In the first section of Isaiah 36 (verses 1-10), we can see that the commander of Assyria, Rabshakeh, attempts to deceive the people of Judah into believing the message from the king of Assyria. He tries to persuade the leaders of Judah not to believe in God.
Isaiah 37 shows King Hezekiah mourning over the bad news that his official brings. However, the Lord sends a message to Hezekiah, who affirms his faith in the Lord (Isa. 37:16-20).
According to Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah gets sick, and God informs him through the prophet Isaiah about his impending death. King Hezekiah cries out to the Lord, and the Lord answers him with a promise of an additional fifteen years of life. During this hard time, Hezekiah writes a beautiful psalm in which he expresses his thoughts about God and his dark experience. Three main topics will be explored in this study: (1) In whom shall we trust? (2) Why should God be trusted? and (3) God and personal calamities.
Part II: Commentary
In Whom Shall We Trust?
Isaiah 36 to 39 include narratives detailing another military challenge that Judah faces. The event takes place during the reign of Hezekiah. Chronicles and the book of the Kings describe Hezekiah as a great reformer in terms of religious matters: “He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them” (2 Chron. 29:3); and he said to the Levites, “sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place” (2 Chron. 29:5). The biblical record points out that “he trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 18:5).
The Assyrian power has come up against Israel and Samaria is captured because “they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant” (2 Kings 18:12). However, the Assyrian forces “come up against all the fenced cities of Judah” (2 Kings 18:13) as well. It seems that hard circumstances surround good and bad people alike.
For some reason, Hezekiah rebels against Assyria, and the crisis reaches a high point. Rabshakeh, the emissary of Sennacherib, comes to the king of Judah with a message that contains the crux of the matter in the narrative: “In whom do you trust?” (Isaiah 36:5, NKJV). There are some alternatives for Hezekiah to follow: Do you trust in Egypt (Isa. 36:6)? Do you trust in the Lord (Isa. 36:7)? Or are you going to trust in the Assyrian king (Isa. 36:8)? The Assyrian agent explains to the leaders of God’s people his reasoning as to why it is not convenient to trust in others, but only in him.
Do not trust in Egypt because it is like “the staff of this broken reed” (Isa. 36:6). Do not trust in the Lord. According to Rabshakeh, “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, The LORD will save us. Has any of the gods of the nations saved their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? . . . Who among all the gods of these countries have saved their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand?” (Isa. 36:18, 20, NRSV). Besides, he insists that the Lord said to him, “ ‘Go up against this land and destroy it’ ” (Isa. 36:10, NASB).
Finally, the emissary of Assyria persuades the representatives of Judah to trust in Assyria by making a deal with the Assyrians: “Make an agreement with me by a present,” and I will give to you “a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards” (Isa. 36:16, 17). If Judah agrees to that, it would have shown their disdain for God.
Why Should God Be Trusted?
It is interesting that the Assyrian emissary knows that Hezekiah trusts in the Lord. It seems that he is afraid of the faith of the monarch because he argues with the representatives of Judah not to trust in the Lord (Isa. 36:7): “Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us” (Isa. 36:15). “Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us” (Isa. 36:18).
The biblical record describes the key virtue of Hezekiah: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 18:5). So, in this moment of crisis, Hezekiah seeks the Lord and prays. His supplication is one of the most beautiful prayers in times of distress:
“O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. . . . Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God” (Isa. 37:16, 17, 20, NASB).
Hezekiah’s perspective on God and his recognition of who the Lord is are noteworthy. The Lord is the true King of the world; there is no other like Him. Thus, He is the sovereign of the universe, and all kingdoms are subdued under His will. God as Creator highlights the sovereignty of the living God. He can deliver His people. Rabshakeh’s view of God is blasphemy.
God and Personal Calamities.
Isaiah 38 includes great insights into aspects of our God. He is presented as King, Creator, and Savior. He is a God interested in the national well-being of His people. At the same time, He is also a God interested in individual matters.
We see God’s personal interest in Hezekiah when he gets sick: “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD . . . and Hezekiah wept sore” (Isa. 38:2, 3). And God sends a message to Hezekiah through the prophet: “Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears” (Isa. 38:5, NASB).
Amid those circumstances, Hezekiah writes a psalm. It reflects what is in his heart as he undergoes his personal crisis—in this case, a terminal disease: 1. Hezekiah does not deny his condition: “I shall go to the gates of the grave” (Isa. 38:10). Nor does he live in denial of the temporary nature of life: “from day to night you bring me to an end” (Isa. 38:12, NRSV). 2. His sickness brings some periods of despondency in his life: “I moan like a dove: My eyes are weary with looking upward. . . . Behold, for peace I had great bitterness” (Isa. 38:14, 17, NRSV). 3. However, Hezekiah waits on God: “O LORD, I am oppressed; be my security . . . restore me to health and let me live!” (Isa. 38:14, 16; NASB); “The LORD was ready to save me” (Isa. 38:20). 4. He feels God has forgiven his sins: “For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isa. 38:17). 5. There is no resentment against God: “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today” (Isa. 38:19, NASB). 6. And he testifies about God’s faithfulness: “A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness” (Isa. 38:19, NASB).
Commentator John Oswalt points out some key insights regarding Hezekiah’s experience that are important to consider: “There are perhaps two important theological points being made here. One of these is the reiteration of human helplessness and divine trustworthiness. Even a king is helpless before the onslaught of death. Even the most powerful are laid low in its path. Why then should we put our trust in human mortality? On the other hand, God can and will snatch a person out of the very gates of death and restore him to life. He holds the keys of life and death and will use those to our benefit. Should not such a One be trusted?
“The second point is more implicit than explicit. But it arises in an answer to the question of why such an emphatic statement of Hezekiah’s mortality and impotence should be placed here in the book. An answer which seems obvious is that there is a conscious attempt to make it plain that Hezekiah is not the promised Messiah. Despite his ability to trust God and to lead his nation back from the brink of destruction, he is not the Child of whom Isaiah has spoken. He has embodied the trust which is essential if the nation is to serve God, but he is not the One in whom that trust is to be reposed. Of that One a fuller revelation (chapters 40–66) still lies ahead.”—The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 682.
Part III: Life Application
Whom do you trust? Sometimes, as happens during Hezekiah’s reign, our faith is put under trial, and we have the option to trust in the Lord or to trust in others. How can a crisis help you to trust in God more?
Look at the amazing description of God in Hezekiah’s prayer in Isaiah 37. See the commentary above and read Isaiah 37:16-20. How did God answer the prayer of Hezekiah? Contemplate this verse from Isaiah in formulating your answer: “By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake” (Isa. 37:34, 35).
God does not look after the matters of the nation only, but on personal affairs as well. God considers Hezekiah’s sickness and through the prophet Isaiah, sends this message: “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years” (Isa. 38:5).
Life should not be taken for granted but should be treated as a gift from God. If, in some moments we face some struggles in life, we need to turn our face toward “the wall” and pray unto the LORD. How does Hezekiah’s story show you that God will take care of you?
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Study Focus: Isaiah 36, 37, 38
Part I: Overview
In the first section of Isaiah 36 (verses 1-10), we can see that the commander of Assyria, Rabshakeh, attempts to deceive the people of Judah into believing the message from the king of Assyria. He tries to persuade the leaders of Judah not to believe in God.
Isaiah 37 shows King Hezekiah mourning over the bad news that his official brings. However, the Lord sends a message to Hezekiah, who affirms his faith in the Lord (Isa. 37:16-20).
According to Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah gets sick, and God informs him through the prophet Isaiah about his impending death. King Hezekiah cries out to the Lord, and the Lord answers him with a promise of an additional fifteen years of life. During this hard time, Hezekiah writes a beautiful psalm in which he expresses his thoughts about God and his dark experience. Three main topics will be explored in this study: (1) In whom shall we trust? (2) Why should God be trusted? and (3) God and personal calamities.
Part II: Commentary
In Whom Shall We Trust?
Isaiah 36 to 39 include narratives detailing another military challenge that Judah faces. The event takes place during the reign of Hezekiah. Chronicles and the book of the Kings describe Hezekiah as a great reformer in terms of religious matters: “He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them” (2 Chron. 29:3); and he said to the Levites, “sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place” (2 Chron. 29:5). The biblical record points out that “he trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 18:5).
The Assyrian power has come up against Israel and Samaria is captured because “they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant” (2 Kings 18:12). However, the Assyrian forces “come up against all the fenced cities of Judah” (2 Kings 18:13) as well. It seems that hard circumstances surround good and bad people alike.
For some reason, Hezekiah rebels against Assyria, and the crisis reaches a high point. Rabshakeh, the emissary of Sennacherib, comes to the king of Judah with a message that contains the crux of the matter in the narrative: “In whom do you trust?” (Isaiah 36:5, NKJV). There are some alternatives for Hezekiah to follow: Do you trust in Egypt (Isa. 36:6)? Do you trust in the Lord (Isa. 36:7)? Or are you going to trust in the Assyrian king (Isa. 36:8)? The Assyrian agent explains to the leaders of God’s people his reasoning as to why it is not convenient to trust in others, but only in him.
Do not trust in Egypt because it is like “the staff of this broken reed” (Isa. 36:6). Do not trust in the Lord. According to Rabshakeh, “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, The LORD will save us. Has any of the gods of the nations saved their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? . . . Who among all the gods of these countries have saved their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand?” (Isa. 36:18, 20, NRSV). Besides, he insists that the Lord said to him, “ ‘Go up against this land and destroy it’ ” (Isa. 36:10, NASB).
Finally, the emissary of Assyria persuades the representatives of Judah to trust in Assyria by making a deal with the Assyrians: “Make an agreement with me by a present,” and I will give to you “a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards” (Isa. 36:16, 17). If Judah agrees to that, it would have shown their disdain for God.
Why Should God Be Trusted?
It is interesting that the Assyrian emissary knows that Hezekiah trusts in the Lord. It seems that he is afraid of the faith of the monarch because he argues with the representatives of Judah not to trust in the Lord (Isa. 36:7): “Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us” (Isa. 36:15). “Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us” (Isa. 36:18).
The biblical record describes the key virtue of Hezekiah: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 18:5). So, in this moment of crisis, Hezekiah seeks the Lord and prays. His supplication is one of the most beautiful prayers in times of distress:
“O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. . . . Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God” (Isa. 37:16, 17, 20, NASB).
Hezekiah’s perspective on God and his recognition of who the Lord is are noteworthy. The Lord is the true King of the world; there is no other like Him. Thus, He is the sovereign of the universe, and all kingdoms are subdued under His will. God as Creator highlights the sovereignty of the living God. He can deliver His people. Rabshakeh’s view of God is blasphemy.
God and Personal Calamities.
Isaiah 38 includes great insights into aspects of our God. He is presented as King, Creator, and Savior. He is a God interested in the national well-being of His people. At the same time, He is also a God interested in individual matters.
We see God’s personal interest in Hezekiah when he gets sick: “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD . . . and Hezekiah wept sore” (Isa. 38:2, 3). And God sends a message to Hezekiah through the prophet: “Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears” (Isa. 38:5, NASB).
Amid those circumstances, Hezekiah writes a psalm. It reflects what is in his heart as he undergoes his personal crisis—in this case, a terminal disease: 1. Hezekiah does not deny his condition: “I shall go to the gates of the grave” (Isa. 38:10). Nor does he live in denial of the temporary nature of life: “from day to night you bring me to an end” (Isa. 38:12, NRSV). 2. His sickness brings some periods of despondency in his life: “I moan like a dove: My eyes are weary with looking upward. . . . Behold, for peace I had great bitterness” (Isa. 38:14, 17, NRSV). 3. However, Hezekiah waits on God: “O LORD, I am oppressed; be my security . . . restore me to health and let me live!” (Isa. 38:14, 16; NASB); “The LORD was ready to save me” (Isa. 38:20). 4. He feels God has forgiven his sins: “For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isa. 38:17). 5. There is no resentment against God: “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today” (Isa. 38:19, NASB). 6. And he testifies about God’s faithfulness: “A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness” (Isa. 38:19, NASB).
Commentator John Oswalt points out some key insights regarding Hezekiah’s experience that are important to consider: “There are perhaps two important theological points being made here. One of these is the reiteration of human helplessness and divine trustworthiness. Even a king is helpless before the onslaught of death. Even the most powerful are laid low in its path. Why then should we put our trust in human mortality? On the other hand, God can and will snatch a person out of the very gates of death and restore him to life. He holds the keys of life and death and will use those to our benefit. Should not such a One be trusted?
“The second point is more implicit than explicit. But it arises in an answer to the question of why such an emphatic statement of Hezekiah’s mortality and impotence should be placed here in the book. An answer which seems obvious is that there is a conscious attempt to make it plain that Hezekiah is not the promised Messiah. Despite his ability to trust God and to lead his nation back from the brink of destruction, he is not the Child of whom Isaiah has spoken. He has embodied the trust which is essential if the nation is to serve God, but he is not the One in whom that trust is to be reposed. Of that One a fuller revelation (chapters 40–66) still lies ahead.”—The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 682.
Part III: Life Application
Life should not be taken for granted but should be treated as a gift from God. If, in some moments we face some struggles in life, we need to turn our face toward “the wall” and pray unto the LORD. How does Hezekiah’s story show you that God will take care of you?