Sennacherib was king of the Assyrian Empire. He had a great army and had conquered all of the nations around him including the northern kingdom of Israel. He had his eyes set on the southern kingdom of Judah and was sure they would be an easy target. As he and his army approached Jerusalem, Judah’s King Hezekiah went to the temple of God and asked the Lord for deliverance. Isaiah the prophet sent word to Hezekiah that he should not be afraid of Sennacherib for the Lord would protect Jerusalem.

But the Lord also had a message for Sennacherib. It went this way:

II Kings 19:27-28
27 'But I know your dwelling place, your going out and your coming in, and your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult have come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. (NKJ)

I was struck by the fact Sennacherib had an internal rage against God. Could it be that the violence in Sennacherib’s life was a result of his rage toward God? I wonder how much of the violence in the world today is a result of the rage that people feel toward God. It could be that people have an internal rage toward God that they themselves have never articulated in their own minds. Maybe that truth would be too hard to accept.

When God refused Cain’s offering, Cain killed his brother, Abel. Does that make any sense? Abel had not done one thing to Cain. Cain really had an uncontrollable rage toward God which resulted in the murder of his brother, Abel. Cain could not deal with the fact that he hated God, so he killed his brother.

Just before the great flood of Noah’s day, God said that

Gen 6:5
5 . . . the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (NKJ)

Then God said:

Gen 6:11
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (NKJ)

Maybe their violence was really a result of their internal rage toward God and His righteousness. So much of the violence we see in the world today is senseless violence. There is terrorism throughout the world. There is violent crime in the streets and homes of every American city. There is only one solution for the rage that people feel toward God, and that is the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said:

John 15:9
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (NKJ)

The Apostle John said:
I Jn 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (NKJ)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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