” • The people trusted their king’s leadership, displaying disciplined submission (cf. Deuteronomy 17:10-11). • Their silence honored the chain of command God Himself had established (Romans 13:1). Deeper spiritual reasons behind the silence • Guarding against manipulation – Rabshakeh’s speech mixed truth with lies; silence denied him a platform to sow further doubt. • Refusing to dignify blasphemy – Answering would concede that the Assyrian’s insults deserved debate; instead, they left the matter for God to address (Isaiah 37:6-7). • Demonstrating faith that God, not rhetoric, would secure victory – “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) • Aligning with wisdom literature – “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.” (Proverbs 26:4) Silence as an expression of trust • Hezekiah had already pointed the nation to the LORD: “With us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:8) • Remaining quiet declared, “God will speak and act for us.” • This echoes the principle in Isaiah 30:15: “In quietness and trust is your strength.” Biblical patterns reinforcing purposeful silence • Moses before the Red Sea—people told to be silent while God parted the waters (Exodus 14). • David before Saul—refusing to retaliate verbally or physically, entrusting vindication to the LORD (1 Samuel 24). • Christ before His accusers—“He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7; fulfilled in Matthew 27:12-14). Key takeaways • Silence can be an act of obedient faith, not weakness. • God sometimes calls His people to stand firm without words so that His own voice is unmistakable. • By refusing to engage the enemy on the enemy’s terms, Judah positioned itself to witness the LORD’s mighty deliverance (2 Kings 19:35-36). |
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