The Day One of God's Angels Destroyed 185,000 of the Mocking Sennacherib's Army

Bible in a Year Series - Day #206 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Isaiah 37-39.

I am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport, after getting up at 2:45 a.m. to catch a plane.  ACK!

I only have a few minutes to write my post today, so I am going to reprint my post from last year.

However, let me say this.  What a great story on so many levels.  A good king prays, and God answers in a very powerful way.

From last year...

Sennacherib is a bad dude.  He has been conquering kingdom, after kingdom, in 700 BC.

He now sends his emissary to Judah, where the prophet Isaiah, and King Hezekiah lived, and told them that before he was done they would be "eating their dung, and drinking their urine".  "Furthermore", says the emissary,  "your God is no better than all these other gods, who fell at my feet, and I am gonna kick your God's butt too!"

Well, this creates a panic in Judah, because this Sennacherib dude is a major bully.  He has conquered every land in his path.

King Hezekiah is major league shaken' in his boots, and sends for Isaiah: 

“Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

Isaiah then tells King Hezekiah to chill:

"Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

Then King Hezekiah prays to the LORD:

"And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 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 were destroyed. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”

Then, Isaiah comes back and says, "Thus says the Lord!...concerning him [Sennacherib]" This is somewhat long so here is the link, but I particularly liked this part:

“‘I know your sitting down
and your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
29 Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come to my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.’

Then God follows through:

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

36 And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. 38 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Our God is a mighty God, he reigns in heaven on high.  And even incredibly more, this God, is our Father.

When we are standing toe to toe, with the Sennacheribs of our lives, this story is a great reminder.

This historical account of God's workings, from 2,800 years ago, strengthens my soul today.