Day 343 – God’s Armor

2 Kings 18:1 Now it happened in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was right in the sight of JEHOVAH, according to everything his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, so that after him was none like him among the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to JEHOVAH; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which JEHOVAH had commanded Moses. 7 JEHOVAH was with him; he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

 9 Now it happened in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of JEHOVAH their Elohiym, but transgressed His covenant and everything Moses the servant of JEHOVAH had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.

 13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” The king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah with three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 Thus, Hezekiah gave him the silver found in the house of JEHOVAH and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of JEHOVAH, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.

 17 Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to Fuller’s Field. 18 When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. In whom do you trust that you rebel against me? 21 Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to everyone who trust in him. 22 However, if you say to me, ‘We trust in JEHOVAH our Elohiym,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah took away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You will worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?”’ 23 “Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you can on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without JEHOVAH against this place to destroy it? JEHOVAH said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”

 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

 27 However the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in JEHOVAH, saying, “JEHOVAH will deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. However, do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “JEHOVAH will deliver us.” 33 ‘Has any of the elohiym of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the elohiym of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the elohiym of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among the elohiym of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that JEHOVAH should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”

 36 However, the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”

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

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Kurios – Supreme Authority

Theos – Supreme Divinity

Pneuma – Mighty Wind, Breath, Spirit

God’s character:

Deliverer

How do you respond when someone threatens you? Do you stand your ground, or do you give in and do what they ask so they will leave you in peace?

After Assyria took Israel captive they went against Judah. They threatened Hezekiah with captivity. However, Hezekiah told the king of Assyria he was wrong and paid the tribute the king of Assyria assessed from him. Then the king of Assyria sent his mighty warriors against the people to harass them and told them not to listen to what Hezekiah told them because none of the elohiym of Israel could stand against him. Neither could JEHOVAH.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, He promised to protect you from your enemy, Satan. You are not to listen to his lies but send him packing with JEHOVAH’S Word on your tongue. Satan will not back down. He will do his best to convince you that you’re not good enough for salvation. Or he will tell you your salvation wasn’t real; you still belong to him. You are to do what Hezekiah told the people, do not listen to or respond to him. Your salvation is real. You are Yeshuwa’s child. He will defend you and fight for you.

When you stand against Satan with your armor in place, nothing can penetrate, and Satan must flee from you.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Kurios and in the power of His might.

 11 Put on the whole armor of Theos, so that you can stand against the wiles of the devil.

 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 13 Therefore, take the whole armor of Theos, so that you can withstand the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above everything, taking the shield of faith with which you can quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Pneuma, which is the word of Theos; 18 praying always with prayer and supplication in the Pneuma, being watchful to this end with perseverance and supplication for the saints—

When Judah said nothing to Sennacherib, he was powerless against Judah. Satan is powerless against you too when you allow Yeshuwa to fight your battles.

Let’s pray: Father, help me stand in my armor when Satan comes against me, knowing You will fight for me and I have nothing to fear from him because greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. Let me praise you with the songs of praise Satan hates and watch him flee from me because I have Your Word on my tongue and in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 27 December 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux