Welcome to Week Three of Isaiah: A Voice of Hope and to the story (finally!) of a GOOD king of Judah. Hezekiah is the son of Ahaz and absolute proof of the power of a godly mother. Because dear old dad was a TERRIBLE role model, especially as pertains to following the Lord. Yet Hezekiah not only “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” but 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 29 both record the additional “according to all that his father David had done.” High praise indeed!
At the time of Hezekiah’s reign, Judah was essentially a vassal state to Assyria. Hezekiah chose to pull away from Assyria and he made an alliance with Egypt to that end. Assyria invaded Judah, captured all of their fortified cities, and came up against Jerusalem. 2 Kings 18:13-16 has the story of the initial conflict, as Hezekiah admits he was wrong to rebel and agrees to pay the king of Assyria whatever he asks. The payment amount is severe, forcing Hezekiah to even strip gold plating from the doors and columns in the temple of the Lord to pay it, but pay it he does.
The respite is short-lived, though, as Hezekiah apparently continued his alliance with Egypt and Assyria came up against Jerusalem again. That is where we find ourselves this week with our passage from Isaiah chapters 36 and 37. There’s a fair bit of reading this week, so we’re going a bit light on the related verses, but if you want to read the more complete historical books record of these events, you can read 2 Kings chapters 18 through 20 and 2 Chronicles chapters 29 through 32. But for now, let’s jump into our passage from Isaiah.
Thank you to my wife Tracy, who wrote the prayer guides again this week.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord
Observe
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sends the Rabshakeh (literally “chief cupbearer,” we would probably call him Chief of Staff in American political parlance), along with two other military leaders (who are mentioned in the 2 Kings 18 account) and a great army, to persuade Hezekiah to surrender.
36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. 3 And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
4 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 5 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6 Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7 But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? 8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10 Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 12 But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
This speech by the Rabshakeh is well-constructed. It has some true statements:
- It is not wise to rely on Egypt.
- Your army is small.
- The Assyrians had captured the surrounding territory, including Judah’s fortified cities.
- The gods of those other nations had not saved them.
True, yes, but taken out of context. None of it meant they could capture Jerusalem (at least not easily).
There’s an effort to appeal to their religious beliefs:
- Yes, Hezekiah had closed down the altars in the high places (and everywhere else except for the temple of the Lord) but God wasn’t angry. Since these were pagan altars that shouldn’t be there in the first place, God was pleased.
- God had NOT sent him, that was an utter fabrication.
Finally, an attempt to sweet talk them:
- Go around your king; make your peace directly with me.
- You will eat from your own vine and fig tree.
- You will drink from your own cistern.
Isn’t this very similar to how the world tries to persuade us today? Through the media, online forums, or even in the words of coworkers and friends? We hear half-truths and things taken out of context, we get our own words (or Bible passages) quoted back to us with their meaning all twisted up, and we’re told everything would go much easier for us if we’d just change our outdated beliefs.
Here we are, thousands of years later, and the message of this attempted persuasion is the same: Do Not Trust God.
- What attempts at persuasion have you found difficult to answer?
- What are examples of outrageous misinterpretations of the Bible that you’ve heard?
Dear Lord, when I let the political language of this story fall away, I can see and hear the attempts of the enemy to undermine faith in you, my faith in you, the only true God. I hear them say that “everyone knows” and “if you consider it rationally” and “you can’t really believe … .” But I know you, Lord, and I remember how you have rescued me again and again. Help me remember your faithfulness each time I am confronted with such lies. Your word is truth. Your goodness is enough. Your provision is ample. Your protection is complete. Thank you, Lord.
Day 2
Isaiah Assures Deliverance
Observe
After his emissaries return with their clothing torn (a sign of distress), Hezekiah tears his own clothes and puts on sackcloth. This is a symbol of repentance, humility, or deep mourning. He sends word to Isaiah about the situation and asks Isaiah to pray for them.
37 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”
Hezekiah’s reaction to the Rabshakeh’s attempted persuasion and the implied threat it carried was a good one.
- First, he recognized it for what it was. In this case, Hezekiah knew the situation was serious and without God’s help the Assyrians would wipe them out.
- Next, he went into the house of the Lord. When faced with a problem of this magnitude, Hezekiah ran TO God, not away from him.
- Finally, Hezekiah reached out to Isaiah in order to hear the word of the Lord. He sought God’s counsel in the correct place and by the correct means.
Hezekiah not only did the right things, he did them right away. There was no delay or uncertainty. He knew where the answers would be found and he didn’t waste any time before asking for help.
Notes for Bible nerds: The Lord’s response through Isaiah contains a humorous insult. In verse 6, the Hebrew word nahar is translated as “young men” by the ESV (which isn’t a bad rendering, honestly, as most other translations use the word “servants”). But using it in this context is a deliberately belittling expression. The NIV does it justice by referring to them as “the underlings of the king of Assyria.” Had the Lord heard their blasphemous insults against him? Oh yes, he had.
- Because we can’t send a text or an email to Isaiah today, how would you translate Hezekiah’s actions into their modern equivalents?
- In light of the long, rambling speech from the Rabshakeh, the Lord’s response is quite short and direct. Have you ever struggled to accept a short answer from God? What happened?
Heavenly Father, I confess that I often try to work out a problem apart from you. I worry and I decide to wait and see if it works itself out. I seek advice from others. I sure don’t often go straight to my knees like Hezekiah. Thank you for this vivid picture of faith from a perilous time in the history of your people. Forgive my pride, Lord, and remind me to seek you first and last and utterly. You alone are the answer and my salvation, Lord, in all things. Amen.
Day 3
Sennacherib’s Threat and Hezekiah’s Prayer
Observe
The Rabshakeh returned with his non-answer (remember, the people all remained silent, as Hezekiah had commanded them to do). The situation had changed, as Egyptian troops led by an Ethiopian king had joined the battle. The king of Assyria had no more patience for Hezekiah and sent a letter with a clear argument and a direct threat. Hezekiah acts immediately.
8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “He has set out to fight against you.” And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”
Hezekiah’s Prayer for Deliverance
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations 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 were destroyed. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The letter Hezekiah received carried a clear argument (“Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you…”) and a direct threat, listing the other nations who have fallen (and whose gods failed to save them) before asking “…shall you be delivered?” The threat was suddenly a great deal more urgent. The enemy at the gate would attack any minute now!
Hezekiah again has the correct response:
- He went up to the house of the Lord.
- He spread out the letter before the Lord (casting all his anxiety on the Lord, in effect).
- He prayed to the Lord.
When the situation became even more urgent, Hezekiah’s trust in God did not waver; it deepened!
- What do you think it means to “cast your anxieties” upon God?
- What needs to be true before you can do that?
Father God, thank you for the church you have raised up and preserved in this world. Truly, your people are like the temple of old and the house in which you dwell. Thank you for the many believers who have prayed with me and who stand ready to pray with me again. When my heart is in anguish, help me to lay my cares before you in prayer and to ask for prayer among the people of your church. When the enemy is at the gate, Lord, let my first cry be to you.
Day 4
The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib
Observe
The Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer and responds through Isaiah. The message this time is longer and has some words for the Assyrians (verses 22-29) and others for Hezekiah (verses 30-35).
Sennacherib’s Fall
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:
“‘She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem.
23 “‘Whom have you mocked and reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
24 By your servants you have mocked the Lord,
and you have said, With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of Lebanon,
to cut down its tallest cedars,
its choicest cypresses,
to come to its remotest height,
its most fruitful forest.
25 I dug wells
and drank waters,
to dry up with the sole of my foot
all the streams of Egypt.
26 “‘Have you not heard
that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what now I bring to pass,
that you should make fortified cities
crash into heaps of ruins,
27 while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.
28 “‘I know your sitting down
and your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
29 Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come to my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.’
30 “And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
The Lord’s response to the Assyrians contains several elements:
- Jerusalem laughs at you because they know who it is you’re dealing with.
- Do YOU know who you’re dealing with?
- Anything you’ve accomplished, I’ve allowed to happen. It’s all according to my plan.
- Oh, I hear you bragging.
- I’m going to do to you what you do to others (the hook in the nose and bit in the mouth refer to similar actions that the Assyrians would take with people they defeated and were taking as slaves).
The Lord’s word to Hezekiah concerning the people contained a promise about how long it would take to get back to normal, given that the land had been stripped by the Assyrians:
- This year you will eat “what grows of itself,” that is, wild vegetation or animals instead of crops and livestock.
- Next year will be more of the same.
- By the third year, you will be once again eating the crops you have sown and the livestock you’ve raised.
- The Assyrians aren’t going to even touch you.
In God’s great mercy, he calmed their anxiety with some very specific promises. It would be plainly evident to everyone whether these things came to pass or not.
- What is the most specific way in which God has answered one of your prayers?
- Has that experience lessened your anxiety levels since it happened? Why or why not?
Dear Jesus, at times when I read in your word your answer to those who attacked your people and the ancient stories of your salvation, I think “what about me, now?” I sometimes feel as though you’ve left me here alone and in silence. But this word to Hezekiah and to the people of Jerusalem is for me. You are the same today. You have ordered it all in your sovereign will, for your glory and my good. Nothing touches me except by your hand, and your hand moves in love.
Day 5
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
Observe
The Lord supernaturally strikes the Assyrians, killing 185,000 of their troops overnight (and silently, it seems). Waking up to all those corpses convinced Sennacherib to return home with what’s left of his army. Once there, two of his sons commit patricide and flee the country, leaving a third son to take Sennacherib’s position.
36 And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. 38 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
The manner in which the Lord drove away the Assyrian army was the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Hosea, that the Lord God would save Judah and not by bow or sword or war or horse or horseman.
Between verses 37 and 38, there is a gap of twenty years; Sennacherib was not killed immediately upon returning. From how it’s written here, it seems that Isaiah wants us to see Sennacherib’s death as a continuation of God’s judgment against him.
It certainly seems anticlimactic. All of the real drama took place in prayer!
Notes for History nerds: There is a Jewish legend (and it’s just a legend, it’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bible) that Sennacherib became obsessed with how much God seemed to favor the Jews and wanted to find out why. Someone told him it was because Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to the Lord. Sennacherib thought he would be even more favored by God than Abraham’s descendants if he sacrificed TWO of his sons to the Lord. The sons learned of the plan and killed him before he could sacrifice them. While there is no proof that this legend is true, the ironic justice it describes does seem to fit the person involved.
- Why do you think the Lord didn’t kill everyone in the Assyrian camp?
- Why do you think the Lord allowed Sennacherib to live for as many years as he did before carrying out the judgment he’d pronounced all the way back in verse 7 (“I will make him fall by the sword in his own land”)?
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder in this and so many other stories of Israel that your plan is so much bigger than what I can see. Blessing and judgment come in your timing. Help me to be patient. Help me to see you at work around me and to join in it, even if it seems small. Help me to follow you and trust your timing for all outcomes. Amen.