The Book of Isaiah Chapter 36 39 6182021

The Book of Isaiah Chapter 36 -39 6/18/2021 The Book of Isaiah 1

The Book of Isaiah Historical Parenthesis Isaiah 36 Ahaz was a bad king; His successor was Hezekiah whom Isaiah served. In general, Hezekiah did well, • he tore down the idols throughout the land • reestablished worship to the true living God in Jerusalem. This was misunderstood by his enemies. Hezekiah’s anxiety comes from the imminent attack by the Assyrians, lead by Sennacherib. A major motivation in the battles of this day was the victory over foreign gods, proving conquering nation’s god/idol was “better” than loser’s god. Hezekiah had paid to be left alone, yet this was ignored by the Assyrians so Hezekiah turned to Egypt. 2 6/18/2021

God Save the King! Isaiah 36 -39 “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full. ” The Book of Isaiah Former U. S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, New York Times interview. 3 Crises come, whether schedules permit them or not. A crisis does not make a person; it shows what a person is made of. What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. Hezekiah faced three crises in a short time: • an international crisis (the invasion of the Assyrian army), • a personal crisis (sickness and near death), and • a national crisis (the visit of the Babylonian envoys). He came through the first two victoriously. The third one got him. Hezekiah was a great and godly man but he was still a man. He had all the frailties of human flesh. God’s great purpose in the life of faith is to build godly character. Hezekiah and his people needed to learn that faith is living without scheming. 6/18/2021

Historical Events Isaiah 36 -39 The Book of Isaiah Chapters 36 -39 are a historical supplement to the prophecies of chapters 1 -35 and record some of the important events which took place during the reign of king Hezekiah and in which Isaiah himself played a prominent role. The same events are recorded in 2 Kg 18 -21, 2 Chr 32 -33 The supplement completes the first part of Isaiah and serves as a background a bridge to the prophecies of the second part of his book (Chapters 40 -66). • Chapters 36 -37 describe Sennacherib's unsuccessful attempt to capture Jerusalem, and his assassination. • Chapter 38 records Hezekiah's sickness, his prayer and recovery. • Chapter 39 tells about the embassy which Merodach-Baladan, the prince of Babylon, sent to Hezekiah, and Hezekiah's folly in boastfully flaunting his wealth before the foreign visitors. The chapter closes with the prediction that the descendants of Hezekiah will be carried off into Babylonian captivity. 4 6/18/2021

Historical Events Isaiah 36 -39 Among Old Testament scholars there is an unresolved dispute over which of the two records is the original - Isaiah 36 -39 or 2 Kings 18: 13 -20; 19. The Book of Isaiah The references in 2 Chronicles 26: 22 and 32: 32 to Isaiah's historiographical activities and the prophet's habit of interspersing his oracles (e. g. 7: 1 -6; 8: 1 -4; 20: 1; 22: 15) with historical data, in addition to considerations of style, favor Isaiah as the author of chapters 36 -39, on which the record of 2 Kings was probably based. 5 6/18/2021

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 1 -2 The Book of Isaiah 1 And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went up against all the fortified cities of Judah. 2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh (the chief officer) from Lachish to Jerusalem, to king Hezekiah, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the Fuller's Field. After invading Judea in 701 BC and capturing many fortified cities, including the important fortress of Lachish about 30 miles SW of Jerusalem, the Assyrian field capital, Sennacherib sent three of his most important officers to arrange for Hezekiah’s surrender of the city: Tartan (“Supreme Commander”), Rabsaris (“Chief Officer”), and Rabshakeh (“Field Commander”). 6 These are military titles, 6/18/2021 not personal names.

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 3 3 And Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the master of the [royal] household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, went out to him. The Assyrian delegation was met by a delegation of high Judean officials. The men were three of Judah’s leading officials: Eliakim, Shebna (Isa 22: 15 -25), and Joah (36: 3). Shebna, may not be the same as the Shebna. The Book of Isaiah The place of their meeting was the very place where Isaiah confronted Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, some thirty years before (7: 3). Ahaz had refused to trust the Lord but had instead made a treaty with Assyria (2 Kings 16: 5 -9) and now the Assyrians were ready to take Jerusalem! Isaiah had warned Ahaz what Assyria would do (Isa 7: 17 -25) and his words were now fulfilled. 6/18/2021 7

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 4 -5 The Book of Isaiah 4 And the chief officer said to them: Go say to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What kind of confidence is it in which thou trustest? 5 I say: This is just vain talk. Counsel and strength, these are necessary for war. Now on whom dost thou rely that thou hast rebelled against me? 6/18/2021 8 The Assyrian general's harangue is a classic example of psychological warfare as it was practiced in ancient times. His address is brutal, insulting and designed to intimidate the listeners. The key word is trust, used seven times (vv. 4 -7, 9, is). “In what is your confidence? ” asked the field commander. “You can have no confidence, for everything you trust in has failed!”

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 6 6 Behold, thou hast put thy trust upon a broken reed, upon Egypt, upon which if a man lean, it will enter into his hand pierce it; so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who trust in him. The Assyrian General argues that Hezekiah's confidence in Egypt is in vain. It is no better than a broken reed, which can only hurt the one who leans upon it. A Bruised reed loses its compressive strength and bends. The Book of Isaiah Who do you trust? 9 6/18/2021

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 6 -7 7 And if thou wilt say to me: We trust in the LORD our God, is he not the One whose altars Hezekiah has removed and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, "only at this altar shall you worship? “ The Assyrian General argues that Hezekiah's confidence in the Judeans' faith in Jehovah is not justified either because, according to the Assyrian general, they have forfeited His favor by removing His altars from the country shrines and insisted that He be worshipped only at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Book of Isaiah 6/18/2021 10 Rabshakeh is misinformed! His data is correct, but his interpretation is wrong. They misunderstood thinking that Hezekiah tore down the idols, groves, altars in the field altars to force worship at Jerusalem. They didn’t realize the difference in gods and God; They thought that the tearing down of altars had offended the gods they worshiped, not that it honored their true God, Jehovah.

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 8 8 So now, do make a wager with my lord, the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if you wilt provide the horsemen to ride upon them. The Assyrian general ridicules the ability of Hezekiah to withstand the great might of Assyria 6/18/2021 11 The Book of Isaiah He offers to supply Hezekiah two thousand horses, if Hezekiah can find two thousand riders.

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 9 -10 The Assyrian general further insists that the Assyrian invasion of Jerusalem was ordered by Jehovah Himself. How could Judah fight against its own God? In one sense, this statement was true; for God is in charge of the nations of the world (10: 5 -6; Dan. 4: 17, 25, 32; 5: 21). But no nation can do what it pleases and use God for the excuse, as Sennacherib and his army would soon find out. 6/18/2021 12 The Book of Isaiah 9 How then canst thou repulse even the least of my lord's servants? And yet thou trustest in Egypt for chariots and horsemen! 10 And did I now come up against this land to destroy it without the LORD, who said to me, "Go up against this land destroy it? “

11 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah to Rabshakeh: Please speak to thy servants in Aramaic, for we understand it, but do not speak to us in Judean, in the earshot of the folk who sit on the wall. 12 Then said Rabshakeh; Is it to thy lord and to thee that my lord sent me to speak these words? Or is it rather to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their dung and drink their urine together with you? 13 So Rabshakeh stood and shouted aloud in Judean, and said: Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! The request of Hezekiah's representatives to the Assyrian not to speak in Judean (in Hebrew) in the hearing of the Judean army on the wall, but to speak in Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Middle East in those days, is rudely rejected by the Assyrian general, who continues his harangue in Hebrew. 6/18/2021 13 The Book of Isaiah An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 11 -13

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 12 12 Then said Rabshakeh; Is it to thy lord and to thee that my lord sent me to speak these words? Or is it rather to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their dung and drink their urine together with you? Sieges are horrible times for the people of the besieged city, forcing them to turn to cannibalism for survival! When Rabshakeh says, “That they may eat their own refuse and drink their own water” he is being literal and graphic, 6/18/2021 14 The Book of Isaiah Rabshakeh wants the people to know that if they do not surrender they will be under siege. A siege would seal a city for as long as it would take to starve out the people, The Romans encamped around a city for 15 -20 YEARS!

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 14 -16 a The Assyrian general offers to make a favorable agreement with the Judeans to this effect. The Hebrew word for "agreement" in verse 16 is "berachah" (a blessing), indicating the beneficial nature of the agreement. 6/18/2021 15 The Book of Isaiah 14 Thus says the king, Let not Hezekiah misguide you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 And let not Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city shall not be surrendered into the hand of the king of Assyria. " 16 a Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make a favorable agreement with me, …

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 16 b-17 The Assyrian general calls upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem to surrender in exchange for the privilege of peacefully enjoying the fruits of their labors for a brief time until they will later be resettled in another land similar to their own. The resettling of conquered nations in distant parts of the empire was a common practice of the Assyrians and later of the Babylonians. A divine act of justice came about a century later when the Assyrians themselves became the victims of this policy. They were forced to go into Babylonian captivity. They later were permitted in 539 B. C. to return to their own country by Cyrus the great emancipator of captive nations. 6/18/2021 16 The Book of Isaiah 16 b … and come out to me and let every man eat of his vine and every man of his fig tree and drink the water from his cistern. 17 Until I come and take you away into a land which is like your land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 18 -20 The Assyrian's effort to force the Judeans into surrender culminates in blasphemy when he compares Jehovah with the gods of the various conquered nations, such as Hamath and Arpad (previously mentioned in 10: 9), and Samaria, which fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC. 6/18/2021 17 The Book of Isaiah 18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The Lord will deliver us. " Have the gods of the nations, any one of them, delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath, of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? " And have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20 Who is there among all the gods of those lands that delivered their land from my hand, so that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 21 Hezekiah’s men were well instructed, they were to receive Rabshakeh, but not respond to his words. To the field commander, Jehovah was just another god, and Sennacherib did not need to worry about Him. Hezekiah and Isaiah had told the people to trust the Lord. Insolence is best answered with silence. Jerusalem’s deliverance did not depend on negotiating with the enemy but on trusting the Lord. God summons us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5: 7). To those Jews in Jerusalem who were living in unbelief, the field commander’s arguments must have seemed reasonable, and his evidence compelling. But, God had promised to deliver His people from the Assyrian army and His word would stand. 6/18/2021 18 The Book of Isaiah 21 But they held their peace and answered him not a word. For the king's command was: "Answer him not. "

An Attempt at Intimidation Isaiah 36: 22 Hezekiah and his officers humbled themselves before the Lord and sought His face. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7: 14). The royal delegation tore their clothing and reported the message of the Assyrian commander to Hezekiah. “. . . tore their cloths” - classic Jewish gesture of anguish (the first step towards sackcloth and ashes). 6/18/2021 19 The Book of Isaiah 22 Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the master of the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their garments torn and they reported to him the words of the chief officer.

Isaiah 37: 1 -38 Next to the deliverance from Egypt, Sennacherib's calamity stands as a landmark of divine watchfulness over the destiny of Israel. The miraculous intervention of God which frustrated Sennacherib's attempt to capture Jerusalem spared the Judeans the misery of exile and bondage for one more century. Even though the Lord had brought Assyria to chasten Judah, He had determined that Jerusalem would not be taken by the enemy (10: 5 -34). Hezekiah had been deathly ill, Isaiah had assured him of deliverance (38: 4 -6). So the king sent word to Isaiah, asking him to pray and the king himself called out to the Lord for help. 6/18/2021 20 The Book of Isaiah Repentance

Repentance Isaiah 37: 1 -38 God’s promises are sure, but God’s people must claim them by faith before God can work. That is why Isaiah sent the king a message from the Lord. His word of encouragement had three points: (1) do not be afraid, (2) the Assyrians will depart, and (3) the “great king” will die in Assyria. 6/18/2021 21 The Book of Isaiah In the building up of our faith, the Word of God and prayer go together. Rom 10: 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 1 And so it came to pass that when king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his garments and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. Psa 50: 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (a commandment or prophecy? ). When the three Assyrian officers returned to headquarters, they learned that an Egyptian army was on its way to help defend Hezekiah. Sennacherib did not want to fight a war on two fronts, so he started to put more pressure on Jerusalem to surrender immediately. This threatening message came to Hezekiah in the form of a letter, and he took it to the temple and “spread it before the Lord. ” Ps 55: 22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. ” 6/18/2021 22 The Book of Isaiah 1

Repentance Isaiah 37: 2 And he sent Eliakim, the master of the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the son of Amoz. Hezekiah will pray, but his answer will come through Isaiah. Dismayed by the insistence of the Assyrian general that Jerusalem surrender to his master, Hezekiah sends a prominent delegation of the highest state officials and priests to Isaiah asking him to intercede with the LORD for deliverance. The composition of the delegation shows the high respect in which Isaiah was held by the king and the court, as a man who stood close to God. Ps 121: 4 “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. ” Gen 12: 3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall families of the earth be blessed. ” 6/18/2021 23 The Book of Isaiah 2

Repentance Isaiah 37: 3 -5 3 And they said to him, thus says Hezekiah, this day is a day of trouble, of rebuke and blasphemy, for the children are come to the point of birth and there is no strength to bring them forth. For the children are come to birth (Hebrew: the matrke], and there is no strength to bring them forth. This may have been a popular saying which expressed extreme perplexity and inability to cope with a situation. Perhaps the LORD thy God will hear the words of the chief officer, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to taunt the living God and He will punish the words, which the LORD thy God has heard, when thou wilt make intercession for the remnant, which is left. 5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6/18/2021 24 The Book of Isaiah 4

Repentance Isaiah 37: 6 “Thus saith the Lord” - as grave an emphasis as possible. The prophet's answer is reassuring: The Lord will force Sennacherib to turn back by the same way in which he came. . . the lads of the king of Assyria This is an exact translation of the Hebrew, which the KJV renders: "the servants of the king of Assyria. " It is a contemptuous reference to the Assyrian messengers. “Servants” - minions, derogatory term. 6/18/2021 25 The Book of Isaiah 6 And Isaiah said to them: Thus shall you say to your master: Thus says the LORD! Do not be afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the lads of the king of Assyria have insulted me.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 7 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear a rumor and he will return to his country, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. 6/18/2021 26 The Book of Isaiah "Behold I will put a spirit in him“ - a spirit of confusion

Isaiah 37: 8 -9 8 And the Assyrian went back and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah; for he had heard that he departed from Lachish. 9 And he heard say about Tirhakah, the king of Ethiopia, "he has come to fight thee. " When he heard this he sent messengers to Hezekiah saying: Explains the circumstances which caused "a spirit of confusion" in Sennacherib's counsel. He heard a rumor or report (“shemuah“ - the same word occurs in 53: 1), that Tirhakah, the Ethiopian ruler of the Nile Valley empire, was about to launch a campaign against him. Tirhakah, like his predecessors, sought to incite the subject nations to revolt against their Assyrian masters. 6/18/2021 27 The Book of Isaiah Repentance

Repentance Isaiah 37: 10 -12 6/18/2021 28 The Book of Isaiah 10 Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be surrendered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely, and wilt thou be delivered? 12 Have the gods of those nations delivered them whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the Sons of Eden, who were in Telassar? Cities all through Middle East which have fallen.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 13 13 Where is the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivah? 6/18/2021 29 The Book of Isaiah Sennacherib's second message to Hezekiah demanding the surrender of Jerusalem, was basically the same as the first, with the added blasphemy: "Let not thy God deceive thee. “

Hezekiah's prayer. Isaiah 37: 14 14 So Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And he went up to the house of the LORD; and Hezekiah spread it before the LORD. Sennacherib's second message must have been written and carried by a messenger. Hezekiah spread it [the letter] before the LORD 6/18/2021 30 The Book of Isaiah A symbolic act to demonstrate visually the enormity of the hubris hurled by Sennacherib in the face of the living God.

Isaiah 37: 15 -20 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, saying: Hezekiah’s prayer is saturated with biblical theology. It is not unlike the prayer of the church in Acts 4: 24 -31. He affirmed his faith in the one true and living God, and he worshipped Him. • Jehovah is “Lord of Hosts, ” that is, “Lord of the armies” (Ps. 46: 7, 11). • He is the Creator of all things (Ps 96: 5) and knows what is going on in His creation. • His eyes can see our plight, and His ears can hear our plea (see Ps. 115). • King Hezekiah did not want deliverance merely for his people’s sake, but that God alone might be glorified (Isa. 37: 20; Ps. 46: 10). 6/18/2021 31 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah's prayer.

Hezekiah's prayer. Isaiah 37: 16 16 0 LORD of hosts, God of Israel, Enthroned upon the Cherubim: Thou art the only God, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth. As if to make amends for the Assyrian's blasphemy, Hezekiah exalts his God by calling Him by His rightful name and by extolling His character. • He is the Lord of hosts, • the God of the whole universe, • the God of Israel. • He is the rightful King of all the kingdoms and • the Creator of heaven and earth. 6/18/2021 32 The Book of Isaiah O LORD of hosts, God of Israel

Hezekiah's prayer. Isaiah 37: 16 “Dwellest between the cherubim” - Isa 6, Eze 1, 10; Rev 4. Four cherubim so why “between” verses “among”? God viewed here by Hezekiah as dwelling between the cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies. Enthroned upon the cherubim [or sitting upon]. A reference to the two figures of the cherubim over the ark in the Temple (Psa. 18: 10; 80: 1). 6/18/2021 33 The Book of Isaiah 16 0 LORD of hosts, God of Israel, Enthroned upon the Cherubim: Thou art the only God, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 17 17 Incline, 0 LORD, thine ear and hear. Open, 0 LORD, thine eyes and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, Who has sent to taunt the living God! 6/18/2021 34 The Book of Isaiah Use of verbs resembles Dan 9.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 18 -19 18 It is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands. 19 And have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone, therefore they have destroyed them. It is true that the kings of Assyria 6/18/2021 35 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah admits that the boasting of Sennacherib, that he has destroyed all the gods and their countries, is true, but these gods were merely man-made idols and not God.

Repentance Isaiah 37: 20 20 Now, therefore, 0 LORD our God, save us from his hand let all the kingdoms of the earth know that thou alone art the LORD. Hezekiah calls out to, “O Lord our God” Only one thing God puts higher than His Name: His Word (Ps 138: 2). Truth is when God’s Word and our deeds become one. 6/18/2021 36 The Book of Isaiah Now therefore, Now was the time for the true God to save Jerusalem from the blasphemous Assyrian and thus demonstrate once again to all that He alone is God.

Isaiah’s Reply Isaiah 37: 21 21 Then sent Isaiah the son of Amoz to Hezekiah saying: So says the LORD, the God of Israel to whom thou hast prayed about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria: 6/18/2021 37 The Book of Isaiah God answers Hezekiah through his servant Isaiah. God’s response to this prayer was to send King Hezekiah another threefold message of assurance: • Jerusalem would not be taken (vv. 22, 31 -35); • the Assyrians would depart (vv. 23 -29); and • the Jews would not starve (v. 30).

Repentance Isaiah 37: 22 22 This is the word which God has spoken concerning him: She despises thee, she scorns thee, The virgin daughter of Zion, She shakes her head behind thee, The daughter of Jerusalem. The prophet sees in vision the hastily retreating Assyrian king, while the daughter of Jerusalem "shakes her head" behind him, in contemptuous pity. Jerusalem would be delivered (vv. 22, 31 -35). Jerusalem is called "the virgin daughter of Zion. " The “daughter of Zion” was still a virgin; she had not been ravaged by the enemy. 38 The Book of Isaiah She despises thee, she scorns thee. . She could look at the Assyrians and shake her head in scorn, for they could not touch her. God would spare His remnant and plant them once more in the land. 6/18/2021

Deliverance Isaiah 37: 22 ‘Why did God deliver His people, when so many of them were not faithful to Him? 6/18/2021 39 The Book of Isaiah To glorify His own name (vv. 23, 35), the very thing about which Hezekiah had prayed (v. 20). God defended Jerusalem for His name’s sake, because Sennacherib had reproached the Holy One of Israel. The Assyrians had exalted themselves above men and gods, but they could not exalt themselves above Jehovah God, the Holy One of Israel!

Isaiah 37: 22 God also saved Jerusalem because of His covenant with David (v. 35; 2 Sam. 7). Jerusalem was the City of David, and God had promised that one of David’s descendants would reign on the throne forever. This was fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ (Luke 1: 32 -33), but God did keep David’s lamp burning in Jerusalem as long as He could (1 Kings 11: 1, 36). The Jewish nation had an important mission to fulfill in bringing the Savior into the world, and no human army could thwart the purposes of Almighty God. Even though only a remnant of Jews might remain, God would use His people to accomplish His divine purposes and fulfill His promise to Abraham that all the world would be blessed through him (Gen. 12: 1 -3). 6/18/2021 40 The Book of Isaiah Deliverance

Deliverance Isaiah 37: 23 23 Whom hast thou taunted and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou raised thy voice And hast lifted up thine eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! Whom has thou taunted and blasphemed. . And against whom has thou raised thy voice? 6/18/2021 41 The Book of Isaiah Indignant questions Isaiah uses to stress the unspeakable horror of blaspheming "the Holy One of Israel. " All the vaunted exploits of the Assyrians were only possible because the Lord has used them as His instrument of wrath and punishment (cf. Isa. 10: 5).

Deliverance Isaiah 37: 24 -25 6/18/2021 42 The Book of Isaiah 24 By thy servants hast thou taunted the Lord And hast said: With my many chariots Have I climbed the top of mountains, The utmost parts of the Lebanon, And I have felled its tall cedars, Its choicest cypresses, I have come to the farthest reaches, Of its forest garden. 25 I have dug [wells] and drunk, And have dried up with the sole of my feet All the rivers of Egypt.

Deliverance Isaiah 37: 26 -28 I know. The Lord is fully aware of all the actions and thoughts of Sennacherib, and now the time of retribution has come. 6/18/2021 43 The Book of Isaiah 26 Hast thou not heard? From way back it is I who planned it, From ancient days have I designed it, Now I brought it to pass That fortified cities should be laid waste, Into heaps of ruins'; 27 And their inhabitants were helpless, They were dismayed and put to shame, They were as the grass of the fields, As the green herbs, as the grass on the roof, As the grainfield before it is green. 28 Thy sitting down, thy going out and coming in, And also thy raging against me I know.

The Assyrians would depart Isaiah 37: 29 29 Because thy raging against me, And thy roar has come to my ear, Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, And my muzzle into thy lips, And I will make thee turn back, By the way by which thou hast come. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16: 18 NKJV). 6/18/2021 44 The Book of Isaiah God addressed the proud Assyrian king and reminded him of all the boastful words he and his servants had spoken. “I” and “my” occur seven times in this passage. It reminds us of Lucifer’s words in 14: 12 -17 and our Lord’s parable in Luke 12: 13 -21.

The Assyrians would depart Isaiah 37: 29 29 Because thy raging against me, And thy roar has come to my ear, Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, And my muzzle into thy lips, And I will make thee turn back, By the way by which thou hast come. But the king of Assyria forgot that he was only God’s tool for accomplishing His purposes on the earth, and the tool must not boast against the Maker (Isa. 10: 5 -19). God would humble Sennacherib and his army by treating them like cattle and leading them away from Jerusalem (37: 7, 29). 6/18/2021 45 The Book of Isaiah Sennacherib boasted of his military might and his great conquests, for no obstacle stood in his way. If he so desired, like a god, he could even dry up the rivers!

The Assyrians would depart Isaiah 37: 29 29 Because thy raging against me, And thy roar has come to my ear, Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, And my muzzle into thy lips, And I will make thee turn back, By the way by which thou hast come. For many generations the Assyrians had perpetrated acts of unspeakable cruelty upon their victims, literally dragging many captive peoples into Mesopotamia, with hooks in their noses and muzzles in their lips. Now the Assyrian's turn has come. The spoiler will at last be despoiled. 6/18/2021 46 The Book of Isaiah Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose. Cf. Ezek 38 (hooks in the jaws).

The people would not starve Isaiah 37: 30 This shall be for a sign to thee Isaiah now directs God's message to Hezekiah. For two years the people will subsist on that which is "self grown" and self sown, " but in the third year there will be regular sowing and reaping, planting and eating. They would need to renovate and repair their farms after all the damage the Assyrians had done. But the same God who delivered them would provide for them. It would be like the years before and after the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25: 1 -24). 6/18/2021 47 The Book of Isaiah 30 And this shall be for a sign to thee: This year men will eat that which is self-grown, In the second year that which is self-sown, But in the third year: sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

The people would not starve Isaiah 37: 30 Some Bible scholars believe that Psalm 126 was written to commemorate Jerusalem’s deliverance from the Assyrian army. The psalm is not referring to the Jews’ deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, • that was not a sudden event that surprised both Jews and Gentiles, - it was a predicted, scheduled event Daniel was counting the days…. • nor did the Gentiles praise Jehovah for delivering Israel from Babylon. 6/18/2021 48 The Book of Isaiah 30 And this shall be for a sign to thee: This year men will eat that which is self-grown, In the second year that which is self-sown, But in the third year: sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

The people would not starve Isaiah 37: 30 30 And this shall be for a sign to thee: This year men will eat that which is self-grown, In the second year that which is self-sown, But in the third year: sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The promised harvest parallels Psalm 126: 5 -6. The seed would certainly be precious in those days! That grain could be used for making bread for the family, but the father must use it for seed; so it is no wonder he weeps. Yet God promised a harvest, and He kept His promise. The people did not starve. 6/18/2021 49 The Book of Isaiah Psalm 126 fits best with the events described in Isaiah 36 - 37.

Isaiah 37: 31 -33 31 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah Shall again take root below and bear fruit above. 32 For a remnant shall go forth from Jerusalem, And out of Mount Zion they that shall escape. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall perform this. 33 Therefore, thus says the LORD to the king of Assyria: He shall not come to this city, Nor shoot an arrow against it, Neither will it be assaulted with shield, Nor will a mound be cast up against it. A glimpse of the methods of siege practiced by the Assyrians and by their contemporaries, and by warriors long after them. 6/18/2021 50 The Book of Isaiah Recovery

Isaiah 37: 34 -35 34 By the way he came, by the same way shall he go back, But into this city will he not enter: Thus says the LORD. 35 And I will shield this city to save it, For my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David. For my own sake and for the sake of my servant David The Lord's own honor as well as His faithfulness to His servant David, are at stake. Not for Hezekiah, nor for the people. Ezek 36: 21 “. . . I do not this for your sakes, but for My holy Name’s sake. . . ” Jehovah promises to protect Jerusalem. The city will not experience the horrors of a long, drawn-out siege, with all its attending miseries. 6/18/2021 51 The Book of Isaiah Repentance

Retaliation Isaiah 37: 36 36 And the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down in the Assyrian camp one hundred and eightyfive thousand. And when they rose up in the morning, behold they were all dead corpses. The Assyrian field commander had joked that one Assyrian junior officer was stronger than 2, 000 Jewish charioteers (36: 8 -9), but it took only one of God’s angels to destroy 185, 000 Assyrian soldiers (see Ex. 12: 12; 2 Sam. 24: 15 -17)! Just as in the days of Pharoah, "the angel of the Lord" slew the firstborn of Egypt, so now he slew Sennacherib's army. 6/18/2021 52 The Book of Isaiah And the angel of the LORD went forth -.

Retaliation Isaiah 37: 36 36 And the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down in the Assyrian camp one hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when they rose up in the morning, behold they were all dead corpses. The redundancy of the words "dead corpses" expresses the completeness of the Assyrian disaster. Isaiah relates the enormous calamity which befell the army of Sennacherib as a result of divine intervention. God would mow them down like a forest (Isa. 10: 33 -34), Devastate them like a storm (30: 27 -30), and throw them into the fire like garbage on the city dump [tophet] (30: 31 -33). 6/18/2021 53 The Book of Isaiah In the morning they were all dead corpses.

Retreat Isaiah 37: 37 37 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went forth and returned and resided in Nineveh. 6/18/2021 54 The Book of Isaiah Sennachrib went all the way home to Ninevah from Lachish.

Isaiah 37: 38 38 And as he was worshipping in the house of his god Nisroch, his Sons Adrammelech and Sarezer struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon reigned in his stead. After Sennacherib left Judah a defeated man, he returned to his capital city of Nineveh. Twenty years later, Sennacherib was assassinated by two of his sons in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (37: 7), and it happened in the temple of his god! The field commander had ridiculed the gods of the nations, but Sennacherib’s own god could not protect him. His sons escaped into the land of Ararat, which is now Armenia. A third son, Esarhaddon was engaged in a military campaign. Upon hearing that his brothers had murdered their father, marched on Nineveh and defeated them. 6/18/2021 55 The Book of Isaiah Repentance

Hezekiah's Near Fatal Illness and His Miraculous Recovery Isaiah 38: 1 -22 6/18/2021 56 The Book of Isaiah The chapter describes • the grave illness of Hezekiah, • his prayer for recovery and • God's answer through Isaiah that the king's prayer has been heard and that he will live another fifteen years. This incident is recorded in a parallel passage in 2 Kings 20: 1 -11, with only slight variations, and with the omission of Hezekiah's meditation (Isa. 38: 9 -20).

Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery Isaiah 38: 1 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill unto death, and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, came to him and said: thus says the LORD: Make thy will known to thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live. Before Sennacherib attempted to force Jerusalem into submission although the invasion was impending (v. 6). Imagine how the people of Judah reacted when they heard that the king was going to die - and Assyria was on the march! If their godly leader died, who would govern them? Even worse, Hezekiah did not have a son and would have to appoint a near relative to take throne of David. Would God’s promise to David fail (2 Sam. 7: 16)? 6/18/2021 57 The Book of Isaiah In those days.

Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery Isaiah 38: 1 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill unto death, and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, came to him and said: thus says the LORD: Make thy will known to thy house, for thou shalt die, and not live. Make known thy will to thy house. . The Hebrew verb "Tsav"-"command, " is a technical term for making one's last will and testament in expectation of death. Hezekiah’s sickness: boil (v. 21) [Ex 9 -11 (6 th plague of boils), Lev 18: 18 -23 (this term used of a leprous ulcer), Deut 28: 21, 35 (“botch of Egypt”), Job 2: 7 (Job’s predicament). 6/18/2021 58 The Book of Isaiah KJV: "Set thy house in order. "

2 And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD and said: …his face to the wall and prayed. We can imagine the dying king, surrounded by his family and highest officials. Hezekiah in his distress sought privacy in order to communicate with his God alone. The king did not turn to the wall in a sulking manner, like Ahab (1 Kings 21: 4), but in order to have privacy for his praying. May be he was turning his face toward the temple (8: 28 -30) Hezekiah was burdened for the future of the throne and the nation. It is a natural thing for us to want to live and continue serving God. 6/18/2021 59 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery Isaiah 38: 2

Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery Isaiah 38: 3 3 Do remember, 0 LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly The Book of Isaiah 60 Hezekiah did not ask God to spare him because he had been such a faithful servant. That would be a subtle form of bribery. At age 39, with his people facing an invasion by the terrible Assyrians, the king felt that his death would not only be a personal disaster, but also a disaster for his people. Hezekiah asked God to spare him so he could continue to serve and complete the spiritual restoration of the nation. Certainly he was concerned about his own life, as any of us would be, but he also had a burden for his people. IF GOD ANSWERS YOUR REQUEST, WHAT WILL YOU DO? WHAT WILL YOU 6/18/2021 DO DIFFERENTLY?

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 4 4 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah saying, 6/18/2021 61 The Book of Isaiah The request was granted quickly, for Isaiah had not gone very far from the sick room when the Lord gave him the answer (2 Kings 20: 4).

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 5 5 Go and say to Hezekiah, thus says the Lord, the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears, behold I will add to thy days fifteen years. The God of thy father David. . 6/18/2021 62 The Book of Isaiah The Lord answers the prayer of Hezekiah, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of his ancestor David, with whom God made a covenant (2 Sam. 7: 4 -17).

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 5 5 Go and say to Hezekiah, thus says the Lord, the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears, behold I will add to thy days fifteen years. I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears. . 6/18/2021 63 The Book of Isaiah The verdict pronounced by Isaiah: "Thou shalt die and not live" (v. 1) was not absolute. The Lord is responsive to earnest prayer. "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Jas. 5: 16).

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 5 5 Go and say to Hezekiah, thus says the Lord, the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears, behold I will add to thy days fifteen years The Book of Isaiah 64 “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. ” (Ps 106: 15) Hezekiah got his request, but they were not good years. Some scholars point out that this particular sickness may have been the sign of divine displeasure (Job 15: 32, 22: 5, 16; Ps 55: 23, Prov 10: 27). • Manasseh was not yet born (2 Chr 33: 1, 2 Kgs 21: 2) and he was the most wicked king (he repents at 50!). • Manasseh’s son Amon was also bad. • Josiah however, brought 6/18/2021 great revival.

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 5 5 Go and say to Hezekiah, thus says the Lord, the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears, behold I will add to thy days fifteen years. “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. ” (Ps 106: 15) Were the 15 years a good idea? ? These years bring nothing but grief. Two years later Manasseh was born; when Hezekiah dies he takes over (at age 12). He put up the idols in the high places. According to Talmudic sources, Manasseh martyrs Isaiah, apparently sawing him in half with a wooden saw (also alluded to 6/18/2021 in Heb 11)! 65 The Book of Isaiah behold I will add to thy days fifteen years

The Answer to Hezekiah's Prayer Isaiah 38: 6 6 And I will deliver thee and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria and I will protect this city. I will deliver the city, I will protect the city 6/18/2021 66 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah's prayer and tears were not merely for himself, but for his beloved Jerusalem.

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 21 The prophet became the king’s physician and told the attendants what medicine to apply. God can heal by using any means He desires. Isaiah also told the king that his life would be prolonged for fifteen years. 6/18/2021 67 The Book of Isaiah 21 And Isaiah said, let them bake a fig cake And apply it to the boil And he shall recover. Verses 21 -22 are practically identical with 2 Kings 20: 7 -8 They fit perfectly into the context between verse 6 -7 but otherwise seem out of place. It is possible that somehow these lines were misplaced through some scribal oversight

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 22 22 And Hezekiah said: What is the sign that I shall [yet] go up to the house of the LORD? …what is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? the question is out of place and remains unanswered but it fits in before verses 7 and 8. The sundial was probably a pillar whose shadow marked the hours on a double set of stairs. In another promise, Isaiah assured the king that the Assyrians would not capture Jerusalem. 6/18/2021 68 The Book of Isaiah The king asked confirmation of the promise and God gave him a sign.

The sign given to Hezekiah: Isaiah 38: 7 7 And this will be for a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which he has spoken: 6/18/2021 69 The Book of Isaiah In the more detailed account of this incident in 2 Kings 20, it was Hezekiah himself who asked the prophet for a sign from the Lord that he would truly recover. His request was granted. It is interesting to note that Hezekiah did ask for a sign, in contrast to his ungodly father Ahaz, who hypocritically refused to ask for a sign (Isa. 7: 12). Hezekiah confirmed his sincerity by his request.

The sign given to Hezekiah: Isaiah 38: 8 The Book of Isaiah 6/18/2021 70 8 Behold, I will cause the shadow of the sun dial which is gone down on the sun dial of Ahaz to turn backward ten degrees. So the sun returned ten degrees, by the degrees which it went down. 2 Chr 32: 31 (parallel account notes that they requested the sun to go backwards, not forward. ) The sign was to be that the shadow on the steps of Ahaz would go back ten degrees or ten steps. The Hebrew word "maaloth" means either "steps" or "degrees" We do not know whether Ahaz actually had a sundial, or whether the shadow of an obelisk or column, which fell on the steps of the royal palace marked the time of day for the king as he looked out of his window. What happened was an extraordinary event, which defies the laws of nature.

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 9 9 The writing of Hezekiah, when he had been sick and recovered from his sickness. The writing or composition of Hezekiah is a touching account of the inner thoughts and emotions of a man who looked death in the face and at the last moment received a reprieve. For one thing, God gave him a new appreciation of life. We take life for granted till it is about to be taken from us, and then we cling to it as long as we can. Life is hanging by a thread over the vastness of eternity! Hezekiah pictured death as the end of the journey (vv. 11 -12), a tent taken down (v. 12 a; see 2 Cor. 5: 1 -8), and a weaving cut from the loom (Isa. 38: 12 b). 6/18/2021 71 The Book of Isaiah The writing of Hezekiah (in Hebrew "michtav")

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 10 10 I said: In the midst of my days I shall depart, Even into the gates of Sheol. I am deprived of the balance of my years. In the midst of my days. Literally the Hebrew reads, "In the stillness of my days, " 6/18/2021 72 The Book of Isaiah Apparently an allusion to the rest period, or noontime siesta in a hot climate.

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 11 11 I said: I shall not see the LORD, The LORD in the land of the living. I shall no longer behold man Together with the inhabitants of the world. I shall depart to the gates of Sheol. 6/18/2021 73 The Book of Isaiah Sheol, often translated "grave, pit, hell, netherworld, " The place of disembodied ghosts where the dead lead a shadowy existence. Luke 16: 19 >>

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 12 12 My habitation is broken up and carried away from me Like the tent of a shepherd. I have rolled up my life like a weaver, He will cut me off from the loom. From day to night thou wilt make an end of me. My habitation is broken up. 6/18/2021 74 The Book of Isaiah Expresses the transitory nature of life and the finality of death.

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 13 -14 Hezekiah expresses the torment of his soul, his hopes and frustrations and ends with a pathetic cry. The Hebrew words of this cry convey the anguish of a man who is sorely harassed by his enemies or by his creditors, and looks for a friend to bail him out. 6/18/2021 75 The Book of Isaiah 13 I waited until morning like a lion, So he broke all my bones. From day to night thou makest an end of me. 14 Like a swallow [or] a crane so have I chirped, I cooed like the dove, Mine eyes fail from looking up. 0 LORD, I am hard pressed, come thou to my rescue!

Hezekiah's Meditation: Isaiah 38: 13 -14 13 I waited until morning like a lion, So he broke all my bones. From day to night thou makest an end of me. 14 Like a swallow [or] a crane so have I chirped, I cooed like the dove, Mine eyes fail from looking up. 0 LORD, I am hard pressed, come thou to my rescue! Were it not for prayer, Hezekiah could not have made it. At night the king felt like a frail animal being attacked by a fierce lion, and in the daytime he felt like a helpless bird. Crane - (soos) - crane or swallow, also refers to leaper. (Cf. Jer 8: 7, Ex 14: 9, Ezek 38, 39. ) 6/18/2021 76 The Book of Isaiah O Lord, I am hard pressed, come to my rescue!

15 What shall I say? He has spoken to me and he has also done it, I shall walk softly because of the bitterness of my soul. What shall I say? God has spoken and has kept His promise to Hezekiah to heal him. This has made Hezekiah so deeply grateful that he ended with a new appreciation of opportunities for service. He can only remember his bitter experience and henceforth would "walk softly" before God. There was a new humility in his walk, a deeper love for the Lord in his heart, and a new song of praise on his lips. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90: 12 6/18/2021 77 The Book of Isaiah Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 15

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 16 16 O LORD, by these things men live, And the life of my spirit is in them. Wherefore restore thou me and let me live. …by these things men live… 6/18/2021 78 The Book of Isaiah The memory of God's grace will henceforth be the sustaining force of his life.

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 17 17 Behold my deep bitterness has turned into my salvation, And thou in thy love for my soul Has spared it from the pit of corruption. My deep bitterness has turned into my salvation. 6/18/2021 79 The Book of Isaiah Here the Hebrew word for salvation is "shalom": peace. In its broadest sense shalom means completeness, well being, health and salvation.

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 17 17 Behold my deep bitterness has turned into my salvation, And thou in thy love for my soul Has spared it from the pit of corruption. During this time of suffering, Hezekiah examined his own heart and confessed his sins, and God forgave him. God cares for Hezekiah personally and by forgiving his sins has healed him. Forgiveness of sins and healing are closely related. 6/18/2021 80 The Book of Isaiah Thy love for my soul Literally, "thy desire for my soul. "

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 18 18 For Sheol shall not praise thee, Neither shall death exalt thee. They that go down into the pit Cannot hope for thy Truth, The Book of Isaiah 6/18/2021 81 Hezekiah's view of life beyond the grave which he shares with some of the writers of the psalms and with the writer of Ecclesiastes, (Psa. 6: 5; 88: 12; Eccles. 9: 4, 5, 10) is limited and does not express the position of Isaiah himself. Old Testament peoples generally had a limited view of death Jesus brought life and immortality to light (2 Tim 1: 10), freed us from bondage (Heb 2: 14, 15), death became absent from the body, present with the Lord (2 Cor 5: 8), for better (Phil 1: 23), “never see death” (Jn 8: 51).

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 19 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, As I do this day. The father to his children shall make known the truth. The prophet Isaiah demonstrates a far more definite faith in the resurrection than Hezekiah. To this faith Isaiah gave triumphant expression: Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise! (Isa. 26: 19). In the New Testament, faith in the resurrection of the body and in eternal life is one of the central themes. 6/18/2021 82 The Book of Isaiah The living, the living he shall praise thee.

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 20 20 O LORD, come to my help. We will sing in the house of the Lord to stringed musical instruments All the days of our life. O LORD, come to my help. Literally: the Lord to my help, "come" is implied. 6/18/2021 83 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah sees himself at the head of his people, as they march to the house of God, singing and playing hymns of thanksgiving, to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.

Meditation of a thankful heart: Isaiah 38: 20 20 O LORD, come to my help. We will sing in the house of the Lord to stringed musical instruments All the days of our life. 6/18/2021 84 The Book of Isaiah From 2 Chronicles 29: 25 -30 it would appear that Hezekiah took a personal interest in the use of musical instruments in the Temple and the singing of the psalms of David. Hezekiah was an author of psalms. He supervised a group of scholars who copied the Old Testament Scriptures (Prov. 25: 1).

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 1 The Book of Isaiah 6/18/2021 85 1 At that time Merodach Baladan, son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been ill and was recovered. At that time. . . Babylon at this time is a small town, a pawn of Assyrian politics. Merodach Baladan was the ruler of the Aramean tribe of Bit Jakim near the mouth of the Euphrates. In 721 Merodach Baladan captured Babylon and reigned as king till 710, when he was driven out by Sargon II. After Sargon's death Merodach Baladan returned to Babylon and reigned there for nine months (704 -703). He was anxious to win allies against Babylon among its enemies. Hezekiah seemed to be a good prospect and his recovery from a dangerous illness was an excellent pretext for sending a team of ambassadors to Hezekiah.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 1 1 At that time Merodach Baladan, son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been ill and was recovered. The Book of Isaiah 86 The chronology of the incident related in this chapter is vague. The news about Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery had spread widely so that even people in Babylon knew about it (2 Chr 32: 23). It is clear that Merodach Baladan's embassy came to Hezekiah after the recovery from his illness which occurred in the fourteenth year of his reign. Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years (715 -686 B. C. ), but as so frequently happened among the kings of Judah and Israel, he was co-regent during the lifetime of his father Ahaz. The "fourteenth year" may refer either to the start of Hezekiah's co-regency or 6/18/2021 to the beginning of his sole reign.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 2 2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and he showed them the treasure-house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil and all his armory, and all there was among his treasures. There was not a thing in his house or his domain which Hezekiah did not show them. Amazing what we’ll do on an ego trip! The Book of Isaiah 87 Merodach Baladan’s message greatly flattered Hezekiah's vanity. As a mark of his pleasure, Hezekiah showed them all his treasures. This was an act of great vanity and also of political shortsightedness. They were spying out Judah’s resources. When Satan cannot defeat us as the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5: 8 -9), he comes as the deceiving serpent (2 Cor. 11: 3). What Assyria could not do with weapons, Babylon did with gifts. God permitted the enemy to test Hezekiah so that the proud king might learn what was really in 6/18/2021 his heart (2 Chr 32: 31)

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 3 3 Then came the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah and said to him: "What did those men say and where have they come from? " And Hezekiah said: "They have come from a far country to me, from Babylon. “ Isaiah was not sent for. He just showed up to ask a few questions. The sudden appearance of Isaiah before the king was due to the fact that the prophet rightly suspected Hezekiah of flirting with the king of Babylon, with a view to forming a future alliance against Assyria. Hezekiah was falling victim to his own Pride. 6/18/2021 88 The Book of Isaiah Then came the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 4 4 Then said he: "What have they seen in thy house? " And Hezekiah said: "They have seen everything in my house, there was not a thing in my treasures, which I have not shown them. “ Isaiah asks Hezekiah: Who were they? Where are they from? What did you show them? My house…. My treasures…. Isaiah reminded Hezekiah that, as king, he was only the steward of Judah’s wealth and not the owner. Some of that wealth had come from previous kings, and Hezekiah could claim no credit for it. All of it came from God, who really owns it… 6/18/2021 89 The Book of Isaiah Hezekiah’s response:

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 4 4 Then said he: "What have they seen in thy house? " And Hezekiah said: "They have seen everything in my house, there was not a thing in my treasures, which I have not shown them. “ “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? ” (1 Cor. 4: 7 NKJV). “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (John 3: 27 NKJV). 6/18/2021 90 The Book of Isaiah All of us are mere stewards of what God has given to us. We have no right to boast about anything.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 5 5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah: "Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah. Remember: Hezekiah’s sin was not the cause of this judgment, for the sins of rulers, priests, and false prophets mounted up from year to year until God could take it no longer (2 Chr 36: 13 -16). 6/18/2021 91 The Book of Isaiah All his life Isaiah preached against foreign alliances, either with Assyria or Syria or Egypt, considering such alliances a sin against the Lord, and a harmful policy.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 6 -7 6 Behold the days are coming that all there is in thy house and all that thy ancestors have stored up, shall be carried off to Babylon, not a thing shall be left. 7 And of thy sons, that shall proceed from thee, whom thou shalt beget, will they take away, and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. “ Thy sons…and all that is in thy house shall be carried off into Babylon. The Book of Isaiah 6/18/2021 92 During the lifetime of Isaiah and Hezekiah, the kingdom of Israel (or Samaria) was destroyed and its inhabitants were carried off into Assyrian exile (722 B. C. ). 100 years later (2 Chr 36: 18), Judah, the descendants of Hezekiah, together with all their possessions would likewise go into Baby. Ionian exile, and would be enslaved by the very people with whom Hezekiah was secretly trying to ally himself.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 8 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: "The word of the Lord which thou hast spoken is good, " and he said, "for there shall be peace and truth in my days. “ Good is the word of the LORD. This expresses Hezekiah's humble acceptance of the divine decision! “ 6/18/2021 93 The Book of Isaiah For there shall be peace and truth in my time. " Hezekiah looks upon the postponement of the predicted calamity as a partial mitigation of the disaster.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 8 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: "The word of the Lord which thou hast spoken is good, " and he said, "for there shall be peace and truth in my days. “ Is Hezekiah’s response an expression of relief that he escaped trouble? It would be heartless on his part to rejoice that future generations would suffer what he should have suffered! 2 Ch 32: 26 However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah. The king did humble himself before God, and God forgave him. 6/18/2021 94 The Book of Isaiah His statement is more likely an expression of his humble acceptance of God’s will, and 2 Chr 32: 26 bears this out.

Hezekiah's Folly and Its Results Isaiah 39: 8 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: "The word of the Lord which thou hast spoken is good, " and he said, "for there shall be peace and truth in my days. “ Even the greatest and most godly of the Lord’s servants can become proud and disobey God, We must pray for Christian leaders, that they will stay humble before and focused on their Master. “A broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 51: 17). 6/18/2021 95 The Book of Isaiah But if any of His servants do sin, the Lord is willing to forgive when they confess their sin to Him (1 John 1: 9).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION / DISCUSSION 1. What difference do you notice when you face crises in the Spirit’s power versus in your own strength? 2. How typical do you think Hezekiah’s responses were to the crises he faced? 3. How does pride often affect our response to crises and conflicts? 4 What alternative solutions could Hezekiah have chosen to deal with the crisis? 6. What principles can you glean from Hezekiah’s experiences that would motivate you to become a person of prayer and one who trusts God? 6/18/2021 96 The Book of Isaiah 5. What solutions would you recommend to the king and why?

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION / DISCUSSION 7. What do you think about Hezekiah’s prayer for healing (Isa. 38: 1 -5)? 9. Read Galatians 5: 22 -23. • Which of the fruits of the Spirit seem to come easier for you? • For which of these do you have to trust the Lord on a regular basis? • Which one of these fruits of the Spirit are you asking God to increase in your life? 10. As you think back on Hezekiah’s experiences, what lessons on prayer, faith, and pride do you want to remember? 6/18/2021 97 The Book of Isaiah 8. If God’s answer to Hezekiah’s plea for healing had been “no” rather than “yes, ” how might God’s purposes still have been accomplished in that crisis?