Isaiah 36-39

Isaiah 36

2 Kings 18:1–16

- The main events of Hezekiah’s reign prior to the events of Isaiah 36 are as follows:

- He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke the bronze snake Moses had made, because the Israelites had been burning incense to it.

- Hezekiah placed his trust in the Lord and was the greatest king known to man. He was faithful to God and never ceased to follow God’s commands.

- He rebelled against the King of Assyria.

- He defeated the Philistines.

- King of Assyria went to war with Samaria and defeated it.

- In Isaiah 10:5-11, Isaiah prophesied that Assyria would capture Jerusalem because of Jerusalem’s lack of trust in God.

- The overall theme of the Assyrian field commander’s message is to have Hezekiah follow Assyria. Assyrians do not believe in the Lord and mock the Lord’s ability to protect His people. The commander thus urges Hezekiah to give up his trust in God and to follow King of Assyria.

- Hezekiah’s officials ask the field commander to speak in Aramaic and not in Hebrew so that the conversation could remain only between themselves.

- The field commander speaks to Hezekiah’s men hoping to diminish their trust in King Hezekiah and their faith in God.

Isaiah 36:14–15

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah cannot deliver his people and that no one should trust in the Lord.

Isaiah 36:16

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah will not be able to save them. The only person who could save them is the King of Assyria. If they choose to follow King of Assyria, these followers would live in peace and prosperity.

Isaiah 36:18

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah misled them all when he told them, “The Lord will deliver us.” The field commander puts doubt into these people minds by asking them, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the King of Assyria?” 

- Hezekiah’s men either had to surrender and follow King of Assyria or die.

Isaiah 37:1–20

- Hezekiah was extremely distressed and saddened when he heard the news from his officials. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, signifying a great tragedy has occurred, and he is mourning. He then went into the temple of the Lord, suggesting he was in deep prayer in search for God’s guidance.

- Isaiah reassured King Hezekiah. Isaiah shared with them God’s message, which essentially tells the people not to be afraid. What the Assyrians have said is not true, and for blasphemy against God, the Assyrians will be punished. God will cut them down with the sword.

- Sennacherib also taunted King Hezekiah. Assyria had a notorious reputation for conquering nations, and all other nations fear it. Sennacherib thus warns Hezekiah to side with Assyria. To think that they will not fall is ridiculous. They should not place their trust in God, because not once has Assyria failed to conquer a nation!

- When Hezekiah heard such a message, he did not panic like all the leaders of other nations did. Instead, Hezekiah held fast to his faith in God; he continued to place his trust in the Lord. At such times of chaos and great stress, Hezekiah thus prayed. Hezekiah never once forgot that God is the only ruler over Heaven and Earth. No matter how bad a situation is, God will always be able to protect His people, because God is the ruler of all! Hezekiah acknowledges that Assyria has destroyed the gods of other nations. Leaders of these nations thus fear Assyria because they saw that their gods could not protect them from Assyria. However, Hezekiah knew better. Hezekiah knew that these gods were nothing but “wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. But Hezekiah knew there is only one God, and that God is watching over His children. Knowing all this, Hezekiah thus prayed to God to set things right.

Isaiah 37:21–38

- God’s message through Isaiah reconfirms that God will deliver His people. For those who spoke against God, who blasphemed against God, they will be severely punished. This revelation encourages us to trust God because God is a loving father who protects His children from harm. God is above all. Nothing is impossible for Him, and no human thing can ever overcome him. When facing humanly enemies and obstacles, it is thus very easy to place our trust in the Lord, because even though these things will be extremely difficult to overcome by ourselves, we know that with God’s guidance and protection, we can easily overcome them.

- God promised to give Hezekiah the following sign: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” God then interprets these signs for Hezekiah, “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.”

Hence, what was prophesied by Isaiah would all come true. Jerusalem was punished for its lack of faith in God. It would be cut down by Assyria as prophesied. However, a remnant will remain and will grow eventually to be God’s people.

- God spoke also of His plan for the King of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city.” God thus went on to defeat the Assyrian army by sending an angel to put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. And just as God said, “By the way that he came he will return,” King Assyria was cut down with the sword by his own sons.

  

Isaiah 38–39.

2 Kings 20:7–8

2 Chronicles 32:24–26

- Hezekiah was saddened by the coming of his death and so he prayed to God. God heard Hezekiah’s prayers and gave him an extra 15 years of life. God also promised to deliver them all from King Assyria and that He will defend this city and His people.

- The general concept is that when we disobey God, we will be punished. When we follow God, we will reap the benefits. We will be protected, and things will proceed smoothly.

To many people, this doesn’t sound like a loving God. This sounds more like a tyrant who forces people to listen to him, because if they don’t, then he will use his powers to inflict pain and to use that pain to force people to do what he asks.

But having spent so much time studying the Bible, we ought to know that scenario is simply not true. Parents discipline their children. Why? Because children don’t start immediately aware of what’s right and what’s wrong. Parents must protect their children from harm while teaching them to do the right thing at the same time. Many times, conflicts arise because children think they are mature enough to go out and do their own thing (prideful), whereas parents forbid them to do so because they know the children would get hurt. God is exactly like that. He must discipline us when we become too proud, yet as long as we continue to follow His guidance, we will be able to benefit from His powerfully protective love.

- The Lord warned Hezekiah that because of his reception of the Babylonian envoys, his kingdom will one day fall into the hands of the Babylonians.

2 Chronicles 36:15–20

Daniel 1

- The Babylonians, under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar, indeed besieged Jerusalem and carried to Babylon “ all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the king and his officials.” (2 Chronicles 36: 18-19)