Isaiah 36 - 37

Isaiah relates the same story told in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. It is that -

"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." (Old Testament Isaiah 36:1)

And then -

"...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." (Old Testament Isaiah 36:2)

Being just outside of Jerusalem, Rabshakeh sends insulting and demeaning messages to Hezekiah mocking the God of Israel saying -

"...What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?" (Old Testament Isaiah 36:4)

"But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?" (Old Testament Isaiah 36:7)

You quickly tell that Rabshakeh didn't know what he was talking about. It was the alters and high places of false gods that Hezekiah had taken away. Rabshakeh continues his mockery -

"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." (Old Testament Isaiah 36:10)

He even cried with a loud voice to the people of Jerusalem saying -

"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.
16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
17 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards." (Old Testament Isaiah 36:14 - 17)

He tries to convince the people of their worthless beliefs as he hollers -

"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?" (Old Testament Isaiah 36:18 - 20)

The people did not pay attention to his threats as -

"...they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not." (Old Testament Isaiah 36:21)

Hezekiah rents his clothes and reverently goes to the temple. He sends messengers to Isaiah and pleads for his people that are left. Isaiah responds -

"Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:6 - 7)

Upon hearing this Rabshakeh again began to mock the Lord saying to messengers -

"...Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?" (Old Testament Isaiah 37:10 - 13)

You can sense the grave concern but also the faithfulness of Hezekiah as he again goes to the temple and prays -

"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
17 Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.
18 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:16 - 20)

Because of this sincere prayer, Isaiah tells the king -

"...Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria..." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:21)

"Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.
34 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake..." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:33 - 35)

And -

"...the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
37 ¶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:36 - 37)

And because of the mockery of the king of Assyria -

"...it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword..." (Old Testament Isaiah 37:38)