The Lord’s Assurance of Deliverance:
God’s Promise to The Believer Isaiah 37:1–13
Nothing Compares to The Assurance That God Gives Us—
His People—In Times of Need.
When King Hezekiah heard the results of the
meeting, he tore his robes and wound himself in coarse cloth used for making
sacks, as a sign of humility and mourning, and went over to the Temple to pray.
2Meanwhile he sent Eliakim his prime minister, and Shebna his royal
scribe, and the older priests—all dressed in sackcloth—to Isaiah the prophet,
son of Amoz. 3They brought him this message from Hezekiah:
“This is a day of trouble and frustration and
blasphemy; it is a serious time, as when a woman is in heavy labor trying to
give birth and the child does not come. 4But perhaps the Lord your
God heard the blasphemy of the king of Assyria’s representative as he scoffed
at the living God. Surely God won’t let him get away with this. Surely God will
rebuke him for those words. Oh, Isaiah, pray for us who are left!”
5So they took the king’s message to Isaiah.
6Then Isaiah replied, “Tell King Hezekiah that the Lord says: Don’t be
disturbed by this speech from the servant of the king of Assyria and his
blasphemy. 7For a report from Assyria will reach the king that he is
needed at home at once, and he will return to his own land, where I will have
him killed.”
8-9Now the Assyrian envoy left Jerusalem and went to consult his king, who
had left Lachish and was besieging Libnah. But at this point the Assyrian king
received word that Tirhakah, crown prince of Ethiopia, was leading an army
against him from the south.a Upon hearing this, he sent messengers
back to Jerusalem to Hezekiah with this message:
10“Don’t let this God you trust in fool you by promising that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria! 11Just remember what has happened wherever the kings of Assyria have gone, for they have crushed everyone who has opposed them. Do you think you will be any different? 12Did their gods save the cities of Gozan, Haran, or Rezeph, or the people of Eden in Telassar? No, the Assyrian kings completely destroyed them! 13And don’t forget what happened to the king of Hamath, to the king of Arpad, and to the kings of the cities of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah.”[1]
The Lord’s Assurance of Deliverance: God’s Promise to the Believer (Isaiah 37:1–13).[2]
The Lord gave a wonderful assurance to Hezekiah, the assurance that the king and his people would be delivered from the invading Assyrians. Remember what had happened years earlier: Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had surrendered to Assyria, subjugating the nation as a vassal state under the Assyrian government. This meant that Ahaz was able to remain king of Judah and that the people were allowed to keep their properties, but they were forced to pay a large tribute or tax to Assyria (2 K. 16:1–20). Once Hezekiah became king, and because of his commitment to the Lord, he revolted against the oppressive domination of the Assyrians. This is what had aroused King Sennacherib of Assyria to invade Judah and lay siege to the capital Jerusalem (36:1–22). Envoys from the Assyrian king had just confronted representatives sent by Hezekiah, demanding that Hezekiah unconditionally surrender to the Assyrian forces. Using every intimidating threat known to negotiators, the Assyrian envoy demanded that Hezekiah either choose death or surrender (36:18–20). While his own royal officials were carrying on the negotiations, King Hezekiah was anxiously waiting back in the palace for their return. With this background, note what happened:
a. When Hezekiah’s negotiators returned and gave their report on the Assyrian threats and their ridicule of the Lord, Hezekiah was filled with deep distress. Tearing his clothes and putting on sackcloth as symbols of repentance and grief, Hezekiah went into the temple to seek the face of the Lord (37:1). Knowing that the troops within Jerusalem could not stand against the mighty army of Assyria, he recognized there was nothing in his power he could do to save the people. Thus, he took the only step that could save them: he turned to the Lord for help.
b. But before entering the temple, Hezekiah sent a delegation to make an appeal to the prophet Isaiah, seeking prayer and some word from the Lord (vv. 2–4). Three points were included in the message sent by the king to the prophet:
Ø
He stated that this was a black day for Judah, a
day of trouble, rebuke, and disgrace. The Lord was obviously chastising and
correcting them for their sins (v. 3; He. 12:9–15). Note the
illustration used by Hezekiah to describe his inability to deliver the people:
just as mothers at times do not have the strength to deliver their children, so
he and Jerusalem did not have the power to deliver themselves from Assyria.
Ø
He said that perhaps the Lord had heard the
Assyrian king ridicule and defy the name of the living God (v. 4).
Ø He appealed to Isaiah for prayer, prayer for all who still survived.
c. Responding to the king’s appeal, Isaiah sent back a concise and comforting prediction from God, a wonderful promise and message of hope (vv. 5–7). The people and Hezekiah were not to fear the threats and blasphemous words of Assyria’s king. The Lord Himself had indeed heard the commander’s threats against Jerusalem and his blasphemy against the Name of the Lord. The Lord Himself would call Sennacherib to return home to his own country, and once there he would face a violent death by being cut down with a sword (v. 7).
d. Immediately after the prediction by Isaiah, God’s promise to His people began to take shape (vv. 8–9). The Assyrian commander, after hearing that Sennacherib had left Lachish to join the fighting against Libnah, left Jerusalem to give his report. But when he reached Sennacherib, he discovered that the Assyrian king had received a disturbing report from elsewhere. Supposedly, Egypt was rapidly marching up the Philistine coast to join in the fight against the Assyrians.
e. To prevent Judah from joining the forces that were mobilizing against him, the Assyrian king quickly sent a second message to Hezekiah (vv. 9–13). His message stressed the absurdity of Hezekiah’s trust in God to deliver Jerusalem. Again, threatening Hezekiah, he reminded the king of what Assyria had done to all the countries they had attacked. Then he asked why Hezekiah thought Judah would be any different, declaring that no god had delivered any nation from the power of Assyria (vv. 11–12). Finally, he threatened Hezekiah personally, asking where all the kings of the conquered nations were (v. 13). The implication was clear: all the kings who had opposed Assyria had died violent deaths.
Thought 1. Think of the wonderful assurance God gave to Hezekiah. Facing impossible odds and a hopeless situation, the king was utterly helpless to deliver himself or his people. But God stepped forth in the person of His prophet Isaiah and gave Hezekiah the promise of deliverance.
Nothing
compares to the assurance that God gives us—His people—in times of need.
Above all else, when the crises of life confront us, the thing most needed is
the comfort and reassurance that only God can give. God’s assurance builds
confidence, courage, and security within us. And when God assures us of His
presence and promises, our hearts are encouraged, inspired, persuaded, and
fulfilled. Listen to some of the great assurances of God:
V “Being confident of this very thing, that He
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Ph. 1:6).
V “That their hearts might be comforted, being
knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ” (Col. 2:2).
V “For our gospel came not unto you in word
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye
know what manner of men we were among you for your sake” (1 Th. 1:5).
V “For the which cause I also suffer these
things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against
that day” (2 Ti. 1:12).
V “And the Lord shall deliver me from every
evil work and will preserve me unto His
heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen” (2 Ti. 4:18).
V “Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water” (He.
10:22).
V “And hereby we do know that we know Him if we
keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 2:3).
V “And hereby we know that we are of the truth
and shall assure our hearts before Him” (1 Jn. 3:19).
V “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He
in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:13).
V “And this is the record, that God hath given
to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 Jn. 5:11–13).
V “Now unto Him, that is able to keep you from
falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our
Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24–25).[3]
a 37:8-9
from the south, implied.
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters
36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.37.1-13.nlt
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