Isaiah 36-40
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· 170 viewsThe end of a major section: Book of Kings or the Govt. of God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Chapter Review 36-40
Chapter Review 36-40
Chapter 36
The Assyrian king sends his messenger, the Rabshakeh who attempts to intimidate king Hezekiah. He purposely speaks Hebrew so that those in hearing distance will be afraid. He taunts the king and their faith in God and says your god will not deliver you. Surrender now and it will go well with you.
Chapter 37
The narrative continues… the enemy is still at the gate. But the Lord delivers the people of Judah from the enemy and an Angel of the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. It really is like Midian and the delivery from Egypt as foretold by Isaiah in Isa 10:26. Isaiah again answers the question raised earlier of how God can use an even more wicked people than Judah to punish them. He answers with the horse and rider illustration ( 37:29 )
Chapter 38
A flashback to before chapter 36-37. Hezekiah is sick and about to die but the Lord intervenes and grants him 15 more years
Chapter 39
A continuation of the flashback in Chapter 38. Hezekiah receives a mysterious letter and we see his lapse of faith. We see his blindness to prosperity and how quickly any of us can fall into old habits (cf. 38:15 )
Chapter 40
This is the start of the second (2nd) half of this book. Chapters 1-39 are entitled the Government of God and correspond to the Law and the OT. The next twenty-seven (27) chapters 40-66 speak of the Salvation of the Lord and correspond to the message of the NT. Like the NT, this second section starts where the NT starts with the announcement of John the Baptist and ends where the NT ends with the new heaven and new earth
Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Overview
The Assyrian king sends his messenger, the Rabshakeh who attempts to intimidate king Hezekiah. He purposely speaks Hebrew so that those in hearing distance will be afraid. He taunts the king and their faith in God and says your god will not deliver you. Surrender now and it will
go well with you.
Section End
Chapter 36-37 close out a major section of Isaiah which is known as The Book of Kings or as J. Vernon McGee calls it, The Government of God
Review
A quick review of the first half of Isaiah
2 Messages
There are two messages in 1-39 and these are messages of
— Judgment
— and Hope
2 Cities
Reoccurring theme is an old Jerusalem replaced by a new Jerusalem
1-5
The Preamble to the book
— A snapshot of Judah at the end of Isaiah’s ministry
6
— The grand vision of God in his temple;
— vision of the nation chopped down like a tree but from the stump will come a shoot, a holy seed ( 6:13 )
7-12
— Isaiah tells Ahaz that Assyria will first chop down Israel and desolate the land ( 7:17-25 )
— But God will send a new king after Isreal is chopped down
— His name is Immanuel ( 7:14 ) “God with us”
13-23
— The judgment of Nations
— We saw the Lord reigning as one King over the world
— Egypt and Assyria in particular are used to represent the nations coming as a single people to the Lord
24-27
— A tale of two cities:
— The Lofty City and
— the new Jerusalem
28-35
— The Rise & Fall of Jerusalem
— God’s people failed under pressure,
— deserted faith for political expediency
— but the Lord’s promises do not fail
His Promises
— His punishment will be swift ( 28:4 )
— He will trample the enemy underfoot ( 28:13 )
— He would be there rock, their cornerstone (28:16 )
— The wicked would be brought to nothing ( 29:20 )
— The Lord will wait and He will have mercy on you ( 30:18 )
— The Lord’s voice would be heard. You’ll see His personal involvement symbolized by His arm ( 30:30 )
— He has promised it and His word never returns void ( 31:2 )
— You enemy Assyria who plunders will be plundered ( 33:1 )
— The Lord will be our salvation in time of trouble ( 33:2 )
— The Lord would dwell with His people in Jerusalem and save them ( 33:21 )
His Promises> Prophecy
Up until now it has all been prophecy
— Did it actually happen?
— Was there a demonstration of divine sovereignty against the Assyrians?
— Is the Lord King?
The rest of the Story He is - as Paul Harvey would say - THE REST OF THE STORY
His Promises> Prophecy > The Rabshakeh’s First Speech: Faith is not enough (36:1-10)
( 36:1-10 ) 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. 3 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’?” ’ 8 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.’ ”
Q: What happens in verse 1?
Judah Attacked
( 36:1 ) Judah is attacked by Assyria
— Recorded in 2 Ki 18:13-20:19
— Almost verbatim, leading many scholars to believe Isaiah may ave written part of 2 Kings
— Fulfilled prophecy ( 10:5 )
Sennacherib
— Sennacherib the Assyrian became king in 705BC
— For two ( 2 ) years he battled enemies in Babylon
— He finally defeats them and turns his attention West toward Hezekiah and Judah
46 Cities Fell
— He conquered 46 fortified cities in Judah, deported people
— People scattered; prophecy fulfilled
— Now he marches to Jerusalem
Simple message
— Sennacherib has a simple message: It’s been a long day, you can see you’re clearly outnumbered
— Why don’t you surrender, we’ll call it a day and all go home
The Rabshakeh
— So he sends his spokesperson, the Rabshakeh, to deliver the news to Hezekiah
Q: What did the Rabshakeh say in 36:2-6?
Rude
— ( 36:4 ) The Rabshakeh refers to “the king” of Assyria but rudely omits “king” when referring to Hezekiah
Egypt
— Egypt is weak and will be no help to you
— Rabshakeh has already seen the defeat of Egypt at the city of Eltekeh
— He knew that no help would come from Egypt
— Trusting Egypt would be making a covenant with death ( 28:15 )
Q: What did the Rabshakeh say about trusting God? 36:7?
A Spy
— ( 36:7 ) No doubt Sennacherib had a spy in Jerusalem reporting back what Isaiah had been saying about trusting the Lord
— He’s got all the facts
— But, his interpretation is all wrong
Ignorance
The Rabshakeh’s ignorance - The Rabshakeh thought that Judah’s god was no different than his heathen gods
— He saw Hezekiah had removed idol worship (2 Ki 18:4) and assumed a reduction in worship meant a reduction in glory / power
Q: What does the Rabshakeh suggest? And what is he saying about horses vv 8,9?
Taunting
( 36:8 ) The Rabshakeh taunted Judah
— Even if I gave you 2,000 horses you could not defeat us
— So, you may as well just surrender now
Q: What authority did the Rabshakeh claim to have? v10?
Spy
Sennacherib no doubt had a spy in the camp
— He must have heart that Assyria would be God’s instrument to punish Judah
— He had knowledge of what Isaiah said in ( 10:5-6 )
5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
A Ploy
— Rabshakeh said this as a ploy to make Judah surrender
— Isaiah said that Assyria would be God’s instrument to punish them
His Promises> Prophecy > The Rabshakeh’s First Speech: Faith is not enough > The Rabshakeh’s Second Speech: Let’s Make Peace (36:11-21)
( 36:11-21 ) Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, 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.”
Q: Why did Hezekiah’s representative speak in Aramaic rather than Hebrew? Why did the Rabshakeh refuse (11-13)?
Understood
— ( 36:11b ) The people understood Hebrew
— and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall
Alarm
— The people on the wall would understand everything being spoken
— Politicians make war, but people suffer
— Imagine their alarm if they thought God was on the side of the Assyrians
Scare tactics
( 36:12 ) Rabshakeh tries to scare the people within hearing range
— He reminds them what it is like to be under siege
— The people are doomed by their irrational attachment to Hezekiah and his counselors
— The Rabshakeh tries to alienate the men from Hezekiah
Q: What did the Rabshakeh say about Hezekiah’s ability to deliver the people (vv14-15)?
He can’t deliver you
— ( 36:14 ) The kings said, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you
“the King”
— Sennacherib, the Assyrian King
— The Rabshakeh only refers to the king of Judah as simply Hezekiah
— Hezekiah is powerless to deliver you, he has no authority, no kingly authority
It’s True
— It was true, they could not be delivered by the hand of Hezekiah unless God helped
Don’t trust the Lord
— Wicked men assert the power of God but they treat him with contempt
— (36:15 ) nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us
Trust / Deliver
— This is the very vocabulary of Isaiah - Trust and Deliver
— “Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” ( 26:4 )
Q: Did the Rabshakeh really think the people would act on Faith?
Hardly
— Didn’t even cross his mind
— He just wanted a quick solution
— He didn’t look forward to war on two (2) fronts
— He was worried about fighting Judah and Ethiopia at the same time
— “ And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “He has come out to make war with you.” So when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying” ( 37:9 )
Q: What did the Rabshakeh offer to make their surrender more agreeable (16-17)?
An agreeable future
( 36:16 ) 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
— The future wouldn’t be so bad
— You’ll eat your own crops, drink your own water on your own land
— Their peace and blessings was a cloak for bondage
Listen to my king
— ( 36:16 ) Don’t listen to Hezekiah
— Listen to my king
— Submit to him
Deportation
— The Rabshakeh did not hide the fact that the Assyrians would take them away
— ( 36:17 ) until I come and take you away— They would be deported, taken out of the land
— They would be taken naked, with hooks in their noses and mouths
— They Assyrians were known for their cruelty
Q: What proof did the Rabshakeh offer that their God could deliver them (vv18-20)?
One of many
( 36:18-20 ) To the Rabshakeh Judah’s god was just one of many that were worshiped by the nations which the Assyrians conquered (cf. 10:8-11 )
— Some countries are listed in ( 36:19 )
— Others are found in ( 10:8-11 ) Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad
— Damascus was the capital of Syria
— Samaria, Northern Kingdom
— The LXX. version, which instead of naming Carchemish, gives “Calanè, where the tower was built,” seems to imply a tradition identifying that city with the Tower of Babel of Genesis 11:4. (Source: biblehub.com)
Q: How did the people respond, vv21-22?
Did not answer
— ( 36:21 ) No use to argue with a fool
— No use to provoke the enemy
— Of course, should defend God’s name and character, but we have no indication they agreed with anything that Rabshakeh said
— (36:22) They tore their clothing - grief, mourning
— The nation was to repent and Hezekiah had to lead the way
Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Overview
The narrative continues… the enemy is still at the gate. But the Lord delivers the people of Judah from the enemy and an Angel of the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. It really is like Midian and the delivery from Egypt as foretold by Isaiah in Isa 10:26. Isaiah again answers the question raised earlier of how God can use an even more wicked people than Judah to punish them. He answers with the horse and rider illustration (37:29)
The King’s reaction: Faith at last (36:22 - 37:7)
( 36:22-37:7 ) 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 you shall 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.” ’ ”
Q: Where did Hezekiah send his servants? What request did they make (37:1-4)
To Isaiah
( 37:2 ) to Isaiah the prophet
— First, we ought to call on God
— Second, consult the prophets or the Word of God
Prayer
( 37:3 ) Therefore lift up your prayer
— The duty of the prophet is not only to exhort but also to pray
— ( 37:3 ) for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.
Young
The king compares the present situation with that of a pregnant woman who is about to bear and yet is unable to do so. The children about to be born have come to the place of breach, i.e., the mouth of the womb (cf. Hos. 13:13); but there is not the strength to bring them forth. The emphatic word in the last clause is “strength.” We may render, sons have come to the birth, and strength, it is not present for the bringing forth. The metaphor pictures extreme distress, need, and suffering, and above all the fact that the intervention of extraordinary help is needed. In reality it is a cry of utter acknowledgment that God’s help is required. If the womb does not open so that the child can be born, the child will die and probably the mother also. So, unless strength is at hand to deliver Judah, she too will perish.
Q: What promise did Isaiah make in response (vv5-7)?
Don’t be afraid
( 37:6 ) He said, Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard
— He gave the same advice to Ahaz (cf. 7:4 )
4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
( 37:7 ) 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.” ’ ”
— The reason not to fear is because the king is powerless against the king of glory
— God will act by placing a spirit upon him
The King’s reaction: Faith at last > Assyria leaves Judah (37:8-9a)
( 37:8-9a ) Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. 9 And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “He has come out to make war with you.” So when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying
Q: What news did the Rabshakeh receive (vv8-9)?
Another Battle
( 37:8 ) There was another battle in Libnah
— Libnah was 10 miles North of Lachish, Lachish was 25 miles SW of Jerusalem
Ethiopia
( 37:9 ) Heard that Ethiopia was also planning on attacking Assyria
— He had his hands full!
The King’s reaction: Faith at last > Assyria leaves Judah > The letter to the man of faith (37:9b-13)
( 37:9 - 13 ) “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”
Q: What did the Rabshakeh say to Hezekiah (vv10-13)?
Attacks his faith
( 37:10 ) The Rabshakeh attacks his faith: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you
Invincible
— He says that Assyria is invincible: Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by
— ( 37:11 ) utterly destroying them
Taunts Judah
— ( 37:11c ) and shall you be delivered?
— Sennacherib’s messenger tells him that he is inferior to all the other kings
— lists all the kings that he has conquered - and you think you can be delivered ?
Warning
— Sennacherib gives Hezekiah both a verbal and a written warning
The King’s reaction: Faith at last > Assyria leaves Judah > The letter to the man of faith > The man of prayer (37:14-20)
( 37:14-20 ) And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 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 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.”
To the Lord
— ( 37:14 ) Hezekiah goes to the house of the Lord
Right thing to do
— King Ahaz faced a similar challenge when the Northern Kingdom formed an alliance with Syria and attacked Judah trying to force a regime change
— But Ahaz refused to go to the lord
— “But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” (cf 7:12 )
Q: What did Hezekiah request of God (18-20)?
His name be glorified
( 37:17) 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.
Young
— He asks God to take notice of the situation with all his facilities, eyes and ears
— It appears then that the king’s first and primary concern was not for the welfare of himself and his country but for the glory of God.
— That His name is glorified
— Hezekiah wants God to notice the blasphemous words that Sennacherib has said about God and his honor
( 37:20 ) 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.”
Hezekiah discerns
( 37:18,19 ) Truly Lord…they have cast their gods into the first, for they are not gods
— Hezekiah begins to distinguish between false gods and the true God
— Wicked men have no light
— indulge in some confused imaginations about God
The King’s reaction: Faith at last > Assyria leaves Judah > The letter to the man of faith > The man of prayer > The man of the word of God (37:21-35)
( 37:21-35 ) 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, 22 this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem Has shaken her head behind your back! 23 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 24 By your servants you have reproached the Lord, And said, ‘By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, To the limits of Lebanon; I will cut down its tall cedars And its choice cypress trees; I will enter its farthest height, To its fruitful forest. 25 I have dug and drunk water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.’ 26 “Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins. 27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted before it is grown. 28 “But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against Me. 29 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came.” ’ 30 “This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, And the second year what springs from the same; Also in the third year sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. 31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, And those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,’ Says the Lord. 35 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ”
God Answers
— ( 37:21, 22 ) You prayed and here is the Word that the Lord has spoken about Sennacherib
— Because he prayed, “God heard it”
— “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, I have heard.’” (2 ki 19:20)
— God doesn’t immediately destroy Sennacherib, but he promises deliverance
Jerusalem
( 37:22 ) The virgin, the daughter of Zion
— Jerusalem is pictured as a helpless women about to be ravished by King Sennacherib
Q: But what does she do? v22
Laughs
( 37:22 ) Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn
— She has the last laugh
J. Alec Motyer
Thus, the way of believing prayer is the truly practical way of dealing with the harsh realities of this world. What neither armaments (36:9) nor diplomacy (30:1-2) nor money (2 Ki 18:13-14) could achieve, prayer has done
The Lord heard it
— He heard it loud and clear
( 37:23 ) whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
— Hezekiah prayed (37:17) that the Lord would hear Sennacherib’s blasphemy and the Lord said He heard it
— Loud and Clear
Blasphemy
— It is the human acting as if he/she is God
— Sennacherib paints the picture in v24
— What did he say?
Q: What does Sennacherib say about his own abilities in v24, 25?
Master
— The king himself is the master of his own ship
— The arbitrator of his own plans
— Nothing can stop him
My strength
( 37:24 ) By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains
Superior Tech
( 37:25 ) I have dug and drunk water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.’
— His superior technology allowed him to dig wells and drink
— I have dug and drunk water
— If he wanted to, he could stop the Nile river with his foot
— And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense
But God Corrects Sennacherib’s hubris, pride. He says YOU are just a TOOL in my hand (26)
A Tool
( 37:26 ) “Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it?
— You are a tool
— I planned it long ago
A tool for crushing
( 37:26b ) Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins
— You are nothing Sennacherib - you’re just a nut cracker!
Q: If Assyria was a tool of God, how can it be held responsible? (29)
Paul
— Paul asked the same question this way
— “ You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” ( Rom 9:19 )
Habbakuk
The prophet Habbakuk asked the same question
— Isaiah said you are going to allow the Assyrians to punish us?
— Habbakuk said, I see evil all around
— People do whatever they want, do you even notice God?
— And God answers and says, I see the evil and will send the Babylonians to punish you
— Interesting side note, this is where we read that famous verse ( Hab 1:13 )
13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?
— But, notice the context!
— You are going to allow an even more wicked nation to judge your people? (Hab 1:6-8)
— But God says he will hold the Babylonians responsible and completely destroy them (Hab 2:2-20)
Horse / rider
— Isaiah explains how God can hold his tool accountable. He says that:
— ( 37:29 ) Assyria receives what it deserves
— He uses the horse and rider analogy ( 37:29 )
— All the energy, even violence belongs to the horse
— All the direction, wisdom, guiding touch belongs to the rider
Earlier
We saw earlier ( 10:1-15 ) that God holds the ax accountable and will punish Assyria his tool
A sign
Just to make sure that no one thought that the withdrawal of the Assyrian army was a fluke, Isaiah offers a sign
Q: What is the sign in v30?
Crops grow 2 years
( 37:30 ) The crops would grow for two (2) years
— The city would be threatened for two (2) years, so it would be impossible to do normal farming, but the crops would grow
Third (3rd) Year
— After the Assyrians left, you would have to plant and sow in the third (3rd) year
A Whimper
( 37:33 ) The Assyrians wouldn’t even mount a serious physical threat against Jerusalem
— No arrows
— No sieges
— Not a threat either at a distance or close up
The King’s reaction: Faith at last > Assyria leaves Judah > The letter to the man of faith > The man of prayer > The man of the word of God > The finale: Assyrian overthrow (37:36-38)
( 37:36-38 ) 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
Q: What did happen to the Assyrian army and the king of Assyria (36-38)?
Angel of the Lord
— ( 37:36 ) The angel of the Lord killed 185,000 soldiers
— ( 37:37 ) Sennacherib returned home and was assassinated by his sons. Killed in 681 BC
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Overview
A flashback to before chapter 36-37. Hezekiah is sick and about to die but the Lord intervenes and grants him 15 more years
We’ve seen
The Judgment of the nations
— And, Isaiah’s vision of the coming king, the Messiah
Sin / Forgiveness
But sin still needs forgiveness and this section deals with forgiveness ( 38-55 )
A Flashback
— The Assyrians attack Jerusalem ( 36-37 )
— But here Isaiah gives a flashback when Hezekiah was sick and his life was miraculously extended.
Q: Hezekiah is sick, what advice does Isaiah give him (vv1,2)?
Hezekiah’s illness (38:1-8)
( 38:1-8 ) 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.’ ” 2 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. 4 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.” ’ 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
Set your house in order
( 38:1 ) Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live
He was certain
— He knew he wasn’t going to recover
— ( 38:1 )The Lord had told him, Thus says the Lord
In the prime of his life
— Hezekiah died in 687 BC
— This sickness happened around 702 BC which put him in his 40s
He prayed and wept
— ( 38:2 ) Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord
— ( 38:3c ) And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
I have walked
— ( 38:3 ) 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.”
Walked
— Hezekiah seems to forget his reliance on chariots, solders, arrows, fortified walls, political alliances with Egypt
— He had faith but also kept the powder dry
— He showed his limited self awareness that he should plead on the integrity of his heart
God’s mercy
— God demonstrates His mercy even when our prayers rely on false assumptions
Q: What promise did God make to Hezekiah in response to his prayer (vv4-6)?
God heard his prayer
— (38:4 ) God heard his prayer and saw his tears
— “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” (cf. Ps 56:8)
The basis of answered prayer
— The Lord answered Hezekiah’s prayer not because of his faithfulness - but because of the Lord’s faithfulness
15 more years
( 38:5 ) The Lord would add 15 more years to his life Deliver You
( 38:6 ) He would also deliver him from the Assyrians, described in the previous chapters ( 36-37 )
Q: What sign did God give Hezekiah (vv7,8)?
Moved the sun backwards
( 38:8 ) He moved the sun back 10 degrees (2 ki 20:8-11)
Hezekiah’s illness > Hezekiah’s psalm: his meditation on life & death (38:9-20)
( 38:9-20 ) This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his 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.”
Q: How did Hezekiah feel when he heard he would die? (vv9-14). How would we feel?
A Memorial
— As if we are looking at Hezekiah’s prayer journal
— Keeping a record of his thoughts when he was sick
Prime of life
— ( 38:10 ) Cut off in the prime of his life
Gates of Sheol
( 38:10b ) I shall go to the gates of Sheol
— Sheol - a place for the dead (Hebrew)
— Hades - Greek term for Sheol
— In the OT the Hebrew word Sheol doesn’t distinguish between the righteous and the unrighteous
— The religious leaders of Jesus’ day taught that Sheol had two parts (This is the basis of the Roman Catholic purgatory)
— Jesus clarified this issue - Hades refers always to a place for the wicked (Luke 16:22-23)
Q: What about Hell? Is this the same thing?
No
— Hell was created for Satan and his demons
— It is a final place of judgment and is called the eternal lake of fire (Rev 20:10, 13-14)
— Today Hell is closed waiting that final judgment
Pit
— But angels who fell with Satan were thrown into a place of torment and suffering called the bottomless pit (“the pit of the abyss”)
— Peter refers to this in 2 Peter 2:4
— “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;” ( 2 Pet 2:4 )
— Peter used the word Tartarus (translated as hell) which is from Greek mythology which his readers would understand
— It refers to the worse place that a person would go after he or she offended the gods
— One day the demons will be released from this pit to torment the earth (Rev 9:1-2)
— Not all the angels will be released from the pit
— Those now in the abyss are those “who once were disobedient… in the days of Noah” (Gen 6:1-4)
— These demons are there with eternal bonds (Jude 6)
— They committed sexual sins with humans as the men of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:1, 4-5)
— They corrupted the human race and made it unredeemable (Gen 6:1-4) and therefore God had to destroy mankind with the flood
Life is Gone
( 38:12 ) Taken from me… I have cut off my…
— Sometimes he says God tales his life, other times, he took his life
— But he never blames God
Like a lion
( 38:13 ) The Lord is pictured as a lion
— God is strong enough to smash every bone
Helpless Uttering
( 38:14 ) Mourned
— He was choked with grief
— Others could not understand him but God could
— Groanings which cannot be uttered which Paul speaks of in Romans 8
— “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” ( Rom 8:26 )
Q: How did he respond when he learned the Lord would head him? (vv15-20)
Confidence
— ( 38:15 ) He has spoken to me
— complete confidence in God
Walk Carefully
( 38:15 ) I shall walk carefully all my years
God forgives
( 38:17 ) For you have cast all my sins behind my back
Can’t praise God from Sheol
( 38:18,19 ) He can’t praise God when he’s dead
— His understanding of the resurrection was incomplete
— But he knew that once he left earth he could not glorify God on the earth
Joy
( 38:20 ) Overwhelmed with joy
Hezekiah’s illness > Hezekiah’s psalm: his meditation on life & death > Hezekiah’s Recovery (38:21-22)
( 38:21-22 ) 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?”
Hezekiah’s Recovery
( 38:21-22 ) They gave Hezekiah medicine and he recovered
— Regular medical treatment with prayer
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Overview
A continuation of the flashback in Chapter 38. Hezekiah receives a mysterious letter and we see his lapse of faith. We see his blindness to prosperity and how quickly any of us can fall into old habits (cf. 38:15)
The Second Letter and a Visitor (39:1-2)
( 39:1-2 ) 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
Q: Who visits Hezekiah? What does he bring? What does he want? 39:1
Berodah-Baladan
( 39:1 ) 2 Ki 20:12 records the same story
— He was the king’s son and ruler of the city, Babylon
— Under the pretense of wishing him well, he came to Hezekiah to form a military alliance against Assyria
— He might have also heard about the sundial
Letters
He brings letters and brings letters of introduction
— The king’s son had an entourage
Q: What does Hezekiah show him (v2)?
Treasures
( 39:2 ) And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his treasures
Them
— “them” they flattered the king
Treasures
— Gold, silver
— Showed him everything
Q: Nothing Wrong?
Nothing Wrong?
— Some might say he did nothing wrong, he was just showing hospitality
— Don’t we give people a tour of the house when they stop by?
Blinded / Prosperity
— Or maybe he was blinded by prosperity and pride
— He was trying to impress the visitors from Babylon that it would be in their interest to form an alliance with Judah
Boasted
— He boasted of his treasures
— Isaiah told him to that the fear of the Lord is his treasure ( 33:6 )
Forgetful!
— How easily Hezekiah forgot; he had the opportunity to tell the Babylon how:
— God saved his life! ( 38:4 )
— Promised deliverance from the Assyrians ( 38:6 )
— Instead, he stuck he is chest out;
— took credit for all the treasures of the empire
The Second Letter and a Visitor > The word of the Lord (39:3-8)
( 39:3-8 ) 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.’ ” 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.”
He Doesn’t Seek God
He receives letters from the Assyrians
— He doesn’t take it Isaiah or the Lord
— Later when the Assyrians attack, he will receive a letter and FIRST take it to the house of the Lord ( 37:14 )
Isaiah
( 39:3 ) Isaiah comes
— He isn’t called
— He asks Hezekiah what they wanted
— Hezekiah evades the question !
Hidden Agenda
A lack of faith, form a military alliance
— He doesn’t tell Isaiah but he figures it out
— “Trust the Lord but keep your powder dry”
— This phrase by the way first appeared in a poem in 1834
— Television host Bergen Evans suggested the phrase combined piety with practicality and was taught in proverbs (Prov 21:31)
— Evans was a better television host than theologian
Q: What does Isaiah say to Hezekiah (vv5-7)
Babylonians will conquer
( 39:6 ) carried off to Babylon
— This so-called alley will betray you and return as an enemy and carry everything off to Babylon
— Isaiah was right (cf. 2 Kings 24-25)
— The Babylonian captivity in 586 (BC) 200 years later
— The Babylonians came, destroyed the city, burned the temple, carried away the treasures and the people into captivity
Q: Look at 2 Chr 32:31. What additional information does it add?
( 2 Chron 32:31 ) However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
God tests
— God tests Hezekiah that He might know the true condition of his heart
Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Overview
This is the start of the second (2nd) half of this book. Chapters 1-39 are entitled the Government of God and correspond to the Law and the OT. The next twenty-seven (27) chapters 40-66 speak of the Salvation of the Lord and correspond to the message of the NT. Like the NT, this second section starts where the NT starts with the announcement of John the Baptist and ends where the NT ends with the new heaven and new earth
MacArthur
The prophecies of chapters 40-66 address Judah as though the prophesied Babylonian captivity ( 39:5-7 ) were already a present reality, though that captivity did not begin until 605-586 B.C. Isiah’s ministry was from 739 B.C. until ca. 686 B.C.
God is the great comforter
— Everyone of us is fighting a battle
— Emotional
— Spiritual
— God is our great source of comfort and we need to come to God with humility, a contrite and broken heart and he will give us comfort
— “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” ( Ps 34:18 )
A message of comfort
— Chapter 40 is a message of comfort. God is revealed as
— Creator
— Saviour
— Sustainer
The Source of Our Comfort (40:1-2)
( 40:1-2 ) “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.”
Comfort
— Comfort my people
— The prophet is told to comfort the people
— Very soon they will be deported to Babylon, far from home
— God has plans for his covenant people and they will never be permanently be cast away
— “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying” ( Rom 11:2 )
2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
Double
( 40:2 ) “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.”
— Double - significant
— Two ways to look at this
— As the first son Judah would receive a double portion both good and bad
— A Hebrew figure of speech meaning “payment in full” At the hands of the Babylonians Judah would pay for their sins in full
— One day the Lord will judge the final world kingdom of Babylonian double (Rev 18:6)
Gospel
--The ultimate source of comfort will be the gospel and we will get a glimpse in vv3-4
Warfare has ended
( 40:2 ) That her warfare is ended,
— The days of her warfare are numbered and finished
— struggles will not always last
— Like a good soldier it is time to rest
Sins pardoned
( 40:2c ) her iniquity is pardoned
— Cruel slaughter and captivity at the hand of the Babylonians was enough payment for their sins
— God is appeased, warfare has ended, and so has put an end to her miseries
Who’s Voice?
Who is saying these words of Hope?
— The time frame described by the prophet is 200 years into the future after the Exile described by Ezra and Nehemiah
— One school of thought is that Isaiah is speaking but prophetically transported 200 years into the future (720’s BC to 530’s BC)
— Another view is based on chapters 1-39 that says that after Isaiah was rejected by Israel’s leaders he wrote and sealed up in a scroll all his messages of Judgement & hope (cf. 8:16; 29:10-12; 30:8-9)
— And that he passed them on to his disciples as witnesses for days to come (8:16)
— After the exile his disciples open his scrolls and start applying them to their own day
— This “other view” is two Isaiah’s view. The second half of the book written by his prophetic disciples
— Whichever view you land on, everyone agrees that the 2nd half of the book is announcing that the future hope has come
The Source of Our Comfort > The First Voice: The Glory of the Lord (40:3-5)
( 40:3-5 ) 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.”
Q: Describe the prophecy of vv3-5. How was it fulfilled?
( 40:3 ) The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God
John the Baptist
— The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
— Where the NT starts
— ( 40:3-5 ) quoted in all 4 gospels (Matt 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4-6, John 1:23)
— John the Baptist applied this verse to himself
— John as a prophet foretold in the OT ( Mal 4:6)
— John’s mission foretold by and Angel to his father Zechariah ( Lk 1:76-77 )
Prepare the Way
Isaiah heard a voice calling for the leveling of a path so that God could lead His people out of Babylonian captivity
— Foreshadows the final and great return of Israel from spiritual darkness to God by the spiritual redemption of Messiah
— The remnant of Israel could remove obstacles for the coming Messiah through the repentance of their sins
— Some Eastern monarch’s would send heralds before them to clear obstacles, makes paths straight before their arrival
Hendricksen commenting on Matthew 3:3
— They must make His paths straight implying they must provide the Lord with ready access into their hearts and lives
— They must make straight whatever was crooked, not in line with God’s holy will
— They must clear away all the obstacles which they have thrown into his path; such obstructions as self-righteousness and smug complacency (“We have Abraham as our father,” 3:9), greed, cruelty, slander (Lk 3:13, 14 )
The Glory of the Lord
( 40:5 ) The glory of the Lord shall be revealed
— Christ the Messiah will be revealed. Luke add
— Luke added, “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” ( Luke 3:6 )
Comfort
— Our ultimate comfort is in the gospel, the salvation of the Lord
Salvation
— Someday, all the world will see God’s salvation (cf. 52:10)
The Source of Our Comfort >The First Voice: The Glory of the Lord > The Second voice: The Word of the Lord (40:6-8)
( 40:6-8 ) The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
— The German composer Brahms adapted this section of Isaiah for his famous Requiem
Q: Verses 6-8 are also quoted in the NT. What is this illustration ?
Like Grass
( 40:6 -7 ) “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass
Short
— Grass is temporary, flowers are fleeting
— Our lives are just a vapor, short, not permanent
Wealth
— James 1:10-11 uses this quote to show how quickly wealth can disappear and the foolishness of trusting in money
Word
( 40:8 ) The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
— In contrast to the passing of nature, there is one thing that is permanent
— the Word of God (cf. 1 Peter 1:23, 1 Peter 1:25c)
— “ having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” ( 1 Pet 1:23 )
— “But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” ( 1 Pet 1:25 )
Word
— Gospel = Word
The Source of Our Comfort >The First Voice: The Glory of the Lord >The Second voice: The Word of the Lord > The Arm of the Lord (40:9-11)
( 40:9-11 ) O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. 11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.
Like a messenger
( 40:9 ) O Zion, You who bring good tidings
— Good tidings, the Gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4; 1 Peter 1:18-21)
— Like a messenger on the mountain, Isaiah tells Jerusalem to announce to the other cities of Judah - “Behold your God!”
— The message is going out from Jerusalem
— When the Lord returns He will rule from Jerusalem
The Coming King
( 40:10 ) Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand
— When the Lord comes again, He will come with a strong arm, He will rule with a strong hand
— This should be a source of comfort
Missler
But you can’t appreciate the “Good tidings” unless you know the bad news that you have been delivered from
( 40:10 ) Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him
— His strange work; His work is before Him, The day of the Lord
Shepherd
( 40:11 ) The same strong arm will be the same arm that He uses to care for His sheep
— We are His reward ( 40:10) which He has won
Our Burden Bearer
— Last section was six (6) woes, followed by a dozen burdens
— Here, Christ the Lord is our burden bearer with His strong arm, he cares for us (cf. 2 Cor 1:3,4)
— “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” ( Ps 68:19 )
The Source of Our Comfort >The First Voice: The Glory of the Lord >The Second voice: The Word of the Lord >The Arm of the Lord > God the Creator (40:12-31)
( 40:12-31 ) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him? 14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. 17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. 18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. 20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint
Q: How is God’s wisdom described in vv 12-14?
No One!
( 40:12-14 ) A Series of Questions to which the implied answer is “No One!”
— Unsearchable Wisdom
— We can give Him no direction or information
— Emphasizes God’s:
— Omnipotence - all Power
— Omniscience - all knowing
— Reminds me of Job 38-41 (Job on trial)
Workmanship
— There is exactness of workmanship
( 40:12 ) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?
Marked off Vtakan, “To adjust exactly to function, mark off
— Everything is perfectly made to serve a function
Missler
— Emphasis on quantitive measures ; not the qualitative
— Calling our attention to His precision
— You’ve heard about the global warming and how the temperature has gone up; if a 1/10th of one percent will somehow bring cosmic doom, flip the coin and ask yourself how did it get so precisely tuned in the first place?
Erasmus
( 40:13 ) Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him?
— Martian Luther in treatise The Bondage of the Will accused Erasmus of misusing Romans 11:33 and Isaiah 40:13
— Erasmus said you can’t be sure what anything in scripture means because it is too high over our heads
— Luther accused Erasmus of serving as a mouthpiece of impious Sophist who think nothing is clear in scripture
— The text does not say “who has known the mind of scripture?” but the mind of God (M.K. Wilson)
Martin Luther
And it is with such scare-crows that Satan has frightened away men from reading the Sacred Writings, and has rendered the Holy Scripture contemptible, that he might cause his poisons of philosophy to prevail in the church (25).
Failure to know God’s foreknowledge and immutable will, as clearly taught in Scripture, undermines trust in his ability to fulfil his promises and, therefore, destroys Christian faith and brings the whole Gospel crashing down to the ground.
Q: How does God view the nations (vv15-17)?
Drop in the bucket
( 40:15 ) Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing
Dust
— as the small dust on the scales
Nothing
( 40:17 ) All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless
— Surrounding Nations that oppressed Israel are utterly insignificant
— They cannot prevent God’s plan for Israel to be accomplished
— He can easily bring them to nothing as easily as He brought them out of nothing
Q: How does Isaiah describe the forming of an idol (vv18-20)? What is the point?
— ( 40:18 ) God is totally incomparable
MacArthur
The prophet sarcastically indicated the futility of trying to portray the immensity of God - His power, wisdom and resources
Rich person’s idol
( 40:19 ) The rich person makes an idol of gold and silver
Poor
( 40:20 ) The poor person takes an old piece of wood or whatever he can afford and makes an idol
They spare no cost
( 40:19 ) The rich man puts chains on his idol so it will not be stolen
( 40:20 ) The poor man selects a piece of wood that will not move
All Men
— All men, whether rich or poor are carried away with idolatry
— Even if the man has no money, he desires to do something excellent to worship the god of his own making
Then he asks
( 40:21 ) Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
To the Jews
— Have you not been taught?
— Have you not learned who God is?
Young
To employ materials such as gold, silver, or wood in the construction of idols is folly, for God has created them. The earth is His and all its fullness. These truths the prophet now brings out by means of four questions arranged in chiastic order...namely, knowing-hearing—hearing-knowing.
— How foolish to trust wood, gold and silver
— The Lord has created all of them
Two Ways
— There are two (2) ways to distinguish between God and gods
— Hearing of the Word
— The authority of the Law
— Have you not known… has it not been told you from the beginning?
Paul’s Proof
— Paul speaking to the Gentiles didn’t appeal to the Law or the Word
— He used natural arguments
— “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” ( Acts 14:17 )
Circle of the Earth
( 40:22 ) It is He who sits above the circle of the earth
— Interesting statement for a book written 8 centuries before Christ
— People writing in this time period and this culture had bizarre ideas, folklore
Missler
Isaiah states fact that is without error despite living in a time when this was not common knowledge
The Same God
The same God who knew how to create the earth ( 12 ) knows how to direct history and world leaders
He Preserves
( 40:22 ) God didn’t just make the earth, He preserves it
— His hand is continually stretched out upholding it
— Jesus preserves the earth (Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:3)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
He Directs History
( 40:23 ) He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless
— World leaders may seem to hold power but they are under the power of God on the throne (cf. Jn 19:10-11)
— At His time and when He wishes
— “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” ( Prov 16:9 )
He blows them away
( 40:24 ) The world leaders may dazzle us but God blows them away like dead plants
Q: How did God prove his greatness ? (vv25-27)?
Incomparable
( 40:25 ) God is incomparable
— It would be foolish to compare God to the idols ( 18 ) or any pagan god
The stars declare it
— The stars declare His greatness
— ( 40:26 ) Rather than worship the stars, they should have seen evidence of God
— They display His great power
— He calls each by name (Ps 147:4); how much more important are you to Him than the stars?
Missler
— Chuck Missler believes that at the Rapture the Arch Angel will call you personally by name
What Creation reveals
Creation reveals God’s glory and Majesty ( 40:21-26 )
— Men are without excuse for not acknowledging Him (Rom 1:18-20)
— The final angel in Revelation will plead with men to consider God’s creation and turn from AntiChrist
— ”saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” ( Rev 14:7 )
He Comforts
( 40:27 ) Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel
— The people are in exile, why would the people think God had forgotten them
— He has argued from the greater to the lesser
— If every part of the world is under His authority, He will care for His people
Missler
Jacob is changed to Isreal and in general when when a name is changed it stays changed
— Sari becomes Sarah
— Saul becomes Paul
— Abram becomes Abraham
— Simon became Peter
Jacob is the exception;
— The name is always chosen to fit the occasion
— When he’s carnal he is called Jacob
When we suffer
— When we suffer affliction, we look for God and can’t find Him, we think He doesn’t care
( 40:27 ) “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
— Instead of returning from exile and becoming the Lord’s servant to bring his message to the world, Israel is complaining
— They accuse God of not being aware of their suffering and condition in captivity
— They thought God had forgotten them or was asleep ( cf. 51:17, God’s Alarm Clock )
Q: What is God’s response vv28-31?
God is not too weak
( 40:28 ) Neither faints nor is weary
— God is not too weak to act on their behalf
— The young and the strong might tire, but God never does
— The power of God is made perfect in our weakness (cf. 2 Cor 12:9)
— Paul said the same thing, God would provide him strength
— Christ infused with strength
— “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
Fly, Run, Walk
( 40:31 ) Don’t want to allegorize (McGee)
— Another way of expressing the same truth
— Those who trust in Him will be vigorous, elevated, unwearied
Young
The verb used to describe those who wait on the Lord may be rendered they shall change or exchange. In this context the thought is of changing the strength one has for a better strength, hence the common rendering, they shall renew strength, is satisfactory. Implied is a condition of weakness or lack of strength. What strength is possessed by those who wait upon the Lord will be exchanged for strength that is real indeed. Instead of stumbling they will grow stronger and stronger.
With apparently no effort the eagle mounts high into the sky; so the people of God will mount up from the depths of their griefs and difficulties. They will not stumble, falling to the earth because they have no strength, but rather, with the ease of the eagle, they will soar on high.
Two further figures complete the description. Those who wait upon the Lord will not only fly, they will also run and they will walk. Thus, the entirety of their life will be one in which they will prevail and go on from strength to strength. We may notice that for the third time Isaiah now brings together the two verbs, yiga‘ and ya‘aph (be weary and faint). In verse 28 he had employed them of God, in verse 30 of the youths, and in the present verse of those who wait upon the Lord. One figure is apparently derived from the runners in a race and the other from the daily walk of a man. Running does not bring tiredness, nor do they become faint when they walk on and on.
General principle
— Patient, praying believers are blessed by God with strength in their trials (2 Cor 12:8-10)
Application
Application
Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength (Application bible)
Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength (Application bible)
Additional Resources
J Vernon McGee Isaiah 36-37: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-36-37-754472.html
McGee Isaiah 38-39: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-38-39-754473.html
McGee Isaiah 40: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-40-754474.html
Chuck Missler Isaiah 36-39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdrE9KLY59c
Micheal Kenneth Wilson: Summary of Bondage of the Will, https://www.academia.edu/43439473/Summary_of_Bondage_of_the_Will_Martin_Luther_?auto=download
Young, Edward J. (1972). The Book of Isaiah : Volume 3: 40-66. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Brahms’s Requiem: https://www.classical-music.com/features/works/brahmss-german-requiem-text/