Class Notes on Isaiah 37:14-39:8

Isa 37:14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. NIV

• Hezekiah was a great king and a godly man, although not perfect as we will see in the next section. And still, what is Hezekiah's first response to crisis?
  • To pray. To lay the issue before the Lord
  • He prayed before he planned -- we tend to plan first and then turn to prayer when the plans do not work

• APPLICATION: The spiritual giant and the brand new child of the faith, all should respond to crisis in the same way -- take it to the Lord
• In the meantime, Hezekiah sent messengers to Isaiah
  • Isa 37:5-7 When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard — those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Listen! I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.'" NIV

Isa 37:36-38 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning — there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. // 38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king. NIV

• This is an incredible miracle. It also starts the downfall of the Assyrian empire
  • At the time, this was the greatest world power that had ever existed. No one had conquered more people or controlled more land. Their reign probably seemed as if it would never end. And yet, within 269 (885 BC - 616 BC) years, it was over. It only took one divine event. The funny thing is that Assyria controlled most of the civilized world except for a small piece of land around Jerusalem. They didn't recognize the hand of God in it. They didn't understand the times

• How is the US similar to Assyria?
  • The US as a nation has been incredible blessed by God. We have a foundation rooted in faith in God, despite what many have tried to argue to the converse. And yet, we have forgotten our heritage. And soon, we will be just like Assyria, a former world power
  • Additionally, Assyria believed it was responsible for its own fortunes. It did not acknowledge God's power or sovereignty

Isa 38:1-6 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." // 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 "Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. // 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. NIV

• What is the timeframe of Hezekiah's sickness?
  • Since he served 29 years (2 Ki 18:2), Sennacherib's attack came at the 14th year (2 Ki 18:13), and he lived an extra 15 years (Isa 38:4), this came during or right after Sennacherib's siege. Constable places it immediately prior to the siege

• What is similar about this story as compared to the last?
  • A crisis
  • Humility (wept bitterly)
  • Prayed
  • Deliverance

• How would the story be different without the deliverance?
  • Not different. Hezekiah trusted in God. If God had not delivered him, it did not invalidate his faith or God's control
  • Example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Dan 3:18 But even if he does not [ed. note: save from the furnace], we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. NIV

• APPLICATION: Is our faith in God or in getting the answers to our prayer?

Isa 39:1-2 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses — the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. NIV

• The event probably occurs in the 700 BC time frame. Assyria is not completed destroyed until 616 BC, 80 years into the future. Yet even at this point, God is raising up Babylon. Seemingly innocuous events are setting the world stage
• Why did Hezekiah show him his riches?
  • Babylon was also an irritant to Assyria, although they had been recently defeated
  • It is possible Hezekiah was cementing a relationship with an Assyrian enemy. In which case, he was falling back into the trap of trusting in other nations and not in God

• APPLICATION: God is in control of the world. "The nations are a drop in the bucket"

Isa 39:3-8 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" // "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came to me from Babylon." // 4 The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" // "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." // 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." // 8 "The word of the Lord you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime." NIV

• Does Hezekiah's actions cause Judah's judgment?
  • The scripture does not say, and it would be purely conjecture
  • For all we know, God is using the occasion to prophesize the rise of Babylon

• What do you think of Hezekiah's response?
  • It is very human. It was probably pride which led him to show off the riches. His reaction shows a lack of compassion, and a degree of selfishness
  • 2 Ki 18:5 paints Hezekiah as one of the greatest of all Israel's kings, and yet he was not perfect either

• What was it about Hezekiah's character that cause God to commend Hezekiah so highly despite his faults?
  • Hezekiah was easily broken (twice seen in Isaiah)
  • Hezekiah went to God first with his struggles and problems
  • Hezekiah was repentant in his attitude (wept bitterly)
  • What was king David commended for?
    • "A man after God's heart"

• APPLICATION:
  • It's not the things we do that measure our spirituality, it's our heart response to God
  • It's not what we know that measures our spirituality, it's who we know
  • How would you characterize your walk with God? Is it what you do (ministries, attendance, rules, etc) or is it who you know (a deep and emotional attachment to the savior)?