ISAIAH LESSON 41


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 37:1 "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."

     In the last lesson, the 3 messengers had come back from meeting
with the Assyrian with bad news. The Assyrians were threatening to
take Judah. When Hezekiah hears this bad news, he immediately goes
into mourning.  He tears his regular clothes from himself, and puts on
sackcloth, the garment of mourning. He went to the temple to pray to
the LORD.

     Isaiah 37:2 "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."

     Again, Hezekiah sends the 3 to speak to the prophet, Isaiah, for
him. They are all dressed in mourning clothes, as well. Hezekiah was
an humble man and probably sent them, thinking himself unworthy to
speak directly to the prophet, Isaiah. Hezekiah had great respect for
the prophet of God, Isaiah.

     Isaiah 37:3 "And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This
day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the
children are come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring
forth."

     The worst mistake Hezekiah had made, was putting his faith in
Egypt for help. He was truly a servant of God, however. Hezekiah felt
in his heart this was a judgement of God against the land of Judah. It
appears that Hezekiah is saying, that the words Rab-shakeh had spoken
of the Lord were blasphemy. The statement about the birth above, is
saying they are in trouble and cannot get themselves out of it.

     Isaiah 37:4 "It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of
Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach
the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath
heard: wherefore lift up [thy] prayer for the remnant that is left."

     Hezekiah is pleading for Isaiah to pray to God for them. He
reminds Isaiah that Rab-shakeh had spoken in error about God. Hezekiah
says, that the attack is against God's character, as well as against
God's people.

     Isaiah 37:5 "So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah."

     The 3, Hezekiah sent, bring the message to Isaiah, as they had
been commanded.

     Isaiah 37:6  "And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto
your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou
hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have
blasphemed me."

     Isaiah is speaking in behalf of God here. He tells these
messengers to tell Hezekiah not to be afraid. God has heard the
statements the Assyrian made against God.

     Isaiah 37:7 "Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall
hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to
fall by the sword in his own land."

     The blast that God puts on him, will break his will to fight and
he will return to Assyria. This rumor is started to get his mind on
things at home. Perhaps, he heard someone was attacking his homeland,
we do not know. He did believe it, and went back to Assyria. It
appears he will not be safe there. He will be driven through by a
sword and die.

     Isaiah 37:8  "So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of
Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed
from Lachish."

     This man who had insulted Hezekiah in every way he could, now
knows that his own country is at war. Sennacherib had conquered
Lachish, Ninevah, and Babylon. Now he was fighting with Libnah. All of
these were on the direct course to Egypt.

     Isaiah 37:9 "And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of
Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard
[it], he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,"

     This Tirhakah was king of Ethiopia and went on to be ruler in
Egypt. It seems that Hezekiah had made his agreement with Tirhakah.
The attack by him to help Hezekiah was not a real threat to
Sennacherib, but rather a diversion. Rab-shakeh immediately sends a
message to Hezekiah about this.

     Isaiah 37:10 "Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah,
saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying,
Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

     This insulting remark he makes is not just to Hezekiah, but to
God, as well. He is, in a sense, calling God a liar. It is a dangerous
thing for anyone to boast against God.

     Isaiah 37:11 "Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria
have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be
delivered?"

     The monuments these Assyrians left show that their intention was
to rule the known world. They believed the false god Asshur was on
their side, and they would win.

     Isaiah 37:12 "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?"  Isaiah 37:13 "Where [is]
the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city
of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?"

     The gods of the nations they had defeated were not the true God.
They had no power to help them. They are now coming against the One
True God, the God of Israel.

     Isaiah 37:14  "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."

     God already knew about the letter, but Hezekiah is not aware of
that fact. He takes the letter to the temple and shows it to God.
This, in a sense, is just bringing God's attention to the matter. It
was very important for Hezekiah to come to show the letter to God. It
shows that Hezekiah has faith in God to punish them for this.

     Isaiah 37:15 "And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying," Isaiah
37:16 "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest [between] the
cherubims, thou [art] the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms
of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth."

     In this, Hezekiah states his unfailing belief in God. Notice "the
God". This shows that Hezekiah believes in no other God. In the
tabernacle in the wilderness and in the temple in Jerusalem, God's
presence was in the holy of holies. In fact, the presence was over the
mercy seat. He even recognizes the fact that God created the earth and
all that is in it. The Egyptians, at this time, believed in something
very similar to what we call evolution. Sennacherib believed each
country had its own God. The Hebrews believed in One God. This
statement lets God know that Hezekiah has not picked up the beliefs of
the Egyptians.

     Isaiah 37:17 "Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine
eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which
hath sent to reproach the living God."

     Hezekiah realizes that his only hope is in God. In the physical
sense, Hezekiah can not win. He reminds God that this Sennacherib is
not only threatening him, but God as well. He is actually ridiculing
the God of Hezekiah.

     We will see in the next lesson just how dangerous it is to come
against the Living God.









                          Isaiah 41 Questions


1.  What effect did the message Hezekiah received have on him?
2.  What was the bad news?
3.  What is the garment of mourning?
4.  What prophet of God did Hezekiah send the message to?
5.  What was the worst mistake Hezekiah had made?
6.  What did Hezekiah believe in his heart this attack was?
7.  Who had the Assyrians sent to bring their message?
8.  What does Hezekiah want Isaiah to do?
9.  What encouragement did Isaiah give to Hezekiah?
10. What will God send upon the Assyrians?
11. What will cause the Assyrians to leave for their own country?
12. What did Rab-shakeh find when he got home?
13. What 3 places had Sennacherib already conquered?
14. Where was Tirhakah king?
15. What does he call Hezekiah's God in verse 10?
16. What had Assyria done to the other countries around them?
17. What was Assyria's intention?
18. Who does he mention that they have already destroyed?
19. What was the difference in their god and Judah's God?
20. What did Hezekiah do with the threatening letter?
21. What does this show that Hezekiah has?
22. Quote Isaiah chapter 37 verse 16.
23. What is Hezekiah stating in his prayer?
24. Where had God's presence been in the temple?
25. What did the Egyptians believe at this time?
26. Hezekiah had not picked up the beliefs of the ___________.
27. Quote Isaiah chapter 37 verse 17.
28. What will we learn in the next lesson?