Isaiah 36-37 Crisis of Trust

Intro

Group Intro

- Goal

We are to eagerly hunger for spiritual nutrition in greater degrees

We are here to become spiritually mature

Regardless of your background or where you are in your relationship with Jesus, you are called to grow

- What we do

Scripture

Prayer

Community

Lesson Intro

Summary of Isaiah so far

Prophecy

Setting

Literary Setting - Transition (36-39)

What is different about this passage?

It is a historical narrative, not poetic prophecy

This is not arbitrary, It has a precise literary purpose

Divides the two halves of the book

Confirms the prophecies of God’s sovereignty over all nations, illustrates the discipline that is coming, confirms there is hope for those who have faith

Sets a historical transition from a prosperous people who reject God’s word to a exiled people seeking hope

Resets hope from Jerusalem that was to the New Jerusalem that is coming

But it also anchors the prophecies

Will God’s word come true?

Here is a dramatic example that God rules the world and that He keeps His promises

Historical Setting - Backstory

From 2 Kings, which has this same story embedded in the larger history of Judah.

Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel 20 years earlier. Judah and the surrounding countries had become vassals/provinces of Assyria.

But when the new king Sennacherib became king, the Judah and the surrounding countries revolted.

* * * Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel 20 years earlier. Judah and the surrounding countries had become vassals/provinces of Assyria

Assyria invades and put down the revolt harshly. They make a path of destruction by conquering the Phoenician and Philistines nations, then continue by invading Judah.

* When the new king Sennacherib became king, the Judah and the surrounding countries revolted

Most of the country is conquered. Few towns are left, most of the people have been killed and enslaved, the economic infrastructure is gone. Pretty much only Jerusalem is left.

Assyria invaded and put down the revolt harshly. They conquered the Phoenician and Philistines nations, then defeated every city in Judah except Jerusalem.

* Assyria invaded and put down the revolt harshly. They conquered the Phoenician and Philistines nations, then defeated every city in Judah except Jerusalem.

So King Hezekiah humbles and submits the Assyrian emperor with a bribe. Hezekiah drains the bank accounts and even removes the gold from the temple to pay it.

* So King Hezekiah humbles and submit the Assyrian emperor who makes him send massive amounts of silver and gold. Hezekiah drained the bank accounts and even had to remove the gold from the temple to pay it.

. Hezekiah drained the bank accounts and even had to remove the gold from the temple to pay it.

* But Sennacherib keeps the money but still pressing his army against Judah. Which is where the story picks up

Sennacherib takes the money but still presses his army against Judah. Which is where the story picks up

Intro Questions

This takes the sovereign reign of the King revealed in the throne room in ch 6 who rules over Israel (7-12) and works out his sovereign total control over the other nations in 13-27

Overwhelmingly describes God judging and punishing nations for their evil behavior, sinful desires, and lack of faith

But last lesson (19) had shown God’s ultimate plan was not just total destruction, but for the spread of the gospel to all nations, even, shockingly, the arch-enemies of Egypt and Assyria

Ch 24-27 are the capstone of this section

ch 24 was a picture of God’s judgment of city of man

27 is the final summary - worth reading at home, but I want to focus on some of aspects of 25-26

25-26 work out salvation for God’s people living in the midst of this world

Reads almost like a psalm

Note the zooming out to society as a whole and zooming in to focus on the individual

Note the intertwining and contrasts between judgment and salvation

Intro Questions

What does the word “faith” mean? (not specifically faith in Christ, but in general)

What do we think of when we think of a “needy person”?

How do you face failure and inadequacy?

Why does the big picture of God’s plan (resurrection, heaven) matter?

Story of weight

Read ,

The setting

The setting

The king sends a top officer, the Rabshakeh, to deliver a message to the king and the people - v. 2

He has the calm arrogance of someone with absolute power on his side

“We’re better than you, and we know it.”

3 Judean officials come to meet him - v. 3

Interestingly, this is the same location as Isaiah’s speech to Ahaz - v. 2

These are the two primary narratives in the book of Isaiah, and they have parallels that help bookend the prophecies in between

That first message had been met with unbelief

That message was met with unbelief

Ahaz trusted in Assyria instead of God - This led to God using Assyria to discipline Judah

A lot of the same underlying truths are in both messages - If you dont want to listen to Isaiah, I will send a foreign army who will make you hear what I have to say

Implied question - Will Hezekiah have the same response of unbelief?

The first message - Where is your trust?

The Rabshakeh bluntly jumps straight to the point - what are you trusting in? - v. 4

Trust is used 6 times in 7 verses

Mere words are not enough to stand up against cold hard strategy and power - v.5

For Hezekiah to take the enormous step of rebelling against the world power, there must be something he is trusting in to win

Challenges four hopes

Trust in Egypt is foolish - v. 6

Trusting in them is like leaning on a weak stick. Not only will you fall, it will lacerate you

We know from history that Assyria had already defeated them in battle

This is what God and Isaiah have been saying all along (Ch 19, 28, 30 among others)

Trust in religion is foolish - v. 7

Because you have stripped down the religion serving God

Backstory - Hezekiah had instituted one of the most comprehensive religious reforms to reign in corrupt worship of Yahweh that had become paganized under his father Ahaz -

This would likely be controversial to a people who looked to pagan cultures for guidance

Assyria plays on this conflict by making out Hezekiah to be someone who angered Yahweh

(From this pagan perspective) …to limit the worship to one place could only lesson its power and infuriate the god. -Oswalt, NICOT, 636

It has this vending machine idea of God - You put in coins to activate God.

You put in coins to activate God.

The more you do for God, the more he will do for you. Stop doing these things and he stops having enough power/motivation to save

This is appealing because you only have to do the right actions to manipulate God, you dont have to put your heart into it.

But it leaves you with a God who doesnt ever love you

Aside about regulative principle

Ironically it seeks to please God with human ideas, instead of the way God has told his people

Trust in your army is foolish - v. 8-9

Makes an insulting bet to highlight their weakness

Even if we gave you horses, you would be no match

Like if America invaded some small country with basically no army and offered 2000 tanks to make it “fun”. They wouldnt have enough men to arm the tanks, much less run them effectively against the world’s strongest army

Hezekiah cannot trust in himself - his only bet was Egypt which has already been sent packing

Trust in God’s love is foolish - v. 10

Yahweh himself commanded this attack - your God is on our side

We arent given the reason the Rabshakeh uses this line of thought

But there is a strong reason to connect it to Ch. 10

Ch 10 - God had raised up the Assyrians to discipline His people

Maybe Isaiah’s prophecy made it their way

Maybe God had made it known to them some other way

But the Assyrians arrogantly overreach the prophecy and us it to justify themselves

Which if they had paid attention to the prophecy, they would realize God would supernaturally stop them at Judah’s walls

Indeed, their arrogance would be the exact reason God will destroy them

This ultimately challenges God’s love for His people

Existentialism

Culture often says the meaning of life is to gain happiness. If that’s true then suffering destroys meaning - Tim Keller Tweet

But the good news of the gospel is never that God will take you out of your difficulties, or give you escape, but instead that He will be with you in the midst of it.

Existentialism

One of the most significant trends of the past 200 years in our culture is growth of various forms of existentialism

In other words, we have become suspicious of scientific or abstract truth and elevated the truth of our experiences

Whereas 100 years ago, it would have been easy to say “I can study theories on family dynamics and understand your family”, now we say things like “you cant understand because you havent experienced what I have been through.” (both views tell part of the story, but not all)

Hard to see the difference while living in the midst of it

Along with this has been a shift in the goal of life

Used to be duty and honor - meet these external demands and you are worthwhile

Now it is breaking through these barriers placed on us on your journey to self-realized happiness

Result - If God doesnt make your life happy, then He is not on your side

Culture often says the meaning of life is to gain happiness. If that’s true then suffering destroys meaning - Tim Keller Tweet

But the good news of the gospel is never that God will take you out of your difficulties, or give you escape, but instead that He will be with you in the midst of it.

Here God is sending trials and discipline to His people, does that mean He does not love them? To be answered in a minute...

Second message - Who will you trust?

The Rabshakeh ignores the request to speak in another language - v. 11

Instead speaks directly to the people on an emotional level

Tries to drive a wedge between the people and the king, but ultimately between the people and God

He graphically depicts the horrors of the upcoming seige - v. 12

But offers an alternative - a better hope - v. 13 - 17

Poses as the only one who can solve their problems now and offers a future to hope for

But this is a deceptive hope since the Assyrians never treated any enemies this nicely

Challenges the power of God - v. 18-20

Directly states that Assyria is more powerful than Yahweh

Points to all the previously defeated nations with their impotent gods, including the northern kingdom of Israel

Why would Yahweh be any different this time around?

Highlights how there can be no trusting in ourselves ourselves alongside or in addition to God

Assyria

Note that nowhere do the Assyrians refer to their own gods.

They may pay lipservice to gods, but in the height of their triumph, they ignore theirs gods and glory in their own human power.

This is Man against God - Who is the mightiest? Who is the most glorious?

Hezekiah

He had trusted in military strength of Egypt and the political ambitions of rebellion alongside his faith in God to free himself and his people from Assyria

Now he is facing the consequences of divided trust

This sets up a contest for the people’s trust between God and Assyria

Quite literally the city of God vs the city of Man that been used as metaphors in Ch 25-26

This becomes a test of all of Isaiah’s ministry - Will God’s word come true?

Who will deliver the people (“Deliver” is used 8 times)

Who is stronger?

Who will give the people a better life?

Parallel to the temptation in the garden

There a deceptive messenger challenged the power and goodness of God

Did God really say? -

Did God really say?

Offered an alternative hope and future to replace their hope in God

We face the same challenge -

We face the same challenge -

Who’s word will we trust?

It is rare that the challenge is put to us so bluntly, but it comes to us in one form or another daily. We are tempted to think that God either cannot or will not help us and that we must either rely on, or at least bow to, human strength - Oswalt, NICOT, p. 642

Examples

Sometimes it takes situations like this to get us to face the truth

Unfortunately, it is usually only in our extreme [circumstances] that we give God this opportunity - Oswalt, NICOT, p. 638

It is easy to coast through life with the same kind of split hopes that Hezekiah and Isreal had

And God will challenge this divided faith with intense trials, and difficult situations to force us to make a choice

Otherwise we would lean on the weak sticks that would splinter into our hands as we fall

Answer to the earlier question: God sends us difficulties and discipline because he loves us

Hezekiah’s Response

Hezekiah has two messengers from two king of kings - who would he look to for hope?

Hezekiah has two messengers from two king of kings - who would he look to for hope?

What wrongs options did Hezekiah have? Why are they wrong?

Self-pity/wallow in depression

Give up Assyria and trust in his mercy

Trust in God

He chooses God

But more than a cheap “Airbud” faith moment, look closely at how he does this

Immediately humbles himself - v.1

Tore clothes/sackcloth - A tangible, formal sign of insufficiency and repentance

When we cease to blame our troubles upon someone else and when we no longer care who knows our condition, help is not far away. - Oswalt, NICOT, 644

* * * * "When we cease to blame our troubles upon someone else and when we no longer care who knows our condition, help is not far away" - Oswalt 644

Went to the temple - v. 1

Where would you go?

Palace to cook up a political strategy with his advisors?

Situation room in your bunker to cook up a military strategy with his generals?

No, he abandoned those routes and, for the first time, sought God alone

He admits that there is nothing that he can do, only God can help at this point

Sent for God’s Word - v. 2

Who was this? Isaiah

Interesting note: Isaiah had criticized everyone in the delegation, including Shebna and Eliakim by name

Trusts in prayer - v. 4

Underlying all of these decisions is a change in focus from himself as king to God as King

Hezekiah was at least partially at fault for this mess - He had led the rebellion based on a confidence in Egypt in direct opposition to God’s word

States in clearly in the message to Isaiah - v. 3-4

He admits the distress, rebuke, and disgrace he has brought on himself and the people - think of leaders who are unwilling to admit disgrace

Uses a pregnancy metaphor

It is somewhat easy to get pregnant, but delivering the baby takes a great amount of strength - strength he does not have

Once labor starts, there is no turning back; either the child is delivered or mother and child die

Put another way - His eyes were bigger than his stomach

Asks not for some assistance, but confesses a desperate need of total help

But Hezekiah does not ask God to rescue him so that Hezekiah’s reputation and honor stand

New motivations

Concerned with the glory of God, not his personal survival

Points out the Rabshakeh’s blasphemy

Your God - admits that he does not have a special claim on God

Even though he is king of God’s people, he is ultimately a sinner with no right to stand before God

We sometimes presume on God’s grace and think God owes us

Seeks hope for the remnant of the people

Implicit is the admission that he personally had brought ruin to his people through misplaced trust

God’s Response

God’s Response

Isaiah’s response

Not prayer! - v. 6

Instead he trusts in the already revealed word of God

Points to the same message he had been speaking

What do we make of this?

Not saying prayer is a bad thing

But when God has been saying something to us, there is no need to go double check

If God has told you in the Bible or church to be a good husband/wife, there is no need to pray and ask for guidance. He has given it!

God had been giving this message for 35 chapters. If only they had listened the first time!

No need to fear Assyria, God will punish her for her arrogance and pride - v. 6-7

Simply trust in him

How will God do it? Not by some supernatural event, but it starts by a vague uneasiness (Oswalt, NICOT, P 647) that causes Sennacherib to retreat

Unread story

Hezekiah does not submit to the Assyrians

Sennacherib again directly challenges the power of any nation’s god to defend that king or nation

Hezekiah responds in a true prayer of faith

Worth reading

God focused, instead of request focused

In response, God send a a message of hope and confirmation to Hezekiah through Isaiah

Definitive conclusion

Destruction of the army overnight

Carried out by the Angel of the Lord - v. 36

This is someone who is both Yahweh and distinct form Yahweh - Jesus

This is a prelude to the triumphant Jesus riding on a white horse who destroys the armies of man and Satan with a single word

Arrogant Sennacherib runs home - v. 37

Note the piled on verbs (4 in Hebrew) indicating his haste

Sennacherib is assassinated later

While praying to a false God who could not protect him

Unlike Hezekiah who was saved by praying to God in His temple

God is more than the God of Judah - He could reach Sennacherib even all the way in Ninevah

This is supposed to be the climax right?

The climax of the Lord of the Rings is the the battles, which are drawn out and filled with suspense

But here it is brief, boring, almost a foot note to the story

The drama, and thus the climax, is the decision of Hezekiah to be faithful or faithless. Not whether God will be true to His promises

Once God says something, it is as good as done. No need to describe the battle in detail, because its outcome is not unknown part

So facing this choice daily, what will you trust in?