The “Assyrian” Invasion of America: Laying Out The Angry, Anti-American Mobs Before The LORD
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Burning, Looting, Monument-Toppling, Inc.
How do we approach God to pray about the violent extremism of angry mobs, rioters, looters, pyromaniacs, trained Marxists, and domestic terrorists who are infesting and destroying America today? These pillagers rob, murder, vandalize, topple statues, desecrate historical monuments, and “cancel” anyone who “dares” to express disdain toward their disrespect of humanity, destruction of property, and deeds of lawless behavior.
Democrat politicians and their partner, the mainstream media, like to refer to this uncouth conduct as a “peaceful political movement.” Right. Like the radical Islamic protests at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001?
Expressing their undeniable hatred of America, the Democrat Party and MSM leaders cover for the mobs they are encouraging, funding, and applauding.
Foreign and domestic terrorists have this in common—an intense hatred of America. Flying planes into buildings? Burning the American flag in the thick of violent rioting? Are the underlying goals any different? No. Both want to destroy America. Jesus said “for each tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:44).
Nonetheless, as the American public is well aware, these violent extremist “protests” are anything but peaceful. They represent the behavior of totalitarians and tyrants and people that hate America. The movement is widespread, organized, and monetarily compensated violence against the emblems and the spirit of the American way of life.
As President Trump said during the crucial and pivotal Mount Rushmore speech on July 3, 2020:
There is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought, struggled, and bled to secure.
Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children. Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.
Yes, these are vile, violent, and vicious enemies. These criminal rioters and delinquent thugs are ferociously anti-American. They lie about our founding. They hate and mock our belief in God. They defy God by their worship of government, quest for power, meting out of justice, and craving of glory. And along with destroying our history and government, they also want to destroy our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
Still the mandate from Jesus to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). And the results are too great to throw away over some ill-educated and uncivilized mobsters, “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:45).
We can pray for the angry mobs who are dangerous enemies of this nation. But that does not, nor will it ever, mean we must accept, agree, or adhere to their vile behaviors or anti-American beliefs.
So, back to the original question, how do we pray about the angry mobs, rioters, looters, trained Marxists, and domestic terrorists who are attempting to overthrow the U.S. government and setup a Marxist/Socialist government, enslave American citizens, rewrite America’s history, and to destroy the American way of life?
As usual, the Bible answers all our questions. We need look no further than the Old Testament (OT).
The Assyrian Threat In The Old Testament
2 Kings 18-19, and its parallel in Isaiah 36-37, details the Assyrian invasion of Judah, and King Hezekiah’s dealings with King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army.
Assyria, the region’s dominant empire, extorted the nations around them. Failure of the nations to comply with Assyrian demands brought on the threat of a nation’s total destruction—burning cities, looting treasures, terrorizing citizens—a complete undoing of the people’s way of life.
2 Kings 18-19 occurs during Israel’s divided kingdom era in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Earlier chapters in Kings recount how Assyria had continually ravaged and tormented the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In King Hoshea’s 6th year, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, invaded all the land and attacked Samaria (2 Kings 17:5).
In 722 BC, after a three year siege, Assyria captured the capitol city and took the Jews of the northern tribes into exile. Assyria’s policy combined settling captives of war in Assyrian cities and resettling Assyrians in captured nations.
Royal Replay
The capture of Samaria is recorded in the regnal record of Israel’s King Hoshea (2 Kings 17). Making certain the reader doesn’t lose sight of the Northern Kingdom’s demise, Scripture replays what happened to Samaria at the beginning of Hezekiah’s royal record (18:8-11). Concluding this recital is a theological note explaining why the people were exiled (18:12).
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, 10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed. 2 Kings 18:8-12
Serving as a “hinge,” this passage looks backward to the results of the Northern Kingdom’s apostasy, while looking forward to the next chapter in “what will become” of Judah and the LORD’s beloved city of Jerusalem. Will the Southern Kingdom be obedient to the LORD?
Historical context plays an important role for appreciating the fear and faith of Hezekiah and the people of Judah. Samaria’s fall occurred in 722 BC. 2 Kings 18-19 occurs in 701 BC.
The Assyrian Angry Mob As An Analogy Of America’s Angry Mobs
Using the Assyrian invasion of Judah as an analogy of the angry mobs in America, this post highlights a few correlations found in 2 Kings 18-19.
Above all, the analogy confirms (again) that we can trust God wholeheartedly, knowing that He alone is Sovereign. The idols worshiped by the world—greed, power, control—are powerless. Yet, we worship an all-powerful God.
Not only is He LORD Almighty, He is a loving God Who listens to our prayers and will answer earnest petitions for our nation. He will redeem us for His glory. By faith, the LORD God will deliver America from the horrific, violent, murderous, and destructive movement currently taking place.
A Chase Bank ATM machine after a night of “peaceful” protest in San Diego, CA.
Angry Mobs Require Propagandists And Thought Police To Deceive The Public
Assyrian historians recording the annals of the kings sometimes revised history to present a monarch mighty in military exploits. In the case of 2 Kings 18-19, the annals of Sennacherib claim that he annihilated Lachish, but no evidence for this is found elsewhere. Likewise, Assyria’s utter defeat and loss of 185,000 soldiers (2 Kings 19:35-36) while in Judah’s heartland, is conveniently omitted. Seems fake news and covering for totalitarians is nothing new.
Likewise, left wing propagandists construct theories to explain the behavioral motivation propelling homicidal hordes to terrorize cities, scream at policemen, throw bricks, and plunder cheesecakes. And then they talk, ponder, spin, write, blog, report, and in general, “bs,” incessantly, about the newly minted social construct (cf. “systemic” this or that, “all lives can’t matter…”, “white guilt”, “political correctness”).
A leftist tactic, courtesy of Saul Alinsky, is to repeat a lie until, out of sheer repetition from hearing it, people begin to believe the lie. Marxism describes this as an appeal to the “nervous system” as opposed to a belief based on conviction of heart.
Satan’s tactics are complex subjects. Nonetheless, in this environment of outrageous fake news, outright lies, and out-and-out fraudulence by the mainstream media, we must guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7), perhaps as at no other time in history.
The overwhelming deception, along with the perpetuation of Alinsky and Marxist tactics, mostly from indoctrinated millennials (and older liberals trying to be relevant), requires us to remain vigilant. “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, in order to recognize Satan’s work in the world for what it is “calls for a mind with wisdom” (Revelation 17:9).
Being a Christian, it is natural to give people the benefit of the doubt. Especially knowing those “who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18) and as a result, their minds are dark and confused (Romans 1:21).
But, honestly, sometimes we make things too hard. From three centuries ago, the wisdom of Bishop Joseph Butler, speaks to us today: “Everything is what it is and nothing else.” Jesus speaks to us even more clearly today, everything is what it is, and makes guessing games unnecessary.
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. Luke 6:43-44
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:26-27
By these verses alone, it is evident that the burning, looting, monument-toppling, terrorizing, vandalizing, murderous, etc., mobs, who are destroying America, do NOT espouse truth nor justice. Any call for justice must be established in truth.
A Brief History Of King Hezekiah’s Dealings With The Assyrian Mobs
In 701 BC, the Assyrian King, Sennacherib, embarked on a well-funded and highly organized military onslaught to crush the Southern Kingdom of Judah and to destroy the Judaean way of life. Greed, power, and control motivated the exploits. Sennacherib’s arrogant disrespect and lack of compassion for other people betrayed his unbridled evil.
The massive Assyrian army came down along the Judaean coastline and its outlying areas burning, looting, marauding, assaulting, napalming, toppling, igniting, fighting, agitating, rioting, destroying towns, villages, and their inhabitants, and laying siege works against all fortified cities (2 Kings 18:13).
In addition to these barbaric infringements on a civil society, other means of warfare were used ruthlessly against the people of Judah—physical brutality, extermination of dissenters, destruction of homes and businesses, devastation of the landscape, theft, captivity, oppression, defiance of authority, verbal threats, emotional abuse, and psychological intimidation.
Hezekiah Rights A Past Wrong…
But Assyria’s Justification For Judah’s Destruction Was NEVER The Real Issue
After eradicating all routes in to and out of Judah, the Assyrian king directed the attack toward Judah’s heartland. The huge army laid siege to Lachish (2 Kings 18:14), a fortified city 55 miles west of Jerusalem.
Judah had become a slave, or vassal, nation to Assyria in the years preceding the invasion. As part of this arrangement, Judah was forced to pay shakedown to them.
Earlier in his reign, King Hezekiah had rebelled against Assyria (2 Kings 18:7). Now, in hopes of compelling Sennacherib to withdraw from the region, the Davidic king sent tribute to him while he fought Lachish (2 King 18:14-16). With temple doors and doorposts stripped of their gold overlay, Judah’s King had done all in his power to appease the Assyrian demands.
According to 8th century BC rules of military engagement, Assyria should have left the area after receiving Hezekiah’s payment. However, totalitarians often change the rules—unannounced—to accommodate their political aspirations (which are so outrageous and offensive, they are rarely vocalized; cf. Bernie Sanders handing over the Democrat 2020 primary to a much weaker candidate).
Anarchists, whose desire is complete power and control, can never be trusted to uphold law, order, rules, and long-standing traditions.
Assyrian Mob’s First Riot At Jerusalem
Therefore, the Assyrian dictator deployed an angry mob, led by a high official called the Rabshakeh, to Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17-37). This officer was tasked with compelling Hezekiah to surrender to “the great king.”
The Assyrian mob’s physical presence at the city gate was terrifying enough. Using psychological intimidation to intensify the horror, the riffraff made threats against Judah’s livelihood and mocked Judah’s trust in the LORD.
Palace officials immediately relayed the mobs’ coercive and condemning words to Hezekiah. Responding at once, the King sent them to Isaiah the prophet (2 Kings 19:1-4). Reminiscent of the David and Goliath narrative (1 Samuel 17:26, 17:36), the King asks Isaiah to pray for the people of Judah:
It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left. 2 Kings 19:4
Isaiah responded:
Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ 2 Kings 19:5-7
Isaiah Prophesies The Doom Of The Assyrian Mob’s Leader
Isaiah’s “Thus says the LORD,” (vv. 6-7) stands in stark contrast to the word of the “great king of Assyria” (2 Kings 18:19, 28). In fact, the Great King of all the earth will so influence Sennacherib’s thinking (“put a spirit in him”) that when he hears a certain report he will abandon his own military campaign and return to his country where he will be killed.
Upon the Rabshakeh’s return, he finds that Sennacherib has left Lachish. Could this be the rumor? Suspense begins to mount.
On further analysis, however, Sennacherib had left Lachish to go fight against Libnah a few miles northeast. Therefore, the Assyrians remains firmly rooted in Judah’s heartland. And they are even closer to Jerusalem(!).
The prophecy against the Assyrian King and his army had been reassuring but it didn’t state exactly when all of it would take place. Similar to us waiting for John Durham to send some people to prison. Will Hezekiah’s trust falter? (Will ours?)
To be sure, the Word of God spoken against the pagan king stands. Even a good king like Hezekiah had to wait on God sometimes. In the gap between faith and sight, the king held firmly to the Word of God spoken. And faith did not disappoint. God intervened again.
Assyrian Mob’s Second Riot At Jerusalem
The Assyrian king hears about the advance of Tirhakah, king of Cush (2 Kings 19:9). Believing that Hezekiah had summoned the Cushites (are you trusting in Egypt? 2 Kings 18:21), Sennacherib sends his angry mob to Hezekiah once again.
On this mob deployment, the issue of “Hezekiah deceiving the people about trusting the LORD” (2 Kings 18:28 ff.) is no longer the disinformation du jour. Instead, Sennacherib doubled down. Pompously, his message declared that it is “Hezekiah himself being deceived by the God in whom he trusts” (2 Kings 19:10).
His monumental arrogance on full display, Sennacherib’s message implies that Judah’s little-g god is weak and duplicitous. In addition, the Assyrian announces that this little-g god will be destroyed like the deities of so many other lands that have been left in his burned, looted, rioted, intimidated, and spray-painted wake (vv. 12-13).
The Grit Of Terrorists Is Always Built On The Sand
The Assyrians should have left weeks ago, when they were ahead. Yet, the terrorist threats continued. Trite nuisances such as rules, laws, traditions, and Divine rights of individuals, hindered the achievement of their goals.
Certain dynamics, such as time and place may change, but all dictatorial, angry mobs have the same totalitarian goals. Trained Marxists and domestic terrorists burning, looting, and monument-toppling America have a goal to destroy the U.S. and to remake our great nation into their own Marxist hellhole image.
Trump described this well in the Mt. Rushmore speech and it is so worth repeating:
Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.
To make this possible, they are determined to tear down every statue, symbol, and memory of our national heritage.
Against every law of society and nature, our children are taught in school to hate their own country, and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but that were villains. The radical view of American history is a web of lies — all perspective is removed, every virtue is obscured, every motive is twisted, every fact is distorted, and every flaw is magnified until the history is purged and the record is disfigured beyond all recognition.
This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore. They defile the memory of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Today, we will set history and history’s record straight.
For the record, totalitarian, communist, socialist, nazi, marxist, authoritarian, progressive, globalist, Democrat, liberal, whatever they want to call themselves, their tactics are also their complete undoing.
Lessons From Hezekiah
Hezekiah’s dealings with Sennacherib teach us an important lesson. Dealing with sinister and totalitarian regimes, such as domestic terrorists, trained Marxists, and angry mobs running rampant in America, is never straightforward. Lawless people are unpredictable.
But our Lord is faithful. Because we know God, we can trust that America’s domestic terrorists stand defeated. Because we know God, like Hezekiah, we trust that God hears our prayers for deliverance. He will rescue us. He will not allow evil of this magnitude to go unchecked.
The Solution To Anti-American Mobs Is A God Solution: Trust God and Pray
1. God’s People Must Be Courageous and Trust God
Again, from President Trump’s Mt. Rushmore speech:
Our Founders launched not only a revolution in government, but a revolution in the pursuit of justice, equality, liberty, and prosperity. No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America. And no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation.
It was all made possible by the courage of 56 patriots who gathered in Philadelphia 244 years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence. They enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said: “…all men are created equal.”
These immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom. Our Founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights — given [to] us by our Creator in Heaven. And that which God has given us, we will allow no one, ever, to take away — ever.
From head to toe, George Washington represented the strength, grace, and dignity of the American people. From a small volunteer force of citizen farmers, he created the Continental Army out of nothing and rallied them to stand against the most powerful military on Earth.
But just as patriots did in centuries past, the American people will stand in their way — and we will win, and win quickly and with great dignity.
The President’s words, like the Founders 244 years ago, are firmly rooted in the Divine Truth that all men are created equally. And in the bold declaration that we are all endowed with the same divine rights.
Trained Marxists and other domestic terrorists have NO right to terrorize this nation and its citizens. NONE!
Nothing in America’s history gives anyone the right to destroy our nation and take away the freedom that has made our country the greatest nation on earth.
NOTHING in our past, or present, gives anyone this right.
The pyromaniacal barbarians, and their Democrat supporters, can continue spewing lies all they want, but it will NEVER. MAKE. IT. TRUE.
2. God’s People Must Lay It ALL Out Before The LORD
After Sennacherib’s second deployment of the angry mob to Jerusalem, Hezekiah’s response is swift. He does not ask Isaiah to pray for the city as he did earlier (2 Kings 19:4). Instead, the king himself goes to the House of the Lord and prays.
Hezekiah’s prayer in 2 Kings 19:14-19 is his storming the beach at Normandy—the decisive turning point of Jerusalem being freed from Assyrian conquest.
And in case you’re wondering what comes of Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, 2 Kings 19:20-34 is the rest of the story! Isaiah’s prophecy is completely fulfilled.
Important Question To Ponder
How many Assyrians have you ever met?
Prayer Prep
The Rabshakeh delivered a letter to Hezekiah from Sennacherib containing threats toward Jerusalem and blaspheming the Lord God. Scripture says:
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. 2 Kings 19:14
1. On a piece of paper, write all the threats, actions, destruction, words, motives, etc. that you want to lay out before God concerning the current burning, looting, monument-toppling, plundering, murdering, rioting “Assyrian” invasion that is attempting to destroy the American way of life.
Here’s an example:
2. Take it to your place of prayer, church altar, closet, wherever you meet with God and lay it out before Him.
Prayer
3. Pray Hezekiah’s Prayer
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.
2 Kings 19:15-19
In The Name Of Jesus Christ Our King, Amen
Note: Stay alert and keep watch. Something tells me that God will answer this prayer HUGELY!
By faith, PAGA is ready to praise God for answers to this prayer…
Update: PAGA Praise…
Update: PAGA Praise…
