Isaiah 36 Devotional

The Question Behind the Taunts

Assyria has taken every fortified city in Judah when the Rabshakeh arrives at Jerusalem's walls (36:1-2). His speech is dangerous because parts of it are true. Egypt really is a splintered reed, as Isaiah himself had warned (31:1). But he twists Hezekiah's removal of the high places into an insult against the LORD and claims the LORD sent him (36:6-10). Then he shouts in Hebrew so the people on the wall can hear, promising them a pleasant life if they surrender (36:13-17).

His deepest error comes last. He lists the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Samaria, and asks how the LORD could be any different (36:18-20). He has made the maker of heaven and earth one more name on a list of failed local gods. Fear often does the same, shrinking God to the size of the problem in front of us. The people keep silent, and the answer, when it comes, will come from God (36:21). Until then, you can refuse to measure him by what has defeated everyone else.

To think about: Where has fear been shrinking God down to the size of your problem, and what would it mean to see him as he truly is?