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Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 18:1-37:  “In what are you placing your hope?” – Part 3

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2Ki 18:1-37  “In what are you placing your hope?” – Part 3

(2Ki 18:19-22)

[Study Aired February 16, 2023]

2Ki 18:19  And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? 
2Ki 18:20  Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? 
2Ki 18:21  Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. 
2Ki 18:22  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? 

In the last two studies we were introduced to King Hezekiah who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as David his father had done” and who had faith in the Lord, the God of Israel, “so that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah who were before him.“

Then we were introduced to “Sennacherib king of Assyria” who came  up against all the fenced cities of Judah and took them, putting Hezekiah in a position where he sought peace with Sennacherib by giving him gold and silver from the temple of God. These actions only emboldened Sennacherib to further want to overtake the nation of Judah in war. Hezekiah turned to the Lord for deliverance with a humble and contrite heart that sought and hoped in the Lord in times of trouble. We reflected on how Hezekiah, as a type of the elect, comes to learn that you cannot make concessions with this world and expect that your trials will somehow be circumvented as a result of those actions.

In this third part of chapter 18, specifically 2 Kings 18:19-22, we will see how Sennacherib used RabshakehH7262 his chief cupbearer, to send messages to Hezekiah and his foot soldiers to undermine their confidence in what Hezekiah could do in war against Assyria with the God of Israel as his helper and hope. 

This brings us to the verse on which our title is based, “In what are you placing your hope?” This was the question of this cupbearer Rabshakeh, whose role was that of a devilish scoffer who was sent by the king of Assyria (2Ti 3:1-5) to Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah. These three men were a bridge between the two kings, Sennacherib and Hezekiah, and are a type of how God’s elect will interact with the kingdoms of this world on behalf of Christ as those who will be blessed to come in the name of the Lord as the future kings and lords over this earth to bring the King’s judgments into the earth (Rev 11:15, Mat 21:9, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16, Isa 26:9).

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Mat 21:9  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

2Ki 18:19  And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

What we’re hearing from this opening statement of Rabshakeh is one of the many devices (Eph 6:16) of the devil which he uses to try to undermine our faith in our Creator’s power and faithfulness (2Co 2:11). Above all we are admonished to take the shield of faith, the faith of Christ to quench all such fiery darts of the devil.

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. [Mat 21:21] 

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Firstly, it’s all about perception and Rabshakeh’s goal is to drive home the point of how great “the great king, the king of Assyria” is [who typifies Satan, the god of this world]. Like Satan, king Sennacherib wants Hezekiah to bow down and worship him as he’s seated as high as anyone can be seated on his earthly throne, which does remind us of Satan, the god of this world (Mat 4:8-9, 2Co 4:4). 

Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Our former conversations in this world (Eph 2:2) had us subject to the powers and principalities of this world that ruled over the beast against whom we could not make war until God delivered us, and another tactic or device (2Co 2:11) of Rabshakeh to undermine the confidence of the people in God was be to remind them of all the previous nations that he, Sennacherib, has already destroyed and taken captive (2Ki 18:33), symbolizing our former bondage to sin from which only Christ can deliver us (Rom 6:16, Rev 13:4, Joh 8:34-36).

2Ki 18:33  Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? [2Ki 18:33 “Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?“]

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

These many accusations and this rhetoric of Rabshakeh as he comes up at the bequest of king Sennacherib to undermine the confidence of king Hezekiah, and how we overcome that spirit, are two central lessons we see unfolding in this section of scripture which was written for our sakes (1Co 10:11). We are admonished to not go back into the world by leaning unto our own understanding, saying, “Who can make war with the beast” and thereby coming under the law again which is where we housed our confidence in our flesh (Php 3:2, Php 3:9) as Demas, Titus and Crescens did having “forsaken me, [Christ and his Christ (Act 9:5)] having loved this present world” after having tasted of the heavenly things of the kingdom of God (Heb 10:35, 2Ti 4:10, Heb 6:4-6). That is another way of looking at this declaration of war coming from the king of Assyria, who is used by God to test the faith of king Hezekiah, who is coming to learn, in type and shadow, that nothing can separate him from the love of God, and he has nothing to fear from all Sannacherib’s boastfulness (Rom 8:36-39).

Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward [Heb 11:26]. [incentivized]

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. [incentivized]

2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [Php 4:13, 1Co 10:13]
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eliakim, Shebna and Joah are all being told to plant a seed of doubt in the heart of king Hezekiah based on Rabshakeh’s trash-talking ways that asks, among many other things, “What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?” His goal as a messenger of king Sennacherib is to undermine the confidence of the people and king Hezekiah in any way he can, like the roaring lion that Satan is who seeks whom he may devour (1Pe 5:6-8).

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world [kept from the evil through the faith of Christ. (Joh 17:15)]

The three men, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, represent the process of judgment [3] “the same afflictions [that] are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” which we fill up (Col 1:24) as we put off our flesh so we can trust in the living God who can and will deliver those with whom He is working through the much tribulation of this life (2Co 1:8-10). This is why Paul didn’t want the church to be ignorant of the fact that they had severe trials in Asia (Act 14:22), which represents the world, because it is only with those fiery trials (1Pe 4:12) that we can come to “not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” In other words, putting off the flesh (Php 3:1-3) is how we grow in confidence in what God can do in our lives to overcome the enemy and learn that we are more than conquerors through Him (Php 3:4, Heb 10:35-37).

2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 
2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
2Co 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Php 3:1  Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. [contrasted with true spiritual circumcision in the heart (Rom 2:29)]
Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit [Joh 4:24], and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. [Luk 21:19]
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Php 3:4  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 
Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [Paul’s physical curriculum vitae]
Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [Gal 2:20]

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. [Christ loved us and demonstrated that love by laying down his entire life for us, and now with the faith of Christ we can do the same thing Lord willing (Php 2:12-13, 1Jn 4:17)]

2Ki 18:20  Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? 

Rabshakeh represents the scoffers and evil men who will come upon the scene as we near the end of this age (2Ti 3:1-5). Inwardly, when God begins to judge us and pour out his wrath upon the kingdom of our old man, it becomes evident that these evil men and scoffers and seducers were residing on the throne of our own hearts.  There is also a dispensational way to look at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 which was written to admonish us and help us be armed with the mind of Christ (1Pe 4:1) and His faith, which can quench all the these evil and lying spirits that are going to abound more ‘as the day approaches’ (Luk 12:45, 2Pe 3:3-4).

Luk 12:45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; [“This is the impatient spirit of man’s flesh that says ‘my Lord delays his coming,’ and we are told to watch and pray and faint not through cleaving to Christ who gives us the faith needed to patiently possess our souls when the whole world is saying ‘curse God and die’, beating the menservants and maidens who represent Christ and His body that serves us” (Job 2:9)].

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: [‘religious’ but not able to believe that God is completely sovereign and that we have no free will] from such turn away.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: [1Co 2:16, 2Ti 1:7] for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; [Suffering in the flesh and ceasing from sinning results in our growing in the zealous mind of Christ (2Co 7:11)]

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

2Ki 18:21  Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. 
2Ki 18:22  But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

The accuser of the brethren is in full force with these verses (2Ki 18:21-22) reminding these messengers of Hezekiah how the nation of Judah’s former conversation was Baal worship explained in these words, “the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.”  The devil is good at twisting the word of God, or speaking with a forked tongue as he did with Adam and Eve in the garden and Christ while He was being tempted (Gen 3:1-5, Mat 4:6), and this is no different a spirit as Rabshakeh goes on to deceitfully remind them that the God in whom they now trust is the same God they trusted in then, “But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?” This is a twisted lie that Rabshakeh is hurling at these men to try to make them believe that they and the nation haven’t changed and are in fact still worshiping the same god and spirit that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had introduced to the nation of Israel. The lesson for God’s elect is that we are not the same people who have come out of Babylon, and the main reason we are not is because we worship God now in spirit and in truth, obeying the commandments of God demonstrating our love of God and the children of God, which actions also demonstrate our love toward our neighbor as well (Joh 4:24, 1Jn 5:2, Joh 13:35, Mar 12:31).

This statement “Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him” was true for us when it was true, as explained in 1 Kings 14:15, but Hezekiah ,who is a type of Christ, has brought about a reformation, and now the people are worshiping God in spirit and truth, at least in type and shadow. The type and shadow representing how Christ in us as our hope of glory (Col 1:27) gives us the power to no longer lean to our own understanding [upon “the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it“] less and less, and so we read of Christ with this prophecy of the workmanship that we are in Him “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax (Luk 12:49) shall he not quench: [that which He has started or kindled in us will be accomplished (Php 1:6)] he shall bring forth judgment unto truth” (Isa 42:3, Isa 53:5). 

1Ki 14:15  For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.

Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

The reed also represents a tool of measurement which was used to measure the temple of God (Rev 11:2), revealing that judgment is upon us now through Christ (1Pe 4:17) and that has to be where our focus remains as we die daily (1Co 11:31) and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter just as Christ was (Rom 8:36, 1Jn 4:17). The moment we get caught up in the fray of this world or try to judge matters which are none of our business to judge, we are in fact disobeying God and measuring the court which is not to be measured by God’s elect now, but later in the lake of fire (Rev 11:2, Rom 14:4, Joh 8:34).

Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

Also, in the positive light of “this bruised reed“, we are bruised as the body of Christ filling up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ (Col 1:24) who “was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5). In the positive use of being pierced, Christ came out of Egypt (Hos 11:1) and overcame the flesh by the power of God’s holy spirit, being strengthened to endure until the end of His life the piercing of His hands and feet that He would endure for our sakes, and now gives us the power to follow His example (Psa 22:16, Zec 12:10, Gal 2:20).

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Psa 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Zec 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The bruising of Christ and the healing of Christ’s body are closely related in scripture (1Co 10:16), and we have all spit on Christ and smote Him on the head with a reed (Mat 27:30), whereas Christ spat on the earth, which represents the church, with the water of the word, and took the earth and put it upon our eyes to take away our blindness (Joh 9:6). The earth here represents the church where the manifest knowledge of Christ is made known in the body of Christ (Eph 3:10). Lord willing, we will continue to acknowledge our blindness and our need to die daily and be washed with the word of truth He gives to those who are blessed to hunger and thirst for it and abide in it (Joh 9:41, Mat 5:6).

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 

Mat 27:30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Joh 9:6  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

The verses we will look at next week carry this same theme of how Satan tries to undermine our faith and relationship with God and each other, and yet as the story unfolds, we will see king Hezekiah is given wisdom to defeat the enemy by not engaging with him and instructing the people to do the same thing with the command “answer him not” (2Ki 18:36).

2Ki 18:36  But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

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