4/21/2021 - DON’T ANSWER A FOOL!

“Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.” Proverbs‬ ‭26:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As I read my reading for today, my eyes fell on a number of verses I had underlined in another chapter. Then I heard the Spirit of the Lord speak these words. “ Don’t answer a fool.” I chuckled at His sense of humor, but I was reminded of a Proverb of Solomon who also became the wisest fool who ever lived, through disobedience. Whose fool are you? I’d rather be ridiculed for being a fool for Christ, than the devil’s fool, whose ways always end in destruction.

In Isaiah 36 we’ll read the words of a pompous arrogant fool. As a matter of fact he sounds like the voices of today. Voices that are questioning the authenticity of our faith in the One True and Living God. They feel empowered by our lack of evidence to our faith. They’re emboldened by our tepid response to their questions about who our God is. We have failed to demonstrate fear, reverence and integrity in our own lives for the God of heaven and His commands. Can’t blame them if we aren’t convinced ourselves. But thank God, He always has a remnant, all is not lost. The battle isn’t over but the victory is certain.

“In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable! “But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God!’ But isn’t He the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down His shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? “I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers? What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord Himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.” But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.” Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’ “Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards. “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?” But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, “Do not answer him.” Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭36:1-22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sounds like a threat to me. Also sounds like they think God is deaf or that He has no power. When the noisemakers get their way, they think they’re in charge. They throw their threats around like the rest of the world is supposed to bow in compliance to their demands. It’s their way or the highway. The lgbtq or whatever other alphabet they add next, wants the nation to agree with their agenda or else they will lock down your businesses or ruin your life. And because they control the purse strings of politicians, they think they have the upper hand. But God is still on His throne, last I checked.

This is no different than when mobs used to force businesses to pay them for protection. I’m not homophobic, I believe God has given us free will to live however we choose, but He’s also given us free will to reject what we don’t approve of. This in no way prevents folks from believing what they want, but I’m under no obligation to support anything that goes against my belief in the authority of God’s Word. Having said that I love all my fellowman, as the Bible instructs me to, but I hate sin and what it does to people. We don’t get to decide what sin is or isn’t, God has already done that. I choose to listen to Him. 1 John 5:17

The king of Assyria is a mocker of Jehovah. He was using his past victories as leverage to sow fear in the hearts of God’s people, and to let them question Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord to bring deliverance to His people. I like that the people kept silent. Sometimes we talk too much. The best response at times is no response. Keep fools guessing. It gives them a false sense of superiority, they think they’ve got you over a barrel because you didn’t respond. Jesus did that at His mock trial, Pilate, stunned by His silence, asked if He wasn’t going to say anything? Matthew 27:12-13. Silence can be a formidable force against the enemy. He can’t read minds.

In Isaiah 37 when Hezekiah heard what Sennacherib said he went into the temple of the Lord and sent his leaders to enquire of the prophet Isaiah. If only we would seek the Lord for the right response to our enemies instead of groveling and bending to the cancel culture, we’d have a nation that would experience the power of God. But as long as we choose the same posture of apology and compromise, they’ll never know that our God is alive and harkens to the voice of His people. Listen to what should happen when God is sought as the solution.

“When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. But perhaps the Lord your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!” After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah, the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against Me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I Myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’”

That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭37:1-7, 36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I need you to read chapter 37 in its entirety. Sometimes God allows certain events to take place in a nation for His purposes. What messes most people up, is that they begin to believe in their own greatness and power. The king of Assyria was used of God in these instances because of the rebellion of Israel in worshiping other gods. But Sennacherib had now made a grave error- an error that the pride of the elites in America are making today- Blaspheming and raising their voices against the Holy One of Israel. Ridiculing the Lord and His Word, and have lifted up their eyes in pride. In verse 28 the Lord reminded Sennacherib that He knew where to find him. Lol

It would behoove our leaders to humble themselves and remember who has given them the offices in which they serve. They are accountable to God for the way they govern and the policies they write or endorse. The greatest leaders make the best servants. Just look at the Life Jesus led. He being God, told His disciples that He came to serve not to be served. He said the greatest among us should be a servant. Matthew 20:28 and Matthew 23:11. Oh my that we would believe that.

Because Hezezkiah and the people didn’t answer a fool, but rather sought the Lord.m, the Lord took care of their problem: a prideful arrogant king, drunken by his own self importance and reveling in his victory over opponents. They woke up to corpses, 185,000 to be exact, struck down by one angel. The answer to a fool is our confidence in our God. Don’t let your heart faint because of what’s going on around you. God knows where they are, when they come and go, and hears their rage against Him. He’s still answering the prayers of the righteous. Hold your peace. He will give the answer of your tongue.🙏

Written by permission of the Holy Spirit

W. Tennant

April 21, 2021