Topical Bible: False Confidence: Sennacherib, in the Siege of Jerusalem

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Historical Context:
Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, reigned from 705 to 681 BC and is known for his military campaigns and expansion of the Assyrian Empire. One of his notable campaigns was against the Kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah. This event is recorded in the Bible, primarily in 2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37.

The Siege of Jerusalem:
Sennacherib's campaign against Judah culminated in the siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC. Having already captured the fortified cities of Judah, Sennacherib sent his field commander, the Rabshakeh, to Jerusalem to deliver a message to King Hezekiah and the people of the city. The Assyrian king's message was one of intimidation and psychological warfare, designed to undermine the confidence of the Judeans in their God and their king.

False Confidence in Human Power:
Sennacherib's confidence was rooted in his military might and previous successes. He boasted of his conquests and ridiculed the notion that any god, including the God of Israel, could deliver Jerusalem from his hand. The Rabshakeh declared, "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot deliver you from my hand. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD by saying, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria’" (2 Kings 18:29-30).

Challenge to Divine Authority:
Sennacherib's arrogance extended to a direct challenge against the God of Israel. He equated the God of Judah with the powerless gods of the nations he had already defeated, saying, "Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?" (2 Kings 18:33). This blasphemous assertion demonstrated Sennacherib's false confidence in his own power and his misunderstanding of the true nature of the God of Israel.

Hezekiah's Response:
In contrast to Sennacherib's false confidence, King Hezekiah displayed genuine faith and reliance on the LORD. Hezekiah sought the counsel of the prophet Isaiah and prayed earnestly for divine intervention. Hezekiah's prayer is recorded in 2 Kings 19:15-19, where he acknowledges God's sovereignty and pleads for deliverance so that "all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God" (2 Kings 19:19).

Divine Intervention and Assyrian Defeat:
In response to Hezekiah's faith and prayer, God delivered Jerusalem in a miraculous manner. The angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw and return to Nineveh (2 Kings 19:35-36). This event demonstrated the futility of Sennacherib's false confidence and the supremacy of the God of Israel.

Theological Implications:
The account of Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of placing confidence in human strength and defying divine authority. It underscores the biblical truth that true security and deliverance come from trusting in the LORD, who is sovereign over all nations and rulers. The narrative highlights the contrast between human arrogance and divine power, illustrating that God is able to protect and deliver His people against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 19:23
By your messengers you have reproached the LORD, and have said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Isaiah
... of her leaders, and for the false confidence which leads the ... appeal to Israel, but
hardly to Sennacherib; it rests ... Isaiah's prophecy of an arduous siege for the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/isaiah.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... those irresistible outbursts of self-confidence, which from ... The reverse sustained
by Sennacherib had undoubtedly been a ... abjured the worship of false gods, but ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... in among his men, and after a fruitless siege of four ... had joined the Persians and
had been taken into their confidence. ... had come up, or till some false move on ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. ... This
body of cavalry, having little confidence in its own powers, kept in close ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... him until at last they came to put confidence in no ... not well enough equipped to
undertake the siege of a ... In the declining years of Sennacherib, it would appear ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... As soon as the compact was made, Angro- mainyus realised that he had been tricked
into taking a false step, but it was not till after three thousand years that ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm