Isaiah 36:11-22: a reflection

11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 12But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?” 13Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you. 15Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us. This city won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”’ 16Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 17until 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. 18Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20Who are they among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’” 21But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.” 22Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

When an enemy commander taunts God's people, mocking their trust in the LORD and daring them to answer, the people keep silent, refusing to trade words with him, and take the matter instead to their king. But they remained silent, the account says, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, don't answer him. The enemy commander had launched a long, mocking speech, jeering at their trust in God and demanding a reply, seeking to draw them into argument and to spread fear among the people. But they did not answer him; they kept silent, as they had been commanded, and instead brought his words to Hezekiah, who would take the matter to God. Silence, not argument, was the wise response to the mocker. This shows the wisdom of not answering a mocker, but taking the matter to God. Sometimes the wise response to mockery is silence, not argument. Do not be drawn into trading words with a mocker; take the matter to God. Not every taunt deserves an answer; some are best met with silence. Bring the provocation to God rather than engaging it in argument.

Notice how the people responded to the taunting commander. He had delivered a long, mocking speech, jeering at their trust in the LORD, listing the gods of other nations that had not been able to save them, daring the people to answer, and seeking both to draw them into argument and to spread fear and despair among those listening on the wall. It was a provocation designed to unsettle and to draw a response. But the people did not take the bait. They kept silent, answering not a word, as their king had commanded; and instead of engaging the mocker in argument, they brought his words to Hezekiah, who would spread the matter before God. This holds practical wisdom about handling mockery and provocation. When we are mocked, taunted, provoked, drawn to argue or answer in kind, there is often a wisdom in silence: not every taunt deserves a reply, and trading words with a mocker often only escalates and spreads the trouble. Sometimes the wise response is to keep silent, refusing to be drawn into argument, and to take the matter instead to God, as the people took the commander's words to Hezekiah, who took them to the Lord. This does not mean truth is never to be defended, but that not every provocation is best met with argument; some are best met with silence and with prayer. We do well, when mocked or provoked, to consider whether silence and taking the matter to God is wiser than trading words. When mocked or provoked, consider whether silence is wiser than trading words. Not every taunt deserves an answer; some are best met with silence. Take the provocation to God rather than escalating it in argument. Do not let a mocker draw you into an argument that only spreads the trouble.

That is worth taking to heart, for silence and taking the matter to God is often wiser than trading words with a mocker, as the people met the taunt with silence and brought it to Hezekiah. We can be drawn to answer every taunt and argue with every mocker; but the people kept silent before the taunting commander and took the matter to their king and to God. Silence can be wise. When you are mocked or provoked, do not always take the bait; consider whether silence and taking the matter to God is wiser than trading words. When you are mocked or provoked, consider whether silence and taking the matter to God is wiser than being drawn into argument, as when an enemy commander taunted God's people, mocking their trust in the LORD and daring them to answer, the people kept silent and refused to trade words with him, taking the matter instead to their king, since the king's commandment was not to answer him; for the enemy commander had launched a long mocking speech, jeering at their trust in God and demanding a reply, seeking to draw them into argument and spread fear among the people, but they did not answer him, keeping silent as commanded and bringing his words to Hezekiah who would take the matter to God, so that silence and not argument was the wise response to the mocker, which holds practical wisdom about handling mockery and provocation, since when we are mocked, taunted, or provoked and drawn to argue or answer in kind there is often a wisdom in silence, not every taunt deserving a reply and trading words with a mocker often only escalating and spreading the trouble, so that sometimes the wise response is to keep silent and take the matter instead to God, which does not mean truth is never to be defended but that not every provocation is best met with argument, some being best met with silence and prayer, so that we do well, when mocked or provoked, to consider whether silence and taking the matter to God is wiser than trading words.

Lord, when an enemy commander taunts your people, mocking their trust in you and daring them to answer, the people keep silent, refusing to trade words with him, and take the matter instead to their king. But they remained silent, the account says, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, don't answer him. The enemy commander had launched a long, mocking speech, jeering at their trust in you and demanding a reply, seeking to draw them into argument and to spread fear among the people. But they did not answer him; they kept silent, as they had been commanded, and instead brought his words to Hezekiah, who would take the matter to you. Silence, not argument, was the wise response to the mocker. Show me how the people responded to the taunting commander. He had delivered a long, mocking speech, jeering at their trust in you, daring the people to answer, seeking both to draw them into argument and to spread fear among those listening. It was a provocation designed to unsettle and to draw a response. But the people did not take the bait. They kept silent, answering not a word; and instead of engaging the mocker, they brought his words to Hezekiah, who would spread the matter before you. This holds practical wisdom about handling mockery and provocation. When I am mocked, taunted, provoked, drawn to argue or answer in kind, there is often a wisdom in silence: not every taunt deserves a reply, and trading words with a mocker often only escalates and spreads the trouble. Sometimes the wise response is to keep silent, refusing to be drawn into argument, and to take the matter instead to you. This does not mean truth is never to be defended, but that not every provocation is best met with argument; some are best met with silence and prayer. Take that to my heart. When I am mocked or provoked, keep me from always taking the bait; help me consider, Lord, whether silence and taking the matter to you is wiser than trading words, that I may not be drawn into an argument that only spreads the trouble, but bring the provocation to you in prayer.