Isaiah 37

Isaiah 37:1

REACTION OF HEZEKIAH TO THE REPORTNow notice what Hezekiah does when this report reaches him. His reaction to the report of his messengers reveals a man of faith. In his extremity he turns to God and goes to the house of the Lord.

Isaiah 37:2

Hezekiah now sends his messengers to Isaiah the prophet. This is another act of faith. He wants a word from God.

Isaiah 37:3

The message to Isaiah is ominous, black, and pessimistic. It is a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy.

Isaiah 37:4

He speaks of the Lord as “thy God,” not as “our God.” Why didn’t he say “our God” to begin with? However, he will correct this in his prayer in verse Isa_37:20.

Isaiah 37:5

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE LORD THROUGH ISAIAHGod gives assurance to Hezekiah that the blasphemy of the Assyrian has not escaped His attention. Likewise, God cannot, nor will not, ignore it.

Isaiah 37:7

He would not be killed near Jerusalem but in his own land. This had literal fulfillment, as we shall see. God declares the destruction of Assyria.

Isaiah 37:10

THREATENING LETTER TO HEZEKIAHWhen Rab-shakeh got back to his army, he learned that the king of Assyria had left Lachish and was going to war against Libnah. A rumor came that the main force of the Assyrian army was being attacked by the Egyptian army. Rab-shakeh withdrew from Jerusalem temporarily to assist the main force of the Assyrian army, but to “save face” he dispatched a letter from Sennacherib to Hezekiah saying, “I’ll be back!” The message of the letter was another attempt to shake Hezekiah’s faith in God’s deliverance. He repeats the same words of Rab-shakeh.

Isaiah 37:11

Here he goes beyond the former word and boasts that no gods of any nation had delivered their people out of the hand of the Assyrian.

Isaiah 37:13

He quotes historical facts that were difficult to answer.

Isaiah 37:14

HEZEKIAH’S PRAYERNow notice the action of HezekiahI love this! When Hezekiah received the letter, he went to God directly and spread the letter before Him. Then follows one of the truly great prayers of Scripture.

Isaiah 37:15

No instructed Israelites believed that God was a local deity who dwelt in the templejust a little box in Jerusalem! King Solomon had prayed: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded” (1Ki_8:27). Every Israelite recognized that He was the God of heaven, the Creator of heaven and earth. Hezekiah pleads with Him to hear and deliver His people from the threatening Assyrian:

Isaiah 37:17

Hezekiah shows God the letter and calls attention to the fact that it is directly against God.

Isaiah 37:18

Hezekiah acknowledges the truth of the letter. There was no need to deny or ignore it. When we deal with God, it is wise to tell Him the truth, especially about ourselves, and not try to conceal anything.

Isaiah 37:29

GOD’S ANSWER THROUGH ISAIAHGod says that He has heard the blasphemy of the Assyrian. Notice how He will deal with him: Now God gives this word of comfort and assurance to His people.

Isaiah 37:30

The primary thought is that the children of Judah would continue on in the land a little longer. Note the boldness of this prophecy:

Isaiah 37:33

If one of the 185,000 Assyrians had accidentally shot an arrow over the walls of Jerusalem, God’s Word would have been inaccurate! How wonderful are the promises of God!

Isaiah 37:34

This is specific and was also literally fulfilled.

Isaiah 37:36

GOD DESTROYS THE ASSYRIAN ARMYIn the morning the men who were stationed on the walls of Jerusalem saw an amazing sight! The enemies they so feared were now lifeless corpses.

Isaiah 37:37

Now let’s see what happened to the king of Assyria.

Isaiah 37:38

Secular history confirms the fact that Sennacherib was murdered by his sons. It was about this time that the great kingdom of Assyria began to disintegrate and eventually was taken over by Babylon. God had already let Isaiah know that He was preparing a kingdom down on the banks of the Euphrates River, which would be the one to take the southern kingdom into captivity. God knew that though He delivered His people by this tremendous miracle in the days of Hezekiah, soon the day would return when He again would say, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” [Isa_1:4].