Hezekiah: Isaiah 36-39 (2)

Pray Psalm 56.3, 4.
Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

Read Isaiah 37.1-7.

Reflect.
1. How would you assess Hezekiah’s response to the Assyrian threat?

2. The Word of the Lord from Isaiah is reassuring. Does the Word always promise to deliver us out of our troubles?

Meditate.
Can you see how Hezekiah has been clinging to the promise of a remnant, which he has been hearing from Isaiah (v. 5)? He’s calling on that promise even as he sends his men to Isaiah, that he might pray and intercede for the remnant, and deliver them from Sennacherib.

Wouldn’t it be great if our civil authorities today had (a) this kind of faith in God’s Word, and (b) the sense to seek God’s help through the prayers of His appointed servants? Hezekiah in many ways provides a model for how government can fulfill its mandate to serve God for the good of the people (Rom. 13.1-4). Unlike the kings before him, Hezekiah did not turn to Egypt for deliverance. He heard the Word of the Lord from Isaiah, and he turned to that Word and the Lord’s prophet, calling on God to do what He had promised.

We also notice Hezekiah’s humility. He tore his clothes, a sign of repentance, and he went into the temple, to show himself before the Lord. Moreover, he didn’t demand that God do what He had promised. Instead, he said, “It may be…” (Hebrew,אוּלַ֡י, “perhaps”). And he didn’t assume that his prayers alone would suffice to realize the promised deliverance of God’s remnant.

Isaiah didn’t go into great detail about how Jerusalem would be delivered. He simply told the king not to be afraid, and trust that God would take care of the Big Talker, Sennacherib. We’ll see how thorough God was in this shortly. What we do see in Isaiah’s response is a bit of a glimpse into the way the world works: spiritual power is brought to bear against earthly hubris to accomplish divine promises and purposes (v. 7).

Prepare.
1. Sometimes, obedience to God is as much a matter of what we don’t do as of what we actually do. How can you see that in Hezekiah’s response to Sennacherib?

2. To what “children” is Hezekiah referring in verse 3? In what sense are the promises of God His “children”, waiting to be born?

3. Does God still use angels (spirits) in His work in the world today? Explain.

For the sake of royal worship, therefore, Hezekiah wrapped himself in sackcloth and, walking from his palace to the temple, sent Eliakim, the high priest, Shebna, the scribe, and senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amos, an act that must be attributed to the humility and prudence of the king. Jerome (347-420 AD), Commentary on Isaiah 11.37.1-7

Guide me in serving You this day, O Lord, that I might obey Your every command and…

Pray Psalm 56.
What challenges or trials are you facing today? Let this psalm guide you to face them in confidence and the strength of the Lord. Then renew your vows to follow and serve Him.

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 56 (Morecambe: Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart)
Savior, be gracious, gracious unto me!
Weary, I seek the shelter of Your wings
Till trouble passes, till my sighings flee.
I seek the Lord Who for me does all things.

When I’m afraid I’ll put my trust in You, 
You, Lord, Whose everlasting Word I praise; 
I will not fear what foes to me might do, 
But will in faith to You my crying raise.

Wickedly how my foes distort my words; 
Constant attacks and snares await my way. 
Pour out Your wrath, consume them, mighty Lord!
Bring evil to its end, O Lord, I pray!

Lord, see my wand’rings, see my anxious tears!
Help me to trust and praise Your holy Word.
Gladly I know that when I call You hear; 
I will not fear but trust in You, O Lord.

I will not fear what foes might do to me.
I give You thanks, my vows will I renew.
You have redeemed me, set my spirit free, 
And ever in Your light I’ll walk with You.

T. M. Moore

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Forward today’s lesson to some friends, and challenge them to study with you through this series on Isaiah. Each week’s lessons will be available as a free PDF download at the end of the week. Get a copy for yourself and send the link for the download to your friends. Plan to meet weekly to study Isaiah’s important message.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).