Answers. Questions. Isaiah 39:1-8

Transcription

1 1 Answers to Questions on Isaiah 39: Isaiah 39 serves as a transition from the Assyrian threat to preparation for the Babylonian captivity, Hailey noted. 2. Isaiah 39:1 8 is parallel to 2 Kings 20: Smith well wrote, The major theme of chapters 7 38 has been trusting the Lord, not nations nor idols nor anything else. Even such a godly man as Hezekiah can be lured into accepting the world s values. Here Hezekiah seems to be trusting in the accumulation of wealth and perhaps in an alliance with Babylon. 4. When did Merodach-Baladan send ambassadors to Jerusalem? The ambassadors were sent after Hezekiah s recovery from his serious illness, perhaps within a year of his recovery. Smith dates this event to 703 B.C. Hailey noted that assigning dates to such ancient events is very difficult.

2 Who was Merodach-Baladan? Merodach-Baladan was king of Babylon circa B.C. and again in 703 B.C. He tried very hard to free Babylon from Assyrian domination but with only limited success. 6. Why did Merodach-Baladan send ambassadors to Hezekiah? (1) To seek his support in opposition to Assyria. (2) To congratulate Hezekiah on his return to health following his serious illness. (3) To learn more about the astronomical sign that God provided following Hezekiah s recovery. 7. While sending embassies from one country to another for political reasons was not unusual, it was most unusual for a king to send congratulatory letters and a gift to a far distant king on his recovery from an illness. (Hailey) 8. Hezekiah had vowed to walk humbly with his God if he recovered from his illness. God tested Hezekiah to determine if he would keep his vow of humble loyalty. Did he pass the test? No. What was the test? God appealed to Hezekiah s pride by sending pagan ambassadors to flatter his feeling of importance. Hezekiah failed the test miserably showing these ambassadors everything he possessed both by way of wealth and weaponry. 9. What lust was to David and vanity and pomp were to Solomon, pride was to Hezekiah. (See Hailey.) 10. Both adversity and prosperity present temptations to lead us into sin. (See Briley.)

3 What behooved Hezekiah to show the Babylonians all his riches and weaponry? Pride. Why was it totally unwise for Hezekiah to show the Babylonians all he possessed? Hezekiah s riches would cause Babylon to want to take these riches by force. His weaponry would enable Babylon to better plan its attack on Jerusalem. Otherwise, God did not want his people to make any alliance with pagans. 12. What did Isaiah ask Hezekiah? (1) What did these men say? (2) Where did they come from? (3) What did you show them? 13. What answers did Hezekiah give to these questions? (1) Hezekiah did not answer this question. (2) They came from the distant land of Babylon. (3) They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasuries. 14. Isaiah had told Ahaz he should not have formed an alliance with Assyria. He had warned Judah s leaders not to rely on the Egyptians. He now told Hezekiah that Judah would suffer grievously because of his involvement with the Babylonians. 15. In the mind of the prophet all such associations of God s people with the world are a rejection of dependence on the Lord and, therefore, sin, Hailey wrote. 16. Like Isaiah, God s faithful servants have always without fear or favor declared the Lord s truth to king and pauper. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

4 Isaiah in verses 6 and 7 foretells the horrible results of the sin of Hezekiah, other kings of Judah and the people themselves. What would happen to Judah and Jerusalem? Everything in the king s palace and everything the king s ancestors had accumulated would be carried away to Babylon. Nothing would be left. Some of the king s descendants would be made eunuchs and made to serve the king of Babylon. Thousands would be made captives and forced to go to Babylon. Jerusalem, the palace and the temple would be left in ruins. 18. Smith wrote, Hezekiah would live out his years realizing that his arrogant display of royal wealth might be one factor which would make some future Babylonian king target Jerusalem for conquest, Smith wrote. 19. At the time Isaiah delivered this prophecy, Babylon was a rebellious part of the Assyrian Empire. No human prognosticator would have made such a prediction as Isaiah makes here. (See Coffman.) 20. From the days of Moses Israel had been warned that if they became unfaithful, they would forfeit their right to the Promised Land. Isaiah here provides more details about their forfeiture. (See Coffman.) 21. From the time Isaiah delivered this prophecy to Hezekiah until it was fulfilled, how many years passed? Between one hundred (100) and one hundred fifty (150) years elapsed between the time Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah and the fulfillment of this prophecy.

5 How long did the Babylonian captivity last start to finish? Seventy (70) years. How many years elapsed between the last contingent s being taken into Babylon until the first contingent was permitted to leave to return to Judah-Jerusalem? Fifty (50) years. How many major contingents went into Babylonian captivity? Three (3). How many major contingents left Babylon to return to Judah-Jerusalem? Three (3). 23. Hezekiah should have determined what God s will was before he entertained the Babylonians. 24. Hezekiah humbly accepted what God had decreed. What good would it have done to have responded otherwise? None. 25. Hezekiah thought, For there will be peace and stability during my lifetime. 26. Was Hezekiah s thought above selfish, indicative of gratitude, a cause of relief, an indication of contrition or all three? Give reasons to support your answer. Individual opinions may vary. There appears to be elements of selfishness, relief, gratitude and contrition. He must have been very emotionally conflicted. 27. Wouldn t you have expected Hezekiah, one of Judah s best kings, to have surely grieved in deep penitence in sackcloth and ashes in view of Isaiah s prophecy? Yes. He grieved when he was sick. Why not now when the destruction of all Judah and Jerusalem was foretold? Was he really selfish after all?

6 What if anything would the future hold for Judah and Jerusalem? To these matters the final major section of the book of Isaiah speaks. (See Briley.) 29. God can foresee the future as well as the past. Isaiah s prophecy was fulfilled about one hundred fifty (150) years after it was spoken. 30. The Bible speaks of the remnant being spared. Identify the remnant. The remnant refers to the relatively small number of people who would return home from Babylon. The remnant is also identified by the apostle Paul as the small number of faithful Christian saved from a wicked world.