“But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “‘Do not answer him.”
~ Isaiah 36:21
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you intrigued with what is taking place in the Middle East? Why do you think that the guys, gals and kids who are living in Israel’s land area are always getting picked on by their neighbors? Why do you think that guys like the guys who are terrorists with Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups are always trying to kill guys, gals and kids who are living in Israel’s land area? Hamas terrorists operate out of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is a tiny, narrow strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the southwest side of the land area that Israelite people group guys, gals and kids now occupy. The town of Gaza about 3400 years ago was one of five key Philistine people group towns. When the Israelite people group guys purged the different people groups of guys, gals and kids who were living in the land area of Canaan – or Palestine, from the land area of Canaan – or Palestine, the Israelite people group guys did not eradicate the Philistine people group guys, gals and kids. The land area of Canaan – or Palestine, was the land area that Abraham settled. Jacob was Abraham’s grandkid. Jacob had twelve boys. Because of an extended famine in the land area of Canaan –or Palestine, Jacob and his eleven remaining boys – and their families, ended up relocating to Goshen, Egypt. Jacob’s other boy – Joseph, was already living in Egypt – where he had an influential position alongside the Egyptian Pharaoh. After living for about 475 years in Goshen, Egypt, Abraham’s extended family through the twelve boys who were born to Jacob and to his two wives – Leah and Rachel and to each wife’s maidservant – Bilhah and Zilpah, was over two million guys, gals and kids. It took the Israelite people group guys and gals forty years to make the exodus trek – a trek that they could have made in a couple of weeks if they had not been so hardheaded, back to the land of their family roots. Once the Israelite people group guys and gals were back in the land area where their patriarch Abraham had once called home and which God had told His specially chosen guys and gals that they would always have to live in as their very own land if . . . God’s specially chosen guys and gals did not obediently do as God instructed them to do and did what God instructed them not to do. The guys and gals who were living in Israel’s land area were not as concerned from the very beginning about the guys and gals from other people groups of guys and gals who were living among them in the land that God had given them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . as were the people groups of guys and gals who were living in countries near Israel’s land area. Other than for a relatively short period of time when Israel became during the reign of Solomon a world power, the Israelite people group guys and gals seemed to be okay with just living within their understood country boarders. This has never stopped people groups guys – such guys from the Palestine/Philistine Hamas terror group, from doing whatever to reclaim a land area that was never their land area to begin with.
As Abraham’s extended family of guys and gals was growing through twelve tribal clans that originated from the twelve sons of Jacob, so was Kemuel’s extended family of guys and gals. Kemuel was a nephew of Abraham. Kemuel lived in Aram’s land area. Aram’s land area about 2700 years ago had become Assyria’s land area. During the short period of time that Assyria was a world power, Assyria’s army overran the land areas Judah – except for the city of Jerusalem, and conquered the guys, gals and kids who were living in the land area of Israel. Kemuel had twelve sons. Kemuel’s twelve sons became twelve tribal clans. Your grandpaa thinks that guys and gals who are Hezbollah terrorists are distant cousins of Israelite people group guys and gals – and that Hezbollah connected guys and gals are insanely jealous of Israel’s unique role in history. Assyrian or Aramean guys – who are in Kemuel’s extended family, were never able to totally overrun and kill all of Abraham’s extended family of guys, gals and kids. Isaiah – in Isaiah 36, recounts an Assyrian king trying to bluff a Judah king – who was Hezekiah, into surrendering to him but . . . Sennacherib – who was Assyria’s king, sent his field commander to the edge of the city of Jerusalem to offer Hezekiah a deal. The city of Jerusalem was by now fortified and almost impregnable. Part of Sennacherib’s deal was that he would give Hezekiah 2000 horses if Hezekiah surrendered to him. Sennacherib’s field commander met with three guys – who Hezekiah sent as his representatives, at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool. Hezekiah’s guys were Eliakim – who was Hezekiah’s palace administrator, Shebna – who was Hezekiah’s secretary and Joah – who was Hezekiah’s recorder. Sennacherib’s army commander first attempted to belittle what Hezekiah had done when Hezekiah had the idols destroyed that been used to worship Baal by saying that what Hezekiah had done had taken away their being saved by any god. Sennacherib’s army commander then tried to frightening the guys and gals who lived in the city of Jerusalem by loudly saying in Hebrew that they were going to end up with absolutely no food at all to eat. Sennacherib’s army commander then tried to fool Hezekiah’s representatives by telling the three guys that Sennacherib would make sure that they would get all the wine, fig trees and water that they wanted. If you had been one of Hezekiah’s representatives or if you had been kids sitting on the wall listening to what you were hearing Sennacherib’s field commander say, what would you have done? Verse 21 says, “But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “‘Do not answer him.”’
Satan is pulling Sennacherib’s field commander today as he is doing all that he can to scare, trick and mock Christ-follower guys, gals and kids. Going to God for help is the only hope that a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid has.
Isaiah 36 (732)