Because You Have Prayed – Isaiah 37

How did Israel win the 1967 six-day war, when they were attacked by five nations, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq?  They were militarily outnumbered in every way.  A short video describes some extraordinary factors in Israel’s victory that are strangely reminiscent of divine Old Testament deliverances by God.  Why did Egypt tell her allies that she had won the skirmish with Israel, leading their allies to attack when in fact Israel had achieved air superiority?  Why did the Syrians think the invading Israelis were Iraqi troops?  God can do amazing things, as Hezekiah found out?

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 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, “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. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 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? 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?’”

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD.”

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:

“Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.  (Isaiah 37 ESV)

Hezekiah has faith, but that does not mean he is not scared.  The most powerful army on the face of the earth is threatening him and his people and mocking Yahweh.  Hezekiah wants the prophet Isaiah to know this and wants to know if Yahweh will respond to this mocking with judgment.  And the word from Yahweh is that He will. 

But when the Assyrian king’s representative has to temporarily leave off the siege of Jerusalem he warns Hezekiah not to think that this is an answer from Yahweh to Hezekiah’s prayers, that he will be back to finish the job, and Hezekiah is afraid.  But he does the right thing when he is afraid.  He takes it to God.  And we see the result.

Discussion Questions

1. Who has been a spiritual leader whom you have resorted to in times of trouble?
2. What do you like or not like about Hezekiah?
3. Can you describe a time you got encouragement from God for a dire situation but still felt worry?
4. What were the two miracles God performed for the sake of His servant David?
5. What miracles have you seen God perform for you to rescue you?
6. Where do you need a miracle today?