Isaiah 36

HISTORIC INTERLUDEWe have come to the second major division of the Book of Isaiah. This section is unlike that which precedes it and that which follows it. This section leaves the high plateau of prophecy and drops down to the record of history. Even the form of language changes from poetry to prose. The first section dealt with the government of God and the method by which God judges. In the last section we will see the grace of Godsalvation instead of judgment. Between these two sections is this historic interlude of four brief chapters. Why are they wedged in between the two major sections of this book? This is a reasonable question which requires investigation and rewards the honest inquirer. There are several significant factors which are worthy of mention.

1. Sacred and secular history are not the same. F. C. Jennings, in his fine work, Studies in Isaiah, says, “Divine history is never merely history, never simply a true account of past events.” This means that there are great spiritual truths couched in sacred history that are seen only by the eye of faith. The Holy Spirit must teach us the divine purpose in recording spiritual history. I want to note several suggested reasons for this: a. These incidents might seem trite to the average historian who records great world movements, but events that concerned God’s people were important according to the standards of heaven. b. These chapters note the transfer of power from Assyria to Babylon. Babylon was the first great world empire and was the real menace to God’s people. Babylon was to begin the period designated by our Lord as “…the times of the Gentiles …” (Luk_21:24). c. This section is a record of a son of David who was beset by enemies and who went down to the verge of death, but was delivered and continued to reign. In this he foreshadows the great Son of David who was also beset by enemies, was delivered to death, but was raised from the dead, and who is coming again to reign. Hezekiah was only a man who walked in the ways of David, another weak man. Hezekiah lived to play the fool. Our Lord was greater than David, and as the crucified and risen Son of God, He is made unto us “… wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1Co_1:30). There are other great spiritual truths which are noted in the chapter outlines.
2. The second significant factor in this historic section is that these particular events are recorded three times in Scripture2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 29-30, and here in Isaiah. The fact that the Holy Spirit saw fit to record them three times is in itself a matter of great importance. The records are not identical but are similar. Some scholars think that Isaiah is the author of all three, or at least also of the one in the Book of Kings. Surely the Spirit of God has some special truth for us here which should cause us not to hurry over these events as if they were of no great moment.
3. Three significant and stupendous miracles are recorded in this brief section: a. The death angel slays 185,000 Assyrians (Isa_37:36-38). b. The sun retreats ten degrees on the sundial of Ahaz (Isa_38:7-8). c. God heals Hezekiah and extends his life fifteen years (Isa_38:1-5).
4. This section opens with Assyria and closes with Babylon. There are two important letters which Hezekiah received: a. The first was from Assyria, which Hezekiah took directly to God in prayer. God answered his prayer and delivered His people (Isa_37:14-20). b. The second letter was from the king of Babylon, which flattered Hezekiah and which he did not take to the Lord in prayer. As a result, it led to the undoing of Judah (Isa_39:1-8). Chapter 36 tells about King Hezekiah and the invasion of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Chapter 37 tells about King Hezekiah’s prayer and the destruction of the Assyrian hosts. Chapter 38 records King Hezekiah’s sickness, prayer, and healing. Chapter 39 finds King Hezekiah playing the fool. CHAPTERS 36 AND 37THEME: Hezekiah and AssyriaSennacherib, king of Assyria, had come down like a flood from the north, taking everything in his wake. He had captured every nation and city that stood in his path, or they had capitulated to him. Flushed with victory, he appears with the Assyrian hosts before the walls of Jerusalem. He is surprised and puzzled that Hezekiah would attempt to resist him. He seeks for some explanation, as Hezekiah must have some secret weapon. Rab-shakeh, his representative, ridicules all known possibilities of aid. Arrogantly he demands unconditional surrender. The chapter closes with the terms and threats reported to Hezekiah.

Isaiah 36:1

ASSYRIA THREATENS TO INVADE JERUSALEMYou will recall that Isaiah began his prophetic ministry when King Uzziah died, and he continued it through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and now Hezekiah. Hezekiah was one of the five great kings of Judah. During the reigns of these five kings (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah) revival came to the land of Judah. Hezekiah was actually a great king. 2Ch_29:1-2 tells us, “Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.” Although Hezekiah was a good king, he exhibited weakness when he attempted to stave off the invasion of Jerusalem by bribing Sennacherib (see 2Ki_18:13-16). He stripped the gold and silver from the temple to meet the exorbitant demands of the king of Assyria. It was to no avail, however, as the army of Assyria was outside the gates of Jerusalem. Payment did not help at all. This policy was not something new then, and it is still with us. Our nation, since World War II, has followed a very weak policy. We have used the almighty dollar to try to buy friends throughout the world, and we don’t have many friends today. You cannot get friends by buying them. Our problem is that we haven’t learned who our real Friend is. He is the One to whom Hezekiah finally had to turn, the Lord God.

Isaiah 36:2

Sennacherib did not condescend to come personally, but instead he sent an army under Rab-shakeh. They are parked now outside the gates of Jerusalem, and General Rab-shakeh is attempting to put fear into the hearts of Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem so that they will surrender. Hezekiah sent out a delegation to meet with him.

Isaiah 36:3

Hezekiah sent forth this embassage of three to receive the terms offered by Sennacherib.

Isaiah 36:4

ASSYRIA DEMANDS SURRENDER OF JERUSALEMRab-shakeh arrogantly expresses surprise that Hezekiah would even dare resist, and he wants to know about the secret weapon in which Hezekiah trusts. He suggests first of all that it might be Egypt.

Isaiah 36:6

The Assyrian host was then on the way to Egypt to capture that kingdom and was incensed that Jerusalem blocked the way. The facts were that Hezekiah had hoped for help from Egypt as had Ahaz his father before him. But Hezekiah wouldn’t get any help from EgyptRab-shakeh was right about that. Then he suggests another possibility:

Isaiah 36:7

Next Rab-shakeh asks, “Is it true that you are depending upon your God?” Here is where his lack of spiritual discernment gave him a wrong cue. He says, “Don’t you know that Hezekiah had all the high places destroyed?” He thought the worship at the heathen altars out yonder on those hilltops was the same as the worship of the living God in Jerusalem. He thought Hezekiah had destroyed the worship of the people so that they had no gods to turn to. Many people today have no spiritual discernment. Every now and then someone will write to me or say, “All churches are the same. They are all striving to get to the same place.” These people are like old Rab-shakeh. They don’t seem to know the difference. When they say that it does not make any difference what you believe as long as you are sincere, they contradict the words of our Lord. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Joh_14:6). Now the third possibility suggested by Rab-shakeh reveals the haughty attitude of the Assyrian:

Isaiah 36:8

There was the slim possibility that Hezekiah was depending on his own resources and manpower to defend Jerusalem; so Rab-shakeh offers to make things just about equal by giving Hezekiah two thousand horses! He, of course, is ridiculing them. The fourth possibility suggested by Rab-shakeh is the most subtle of all:

Isaiah 36:10

He suggests that Jehovah of Israel has sent the Assyrian against Jerusalem and that He is therefore on the side of the Assyrian. It is interesting to note that in World War I the Germans thought God was with them, and we thought God was on our side. I doubt seriously that God was on either side. In this particular case the true God used the Assyrian to destroy His people, but He is not going to let the enemy take Jerusalem.

Isaiah 36:11

Now Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah ask Rab-shakeh to speak in the Syrian language. All this time he has been speaking so loudly in the Hebrew language that the soldiers on the walls of Jerusalem could hear. He was great at giving out propaganda; enemies always do that. He was yelling out his ideas at the top of his voice so that the soldiers on the wall would get the word to the people in Jerusalem; he wanted to get it past these emissaries. Of course, their protest only caused Rab-shakeh to talk a little louder.

Isaiah 36:18

Arrogantly Rab-shakeh boasts that none of the gods of other people have delivered them. Why should the Israelites expect Jehovah to deliver Jerusalem? He placed Jehovah on a par with heathen idols.

Isaiah 36:22

REPRESENTATIVES REPORT ASSYRIA’S BITTER TERMSFinally the emissaries bring the word to Hezekiah, the king: The messengers return to report these doleful words to Hezekiah. “Clothes” speak of the dignity and glory of man. The saying is that clothes make the man. Well, “clothes rent” indicates humiliation and shame. This is a dejected and discouraged delegation that brings to Hezekiah the message from the king of Assyria.