Isaiah 39
BABYLON here first appears in the history of the people of Israel. At this time it was a petty independent kingdom, most of whose history was linked with Assyria, but 90 years later the Babylonian empire was founded, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the outstanding ruler. Under him Judah ceased to be a kingdom, the people being transported to Babylon, and Jerusalem was burned.
Hezekiah’s piety was not so marked when riches and honor came to him, as when he first reigned, or when the Assyrian invasion threatened. This is evident from our chapter, but we have the Holy Spirit’s comments upon this period of his life in 2 Chronicles 32: verses 25, 26.
“But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” And in verse 31:
“Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.”
It was (so deceptive are our hearts!) what God had done for him in recovery from illness, and the possession of wealth and honor that turned Hezekiah’s head the interest of the king of Babylon in his sickness, and the curiosity of the princes regarding the wonder (chapter 38:8, 9), with the sending of the ambassadors, afterward lifted him in pride altogether unworthy of a Godfearing man. The result was that he showed the visitors all his treasures, everything that could impress them with his riches, his honors:
Then came the prophet Isaiah to inquire about the visitors, and, when Hezekiah told him what he had done, to give to him a message from Jehovah of hosts foretelling the breaking up of all in which his heart naturally delighted.
What the Assyrian was not allowed to do, a king of Babylon would, —to take away to captivity. God as the judge of His people, had pronounced the sentence, their guilt being great, and only its execution was put off until later. Hezekiah had not been in the current of God’s thoughts, when the ambassadors came!
The Word of God quickly did its work in the conscience of this really godly man, as we see from his answer to Isaiah (verse 8).
It is a mark of the child of God that he bows under God’s rebuke, owns that, He is right in all that He does, and finds blessing to his soul that he otherwise would have missed.
This concludes the historical section of Isaiah, introduced as we have seen to throw light upon the events of the last days, when both Assyria and Babylon will reappear as troublers of Israel, and meet their doom separately from Israel’s Messiah.
ML 11/26/1933