Keeping Silent

Day two hundred ninety-seven

Yesterday as I was heading to work I was dragging.  I hadn't slept well the night before and I was already tired and all I'd done was get ready for work.  So I said a prayer asking for the obvious, then I put on some get-me-going music.  Soon I was singing out loud and moving in my seat, I must have looked ridiculous to the other drivers!  It didn't matter because by the time I got to work I was amped and ready to take on the day.  I am so grateful for a God that puts good music in my life.  I don't know how I would get through some days without it!

2 Kings 18

Out of all the kings that reigned in the divided kingdom, Hezekiah was probably the best. He was trying to bring true reform to a nation that was in need of reform. He brought spiritual revival back into the land. He tore down the high places. He wanted to go all out and not just bring a partial reform to the land, and thus, he removed the high places, something the other kings did not do.

Hezekiah also had to deal with the problem of paying tribute to the Assyrian king Sennacherib. Hezekiah gives the king of Assyria the money he asked for, but we are going to see that it won't be enough. Whenever you give in to the enemy, whenever you compromise to the enemy, it will never be enough. He will always want more!

Besides sending a large army to Jerusalem, Sennacherib sends his representatives to meet with Hezekiah.  He sends Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh. It is believed that these were not the names of these men, but their titles. The Tartan was the commander and chief. The Rabsaris was the chief officer. And the Rabshakeh was the chief of staff.

Their mission was to get Hezekiah to surrender and if he refused, then destroy the city and take the people captive. Of course it is always easier to try and talk things out, for it cost you no men if they agree to the surrender. And if they do agree, then you have just captured the city without waging war upon it.  And remember, it was not just these three guys standing at the wall of the city, behind them stood the Assyrian army, a sort of incentive to surrender.

Hezekiah does not even come out to meet these guys but sends out his own representatives, three men. And these men of Judah are standing upon the wall of the city looking down on these Assyrian representatives. Now Rabshakeh will do the talking for the Assyrians because he knows Hebrew.

Notice how this guy shows no respect to the king of Judah. He is arrogant and rude. And he is challenging them to show him why they should be so confident, especially when the Assyrian army is surrounding the city. 

It is the response to the accusations, lies, and threats that impresses me most.  The people respond with silence (v 36). They had been commanded by Hezekiah not to answer. What a great way to deal with threats, lies, and accusations!

The scriptures say:

Prov. 11:12 "...a man of understanding keeps silent." (We have that example in Jesus. When He was being falsely accused.)

Isa. 53:7 "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth."

When you don't know what to say, it is always less regrettable to say nothing than to have to explain why you said what you did.

Prov. 17:28 "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is {counted} prudent."

Sometimes it’s better to be silent, than to answer.

Here is what to do when you are taunted or laughed at for following God or His will, hand it over to Him!  Leave Him to answer for you and to avenge your wrongs.  He will take your case if you leave it unreservedly in His hands.

While God is taking care of the problem He has told us to:

Col 3:2 "Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth."  In other words, we have more important things we should be thinking about than the taunts from others.

The next time you feel like you are being attacked and you just want to argue back think about this:  If there was a time for the people of Judah to be silent and a time for Christ to be silent, won’t there be those times for us too?

Remember this from Ecclesiastes 3:7, there is “... a time to keep silence, and a time to speak"