Exposition by Max A Forsythe
During the Swiss Reformation battles there was one occasion when the battle squares of Catholic pike and spear men could not be broken by volleys of arrows and primitive muskets. One Protestant soldier left the safety of his own square and ran boldly towards the corner of an enemy square. A dozen of the enemy threw their spears at him and in the process killed him. However, in throwing their spears, the men of the corner had disarmed themselves, allowing the rest of the Protestants to cut their way through to scatter the enemy and win the battle. The sacrifice of this one hero won the battle and ultimately the war for Swiss rights. Now it is rare in history for such a major event to depend upon the actions of one individual. Yet it still happens that for such a purpose, one man or woman is providentially appointed to accomplish the will and purpose of our Father in heaven. In such a manner was Isaiah appointed to prepare and encourage King Hezekiah in such a pregnant moment of history. The year was 701 BC, the most crucial year of Isaiah's ministry.
Derek Thomas in his commentary, observes that in many ways God raised him specially up for the ministry he performed that year. The Assyrian threat was considerable, and it was Isaiah's friendship and ministry to King Hezekiah, urging prayer as the way of deliverance, that won the day. God gave Judah a godly leader at its most crucial time, and as we shall see next week, even extended Hezekiah's life long enough to see the end of the Assyrian threat.
However, as we shall see in this short significant chapter, these mere men, the prophet and king were humble enough to understand that it was not their talents but the will and power of God who delivered their land and city from conquest. We may divide this chapter into four sections: Verses one to thirteen set the stage for the Lord's solution to the Assyrian siege. Verses fourteen to twenty-one contain Hezekiah's earnest prayer for the Lord to defend the honor of His Name. Verses twenty-one to twenty-nine show us the Lord's reply to the boasting of Sennacherib and his servants. Verses thirty to thirty-eight give us a sign and seal of what the Lord will accomplish, and in these verses we hear the end of the Assyrian matter.
At the beginning of this chapter, King Hezekiah had just heard the impertinent demands of the Assyrian leaders. In this time of trouble the king did what we all ought to do. He sought the sanctuary of the temple and sent word to the prophet. Notice that his messengers were the key people in his administration and of the Hebrew Church. Hezekiah is at wits end. He knows that the pregnant moment of history is at hand. He even alludes to this in the context of the passage. He wonders, do we have enough strength and devotion to pray this through? Hezekiah's first concern here is for the Lord's Name and reputation, then secondly for the remnant that survives. Perhaps his worry here is that if the wicked and worldly can so easily defame the Name of the Lord, what chance is there for those who believe in Him and trust Him. How well our own times echo the concerns of Hezekiah. Modern day Assyrians mock the God of heaven and abuse His people.
Isaiah has encouraging words for his King. "Do not be afraid of what you have heard - those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me." He goes further and tells Hezekiah what is about to happen. In the next verse we see the immediate fulfillment. However, the enemy does not withdraw without a parting shot at the God of Judah.
In our second section today Hezekiah goes to the temple again soon after receiving Isaiah's letter. There he spreads out the letter, its contents and his heart before the Lord. Here again Hezekiah's concern is that if deliverance is to be theirs that it serve the ultimate purpose of the most high God and make the nations know that the Lord alone is God.
In section three we see the words that the Lord has spoken against Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The Old Covenant bride of Christ, if I may use the image here will toss her head, will despise and mock the worldly Assyrian. Who really is it that the Assyrians have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have they raised their voices? The Holy One of Israel indeed.
Well may the Assyrians boast of their many conquests, but have they not heard? In verse twenty-six we see that the Lord has planned this long before. He tells the Assyrian that He know where he lives, his very schedule and his rage against God. Because of this rage, the Assyrian will be treated just as he has treated many captives.
In our last section for today we see a promise that the Lord's plan will certainly be accomplished. Within three years, the people will be able to return to their farms and fields. The remnant will survive and this will be accomplished by the zeal of the Lord Almighty. God Himself will fight against the invaders. The Assyrians will not have a chance; they won't even get close enough to shoot an arrow or build a siege ramp. "I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!" In the deliverance of Jerusalem the world will see that God is true to His promises, and that He is able to deliver His own from the hands of His enemies. Just as God had promised David, He would and will protect the line of David. In Sennacherib, the threat to extinguish Judah is met head on by the power of the Lord.
In the last three verses we see the fulfillment of the Assyrian prophecies to this point. This event caused the entire Mid-East to respect the God of Judah. For the worldly, there are even two other historic records of the events recorded here. The Greek historian Herodotus knew that mice were involved in the Assyrian disaster. Another record comes from Babylonia which refers to a pestilential sickness. Isaiah of course knows the truth of the matter; the very hand of God reached out and destroyed the army of Sennacherib. Suddenly the survivors broke camp and left in a hurry. Sometime later, the king who lived by the sword was cut down in his own temple by his own sons. Look at the scene there in the last verse and contrast it with the scene in Hezekiah's temple. Hezekiah prayed to the God of heaven, and was saved. Sennacherib prayed to a pagan idol and was destroyed!
Several times in the course of this series I have referred to the conflict of the secular and the sacred kingdoms. here Dr Young notes that this first great attempt of the secular kingdom to destroy the sacred Kingdom of our Lord met with failure. The Lord always protects His own and His purpose will finally be accomplished. In this century there was no greater enemy of the faith than the Russian Soviet. Stalin especially heaped scorn upon the Church. When he was told that the Pope in Rome objected to one of his actions, Stalin wondered how many divisions the Pope had that he should even give him the time of day. The Russian Soviet is no more! Before our very eyes, in our own time, the Assyrian like hordes of the Communist Empire have dissipated. May we live to see further enemies of our Lord and King destroyed in a like manner.
Resources Used:
Ellis, Charles..
The Wells of Salvation.
Thomas, Derek..
Welwyn Commentary Series: God Delivers.
Young, Edward J.
The Book of Isaiah.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213
(c) 2001
03 July 1994
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.