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04/01/2003. Pastor Brett Peterson. ISAIAH. Chapters 33-37. introduction. Chapter 33 gives us an even closer look at the Lord's rebuke against Assyria.
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introduction • Chapter 33 gives us an even closer look at the Lord's rebuke against Assyria.
Chapter 34 is a very graphic picture of Armageddon and the battle that will take place there, and 35 is further information about the millennial kingdom - 1,000-year reign of Christ. • If you want more In-depth study on these events, you will find our study in Revelation on Wednesday nights will provide that.
Right now we are studying the 4-horsemen of the Apocalypse in Chapter 6! • Chapters 36 and 37 give us greater understanding as to why the Lord is so upset with the nation of Assyria. • The event before us this morning comes from King Sennacherib - the king of Assyria.
As a nation they were extremely powerful and pretty much annihilating anyone or any nation that got in their way.
I hope you remember in our earlier studies: that the Lord was upset about his people making alliances with ungodly nations.
Judah had made a pact with Egypt in hopes of keeping Sennacherib from destroying them. • But the Lord wanted King Hezekiah to trust in Him, not in the strength of Egypt!
For that lack of trust, many would be killed, but the Lord promised that Assyria would not ultimately be victorious. • We will need to do some reading this morning to understand the threat and the pride of Sennacherib. • But we will also see the humble prayer of King Hezekiah that turned things around for Judah.
Isai 36:1 (NKJV) Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah [that] Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent [the] Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field. • The "Rabshakeh" was the king's "chief wine pourer". In this case he was a most trusted friend and advisor for King Sennacherib - sent to bring the following message to Judah.
Isai 36:3 (NKJV) And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him. 4 Then [the] Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, `Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: "What confidence is this in which you trust? 5 "I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but [they] [are] mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 6 "Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So [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 whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, `You shall worship before this altar'?" '
This is intimidation at its best (or worst?). • Basically he is saying, "You guys don't stand a chance against us and you know it!" • "Egypt is not going to be able to help you, and this "god" you trust in - isn't he the one that your king has torn down all the places to worship him in? (High places) • You see they knew so little about the One true God, they didn't even understand what King Hezekiah was trying to do by eliminating the places of pagan worship. • AND no doubt, this heathen was attempting to insult Judah and the God they worshipped - Jehovah!
Isai 36:8 (NKJV) "Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses--if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 9 "How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 10 "Have I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, `Go up against this land, and destroy it.' " • "We are bigger, better, and stronger, and by the way - god has told us that WE are going to be victorious so one of us has to be wrong!" • Be careful which "god" you pray to!
Isai 36:11 (NKJV) Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to [the] Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand [it]; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who [are] on the wall." 12 But [the] Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?" 13 Then [the] Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and said, "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 `nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, 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 [peace] with me [by] [a] present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 17 `until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 `[Beware] lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The Lord will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 `Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20 `Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' " 21 But they held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him." 22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who [was] over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with [their] clothes torn, and told him the words of [the] Rabshakeh. • You can almost "smell" the pride and arrogance of this man - which only reflected the heart of his king! • In Chapter 37, King Hezekiah and his advisors call upon Isaiah in order to seek the Lord's will and advice - they are finally getting the idea!
Isai 37:1 (NKJV) And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard [it], that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who [was] over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: `This day [is] a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but [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 reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up [your] prayer for the remnant that is left.' " 5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to 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 you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 "Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." ' " • "Don't be afraid of King Sennacherib, he is not going to win!" • There are many "King Sennacheribs" in life that seek to destroy the confidence of God's people!
They are proud, arrogant, loud and intimidating, but ultimate, they are not going to win!
As Chapter 37 goes on, the king follows up his threats with a letter of intent.
But this time King Hezekiah gets on his knees before the Lord with a very simple yet very effective prayer.
Isai 37:15 (NKJV) Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: 16 "O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, [the] [One] who dwells [between] the cherubim, You [are] 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 reproach the living God. 18 "Truly, 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] not gods, but the work of men's hands--wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them. 20 "Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You [are] the Lord, You alone." • Without a doubt this is a prayer for deliverance - but its primary focus if for the Lord to vindicate Himself! To show Assyria that He is the one and only true God, and that they CANNOT blaspheme Him like they did and get by with it! • It worked!
Isai 37:21 (NKJV) Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, `Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, • For the sake of time we will not read the Lord's entire response through Isaiah, but we will read the result!
Isai 37:36 (NKJV) Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when [people] arose early in the morning, there were the corpses--all dead. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned [home], and remained at Nineveh. 38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. • You don't mess with the Lord or his children! • Please don't misunderstand. This doesn't mean that Christians are immune to the heartaches and the effects of sin in this world.
But what it does mean is that ultimately WE WIN because we worship the One and Only True GOD! • Satan may bark, and threaten, and intimidate, but he will ultimately lose!
introduction • This morning in our study of Isaiah, we will cover only 2 chapters - 38-39. • Chapter 40 begins a new section of Isaiah. • This first section has been pretty dismal because the Lord's people were facing conquest, deportation and slavery in Babylon for 30 years for their disobedience. • The next section is filled with hope and promises for restoration of their land.
This morning as we stand between these 2 great sections of Isaiah - we get a good look at King Hezekiah - King of Judah.
Please remember that God's word has seen fit to remember King Hezekiah as a good king! • When he came into power, he tore down the high places of pagan worship that his father Ahaz had let prosper. • That is a small statement but it was not small task: • 2Kin 17:7 (NKJV) For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that [were] not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves [sacred] pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, • 2Kin 17:16 (NKJV) So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image [and] two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. • And this is what is said about King Hezekiah: • 2Kin 18:2 (NKJV) He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name [was] Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did [what] [was] right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the [sacred] pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. • This man has proven himself with the Lord. He has stood for righteousness against Assyria and led his nation in the ways of the Lord. • But the story before us this morning shows us that even a good man can make some dumb mistakes! • It shows us that we can get so self-consumed that the only one we are concerned about is us! Let's take a look.
Isai 38:1 (NKJV) In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: `Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' " • The thought of our own death is not something we like to even think about, yet it is inevitable for us all.
Have you ever given it much thought? • You see it is very easy to read about Hezekiah and judge his reactions, but we have to ask ourselves - HOW WOULD WE RESPOND?
Isai 38:2 (NKJV) Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, "Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done [what] [is] good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. • Perhaps if we were honest - most of us would respond much the same.
Verses 9-20 give us a better look at what was going on in Hezekiah's heart during this time. • Isai 38:9 (NKJV) This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from is sickness: 10 I said, "In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years." 11 I said, "I shall not see Yah, The Lord in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world. 12 My life span is gone, Taken from me like a shepherd's tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me. 13 I have considered until morning--Like a lion, So He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me. 14 Like a crane [or] a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail [from] [looking] upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; Undertake for me! 15 "What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, And He Himself has done [it]. I shall walk carefully all my years In the bitterness of my soul. 16 O Lord, by these [things] [men] live; And in all these [things] [is] the life of my spirit; So You will restore me and make me live. 17 Indeed [it] [was] for [my] [own] peace [That] I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly [delivered] my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. 18 For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. 19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I [do] this day; The father shall make known Your truth to the children. 20 "The Lord [was] [ready] to save me; Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord." • I would like you to notice a few "phrases" that I think reflect Hezekiah's heart. • In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol. • I am deprived of the remainder of my years. • My life span is gone, Taken from me like a shepherd's tent. • He cuts me off from the loom. • From day until night You make an end of me. • He breaks all my bones. • No only is King Hezekiah depressed, he feels that the Lord has cheated him: that the Lord is unfair in His decision to call him home! • Because of this he is not able to find a place of peace. • I have considered until morning. • I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail [from] [looking] upward. O Lord, I am oppressed. • The though of his own death consumed him! It occupied his every moment and his every though.
I would like to say that his reaction was very HUMAN! It would take some adjustment for any of us. • Hezekiah could simply not accept the Lord's will for him on this one, so he prayed his heart out and this was the result.
Isai 38:4 (NKJV) And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, `Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. 6 "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city." ' • The Lord saw Hezekiah's tears and answered his prayers with an extension of 15 years to his life! • Next we need to tie verses 21&22 with verses 7&8 to see how the Lord healed Hezekiah.
Isai 38:21 (NKJV) Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs, and apply [it] as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover." 22 And Hezekiah had said, "What [is] the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?" ISAI 38:7 "And this [is] the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: 8 "Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward." So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. • The Lord even told Hezekiah that as a sign he was healed - he would turn back time for him in verse 8! (That is another study which we do not have time for in this one.) • Now this should have the "positive confession" guys jumping up and down! • They would say, that Hezekiah stood in faith believing that he was going to live and he did! • But was the extension of those 15 years a good thing? • Sometimes getting what we want isn't the best decision in the log run!
Isai 39:1 (NKJV) At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2 And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his treasures--the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory--all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came to me from a far country, from Babylon." 4 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that [is] in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 `Behold, the days are coming when all that [is] in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the Lord. 7 `And they shall take away [some] of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' " • Hezekiah let his guard down and let these men see all the treasures of his kingdom even the one's in the Lord house. • Isaiah's prophecy came true in the days of Nebucadnezzar, which you can read about in Daniel. • Hezekiah's descendants did serve as eunuchs in the king's court and that pagan country drank toasts to their pagan gods from the golden vessels taken from the Lord's house!
CONCLUSION • But I want you to see how Hezekiah felt about all this even before it occurred! • Isaiah 39:8 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord which you have spoken [is] good!" For he said, "At least there will be peace and truth in my days." • Hezekiah got what he wanted but at what cost? • He was so happy to have his prayers answered and his life extended that his vision ended with him! • All he cared about was HIS remaining 15 years. • May we all get to the place in our walk with the Lord that we can say as Jesus did, "Father, thy will be done!"
introduction • As I said in last weeks teaching, Chapter 40 begins "section 2" of the book of Isaiah. • The first section was fairly dark and dismal as it dealt with the Lord's judgments for his people's sin and rebellion.
This second half of Isaiah holds more promise as it looks to the restoration of God's people and their coming out of slavery in Babylon. • We will be covering 8 chapters so, we will highlight the most important events to keep it moving, yet maintain the context of the book.
Isai 40:1 (NKJV) "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. 2 "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord's hand Double for all her sins." 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see [it] together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." • "Jerusalem" has paid heavily for her sins, now it is time for them to be restored!
