Isaiah 37
COMMENTARY:
: 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)
: 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!!!
: 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.
: 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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