Isaiah 36:2 If you are curious who Rabshakeh was, it was actually a title meaning cup-bearer, an extremely responsible position. The cup-bearer was in charge of checking the king's drinks before serving him to make sure they hadn't been poisoned. Thus, this position was only entrusted to someone in whom the king had utter confidence.
Representatives of the Assyrian army stand at the same location where Isaiah had earlier foretold their coming to King Ahaz (see Isaiah 7:3).
Isaiah 36:10 In Rabshakeh's threats, he may actually have been quoting from Isaiah's prophecies (see Isaiah 10:5-6,12).
Isaiah 36:11 Aramaic was the language of diplomacy. “The language of Judah” was a Judaean dialect of Hebrew.
Isaiah 37:4-7 Attempts to demoralize the Jews. The king is apparently quoting another one of Isaiah's prophecies (see Isaiah 10:20). Read verse 7 for Isaiah's reply, another threat, Hezekiah's response, and the LORD speaking against Assyria.
Isaiah 37:34-36 Sennacherib's campaign against Jerusalem took place in 701 BC. Sennacherib states in the Taylor Prism, “But as for Hezekiah the Jew, who did not bow in submission to my yoke...he himself I shut up like a caged bird within Jerusalem his royal city.”
Isaiah 37:38 This happened in 681 BC according to extra-biblical sources.
Isaiah 38:3 This verse is out of order chronologically, as will be explained below. Hezekiah was only 39 years old at the time and had no heir to the Throne (Manasseh was not born for three more years).
Isaiah 38:7-8 II Kings 20:8 reports that Hezekiah asked for a sign from God, unlike King Ahaz who refused to accept one (see Isaiah 7:11-12).
The “sun dial” was probably a series of steps. The shadow changing direction may have been due to the Shekinah Glory or some other miraculous refraction of light.
Isaiah 38:17 See Luke 5:17-26 and I Corinthians 11:27-30 on the occasional connection between sin and illness.
Isaiah 38:21 This verse also appears to be out of order. See James 5:14 for another example of a healing by physical means and prayer.
Isaiah 39:1 II Chronicles 32:31 says that the embassy from Babylon came to inquire about the miracle of the sundial. We will see what Hezekiah did with his extra years.
Isaiah 39:7 This is similar to Daniel and his three friends.
Isaiah 39:8 Quite similar to Neville Chamberlain's “peace in our time” after capitulating to the Nazis in 1939.
Now that we have hit the
high points, let's look at where these chapters fit into the overall book.
Even those who subscribe to a bipartite division of the book recognize that part or all of the historical interlude (chs. 36-39) functions as a transition passage from the Assyrian oracles to those revolving around the Babylonian exile. In the poetic book of Isaiah, chapters 36-39 represent a large block of embedded prose centered around events occurring in Isaiah's time. Childs states that these chapters were purposefully placed in their present position to assume “a new metaphorical role as a commentary on the death and rebirth of the nation.” Dorsey feels that this historical material “functions remarkably well as the book’s thematic centerpiece...and its turning point.” Enhancing the pivotal nature of these chapters is the fact that the actual historical events they describe are actually presented in reverse chronological order so as better match up thematically with the adjacent major sections of the book.
The concerns of the three resulting major divisions of the book revolve, respectively, around God's indictment of the people's past sins, His working in the present to call the people to repentance, and His promise of future peace or further judgment depending on their response. It can also be demonstrated that this three-fold pattern is repeated within each of the three major sections. And within chapters 36-38, a good case can be made for Isaiah 38:16-19, containing the amazing statement “Thou has cast all my sins behind thy back,” being the key focus of the whole book. In any case, the story of God's salvation of Hezekiah in ch. 38 is certainly meant to be the hinge which connects God's demonstrated love for Israel in the past with His promised future delivery of the nation and of the world. The theological import of juxtaposing these two universal events with one of very limited scope is to demonstrate an attribute of God often misunderstood. It was best expressed by J. B. Phillips (Your God is Too Small):
“There is conception of God which seems at first sight to be very lofty and splendid, but which proves paradoxically enough on examination to be yet another of the ‘too small’ ideas. It is to think that the God who is responsible for the terrifying vastnesses of the Universe cannot possibly be interested in the lives of the minute specks of consciousness which exist on this insignificant planet.”
The danger, Philips points out, is that the more we truly comprehend the immensity of God, the more we tend to depersonalize Him. Sections I and III of Isaiah portray the grand scope of God's concern for mankind, but Section II shows that He is also “large” enough to focus on the concerns of individuals.
Another insight into God's nature is seen in the overall pattern of past-present-future repeated throughout the book. It may even be present in individual verses such as the cryptic saying in Isaiah 41:22. He is the alpha and omega: a merism indicating that he is active at all times, including the present. He is, as the author of Hebrews avers of Christ, “the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Parallels of Isaiah 38-39 with Isaiah 36-37:
Judah (Isaiah 36-37) King Hezekiah (Isaiah 38-39)
Danger (36:1) Danger (38:1a)
Ambassador from king (36:2-3) Ambassador from God (38:1b)
Threat (36:4-37:13) Threat (38:1c)
Hezekiah's prayer (37:14-20) Hezekiah's prayer (38:2-3)
[“Isaiah said...” (37:21-22) Prophecy (38:4-6)
God speaks (poetry) (37:22b-29) Sign (38:7-8)
Sign (37:30) Hezekiah's psalm (poetry) (38:9-20)
Prophecy (37:31-35) “Isaiah said...” (38:21-22)]
Assyrian near-term events (37:36-37) Babylonian near-term events (39:1-4)
Assyrian far-term events (37:38) Babylonian far-term events (39:5-8)
Note that similar elements are given in the same order in each section except for those in brackets, which are listed chiastically (i.e., in reverse order).
Application Questions:
1. Look at the Rabshakeh in Isaiah 36:4-20 as a type of Satan. List some of the techniques they both utilize.
Selective use of the truth (verses 6, 19)
Ridicule (verse 8)
Threats (verse 12b)
Promises (verses 16, etc.)
Misrepresentations (verse 7)
Selective quotes from Scripture (verse 10)
Drawing damaging conclusions from false religions (verses 18-20)
Reliance on power only (verse 5)
Turning people away from their leaders (verses 12, 18)
Gauging the truth from past history only (verse 18)
2. Look at Hezekiah as an example of a believer. How does he respond to the Rabshakeh's words? (Isaiah 36:21-37:4 and 37:14-20)
Repents in sackcloth and ashes (verse 1)
In prayer (verse 4)
Attention to God's words (verse 4)
He neither dismissed not succumbed to the threat (verses 9, etc.)
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