Passage:
Isaiah 37:9b-13
Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Help.
9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has set out to fight against you." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
10 "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'"
Journal: There is a progression here. Judah has rejected God. God is disciplining Judah. God is using Assyria as His rod of discipline. Assyria is oblivious to God and is prideful in conquest. Assyria is taunting Judah and shaking its fist at "their" God. Israel, who had nothing but rebellious kings who rejected God, has been assimilated by Assyria. Yet, Judah suddenly has a God fearing king [King Hezekiah]. King Hezekiah is a man of prayer. God relishes the prayers of His children. God temporarily removes the threat of Assyria by placing a rumor that Ethiopia is attacking their homeland. The humility of Judah provides a reprieve for Judah.
What is the prideful response of Assyria to Judah as they pack up their tents? "Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." That is, they describe the Lord of lords as one that is inferior to their great might. That is, they make the King of kings into someone they can recognize; a god fraught with deception. Is not the pride of man the greatest blind spot for man? For it is within this pride that God becomes less and that man becomes more. ["Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction."]
John Dee Spicer
Arkivi i blogut
About Me
I started the Daily Journal in 2000. I sent it as an email to a few friends (it was a round number, either 10 or 20, I can't remember exactly). It has grown over the years, primarily due to those original few forwarding it to others. During this time, I have journaled through Genesis, selected Psalms, the Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Peter's letters. (These are the books I can remember for sure this morning, anyway.) I don't have seminary training and don't claim to have special wisdom. Rather, I simply desire that others develop a love for God's word. There is only one interpretation for any Bible passage, and I will rely on the wisdom of scholars through the ages (at least those at my disposal) to help with that one interpretation. I will also attempt some practical application. Somewhere along the way I started sharing some funny things my kids would say, and this became known as "Heard 'Round the House." I will continue to share these priceless nuggets as my kids provide material. The "Daily" Journal is a bit of a misnomer, since I only do it Monday through Thursday. I don't do it on Friday because I attend a 6 am Bible Study. I don't do it on the weekends because so many received it at work (I may revise this approach since I have gone to the "Blog" format). I do read my Bible on a daily basis, and strongly recommend a chronilogical daily Bible - you will read the Bible completely each year, and the events unfold in a historical fashion.
