WEBVTT - Isaiah 36

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Isaiah chapter 36, and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the New Living Translation. In the fourteenth year

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<v Speaker 1>of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to

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<v Speaker 1>attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Then

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<v Speaker 1>the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from

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<v Speaker 1>Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that

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<v Speaker 1>feeds water into the upper pool near the road leading

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<v Speaker 1>to the field where cloth is washed. These are the

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<v Speaker 1>officials who went out to meet with them. Eliakim, son

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<v Speaker 1>of Hilkiah, the palace administrator, Shebna, the court secretary, and Joah,

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<v Speaker 1>son of Asaph, the royal historian. Then the Assyrian king's

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<v Speaker 1>chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah.

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<v Speaker 1>This is what the great king of Assyria says. What

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<v Speaker 1>are you trusting in that makes you so confident? Do

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<v Speaker 1>you think that mere words can substitute for military skill

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<v Speaker 1>and strength? Who are you counting on that you have

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<v Speaker 1>rebelled against me? On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt,

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<v Speaker 1>it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your

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<v Speaker 1>weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt,

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<v Speaker 1>is completely unreliable. But perhaps you will say to me,

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<v Speaker 1>we are trusting in the Lord our God. But isn't

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<v Speaker 1>he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah

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<v Speaker 1>tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in

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<v Speaker 1>Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?

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<v Speaker 1>I'll tell you what. Strike a bargain with my master,

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<v Speaker 1>the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses

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<v Speaker 1>if you can find that many men to ride on them.

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<v Speaker 1>With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging

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<v Speaker 1>even the weakest contingent of my master's troops? even with

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<v Speaker 1>the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers. What's more, do

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<v Speaker 1>you think we have invaded your land without the Lord's direction?

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord himself told us, attack this land and destroy it.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief

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<v Speaker 1>of staff, Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we

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<v Speaker 1>understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people

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<v Speaker 1>on the wall will hear. But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied,

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think my master sent this message only to

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<v Speaker 1>you and your master? He wants all the people to

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<v Speaker 1>hear it, for when we put this city under siege,

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<v Speaker 1>they will suffer along with you. They will be so

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<v Speaker 1>hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung

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<v Speaker 1>and drink their own urine. Then the chief of staff

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<v Speaker 1>stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall,

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<v Speaker 1>Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria.

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<v Speaker 1>This is what the king says. Don't let Hezekiah deceive you.

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<v Speaker 1>He will never be able to rescue you. Don't let

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<v Speaker 1>him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying,

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never

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<v Speaker 1>fall into the hands of the Assyrian king. Don't listen

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<v Speaker 1>to Hezekiah. These are the terms the king of Assyria

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<v Speaker 1>is offering. Make peace with me. Open the gates and

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<v Speaker 1>come out. Then each of you can continue eating from

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<v Speaker 1>your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your

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<v Speaker 1>own well. Then I will arrange to take you to

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<v Speaker 1>another land like this one, a land of grain and

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<v Speaker 1>new wine, bread and vineyards. Don't let Hezekiah mislead you

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<v Speaker 1>by saying, The Lord will rescue us. Have the gods

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<v Speaker 1>of any other nations ever saved their people from the

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<v Speaker 1>king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath

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<v Speaker 1>and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did

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<v Speaker 1>any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of

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<v Speaker 1>any nation has ever been able to save its people

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<v Speaker 1>from my power? So what makes you think that the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me? But the people were

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<v Speaker 1>silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had

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<v Speaker 1>commanded them, Do not answer him. Then Eliakim, son of Hilkiah,

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<v Speaker 1>the palace administrator, Shebna, the court secretary, and Joah, son

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<v Speaker 1>of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They

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<v Speaker 1>tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to

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<v Speaker 1>see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief

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<v Speaker 1>of staff had said. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your word, and we thank you for the privilege

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<v Speaker 1>of being able to look at this portion of scripture today.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, as we look at this scripture, it's easy

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<v Speaker 1>for us to feel an emotional connection with those who

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<v Speaker 1>are being attacked and insulted. Likewise, Lord, we see that

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<v Speaker 1>you were being mocked by the Assyrians. They didn't trust

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<v Speaker 1>in your power to save your people. Lord, we recognize

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<v Speaker 1>that as we follow you, we may deal with mockery

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<v Speaker 1>during the course of our earthly lives. And we know

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<v Speaker 1>that we would not be the first to experience that.

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<v Speaker 1>Believers of generations prior to us have experienced that. And

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<v Speaker 1>your son, Jesus Christ, was mocked as well during the

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<v Speaker 1>course of his ministry. But Lord, we know that you

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<v Speaker 1>can be relied on, that you are worthy to be trusted.

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<v Speaker 1>And we pray that in the midst of all circumstances,

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<v Speaker 1>you would help us to trust in you. We're grateful, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege to walk with you today. We commit

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<v Speaker 1>this day to you, and we thank you for all

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<v Speaker 1>of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.