ISAIAH 37
Hezekiah sends messenger to Isaiah verse 1- 5
And it came to pass – when king Hezekiah heard it
that he rent his clothes – and covered himself with sackcloth
and went into the house of the LORD
And he sent Eliakim – who was over the household – and Shebna – the scribe
and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth
unto ISAIAH the prophet – the son of Amoz
And they said unto him – Thus says Hezekiah
This day is a day of trouble – rebuke – blasphemy
for the children are come to the birth
and there is not strength to bring forth
It may be the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh
whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach
the living God – and will reprove the words which the
LORD your God has heard
wherefore lift up thy prayer
for the remnant that is left
So the servants of king Hezekiah came to ISAIAH
Message from the LORD to Hezekiah verse 6- 7
And ISAIAH said unto them – Thus shall you say unto your master
Thus says the LORD
Be not afraid of the words that you have heard
wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria has blasphemed ME
Behold – I will send a blast 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
Rabshakeh returns to King of Assyria verse 8
So Rabshakeh returned
and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah
for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish
Another message to Hezekiah verse 9- 13
And he heard say concerning Tirhakah – king of Ethiopia
He is come forth to make war with you
And when he heard it – he sent messengers to Hezekiah – saying
Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah – king of Judah – saying
Let not your God – in whom you trusts – deceive you – saying
Jerusalem shall not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria
Behold – you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all
lands by destroying them utterly and shall you be delivered?
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed
as Gozan and Haran – and Rezeph
and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
Where is the king of Hamath – and the king of Arphad
and the king of the city of Sepharvaim – Hena – and Ivah?
Hezekiah goes to Temple to pray verse 14- 20
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers – and read it
and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD
and spread it before the LORD
And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD – saying
O LORD of hosts – God of Israel – that dwells between the cherubim
YOU are the God – even YOU ALONE
of all the kingdoms of the earth
YOU have made heaven and earth
Incline YOUR ear – O LORD – and hear
open YOUR eyes – O LORD and see
and hear the words of Sennacherib
which has sent to reproach the living God
Of a truth – LORD
the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations
and their countries
AND has cast their gods into the fire – for they were no gods
but the work of men’s hands – wood and stone
therefore they have destroyed them
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 – even YOU only
Isaiah sends another message to Hezekiah verse 21
Then ISAIAH – the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah – saying
Thus says the LORD God of Israel
Whereas you have prayed to ME against Sennacherib
king of Assyria
Message from the LORD verse 22- 25
This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him
The virgin – daughter of Zion – has despised you
and laughed you to scorn
the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you
Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
and against whom have you exalted your voice
and lifted up your eyes on high?
even against the Holy One of Israel
By your servants have you reproached the Lord – and have said
By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of
the mountains – to the side of Lebanon
AND I will cut down the tall cedars thereof
and the choice fir trees thereof
I will enter into the height of his border
and the forest of his Carmel
I have dug- and drunk water
and with the sole of my feet have I dried up
all the rivers of the besieged places
LORD is working HIS plan verse 26- 27
Have you not heard long ago – how I have done it
and of ancient times – that I formed it?
Now have I brought it to pass – that you should be to lay waste defensed cities
into ruinous heaps
Therefore their inhabitants were of small power
they were dismayed and confounded
they were as the grass of the field and as the green herb
as the grass on the housetops
and as corn blasted before it be grown up
LORD is sending Hezekiah back verse 28- 29
But I know your abode – and your going out – and your coming in
and your rage against ME
Because your rage against ME – and your tumult is come up into MINE ears
THEREFORE will I put MY hook in your nose
and MY bridle in your lips
and I will turn you back by the way by which you came
Isaiah gives Hezekiah proof verse 30- 32
AND this shall be a sign unto you
You shall eat this year such as grows of itself
and the second year that which springs of the same
and in the third year sow you – and reap
and plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof
AND the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah
shall again take root downward – and bear fruit upward
for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant
and they that escape out of mount Zion
the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this
Isaiah has message for King Sennacherib verse 33- 35
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 shields – nor cast a bank against it
By the way that he came – by the same shall he return
and shall not come into this city – says the LORD
For I will defend this city to save it for MINE OWN sake
and for MY servant David’s sake
Angel of the LORD kills 185, 000 soldiers verse 36- 37
Then the angel of the LORD went forth
and smote in the camp of the Assyrians – 185,000
and when they arose early in the morning
behold – they were all dead corpses
So Sennacherib – king of Assyria departed – and went and returned
and dwelt in Nineveh
King Sennacherib kills by his sons verse 38
And it came to pass – as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch – his god
that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword
and they escaped into the land of Armenia
and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 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. (The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). וא, לָבֹא [bowʾ /bo/] -to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon. to bring to pass. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon )
DEVOTION: How do you respond when a crisis hits? The story was told recently of a man that remembers, to this day, a young girl who was smiling at him as he rescued her from the waters of hurricane Katrina. In the midst of chaos and utter confusion this girl is smiling as she is being airlifted by helicopter to safety. Trust and confidence were characteristics of the girl’s demeanor as she looked up. What is ours in the center of controversy? Hezekiah stops then goes into the house of God recognizing his dependence on the Lord and seeking his direction. He covered himself with sackcloth and cried out to the Lord.
How we respond describes who or what we trust in. If we run to the phone and call parents, neighbors or police we signal where our primary dependence lies. If we stop and communicate with the Lord then we also show where our source of strength and dependence lies. As Hezekiah hears the taunts and jeers of the unbelieving emissary he has to make a decision and he calls for the Lord! Who are you reaching out to in your crisis?
CHALLENGE: Like the little girl may you lift your face up to the one who is able and desirous to rescue you from the crisis and impossible circumstance that has come into your life today! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. (6566 “spread” [paras] means stretch, break in pieces, display, scattered, or lay open.)
DEVOTION: Does bad news every come in the mail to your house? What do you do with it? Are their bills that there doesn’t seem to be enough money to pay for coming each month? What do you do with them? I know that some people just put them in a pile and hope to pay them someday. Others just throw them in the garbage and wait for the next bill to come. It is hard to live sometimes on the income that the LORD allows us to have. HE promises to provide for our every need. That is the key word for both our problems regarding money and other matters. Hezekiah is facing a national crisis. He has an army of Assyrian at his gate in Jerusalem. They are telling the people that there is no hope.
The people are afraid. The leaders are afraid. There is a sign that the king of Assyria was leaving to fight another fight. But along comes a letter to Hezekiah. He takes the letter to the Temple and lays it out before the LORD. He prays for help. He sends his officers to Isaiah to have him pray for the nation.
In the letter the king of Assyria had challenged the LORD and HIS ability to save Judah. Hezekiah went to the LORD’S prophet, Isaiah, for answers. The LORD said HE would take care of the Assyrians.
The angel of the LORD killed 185,000 Assyria soldiers in one night. The LORD was in control of the situation and HE is in control of our situation. Hezekiah took his problem to the LORD’S temple and laid it before HIM. Hezekiah prayed for the LORD to take the problem and deal with it. HE did.
We need to take our problems to HIM and leave them there. HE is still sovereign. HE still answers prayer. HE wants us to depend on HIM alone, not on other people or things. Remember to daily take our challenges to HIM and wait for HIS answer. HE loves us.
CHALLENGE: Take the big and little challenges to our needs to the LORD each day and watch HIM work. HE can do it!!!
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: 17 Incline YOUR ear, O LORD, and hear, open YOUR eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which has sent to reproach the living God. (2778 “reproach” [charaph] means to annoy, taunt, to treat with contempt, for example, verbally, revile, ridicule, blaspheme, defy, or upbraid.)
DEVOTION: Here we have a king who has been defeating the nations he has entered. He is coming to Israel and going against Jerusalem. He says things that make the God of Israel look like just one of the gods of other nations. He doesn’t think too highly of the LORD.
So, the king prays to the LORD for help. The kingdom of Israel has been wandering from the LORD and now the enemy is at the gate and they want the LORD to help them defeat this enemy.
It takes hard times for some people to turn to the LORD and ask HIM for help. While things are going well, it seems, that many who claim to be followers of the LORD are not busy praying, worshiping and serving the LORD but when hard times come this all changes.
It happened during the Old Testament and it happened during the New Testament and it is happening even today.
We find ourselves in a time period when going to a good Bible believing church is not something that many believers do unless hard times come and once the hard times are over they stop attending as much.
The LORD is getting the attention of the children of Israel and HE wants to have our attention as well. If it takes hard times then HE will send them.
Are we busy praying for help when we see what is going on in our world and in the church? If not, we should be. It seems that a time of judgment is going to come soon to our nation because of it seems we are treating the LORD and HIS church poorly.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to show areas in your life where you are not honoring the LORD on a daily basis and ask HIM to help you change into a better servant.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 29 Because thy rage against me, and they tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou came. (7600 “tumult” [sha’anan] means arrogant, pride, living at ease, careless, insolent, haughty, or sinful tranquility.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever been confronted by someone who is arrogant? When I was a teenager, we went with Youth for Christ to Ocean City to be involved with a quiz competition. I was on the quiz team for the Niagara Falls YFC club. While walking on the boardwalk there was a group of teens that approached us. They asked if we believed the Bible and we said “Yes.” They then asked if we believed that we should turn the other cheek if someone offended us. We again said “Yes.” Then one of the teens hit the biggest teen in our group. He turned the other cheek. They were being arrogant toward our belief and toward our God.
Here we find the king of Assyria being arrogant toward the LORD and HIS people. He stated that the LORD was not able to protect Jerusalem from his army. He told the people not to trust in the LORD.
Well the LORD had an answer for him. HE stated that the king of Assyria was not just going against HIS sinful people. He was going against the LORD by challenging HIS ability to protect HIS people. Hezekiah was nervous, but he took his problem to the LORD and asked Isaiah for an answer. This verse is the LORD’S answer to Hezekiah.
The LORD was going to put HIS hook in the nose of the king of Assyria and lead him around by his nose. He was also going to put a bridle on the mouth of the king and not allow him to continue to reproach HIM. It was stated that the zeal of the LORD was going to perform this feat.
We find that during the night the ANGEL OF THE LORD came into the camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. That sent the king of Assyria and his men back to Assyria. They were defeated and never came near Jerusalem. The LORD answered that prayer directly.
It may seem like the LOR D is not in control of what is happening in our world but HE is. HE knows what is happening in every country of the world. HE will still protect HIS people. HE is still answering prayer.
Are there still arrogant people in our world that want to challenge Christianity? YES!! Can HE still give us victory over these individuals or nations? YES!!
CHALLENGE: Remember that the LORD states that “Vengeance is MINE, I will repay.” Turn your enemies over to the LORD and watch HIM work.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Sackcloth praying to the LORD verse 1
Prayer for the remnant verse 4
Asked the LORD to reprove Rahshakeh verse 4
Lift up a prayer for the remnant verse 4
Prayer of Hezekiah verse 14- 21
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORD verse 2, 14
Hezekiah spread letter before the LORD
Prayer recorded
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4, 6, 14- 18,
20- 22, 32-36
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 4, 10, 16, 21
LORD your God verse 4
Living God verse 4, 17
LORD thy God verse 4
LORD sent a blast upon king of Assyria verse 7
LORD will cause king of Assyrai
to fall by the sword verse 7
House of the LORD verse 14
LORD of hosts verse 16, 32
God of Israel verse 16
Dwells between the cherubims verse 16
God alone verse 6
Creator of heaven and earth verse 16
Asked to incline HIS ear and hear verse 17
LORD our God verse 20
LORD – THOU ONLY verse 20
LORD God of Israel verse 21
Holy One of Israel verse 23
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 24
LORD turning back king of Assyria verse 23- 29
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Cherubims verse 16
Angel of the LORD verse 36
Smote the camp of Assyrian 185,000
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Rabshakeh verse 4, 6, 8
Reproach the living God
Blasphemed God
King of Assyria (Sennacherib) verse 4, 6, 8-12, 17- 19, 21 33, 34, 37
Sent word to Hezekiah
Laid to waste all the nations and their countries
Cast out gods of nations
Shall not come into Jerusalem, nor shoot an arrow
there, nor come before it with shields, nor
cast a bank against it
He shall go back the way he came
Dwelt in Ninevah
Worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god
killed by Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons
Lachish verse 8
Tirhakah – king of Ethiopia verse 9
Gozan verse 12
Haran verse 12
Rezeph verse 12
Children of Eden which were in Telassar verse 12
Hamath verse 13
Arphad verse 13
Sepharvaim verse 13
Hena verse 13
Ivah verse 13
Kingdoms of the earth verse 16, 20
Lebanon verse 24
Carmel verse 24
Ancient times verse 26
Camp of Assyria (185,000) verse 36
Nineveh verse 37
Armenia verse 38
Esarhaddon – king of Assyria verse 38
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Blasphemy verse 3, 6, 23
Deceive verse 10
gods of the nations verse 12, 19
Reproach the living God verse 17, 23, 24
Despised God verse 22
Laughed at God verse 22
Exalted voice verse 23
Lifting eyes on high verse 23
Rage against the LORD verse 28, 29
Worshiping false god (Nisroch) verse 38
Murder verse 38
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Trouble verse 3
Rebuke verse 3
Remnant verse 4
Not afraid of the words verse 6
Trust verse 10
Save verse 20, 35
Sign verse 30
Remnant verse 31, 32
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Hezekiah – king of Judah verse 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 21
Rent his clothes
Covered himself with sackcloth
Went to the house of the LORD
Said: This day is a day of trouble and rebuke
and blasphemy for the children
Spread letter before the LORD
Wants LORD to hear words of Sennacherib
House of the LORD verse 1
Eliakim verse 2
Shebna the scribe verse 2
Elders of the priests covered with sackcloth verse 2
Isaiah – prophet (son of Amoz) verse 2, 5, 6, 21
Sent letter against Hezekiah
Sevant
Jerusalem verse 10, 22, 32
Remnant
Escape out of mount Zion
Zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this
The virgin -daughter of Zion verse 22
Zion verse 22, 32
House of Judah verse 31
Root downward and bare fruit
David verse 35
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
In the KJV of II Kgs 19:28 and its parallel 37:29 we read, “Because thy rage against me and thy tumult (šaʾănān).” “Tumult” here is misleading (probably mistakenly taken for šāʾôn “tumult, noise”), for šaʾănān is a substantive probably meaning “arrogance,” i.e. the pride and ease by which Assyria threatened to destroy Jerusalem and the house of the Lord. Against this sinful tranquility on the part of God’s enemies, the Lord arose and his angel destroyed in one night the massive army of Sennacherib, giving Hezekiah rest. (Cohen, G. G. (1999). 2304 שָׁאַן. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (894). Chicago: Moody Press.)
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14. It would seem that Hezekiah simply read the letter, presumably said ‘thank you and goodbye’ to the messengers, and went off to the Lord’s house. ‘What did he say?’, Sennacherib will ask them and they will reply, ‘Well … er … nothing.’ Isaiah said truly that he who believes will not panic (28:16; cf. 7:9). (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an
introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 254). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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37:14–20. Receiving the communication (a letter) from Sennacherib, Hezekiah prayed a great prayer of faith in the temple (cf. v. 1). By placing the matter in God’s hands (v. 14), he was calling God’s attention to it (though of course he believed that God already knew). The king began his prayer with praise (vv. 15–16). Referring to Him as the God of Israel, the king recalled the special covenant position Israel had with the Lord. God’s being enthroned between the cherubim refers to His presence in the Jerusalem temple and thus with His people (1 Kings 8:10–13). (On the cherubim see comments on 1 Kings 6:23.) Besides being the God of Israel, the Lord is also over all the kingdoms of the earth, including Assyria! Hezekiah also stated that God is the Creator.
Then Hezekiah asked God to intervene for His glory, so that the other nations would know that He, the Lord of Israel, is the true God (Isa. 37:17–20). Hezekiah requested deliverance from the Assyrians so that nations everywhere would acknowledge God’s sovereignty. (Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1088). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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WHEN Hezekiah heard the threatenings of Sennacherib’s servants, he rent his clothes and went into the house of the Lord, and sent to Isaiah entreating his prayers. When he received the menacing letter, his faith was greater, having been heartened by Isaiah’s assurances. So he then himself appealed to Jehovah, spreading the letter before Him, and himself prayed God to guard His own honour, and answer the challenge flung down by the insolent Assyrian. It is noble when faith increases as dangers increase. (MacLaren, A. (2009). Expositions of Holy Scripture: Isaiah 1–48 (p. 242). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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14–20 Some critics make much of the Deuteronomic character of this prayer, as if this means it must have been created by the author—viz., the author of the parallel passage in 2 Kings (see general introduction to chs. 36–39). But this is to forget that the kings were given express instructions to study Deuteronomy (cf. Deut 17:14–20). Hezekiah prayed in similar fashion to the prayer of the early church when Peter and John had been threatened by the authorities (Acts 4, esp. v.24). His address to God is theological in the best sense. As “Lord Almighty” (v.16, lit., “Yahweh of hosts”, see comment at 1:9), he has all power; and, as the sovereign Creator, the Assyrians are subject to that power. The word “alone” (v.20) is a critical glance at their paganism. On the other hand, as God of Israel, manifesting his presence between the cherubim in that very temple, he has a special relationship with his people and therefore a concern to protect them from their enemies.
True prayer faces facts but interprets them theologically, and this is what Hezekiah did in vv.18–19. Isaiah was often to make the same point about idols in later oracles (e.g., 44:9–20). The act of salvation he prayed for was to be a revelation of God to all the kingdoms—acknowledging as they did other gods—that Yahweh alone was God. This emphasis on the sole deity of the God of Israel also reminds us of later oracles (e.g., 44:6–8). (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 231). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Hezekiah’s prayer (Isa. 37:15–20) is saturated with biblical theology and is not unlike the prayer of the church in Acts 4:24–31. He affirmed his faith in the one true and living God, and he worshiped Him. Jehovah is “Lord of hosts,” that is, “Lord of the armies” (Ps. 46:7, 11). He is the Creator of all things (96:5) and knows what is going on in His creation. His eyes can see our plight, and His ears can hear our plea (see Ps. 115). King Hezekiah did not want deliverance merely for his people’s sake, but that God alone might be glorified (Isa. 37:20; Ps. 46:10). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (p. 97). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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Ver. 14. And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it, &c.] Or books, in which the above things were written; and every one of these he read, as Kimchi interprets it; though the Targum is, “he took the letters from the hand of the messengers, and read one of them;” that is, as Kimchi’s father explains it, in which was the blasphemy against God; this he read over carefully to himself, observed the contents of it, and then did with it as follows: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of God; the temple, the outward court of it, further than which he could not go: and spread it before the Lord; not to read it, as he had done, or to acquaint him with the contents of it, which he fully knew; but, as it chiefly regarded him, and affected his honour and glory, he laid it before him, that he might take notice of it, and vindicate himself, and avenge his own cause; he brought it as a proof of what he had to say to him in prayer, and to support him in his allegations, and as a means to quicken himself in the discharge of that duty.
Ver. 15. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying.] He did not return railing for railing, but committed himself and his cause to him that judgeth righteously; he did not write an answer to the letter himself, but lays it before the Lord, and prays him to answer it, who was most principally reflected on in it.
Ver. 16. O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim, &c.] Or, the inhabitant of the cherubim; which were over the mercy-seat, the residence of the Shechinah, or Majesty of God, the symbol of the divine Presence in the holy of holies; a title which the God of Israel, the Lord of armies in heaven, and earth bears, and distinguishes him from all other gods, and which several titles carry in them arguments to strengthen faith in prayer; being the Lord of hosts, he was able to do whatsoever was desired, and more abundantly; being the God of Israel, their covenant-God, it might be hoped and expected he would protect and defend them; and sitting between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat, great encouragement might be had that he would be gracious and merciful, and hear and help: thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; this is opposed to the conceit of Sennacherib, that he was only the God of the Jews, and had no concern with other kingdoms and nations; whereas all belong to him, and him only; they are all under his jurisdiction and dominion, and at his will and control: thou hast made heaven and earth; and so has an indisputable right to the government of the whole world, and to the disposal of all things in it.
Ver. 17. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear, &c.] The prayer which Hezekiah was now presenting to him, as also the reproach of the enemy: open thine eyes, O Lord, and see; the letter he spread before him, and take notice of the blasphemies in it, and punish for them. Both these clauses are to be understood after the manner of men, and in a way becoming the being and perfections of God, to whom ears and eyes are not properly to be ascribed, and so likewise the bowing of the one, and the opening of the other; but both denote the gracious condescension of God, to take notice of things on earth, and vindicate the cause of his people, which is his own: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he hath sent to reproach the living God; the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, understand it of the words which Sennacherib sent in the letter to reproach the Lord; but in 2 Kings 19:16, it is, which hath sent him; the messenger, Rabshakeh, or whoever was the person that brought the letter to Hezekiah. The Targum paraphrases the latter part thus, “to reproach the people of the living God;” both God and his people were reproached, and both carry in them arguments with the Lord to hear and avenge himself and them; and the king prays that he would hear, take notice of, and observe all the words, and give a proper answer, by inflicting just punishment.
Ver. 18. Of a truth, Lord, &c.] This is a truth, and will be readily owned, what the king of Assyria has said, that his ancestors have destroyed all lands, or at least have endeavoured to do it, and have had it in their hearts to do it: the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries; or all the lands, and their land; the Targum is, “all provinces, and their lands;” the countries, and towns and villages in them, or the chief cities and villages round about them.
Ver. 19. And have cast their gods into the fire, &c.] And burnt them; and it may well be asked, where are they? ch. 36:19: for they were no gods, but the works of men’s hands, wood and stone; they were made of wood or of stone, and therefore could not be called gods; nor could they save the nations that worshipped them, nor themselves, from the fire: therefore they have destroyed them; the Assyrian kings were able to do it, and did do it, because they were idols of wood or stone; but it did not therefore follow, that they were a match for the God of Israel, the true and the living God.
Ver. 20. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, &c.] The hand of the King of Assyria. The Lord had promised that he would, and Hezekiah believed he would; but he knew that for this he would be inquired of by him, and he pleads covenant-interest in him, and entreats for salvation upon that account, as well as for the reason following: that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only; by doing that which other gods could not do; they could not save the nations that worshipped them from the hand of the Assyrians; if therefore the God of Israel saved his people from them, this would be a proof to all the world that he is God, and there is none besides him. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, pp. 208–209). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem’s deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem’s condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life “hits” you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there. (Quiet Walk)
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Not So, Lord
“But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” (Acts 10:14)
This response of Peter to the Lord’s command is a self-contradiction. How could He be Peter’s Lord if Peter felt free to disobey His command?
The doctrine and practice of the Lordship of Christ have always been difficult and controversial. Many Christians who’ve called Him their Savior and Lord nevertheless often feel free to question or disregard His Word. There may be legitimate discussion concerning interpretation of the Word, but there is never justification for questioning its authority, regardless of the pretenses of modern intellectuals or the pressures of public opinion. As the Lord Jesus Christ rebukingly asked, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
There was an earlier occasion when Peter revealed this same inconsistency. When Christ told of His imminent crucifixion, Peter “began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee” (Matthew 16:22). The Lord, therefore, had to rebuke Peter. It was not Peter’s prerogative, nor is it ours, to question the Word of the Lord, even when we don’t yet understand it.
That kind of attitude can, under certain circumstances, have deadly and eternal consequences. Jesus warned those who would profess His Lordship without its reality: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord….And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23).
Peter learned this lesson and was soon able to confess unreservedly concerning Christ that “he is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). We who “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” for salvation (Acts 16:31) certainly should seek to believe and obey His Word in all things.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us — perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises — the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) — is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
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?
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
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalms 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God’s will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God’s sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17). (Quiet Walk by Walk thru Bible)
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Be not conformed to this world. Romans 12:2
The Scriptures place great emphasis on our part in sanctification, on what you and I have to do. What is the point of the mighty arguments of Paul and the apostles in their letters if sanctification is something that I am to receive? Why the exhortations?
Here is one exhortation from the apostle Peter: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Do you notice what he says? We do not receive our sanctification and are then delivered from these things. No; he tells us to abstain from them and to keep ourselves from them. And the tragedy is that so many people are spending their lives waiting to receive something, and in the meantime they are not abstaining from these fleshly lusts.
Take a statement from Paul: “Let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:28). That is what he is to do. He is not to wait to receive something; he is commanded to give up stealing. What can be more specific than that? And people who are guilty of foolish talking and jesting and other unseemly things are not to do them (Ephesians 5:4). “Be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). You do not wait to receive something; if up to this moment you have been conforming to the world, you must stop.
People have often come to me about this and said, “You know, I’ve been trying so hard, but I can’t get this experience.” To which the reply is that the Scripture commands you to abstain: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8). And I repeat that these injunctions are quite pointless and a sheer waste of ink if sanctification is something that I can receive. If it is, we would surely be told, “You need not worry about this question of sin—you can receive your sanctification in one act, and all you do then is to maintain it and abide in it.” But this is most certainly not the New Testament teaching.
A Thought to Ponder: The Scriptures place great emphasis on our part in sanctification.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 215-216, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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He Hath Chosen Us
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)
Although we cannot really understand how God could choose us (same Greek word as “elected”) before the creation of the world, we can rejoice in the fact and praise Him for “his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9). The preceding verse (Ephesians 1:3) testifies we have received “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” all “according to the good pleasure of his will” (v. 5), “according to the riches of his grace” (v. 7), and “according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself” (v. 9). It must thus all be “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (v. 6).
It is clear from this passage that God’s choice of us was not simply a matter of His foreseeing our choice of Him, but was a choice solely by His own will and grace: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16). This in no wise lessens our own responsibility to trust in Christ and to believe “the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:12-13), even though in our finite minds we cannot understand how to correlate these two concepts. Both are true, because both are taught in His Word, and both are occasions for rejoicing because they reflect both His love and His omnipotence.
God told Jeremiah: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). Before the world began, God knew each of us and loved us, and prepared to die to save us from our sins and then to draw us to Himself. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psalm 139:6). We can only thank and praise Him, and then seek earnestly to live fully for Him all our days. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Haddon Robinson on the 2 Essential Elements of Preaching
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Some time ago I went to church—I go to church regularly—and on this particular Sunday I did not have any responsibilities (i.e., I didn’t have to preach, I didn’t have to read the Scriptures). I had some friends who went with me. They were folks who, if you were taking a religious survey, would check “churchgoer occasionally.” One of these friends said that, when he and his wife go to church, they don’t like the music. They’re always singing the same old thing: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” or “Up from the Grave He Arose.” These were not regular attenders, but they went that Sunday with me.
Our pastor wasn’t there. A guest preacher—a professor at one of our Christian colleges—was to preach and he had obviously done his homework. He was preaching on 1 Peter 1 and he had done his work in the Greek. He took us through it and told us how important it was. When the sermon was over and we were going home, the folks wanted to be polite. They gave the kind of compliments that, for any pastor, are an insult. “I like the way he dressed. . . . He really is an intelligent, educated man.”
The danger of preaching the Bible (if there is a danger) is that it’s all about the long-ago and far-away.
What happened was the sermon was all in 1 Peter. It was about the long-ago and far-away and it never made it into the twenty-first century.
Good sermons are nailed to the text. They are biblical. If we don’t preach the Bible, we have nothing to preach. If you want to preach politics, there are better people out there who can preach politics. If you want to preach psychology, there are better psychologists on television. But we can preach the Bible. The danger of preaching the Bible (if there is a danger) is that it’s all about the long-ago and far-away. So people hear sermons and they leave sitting in judgment on Abraham for going down to Egypt or upset with Jonah because he ran away from God and we never get to where the people in the pew are.
Good sermons live with that tension. They live with the tension of the Bible and they also live with the tension of being relevant to the folks who are listening. I’ve sometimes said that we don’t teach the Bible; we teach people the Bible. The task of preaching is not just to help people understand the biblical texts, as important as that is; it is to help people understand how the biblical text relates to them. Quite frankly, both of these deserve our attention.
I find that expository preachers often do not really ask, What’s the purpose of this sermon? What should it do in people’s lives? If you say, “Why are you preaching on Romans 5?” some preachers answer, “Well, because last week I was in Romans 4. Next week I’ll be in Romans 6.”
we are not preaching to people about the Bible. We are preaching to people about them from the Bible.
Until we have figured out why the passage would be important to people today—not just tell them that but show them that (e.g., How would it work in their business? How would it work in their homes? How does it work in their thinking?) as we bring the biblical text and the modern world together—we haven’t done our job.
So we are not preaching to people about the Bible. We are preaching to people about them from the Bible. And that means that there are two tensions: the tension of the biblical text (crucial, vital, and important) and the tension of the folks who are listening to us. Good preachers work hard to see to it that their sermons have that balance of biblical truth and contemporary relevance. That’s why being biblical and contemporary is the art of Christian communication.
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This post is adapted from “Being biblical and contemporary is the art of Christian communication” by Haddon Robinson in Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry, edited by Scott M. Gibson (Lexham Press, 2016).
The post Haddon Robinson on the 2 Essential Elements of Preaching appeared first on LogosTalk
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