032. I. The Task Of The Prophet During The Years 722–700 B.C.
I THE TASK OF THE PROPHET DURING THE YEARS 722–700 B.C. As long as King Ahaz sat upon the throne of Judah, he and his people remained loyal vassals of Assyria. Whether this was due to the shrewdness or to the weakness of the king is uncertain. The situation was not without its advantages politically. Judah was guaranteed security and peace, and could give undivided attention to her own concerns. Consequently the prophet Isaiah, whose patriotism was as unquestioned as his far-sighted judgment, accepted the situation, and did all in his power to maintain it. He did not give up his expectation of a coming judgment upon his people through the very nation which was then its patron; but, in the interest of cultivating a more abiding trust in the Holy One of Israel, the supreme ruler of the universe, he decried all purely human expedients for changing the situation. The immediate religious results of this submission were deplorable. To the people at large the political supremacy of Assyria implied the superior power of her gods. King Ahaz not only erected a new altar in the temple patterned after an Assyrian model, but made other changes of similar character, and introduced the Assyrian worship of the heavenly bodies (2 Kings 23:12). In this dishonor to Jehovah of Hosts he was heartily supported by many of his influential subjects. As Micah’s unsparing criticisms show, the frivolity and superstition of the early days of Ahaz developed rapidly into a deliberate disregard of moral obligations. The rapacious nobles tolerated only those religious advisers who pandered to their desires. Isaiah was for a while comparatively isolated. He got no hearing from king or nobles or people. His attention was devoted mainly to his own disciples. That he did not fail, however, to take advantage of any opportunity to proclaim loyalty to Jehovah and conformity to righteous ideals, is shown by the captious complaint of the revelers, in chapter 28, that his advice was, to say the least, monotonous.
There is no trace of any prominent activity on his part until after the year 715 B. C., when it is certain that Hezekiah was on the throne.[38] The acquiescence of the Judeans in their vassalage to Assyria had been promoted by the decisive victories gained by Sargon in 720 over a coalition of northern communities headed by Hamath, and over an Egyptian army at Raphia. But about 716 a new sovereign came to the throne of Egypt. He acknowledged himself Assyria’s vassal in 715, but began to use every secret means in his power of arousing a spirit of discontent among the petty states of Palestine. This found expression, about 711 B.C., in the town of Ashdod, which deposed its authorized ruler. But, before the revolt could gain much headway, Sargon despatched a selected body of troops, and quelled the insurrection. Judah, along with Edom and Moab, he suspected of desiring to revolt, but contented himself with receiving their ready submission.
It is probable that Isaiah was responsible for the hesitation of the people of Judah to take part in the revolt. He did his best to show the sure result of such a step by wearing, in public, for several years, a captive’s garb. He succeeded in preventing any overt acts of rebellion while Sargon lived. It seems probable, however, that Egyptian intrigue found all this time a ready response in Judah. An anti-Assyrian, pro-Egyptian party grew in strength, which counted as its adherents not a few distinguished courtiers. The events which gave these conspirators courage for open disaffection were two important changes of dynasty. The dreaded Sargon died by violence in 705 B. C., and was succeeded by Sennacherib, whose prowess had yet to be proved. At about the same time there came to the over-lordship of Egypt and Ethiopia a remarkably clever and ambitious king, Tirhakah. Despite Isaiah’s utmost activity and earnest warnings against the folly and wickedness of trusting in Egypt, active negotiations began between Judah and the other Palestinian states looking toward a combined rebellion against Assyria. King Hezekiah yielded to the popular desire, and became a prominent factor in this league. Isaiah’s predictions of what Assyria would do were wholly wasted. In fact, for four years, Sennacherib was forced to give his whole attention to a yet more serious situation in the Far East. When his people had taken the decisive step of refusing allegiance and tribute, and were face to face with an Assyrian invasion, Isaiah, true to his prophetic function, began at once to strengthen them for the inevitable shock. He aimed to center their hopes upon Jehovah, who, in his providence, was using Assyria as a tool to humble Judah, and cause her to recognize him as her only deliverer. He declared that Jehovah would set certain limits beyond which the boastful Assyrian would not be allowed to pass. Jerusalem, the city of Zion, was still needed for the furtherance of the divine purpose; hence Jehovah would protect it. Judah need not fear, if her people would only become truly loyal to him. In 701 B. C., Sennacherib advanced to punish his rebellious subjects in Palestine, and to quell, once for all, their fondness for revolt It was the crisis in the history of Judah. How at this time of stress the prophet comforted, warned, encouraged, and taught his people, his own utterances will show. He not only inspired them at critical moments with courage and confidence, but made the apparent hopelessness of the situation a ground for emphasizing Jehovah’s world-wide sovereignty and irresistible purpose. When Sennacherib returned to Assyria, leaving Jerusalem untouched, the political deliverance was insignificant in comparison with the triumph achieved for religious progress.