Isaiah 36 · Grade 4

Rabshakeh at the Wall

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Read and Think

Isaiah 36-39 tells history. Much of it is also in 2 Kings 18-20. "Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah and captured them." Then he sent Rabshakeh, his officer, to Jerusalem.

Rabshakeh stood by the conduit of the upper pool. Isaiah had once met King Ahaz there (Isaiah 7:3). He asked, "What confidence is this in which you trust?" He said Egypt was a weak reed. He even claimed, "Yahweh said to me, “Go up against this land, and destroy it.”"

The officials asked him to speak Aramaic so the people would not understand. Instead he shouted in Hebrew: "Don't let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh." He said no god had saved any land from Assyria. "But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, “Don't answer him.”"

Show What You Know

Which other book also tells this history?
Where did Rabshakeh stand?
Why did Rabshakeh shout in Hebrew?
What did the people do?

Think About It

The people did not answer Rabshakeh's mocking. When is staying quiet a wise way to respond to someone who mocks your faith?
Rabshakeh asked, What confidence is this in which you trust? How would you answer that question about your own faith?

Memory Verse

But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”

Isaiah 36:21 (WEB)

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Prayer

Dear God, thank You for keeping me trusting You. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can you tell when someone uses God's name wrongly?
The officials tore their clothes and brought the news to the king. Who should you tell when you hear something scary?