Isaiah 36:21,22

3. PATIENCE

TEXT: Isaiah 36:21-22

21

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

22

Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

QUERIES

a.

Why did the king command no answer be made?

b.

Why did the officials tear their clothing?

PARAPHRASE

But in the face of all these taunts and temptations, the people were silent, because King Hezekiah had ordered the people, Do not answer the Assyrian Rabshakeh. Then Eliakim, chief administrator, and Shebna, the royal scribe, and Joah, the royal chronicler, returned to the presence of Hezekiah with their clothes ripped and torn as a sign of their grief and misery and told him all that had been said by the Rabshakeh.

COMMENTS

Isaiah 36:21 SILENCE: The usual Hebrew word for peace, shallom, is not in this sentence. The word is yaheriyshu and is translated held their peace but literally means were dumb, silent, and is from the same root word which speaks of engraved sculpture. The idea probably is that the Hebrew officials stood before the Rabshakeh as silent as stone statues! Wise King Solomon said, there is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. (Ecclesiastes 3:7). This was a time for silence. Hezekiah commanded it. The Hebrew word for command is mitzvah. The bar-mitzvah literally means son of command and is the ceremony observed for all Jewish boys at the age of 13 when they become sons of responsibility. In this sentence it is the mitzvah of the melek; the command of the king. Hezekiah knew that any answer his representatives or his people might give about Jehovah delivering them would not convince the Assyrians to refrain from their threats and actions. It would only agitate them. There are times when pearls and bread should not be cast before swine and dogs, lest they turn and rend you. There are times, in heated, emotional confrontations when answering taunt with taunt would inflame the situation out of control. Matthew Henry said, It is sometimes prudent not to answer a fool according to his folly. Hezekiah and Isaiah had reason enough to make an answer to Rabshakeh that God would deliver them, but such an answer would hardly appease such an unreasonable braggart as Rabshakeh. Jesus, facing just such a brazen, foolish and ungodly man in Herod, answered him not a word.

Isaiah 36:22 SUFFERING: It was not easy for the Hebrew officials to keep silent. Their dismay and despair is demonstrated in the tearing of their clothing. The Jews tore their clothing when they were sorrowful, penitent, distraught, confused and angry. All of these emotions may have been welling up within these men. One thing they knew, the Assyrians were powerful and had done all (and more) that the Rabshakeh recounted. What the future held for their city was unknown, as yet. The only alternative they had to the Rabshakeh's tabulation of Assyrian victories was faith in Jehovah. Often, the known is distinct and threatening; the unknown veiled and sometimes even more threatening. So we are often defeated by our own reasoning. Our problems seem insoluble to our thinking. But there is enough evidence of the power of God to deliver the faithful, the believer may have victory over every threat of the enemy.

QUIZ

1.

How silent were the people?

2.

Why did Hezekiah command them to keep silent?

3.

How do we know it was a struggle for them to do so?