Sermon Notes + 5.3.2026
SERMON NOTES
Whom Have You Mocked and Reviled?
2 Kings 18:13-19:37
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: The conflict between Sennacherib and Hezekiah represents more than ongoing hostilities between two kings and their respective nations; it is a conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God. Long before these events took place, God chose Israel out of all the nations of the world, and He promised David that he would have a descendant who would rule forever. The Rabshakeh thus speaks not only for Sennacherib, but also for the world system that opposes the people of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. His strategy to break the will of God’s people is as familiar today as it was back then —he ridicules the church’s past; he mocks the church’s apparent weakness to stem the tide of history; he co-opts the name of God in support of an anti-God mission; and he falsely promises that life is better when people bow the knee to his king instead of the Lord. By contrast, Hezekiah’s devotion to the Lord qualifies him as one who is able to rely upon the faithfulness of God when God’s promises are threatened. His prayer to the Lord and Isaiah’s reply from the Lord confirm that there is no other God but God; that He will defend His name even when His people fail; that His sovereignty extends to all events in this world, including the apparent success of the world system; and that He has the final word over all history. Let us therefore commit ourselves to utterly reject the voice of the Rabshakeh and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. What points of conflict do you find between the people of God and the world system as it is portrayed in this text? How does this conflict recur throughout the history of the people of God in the Bible? Consider, for example, how nations such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome afflicted the people of God. Given the long history of such affliction and persecution, what can we learn about God’s faithfulness to His people in troubled times?
2. What similarities do you find with the words of the Rabshakeh in 2 Kings 18-19 and the words of the serpent in Genesis 3? What similarities do you find in the words of the Rabshakeh and the devil tempting Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11? How does the voice of the Rabshakeh occur in our world today? What threats or false promises does he make to the people of God today?
3. The Rabshakeh reminds Hezekiah and Judah of their foolish decision to rely on Egypt for protection as he seeks to break the will of the people of God. In what ways do people point to the apparent failures of the church in the past in order to discredit it today? How might you respond to those who point to the church’s failures in the past as a reason not to belong to the church today?
4. The Rabshakeh places great emphasis on the present when threatening the people of God. He notes that the people of Judah are powerless to stop the mighty forces of Assyria. In what ways do people dismiss the importance of the church today by noting its weakened influence over society? How might you respond to those who dismiss the church because it is no longer popular to live your life according to God’s Word?
5. How does the fact that there is only one God affect the way that you view the world today? Are you convinced that this one God is in control of all of history? Are you equally convinced that this one God is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that He will vindicate His name at the final judgment? Given these realities, what kind of people should we be? How do these realities reinforce our commitment to the church?
For Further Reading: Francis Schaeffer, He is There and He is Not Silent (Crossway, 2020)