2 Kings 18

Just before the Assyrian Empire finally conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, God gave a good king to reign in Judah to the south. Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, was far more faithful than his father. Here was a king who even removed the high places of false worship that others before him had been unwilling or unable to remove. Other idols that had become sacred to the people were finally destroyed during his reign. He trusted in the Lord, and the Lord was with him.

When the king of Assyria came against Israel in the north, he also threatened Judah in the south. Many cities of Judah were lost to the Assyrians. In one of the great power encounters recorded in the Bible, the Assyrian representative mocked Hezekiah's trust in the Lord. This foreign ambassador did all that he could to undermine the faith of the king and of the people of Judah.

One of the key arguments of this pagan representative was that the gods of many other nations had not been able to withstand the power of the great king of Assyria. Did the people of Judah really believe that their God would be any different? This was a direct affront to the God of the Hebrews. Would Yahweh defend His own Name?

It is foolish to challenge Almighty God in this way. He is far above the dead gods of other nations. He has a perfectly appropriate zeal for His own reputation.

The story of the Lord's victory in the days of Hezekiah is recorded for us in the next chapter. For now it is enough for us to consider the arrogance of mankind. How dare we challenge the Lord of Glory?

Moving ahead several hundred years, the cross was another place of a brash challenge to the God of the Jews. Some expected Jesus to be intimidated by the pressures that caused others to fear. Had they adequately considered who this Man was? Jesus is the Son of God, now come in human flesh. He took on our humanity in order to redeem us.

When we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, we forget God. We also minimize matters of first importance which alone can satisfy our hearts. Christ died and rose again according to the Scriptures. His person and teaching have empowered us to bring the good news of Jesus to those who are looking for answers in life but are lacking any commitment to the household of faith.

No idol will every satisfy us. In Christ we have something far above another religious system. The cross of the Son of God is a powerful statement to proud men and angels. It calls us to give up on our self-centered arrogance and to believe the truths that have comforted millions when it would seem that the victory of the world, the flesh, and the devil could not be denied. When we are tempted to believe the devil's lies, we remember again that Jesus is Lord, that His death has saved us from certain destruction, that His resurrection was unstoppable, and that the way of salvation that He is bringing will lead to a world of the greatest everlasting significance.