The Book of Isaiah

Chapter 1 V.1 Part 5.13

Isa 37:21  Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

Isa 37:22  This [is] the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, [and] laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

Isa 37:23  Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted [thy] voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? [even] against the Holy One of Israel.

This first part of the Lord’s response to Hezekiah confirms that he is in right standing with God, and that it was God that Sennacherib was coming against.

Isa 37:24  By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, [and] the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, [and] the forest of his Carmel.

Some similar words to reproached are to taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, and upbraid. By the multitude of my chariots….this strikes a blazing similarity to the theology America has held to for so long; “Might makes right.” And there’s that phrase that Lucifer used so many times to his undoing… “I will…”

Lebanon = “whiteness”

Carmel = “garden-land”

Isa 37:25  I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

This is indicative of the king of Assyria destroying hope. This is the reason why Hezekiah said he would not allow him to take the water.

Isa 37:26  Hast thou not heard long ago, [how] I have done it; [and] of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities [into] ruinous heaps.

Isa 37:27  Therefore their inhabitants [were] of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were [as] the grass of the field, and [as] the green herb, [as] the grass on the housetops, and [as corn] blasted before it be grown up.

Here, God says that he gave them the power they had, which they used to destroy these smaller nations.

Isa 37:28  But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

Isa 37:29  Because thy rage against me, and thy 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 camest.

Tumult: 1) at ease, quiet, secure

a) at ease, secure

b) at ease, careless, wanton, arrogant

   2) security, pride, arrogance

a) one at ease

b) arrogance

Isa 37:30  And this [shall be] a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat [this] year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

Isa 37:31  And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

Isa 37:32  For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

This sign was for Hezekiah. At this point, God had allowed these Assyrian kings to defeat many fortified cities. Many of the tribes had been taken captive. Here, prophesy is given, and it is sealed in the number 3, as in the number of years for the sign God would give and that there would be a remnant in the future of survivors.

The captivity of the people of Israel was forthcoming because of their sins and disobedience prior to Hezekiah’s time, therefore a prophesy is given towards that fact. However, it would not happen at that moment because of the faithfulness of Hezekiah.