A well-known enemy of the Church of the living God, We have his history, as far as relates to the church, 2 Kings 18:13. His name it should seem is a compound of Sennah, the sword; and Charab, to destroy.
Though I should not have thought it worth the record of even inserting this man's name in a work of this kind, neither would his name have been remembered in history, had it not been for being connected with the church's history, yet as that part of his history which relates to the church opens a beautiful lesson, for instruction, I hope the Reader will indulge me with adding a few lines more before that we dismiss the recollection of the impious character of Sennacherib.
We are told that in the Lord's delivering the church from the threatenings and slaughter of this man, the "angel of the Lord went out that night, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred, four-score, and five thousand; and when they arose in the morning, behold they were all dead corpses." (2 Kings 19:35) By the angel of the Lord we may suppose is meant the messenger of the Lord, for so the word is. It is not necessary to connect the meaning of the passage, as if it was one of those beings of light which are called angels. Some have thought that this visitation from the Lord was by pestilence, or one of those fatal winds which are known to visit those climates, which, wheresoever they come they sweep off with the besom of destruction. And they who have construed the passage in this sense have observed that it is said by the Lord, before the judgment took place. "Behold, I will send a blast upon him." See the parallel history, Isaiah 37:1-38. And as it was by night, and the Assyrian camp unprepared for so unexpected a judgment, this blast, like a devouring, fire, entered the camp, commissioned by the Lord, and destroyed them. One circumstance is related which seems very strikingin the morning they were all dead corpses. Those who have witnessed the injury done by this pestilential meteor, or fiery wind, or blast, relate that the bodies so destroyed are quickly after reduced to ashes as if calcined or burnt in an oven. When we consider what is said of the Siroc winds of the warm though milder climates than Africa, I mean Sicily and Malta, we may easily conceive how fatal the Semyel, or Simoon as they are called, of those pestilential climates may be, especially when commissioned by the Lord. And the slaughter of such an army in one night carried with it the fullest and most decided testimony that it was indeed effected by the messenger, the angel of the Lord.
I have introduced this observation of the Lord's judgment on Sennacherib's army by way of introducing another; namely, what safety are the people of the Lord brought into when all the creation of God waits as ministering servants to execute the divine judgments on their enemies! "Winds and storms fulfilling his word," sickness and the word, angels and messengers, all wait to execute the Lord's commands. "Are they not all (saith the Scripture) ministering spirits, seat forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14) Hence with an eye to Christ, and to his people secured in him, the Lord's promise runs"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." (Psalms 91:1-16 throughout.) First spoken to Christ, and then to all the seed of Christ everlastingly secured in him.