So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, So the servantsThe term "servants" in this context refers to the officials or messengers of King Hezekiah. In Hebrew, the word used is "עֲבָדִים" (avadim), which can mean servants, attendants, or ministers. This highlights the role of these individuals as those who carry out the king's commands. In the ancient Near Eastern context, servants of a king were often trusted advisors or officials who played crucial roles in the administration and communication of the king's will. Their actions here demonstrate obedience and the importance of seeking divine guidance through the prophet Isaiah. of King Hezekiah
King Hezekiah was one of the more righteous kings of Judah, known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to reform the religious practices of his people. His name in Hebrew, "חִזְקִיָּהוּ" (Chizqiyahu), means "Yahweh strengthens," which is fitting given his reliance on God during times of crisis. Historically, Hezekiah reigned during a tumultuous period when the Assyrian Empire was expanding its territory. His leadership and faith are central themes in this narrative, as he seeks divine intervention against the Assyrian threat. went to Isaiah
Isaiah, whose name in Hebrew is "יְשַׁעְיָהוּ" (Yeshayahu), meaning "Yahweh is salvation," was a major prophet in Judah during the reigns of several kings, including Hezekiah. The act of going to Isaiah signifies seeking God's counsel through His prophet. In the ancient world, prophets were seen as intermediaries between God and His people, providing guidance, warnings, and messages of hope. Isaiah's role in this narrative is pivotal, as he is the conduit through which God communicates His plans and assurances to Hezekiah and the people of Judah. This action underscores the importance of seeking divine wisdom and the belief in God's sovereignty and ability to deliver His people from their adversaries. Persons / Places / Events 1. King HezekiahThe king of Judah during a time of great threat from the Assyrian Empire. He is known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to reform the religious practices of Judah. 2. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah served as a spiritual advisor to King Hezekiah. He is known for his prophecies concerning both judgment and hope for Israel. 3. Servants of King HezekiahThese are the messengers sent by Hezekiah to seek guidance from the prophet Isaiah during a crisis. 4. Assyrian ThreatThe context of this verse is the impending invasion by the Assyrian army, led by King Sennacherib, which posed a significant threat to Jerusalem. 5. JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, which was under threat from the Assyrian forces. It is a central location in the account of Isaiah and the history of Israel. Teaching Points Seeking Godly CounselHezekiah's decision to send his servants to Isaiah highlights the importance of seeking godly counsel in times of crisis. In our lives, we should prioritize seeking wisdom from those who are spiritually mature and grounded in Scripture. Faith in ActionHezekiah's actions demonstrate faith in action. Rather than succumbing to fear, he actively sought God's guidance. We are encouraged to put our faith into action by turning to God and His Word when faced with challenges. The Role of ProphetsIsaiah's role as a prophet underscores the importance of listening to God's messengers. Today, we can apply this by valuing the teachings of Scripture and those who faithfully communicate God's truth. God's SovereigntyThe context of this verse reminds us of God's sovereignty over nations and events. Trusting in God's control can bring peace and assurance, even when circumstances seem dire. Community in CrisisThe involvement of Hezekiah's servants illustrates the role of community in facing challenges. We are called to support one another and work together in seeking God's will. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Hezekiah's response to the Assyrian threat challenge us to respond to crises in our own lives? 2. In what ways can we seek godly counsel today, and who are the "Isaiahs" in our lives that we can turn to for guidance? 3. How does the account of Hezekiah and Isaiah encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty, even when facing overwhelming odds? 4. What role does community play in our spiritual journey, especially during times of difficulty, as seen in Hezekiah's reliance on his servants and Isaiah? 5. How can we apply the principle of faith in action in our daily lives, particularly when confronted with fear or uncertainty? Connections to Other Scriptures 2 Kings 19This chapter provides a parallel account of the events in Isaiah 37, offering additional details about Hezekiah's response to the Assyrian threat and his reliance on God. Isaiah 36The preceding chapter sets the stage for Isaiah 37, describing the Assyrian siege and the blasphemous words of the Assyrian envoy, Rabshakeh. Psalm 46This psalm is often associated with God's protection of Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege, emphasizing God's presence and power in times of trouble. People Adrammelech, Amoz, Assyrians, David, Eliakim, Esarhaddon, Haran, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Rabshakeh, Sennacherib, Sharezer, Shebna, TirhakahPlaces Ararat, Arpad, Assyria, Cush, Egypt, Gozan, Hamath, Haran, Hena, Ivvah, Jerusalem, Lachish, Lebanon, Libnah, Mount Zion, Nineveh, Rezeph, Sepharvaim, Telassar, Tigris-Euphrates Region, ZionTopics Hezekiah, Hezeki'ah, Isaiah, Officials, ServantsDictionary of Bible Themes Isaiah 37:4 1080 God, living
7145 remnant
8817 ridicule, objects of Isaiah 37:3-4 4921 day Library Where to Carry Troubles
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.'--ISAIAH xxxvii. 14. When Hezekiah heard the threatenings of Sennacherib's servants, he rent his clothes and went into the house of the Lord, and sent to Isaiah entreating his prayers. When he received the menacing letter, his faith was greater, having been heartened by Isaiah's assurances. So he then himself appealed to Jehovah, spreading …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Triumph of Faith
'And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying, 16. O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth. 17. Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The First Trumpet.
The first trumpet of the seventh seal begins from the final disturbance and overthrow of the Roman idolarchy at the close of the sixth seal; and as it was to bring the first plague on the empire, now beginning to fall, it lays waste the third part of the earth, with a horrible storm of hail mingled with fire and blood; that is, it depopulates the territory and people of the Roman world, (viz. the basis and ground of its universal polity) with a terrible and bloody irruption of the northern nations, …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam. As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8 The Golden Eagle is Cut to Pieces. Herod's Barbarity when He was Ready to Die. He Attempts to Kill Himself. He Commands Antipater to be Slain.
1. Now Herod's distemper became more and more severe to him, and this because these his disorders fell upon him in his old age, and when he was in a melancholy condition; for he was already seventy years of age, and had been brought by the calamities that happened to him about his children, whereby he had no pleasure in life, even when he was in health; the grief also that Antipater was still alive aggravated his disease, whom he resolved to put to death now not at random, but as soon as he should …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem Christ Rightly and Properly Said to have Merited Grace and Salvation for Us.
1. Christ not only the minister, but also the author and prince of salvation. Divine grace not obscured by this mode of expression. The merit of Christ not opposed to the mercy of God, but depends upon it. 2. The compatibility of the two proved by various passages of Scripture. 3. Christ by his obedience truly merited divine grace for us. 4. This grace obtained by the shedding of Christ's blood, and his obedience even unto death. 5. In this way he paid our ransom. 6. The presumptuous manner in which …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Harbinger
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD , make straight in the desert a high-way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. T he general style of the prophecies is poetical. The inimitable simplicity which characterizes every …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon
OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated, is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearly adjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, and capital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the border conflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposes that, to keep …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
WHEREIN ITS GOODLY LIGHT, WALLS, GATES, ANGELS, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR STANDING, ARE EXPOUNDED: ALSO HER LENGTH AND BREADTH, TOGETHER WITH THE GOLDEN MEASURING-REED EXPLAINED: AND THE GLORY OF ALL UNFOLDED. AS ALSO THE NUMEROUSNESS OF ITS INHABITANTS; AND WHAT THE TREE AND WATER OF LIFE ARE, BY WHICH THEY ARE SUSTAINED. 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3 'And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE.'-Ezekiel 48:35 London: Printed in the year 1665 …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Concerning the Lord's Supper
There are two passages which treat in the clearest manner of this subject, and at which we shall look,--the statements in the Gospels respecting the Lord's Supper, and the words of Paul. (1 Cor. xi.) Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree that Christ gave the whole sacrament to all His disciples; and that Paul taught both parts of it is so certain, that no one has yet been shameless enough to assert the contrary. Add to this, that according to the relation of Matthew, Christ did not say concerning the bread, …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation Divine Support and Protection
[What shall we say then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us? T he passions of joy or grief, of admiration or gratitude, are moderate when we are able to find words which fully describe their emotions. When they rise very high, language is too faint to express them; and the person is either lost in silence, or feels something which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the Apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Isaiah 37:5 NIVIsaiah 37:5 NLTIsaiah 37:5 ESVIsaiah 37:5 NASBIsaiah 37:5 KJV
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