2 Kings 18:26-37: a reflection

26Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?” 28Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand. 30Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 31Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern; 32until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” 33Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’” 36But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.” 37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.

As the Assyrian commander stands before Jerusalem, he pours out a torrent of intimidating words designed to undermine the people's trust in God, insisting that the LORD cannot save them and that no god has delivered any nation from Assyria's hand. Don't let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, he says; has any god delivered his land out of my hand? His whole aim is to shake their confidence in God, to persuade them that trusting God is futile. And the people, under orders, held their peace and answered him not a word. Faced with the flood of intimidating words meant to erode their trust, they did not try to answer every taunt; they kept quiet and held to God. This shows that when voices try to shake our trust in God, we need not answer every taunt; we can hold quietly to him. When voices assault our trust in God, we need not answer every taunt. The people held their peace and held to God. We need not answer every voice that assaults our faith. Hold quietly to God when voices try to shake your trust.

Notice the nature of the commander's assault and the people's response. His words were designed to undermine trust in God: God cannot save you, he insists; trusting him is futile; no god has delivered anyone from us. It was a calculated attempt to erode their confidence in God through intimidation and taunt. And the people's response was to hold their peace, to answer not a word, keeping quiet rather than engaging every taunt, and holding to their trust in God. This is instructive for us. We too can face voices, from without or within, that assault our trust in God, insisting that God cannot help us, that trusting him is futile, that our faith is in vain. And we need not feel we must answer every such taunt, engage every accusation, refute every intimidating word. Sometimes the wiser course is to hold our peace, not be drawn into answering every assault, and simply hold quietly and firmly to our trust in God. We do not have to let every voice that assails our faith draw us into anxious debate. Hold quietly to God rather than answering every taunt against your faith. We need not engage every voice that assaults our trust in God. Sometimes the wiser response is quiet trust, not debate. Hold firmly to God when voices insist that trusting him is futile.

That is worth taking to heart, for when voices assault our trust in God, insisting he cannot help us, we need not answer every taunt, but can hold quietly and firmly to God, as the people held their peace before the commander's intimidating words. We can feel we must answer every voice that assails our faith, engage every taunt and accusation that God cannot save us or that trusting him is futile; but the people, faced with the flood of intimidation, held their peace and held to God. We need not be drawn into anxious debate with every assault. When voices try to shake your trust in God, do not feel you must answer every one; hold quietly and firmly to him. Hold quietly and firmly to God when voices try to shake your trust in him, not feeling you must answer every taunt, as the people of Jerusalem, faced with the Assyrian commander's flood of intimidating words insisting that the LORD could not save them and that trusting him was futile, held their peace and answered him not a word; for we too can face voices, from without or within, that assault our trust in God, insisting he cannot help us and that our faith is in vain, and we can feel we must answer every such taunt, engage every accusation, refute every intimidating word, but sometimes the wiser course is to hold our peace, not be drawn into anxious debate with every assault, and simply hold quietly and firmly to our trust in God, who does not need us to win every argument to keep us.

Lord, as the Assyrian commander stands before Jerusalem, he pours out a torrent of intimidating words designed to undermine the people's trust in you, insisting that you cannot save them and that no god has delivered any nation from Assyria's hand. Don't let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, he says; has any god delivered his land out of my hand? His whole aim is to shake their confidence in you, to persuade them that trusting you is futile. And the people, under orders, held their peace and answered him not a word. Faced with the flood of intimidating words meant to erode their trust, they did not try to answer every taunt; they kept quiet and held to you. Show me the nature of the commander's assault and the people's response. His words were designed to undermine trust in you: God cannot save you, he insists; trusting him is futile. It was a calculated attempt to erode their confidence in you through intimidation. And the people's response was to hold their peace, keeping quiet rather than engaging every taunt, and holding to their trust in you. This is instructive for me. I too can face voices, from without or within, that assault my trust in you, insisting that you cannot help me, that trusting you is futile, that my faith is in vain. And I need not feel I must answer every such taunt, refute every intimidating word. Sometimes the wiser course is to hold my peace and simply hold quietly and firmly to my trust in you. Take that to my heart, for when voices assault my trust in you, I need not answer every taunt, but can hold quietly and firmly to you. When voices try to shake my trust in you, keep me from feeling I must answer every one; help me hold quietly and firmly to you, Lord, not drawn into anxious debate with every assault, trusting that you do not need me to win every argument to keep me.