OUR TREASURE

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EMMANUEL MINISTRIES
902 So. 11TH AVE YAKIMA, WA. 98902
JANUARY 2008(509)-453-9623 fretwell@aol.com




OUR TREASURE

About 700 years before Jesus was born, an incident took place that deserves our attention and learning. It is quite a story, and it is all true.

A portion of the descendants of Shem began to get strong among the families (nations) dwelling on the earth. So strong, in fact, that they got their eyes on World Domination.

That is the third strongest desire of the human heart (conquering, controlling others), and many individuals, and Nations fall prey to its delusions. IT IS A WORK OF THE FLESH.

The history of the Assyrians goes a long way back—to the grandson of Noah.
Gen 10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, (the son of Shem-M.F.) and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

We know that Nineveh was a strong, and a wicked city. It did turn to God at one point, as a result of the preaching of Jonah, but it didn't last long.

In the course of time, the Assyrians became a very strong nation, lusting for power and domination.

Actually, the Lord used them as a whip to punish His Own People for their neglect of the right way, and their refusal to do what was pleasing to the Lord.

The Assyrian armies had conquered many other nations. The ten Northern tribes of Israel had fallen before them and had been taken into exile to Assyria (721 BC). The Assyrians had re-populated their native land (Samaria) with people from other nations and geographical areas.

Many fenced cities of the Southern Kingdom of Judah had also been conquered and brought into slavery and tribute to the King of Assyria. He was actually on his way to Egypt, but decided to conquer Jerusalem before he left the area.

Jerusalem was, by that time, ripe for punishment the same as Israel was, except for a Prophet of God who just would not keep quiet. For the sake of David, whom God had loved and who himself loved God to the best of his human ability, God had raised up the Prophet Isaiah. This Prophet devoted the greater part of the first 39 chapters of the book that was later to be named for him, to the subject of the Assyrian king, and what Jerusalem should do about him.

He strenuously urged Hezekiah, the King, to change his ways and to urge his subjects to change their ways, telling them that God would be merciful to them if they would change their attitude (repent) and serve The God who had brought their forefathers out of Egypt with a High Hand.

He told them that they had in their possession, if they would use it, the greatest weapon ever made to assure the intervention of God in their behalf. He told the King, and Jerusalem:

Isa 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the FEAR OF THE LORD IS HIS* TREASURE.—KJV

*(Hezekiah's; or rather, "Judea's." "His" refers to the same; such changes from the pronoun possessive of the second person to that of the third are common in Hebrew poetry—Albert Barnes)

Isa 33:6 and give stability to the nation. He always protects his people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. THEIR GREATEST TREASURE IS THEIR REVERENCE FOR THE LORD.—Good News Bible

Isa 33:6 He will be the foundation of your future. The riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge. THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS YOUR TREASURE.—God’s Word

There could have been other scriptures to go with those of Isaiah. I will add a couple more for you and me to consider.

Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Pro 15:16 Better is little with the FEAR OF THE LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.

I can’t tell you how long the Assyrians laid siege to the city of Jerusalem, but it seems like memory tells me it was a long one. Finally it became quite serious, and the invading Army General became very bold in his railing on the King and the God of Jerusalem, to the point of blasphemy. Part of his railing sounded like this:

2Ki 18:31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:

2Ki 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

2Ki 19:1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.
2Ki 19:2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, COVERED WITH SACKCLOTH, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

2Ki 19:3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
2Ki 19:4 IT MAY BE THE LORD THY GOD WILL HEAR ALL THE WORDS of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to REPROACH THE LIVING GOD; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.

It is NEVER WRONG to ask the Lord about anything we are confronted with. Hezekiah was wise to take the action he did.

Isaiah 37 gives a vivid detailed account of the response of the Prophet, very similar to what I have chosen here. It is a good read.

2Ki 19:6 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

2Ki 19:34 For I WILL DEFEND THIS CITY, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
2Ki 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand (185,000): and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

2Ch 32:22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, AND FROM THE HAND OF ALL OTHER, and guided them on every side.

Can you imagine the mess 185,000 dead bodies would create in a very short time? And within yelling distance of the walls of the city?

But, God, who knows all things from their beginning, was equal to the situation. He had already, perhaps when He created the earth, made provision for a mass burial very close to the walls of Jerusalem. Close by were a couple of very large “holes” in the earth where the inhabitants of Jerusalem could dump those dead corpses after stripping them of any valuables they had on them.

--Excerpt from John Gill Commentary:
“---only would add what Rauwolff (t) observes, that still to this day (1575 AD) there are two great holes to be seen, wherein they flung the dead bodies (of the Assyrian army), one whereof is close by the road towards Bethlehem, the other towards the right hand against old Bethel.”

Verily, today it is still true that trusting God and being obedient to Him is the most valuable asset we humans can possess. If we have sinned in any way, the answer is to repent (change our attitude toward God), and then call on God for His Mercy, which will NEVER FAIL.

We can ALWAYS trust in His Wisdom (it is perfect), and His Guiding Hand (it is more powerful than ours).

Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Pro 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Pro 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Pro 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life.

Hos 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy