Man’s boast and God’s wrath

How much should a man boast?

It’s quite humiliating with the way God dealt with a man named Sennacherib, king of Assyria and his host from the Bible account in Isaiah 37:33-36

To begin with, God is not interested in hurting any one but in saving them. He is interested in helping man but when man begin to go contrary and try to oppose or undermine the power and might of God, he (God) would normally put a breach between himself and that man

Sennacherib’s boast

Isaiah 36:1-2,4-5,8-10,13-15,18-20
“Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them. [2] And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field. [4] And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? [5] I say, sayest thou , (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? [8] Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. [9] How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? [10] And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. [13] Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. [14] Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. [15] Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord , saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. [18] Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? [19] Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? [20] Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”

Jus as I’ve already said, when men begin to take the place of God through their speech in threatening any man’s life – believer or unbeliever – God normally always put man’s work to hold and proof to man that he only is God, because no man can create lives but God. Sennacherib the king of Assyria have had some major victories in defeating some enemy nations he fought with, including destroying their gods, and has marvellously flooded them like a water overflowing it’s boundary and sweeping it’s inhabitants. With this pride, he thought it would be so with the people whom God has chosen for himself and he threatened them that not even their God – the living God, could deliver them from his hands. This is the height of foolishness which both Sennacherib, king of Assyria and his servant Rabshakeh demonstrated, in thinking that the God of heaven was as other gods, made with wood and stone, the work of men’s hand.

But this is not strange or restricted to these men alone, many today still act similar. Our life’s or military conquest is not by our discrete planning and wisdom, neither is it by our strategy and smartness, but from God. But when we don’t see it this way, chances are, we begin to take the glory we are suppose to ascribe unto God. For God, his glory is one thing he will not share with any man, let alone give a man who is trying to steal it

“I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” – Isaiah 42:8

Sennacherib, king of Assyria got so carried away with his battle success that he so boasted himself against the Almighty God and even blasphemed his name. Because of this, God need not that any should fight for him in this matter, for “I the Lord will answer him by myself” (Ezekiel 14:7)

Isaiah 10:15-16
“Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. [16] Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.”

The ways of God are mysterious and he can use anyone even an unbeliever to carry out his purpose or pass divine judgment, but it shouldn’t be a cause for boasting else he would turn and do to such a person even as he has done or thought to do to the transgressor. He did this many times to his children – the children of Israel. Whenever they sinned against him, he normally allow them fall before their enemies, not to kill or destroy them, but so that they will realise their ways (that’s he ‘s not pleased with them) and turn to him in repentance

From the foregoing story above, the rage of Sennacherib, king of Assyria against God, has reached heaven, and “is come up into [his] ears. God recognizes all what he said against him as “thy rage… and thy tumult (noise)” – Isaiah 37:29. I understand the rage of a man and how fearful it can be, but think about the rage of God to a mortal man? Perhaps, it may be compared to the rage of a fire before a stubble or hay – it’s disastrous

The wrath of God

Isaiah 37:29
“Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.”

Little did Sennacherib knew that his threats were not actually to the ones whom he thought he was threatening, but to God, and God decided to take vengeance (Romans 12:19). He never carried out his threats on God’s people as he boasted. God silenced him and his host before they could make a move

Have you been threatened lately by a mortal man? Fear not. (Read also, Write ye your request) God said, “fear not man whose breath is in his nostrils”, but rather, fear Him. God is a shield to all that put their trust in him and he fight their battle. If you are a child of God, your victory is sure because you are hid in Christ, and Christ in God, and God in heaven. No man can touch you!

 

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