Consultation With Isaiah

Isaiah 37:1–20
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Horrified by the demands of the Assyrians, King Hezekiah “rent his clothes” and “went into the house of the Lord” (v. 1) showing symbolically that the nation could do nothing on their own that their destruction was completely up to God. Hezekiah’s kingdom was in danger of extermination, and he fully realized that only God could intervene to spare them. He then sent two of his top leaders along with the leading priests to Isaiah for consultation and to inform him of the situation (v. 2). He told them how this was a difficult and disgraceful time (v. 3) and to please pray (v. 4). In contrast to the fear of everyone else, Isaiah spoke with great confidence, urging the people to “Be not afraid of the words that thou has heard.” (vv. 5-6), because the king is going to die a violent death (v. 7).

In the meantime, Sennacherib had left Lachish and was at Libnah about five miles north of Lachish (v. 8). When the Assyrian officers found him, they learned that an Egyptian army was on its way to help defend Hezekiah (v. 9). Sennacherib did not want to fight a war on two fronts, so he put pressure on Jerusalem to surrender immediately. He sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah telling him how they had wiped out other nations (vv. 10-13). When this was delivered to Hezekiah, he took it to the temple and “spread it before the Lord.” (v. 14) This was a symbolic action of his dependence upon God. He began his prayer with praise (vv 15-16). In a humble way he asks God to “save us so that the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord” (vv. 17-20). He did not want deliverance for the people’s sake, but that God might be glorified.

Application