May 6

Isaiah 36
The Rabshakeh was partially right. Hezekiah had torn down some altars. Listen to 2 Kings 18:4:
He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
First, Hezekiah removed the high places. So what is so wrong with having high places? Originally, the Lord had instructed the people that they should only bring their sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle. (See Leviticus especially chapter 4.) The purpose for that was so that the Levites and Priests could instruct the people in the knowledge of the Lord. But in a day when travel was mostly by foot, going to the tabernacle was too difficult to spend days travelling in order to worship the Lord. I am sure it was much easier to incorporate some of the ways of the Canaanites to worship Yahweh. Why not just worship the Lord where it was convenient. Why not just worship the Lord on a nearby hill or mountain. After all, the hills and mountains are closer to the heavens. Why travel for days to the tabernacle? So many began sacrificing, as did their neighbors, on the high places around them.
Second, Hezekiah tore down the altars. Centuries before when the children of Israel needed something to help them focus upon the Lord at their high places, what were they to use? Well, their neighbors used poles to help them worship. The poles represented the male sexual organ. The reason for that symbol was to represent fertility. What they wanted more than anything else was for God to bless them in their fields, fertility. That was the road to health, wealth and prosperity. If Yahweh was the true God, would He not be the one who blesses them with fertility. But they had not been coming to the tabernacle to be taught by the Levites and Priests. Consequently they did not believe that they were transgressing the Lord’s commands, particularly the one found in Lev. 26:1-2:
‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. 2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
It is not clear how much the people understood of Hezekiah’s righteous acts. But it is clear he understood his acts. As the enemy always does, he twists the righteous acts and teaching of a man to cause ‘believers’ to turn on the truth. The Rabshakeh points out that Hezekiah has torn down these altars and poles. And he uses that knowledge to threaten the people of God. The Rabshakeh had defeated all of the Northern Nation of Israel. He had invaded most of the Southern Nation of Judah and now surrounded Jerusalem. What would the people do? What would Hezekaih do? The Rabshakeh appeals to them to use common sense and surrender to him. Can Yahweh truly deliver?
Today the Enemy has surrounded the church. The church has in many senses fallen into the way the world worships. We use it to approach our holy God. What do we do? If it is not of God, it should be torn down. If we do not, He will, Lev 26:30,31. How can we discern what is of God and what is not? The leaders on the Jerusalem wall said not a word. They took the Rabshakeh’s message to Isaiah. What would he do? He sought God for this was an issue concerning God’s glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john