Isaiah 39
COMMENTARY:
: 1 At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. (4503 “present” [minchah] means gift, tribute, offering, oblation, sacrifice, or meat offering.)
DEVOTION: Hezekiah consulted the LORD about problems. Hezekiah consulted the LORD about sickness. Hezekiah didn’t consult the LORD about gifts from people who lived far away. He didn’t consult the LORD regarding what to show the ones bringing gifts.
This was a test sent by God to check out the heart of Hezekiah (II Chronicles 32:31). The messengers from Babylon gave him gifts. He showed them all his wealth. He showed them his armor.
This was a pride issue. Once we start bragging, it is hard to stop. They saw everything they needed to conquer Judah. Isaiah warned Hezekiah that they were coming but not in his lifetime. He humbled himself before the LORD and the LORD forgave him.
We all like gifts. We don’t like problems. We don’t like sickness. We really like people who are willing to give us gifts. They are our friends. Right???
Isaiah told Hezekiah differently. We need to watch people who offer us gifts. We need to watch out for people who come to us as friends when in reality they are looking for our weak points. They would like to see us fall rather than build us up. This is not all people who come but we need to use the discernment the LORD gives us to judge the motives of those who want to be close to us. We need to watch our response to gifts.
Hezekiah’s response was not good. He showed more than he should to the messengers. Sometimes we share more than we should with people who give us gifts. It is not a lack of trust but wisdom. It is also a pride issue.
Do we give God the glory? Hezekiah would have received instructions from the LORD had he asked for wisdom regarding these people from Babylon.
We will receive instructions regarding people who bring us gifts. We need discernment every day. We need to ask the LORD what to do in pleasant circumstances, just as much, as we ask HIM in times of trouble.
Are we giving the LORD HIS due in pleasant times? Are we giving HIM all the glory? Remember that if we fall prey to pride, we also can ask forgiveness and the LORD will forgive us. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Continually as the LORD for discernment in every situation you find yourself in on a daily basis. Never brag regarding the LORD’S blessings as if you deserve them. It is HIS grace and mercy alone.
: 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. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). שָׂמַח [samach /saw·makh/] – To rejoice (arrogantly), exult.
DEVOTION: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Sometimes an act that appears to be something polite or special can in reality be a prideful spirit! Hezekiah sought to reward the men that had come from Babylon bearing him gifts with a display of the riches and resources of his kingdom! While that act was not necessarily wrong apparently the heart attitude within Hezekiah was. Isaiah spoke and predicted that all the men had seen would become the possession of Babylon in coming days. The open and willingness to display his riches resulted in the prophecy of it all being removed from his kingdom!
It is wise to be discerning about disclosing to much information as a demonstration of riches or power. It is much godlier to be a servant and allow the Lord to reveal the resources at your disposal as He sees appropriate. We can be boastful and proud without speaking, we can demonstrate an attitude of self-reliance and arrogance through our material possessions. Be thankful for that which the Lord has given you but be careful not to flaunt those possessions as well.
CHALLENGE: All we have is a result of God’s blessing and permission to use those items! Hold and use the possessions you have wisely! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 5, 6 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, says the LORD. (8085 “Hear” [shama] means to listen and pay attention, obey, cause to hear, examine, obey, perceive by ear, or to hear with attention or interest,)
DEVOTION: One of the commands that are repeated to believers in the Old Testament and the New is that those who are followers of the LORD need to open their ears and hearts to hear and understand what the LORD expects of us once we claim to be HIS followers.
It is sad that there are many people who claim to be followers of Jesus that don’t open their Bibles between Sundays. There are some that really don’t pray very much and even fewer that attend a Prayer Meeting in a home or church.
Prayer seems to be a lost art as many churches have cancelled their Wednesday Prayer Meetings due to a lack of attendance. Some meet in homes during the week but even then there is little prayer.
Isaiah is trying to tell Hezekiah that he hasn’t been listening to the LORD or the prophet because he is just doing as he pleases and showing those who don’t know the LORD things that he should have gone to the LORD and asked what he should do with these visitors from the land of Babylon.
Too often we don’t pray before we act. Pride always comes before the fall. So we continue to do what we think is good instead of asking the LORD what we should share or not share with others.
We have the same problem that Hezekiah had. We want to show off what the LORD is doing without asking the LORD for wisdom regarding what we should say and do in our daily lives.
If Hezekiah had gone to the LORD and asked HIM for wisdom regarding these visitors and what he should do with them, he might have learned what he should do and say with these men.
We need to learn that pride comes before a fall in our lives. Hezekiah was proud of what he had and wanted to show it to everyone without thinking of asking the LORD what he should do and say.
We need to seek the counsel of God and other believers when we speak to individuals who are trying to praise us.
CHALLENGE: The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom on what to say and do in our daily walk with the LORD IF we ask HIM during our personal devotional times. Pause for prayer before speaking is always wise!
: 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days. (571 “truth” [emeth] means firmness, faithfulness, reliability, sureness, stability, fidelity, or trustworthiness.)
DEVOTION:To get the full meaning of this passage we have to go back to II Chronicles 32: 25, 26. In this passage we find that Hezekiah’s heart was lifted up because of the LORD answering his prayer. He was full of pride. Therefore the LORD was going to judge Israel during his lifetime but Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves before the LORD. Once they had repented of their pride the LORD made this statement found in Isaiah.
The Bible always states that pride comes before the fall. Hezekiah was a man just like us, in that, he went through a great trial and was healed. Once he realized that the LORD loved him, he let his guard down. He thought that he was important to God instead of the other way around. His attitude was expressed by the people who followed him except Isaiah. He confronted him in the beginning of the passage.
If pride enters our life after a great victory it is Satan working in our heart. Sometimes he comes as a roaring lion but other times he can come with gifts that make us feel important.
We have to watch our attitude at all times. It is a struggle to keep our life in line with the will of God. Sometimes we go to fast and sometimes we go to slow. Our prayer life helps us to go at just the right speed.
Isaiah kept Hezekiah focused. We need people in our life to keep us focused on what is necessary for growth in our Christian life.
CHALLENGE: Have someone in your life to keep your feet on the ground and focused on what the LORD would have you do in the present tense. Think humbly of your relationship with the LORD when HE answers your prayers.
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)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverses 5, 8
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 5, 6, 8
LORD of hostsverse 5
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)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Merodachbaladan – king of Babylonverses 1, 7
sent letters and a present to Hezekiah
Hezekiah’s sons will be eunuchs in his palace
Babylonverses 1, 3, 6
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Peaceverse 8
Truthverse 8
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Hezekiahverses 1-8
had been sick and recovered
glad to receive visitors from Babylon
showed his house of precious things and
silver, gold, spices, precious ointment,
house of armor
heard message of Isaiah regarding his sons
believed there would be peace and truth
in his days
Isaiahverses 3, 5-8
Prophet: asked questions of Hezekiah
Asked what he had shown them
Told Hezekiah to HEAR the
word of the LORD of hosts
All shall be carried away to Babylon
Tells that his sons shall be carried away
to Babylon and turned into eunuchs
Fathersverse 6
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
All treasures of Israel would be taken to Babylon – nothing leftverse 6
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