Isa 37:23-29 | KingComments | STEP | Shortly after his prayer Hezekiah receives the answer of the LORD which He has made known to the prophet Isaiah ( ). Isaiah does not bring Hezekiah the answer himself, but has it conveyed by messengers. This answer is given in the form of a mocking song, similar to the ending of the song of Deborah ( ). The prayer of Hezekiah is a prayer with a subject. It concerns “Sennacherib, the king of Assyria”. It is good that we also go to the Lord with concrete subjects and not pray in general terms. We may then expect a concrete answer. The answer therefore contains a word of the LORD about Sennacherib ( ). The answer is in the form of a poem. We see that the LORD is not impressed by the king of Assyria. On the contrary. He puts Jerusalem despised by Sennacherib words of contempt and mockery in the mouth to speak to this king. Jerusalem, the daughter Zion, will contemptuously shake her head behind him over his humiliating retreat that the LORD will cause of troops that have seemed so invincible. The LORD takes the matter seriously. The core of the whole situation is shown by two questions in which the answer is included. Against whom are those slanderous words directed? Against the powerless little remnant? Against Hezekiah? No, the king of Assyria has dared to lift himself up against the Holy One of Israel, the three times holy God ( ; ). Through his servants he has expressed his contempt for the Almighty by pretending that the LORD does not exist ( ). He has acted in confidence on his own strength and insight, full as he is of his own ‘I’. Full of self-confidence he speaks of ‘I will this’ and ‘I will that’ ( ). He sums up what he has accomplished. All this haughty speech shrivels when the “I” of the LORD sounds ( ). The question “have you not heard?” emphasizes the ignorance about what the LORD is doing. He asks this question here to the heathen king of Assyria. Soon He will ask the same question to His people ( ). In their pride people think they can govern the history of the world. They will discover that God controls everything. The LORD has made come what He had been planning for a long time. By this He means the use of the Assyrians for the execution of His plan. That degrades the mighty king of Assyria to just an instrument in God’s hand doing nothing but carrying out God’s plan ( ). As a result he has been successful in his enterprises, he has been able to destroy cities and kill their inhabitants. But he did not think of God Who enabled him to do so. The LORD exposes the heart and deliberations of the king of Assyria ( ; cf. ; ). The LORD is the Omniscient. He shows that the king of Assyria rather raged against Him. In doing so, this bloated king has sealed his own judgment. The LORD has heard his pride ( ). He will cause his strength to be broken and that he will have to withdraw ( ).

‏ Isaiah 37:23-29

The LORD Judges Assyria

Shortly after his prayer Hezekiah receives the answer of the LORD which He has made known to the prophet Isaiah (Isa 37:21). Isaiah does not bring Hezekiah the answer himself, but has it conveyed by messengers. This answer is given in the form of a mocking song, similar to the ending of the song of Deborah (Jdg 5:24-30).

The prayer of Hezekiah is a prayer with a subject. It concerns “Sennacherib, the king of Assyria”. It is good that we also go to the Lord with concrete subjects and not pray in general terms. We may then expect a concrete answer.

The answer therefore contains a word of the LORD about Sennacherib (Isa 37:22). The answer is in the form of a poem. We see that the LORD is not impressed by the king of Assyria. On the contrary. He puts Jerusalem despised by Sennacherib words of contempt and mockery in the mouth to speak to this king. Jerusalem, the daughter Zion, will contemptuously shake her head behind him over his humiliating retreat that the LORD will cause of troops that have seemed so invincible.

The LORD takes the matter seriously. The core of the whole situation is shown by two questions in which the answer is included. Against whom are those slanderous words directed? Against the powerless little remnant? Against Hezekiah? No, the king of Assyria has dared to lift himself up against the Holy One of Israel, the three times holy God (Isa 37:23; Job 15:25).

Through his servants he has expressed his contempt for the Almighty by pretending that the LORD does not exist (Isa 37:24). He has acted in confidence on his own strength and insight, full as he is of his own ‘I’. Full of self-confidence he speaks of ‘I will this’ and ‘I will that’ (Isa 37:24-25). He sums up what he has accomplished.

All this haughty speech shrivels when the “I” of the LORD sounds (Isa 37:26). The question “have you not heard?” emphasizes the ignorance about what the LORD is doing. He asks this question here to the heathen king of Assyria. Soon He will ask the same question to His people (Isa 40:21 ; 28). In their pride people think they can govern the history of the world. They will discover that God controls everything.

The LORD has made come what He had been planning for a long time. By this He means the use of the Assyrians for the execution of His plan. That degrades the mighty king of Assyria to just an instrument in God’s hand doing nothing but carrying out God’s plan (Isa 37:26-27). As a result he has been successful in his enterprises, he has been able to destroy cities and kill their inhabitants. But he did not think of God Who enabled him to do so.

The LORD exposes the heart and deliberations of the king of Assyria (Isa 37:28; cf. Psa 139:2-4; Heb 4:12). The LORD is the Omniscient. He shows that the king of Assyria rather raged against Him. In doing so, this bloated king has sealed his own judgment. The LORD has heard his pride (Psa 94:9a). He will cause his strength to be broken and that he will have to withdraw (Isa 37:29).