Isaiah with Training Wheels: Ch. 38-39
In the chapters up until now, we have seen what was wrong with Jerusalem and all Israel and how God transformed them.
And in particular, we have seen the our enemy defeated. But were they the real enemy, or just an interim opponent, a temporary terror? But if Assyria is not the real enemy, who is? We did see in the text thus far, indications that the Lord has great plans for the latter-day Assyria. And like us, it will not be without pain.
There is a lot of scholarly ink dedicated to showing Isaiah was different authors, when this is the result of two simple literary techniques. First, Hebrew poets often write an equal number of blessings and curses. The first half of Isaiah has been primarily curses and condemnation. The next half is blessings and comfort. This begins with ch. 40, starts with “Comfort ye, ye my people,”
The second literary technique was pointed out by Laman and Lemuel in 1 Ne 22:1-3, that we should try to understand if a text is discussing things from a Temporal point of view, or Spiritual. We see this most clearly with Isaiah, where if we have two sections of text, one will be Temporal and the other Spiritual. Oftentimes, there is a third section that is a Synthesis of those two points of view.
Ch. 1-39 are Temporal – The Messiah as a King and Salvation as Temporal Salvation
Ch. 40-54 are Spiritual – The Messiah as a Suffering Servant and Salvation as a Spiritual Salvation
Ch. 55-66 are the Synthesis – The Messiah as a Conquering Warrior and Salvation both Temporal and Spiritual. This last section in particular, prepares us for the Second Coming.
Thus, it is important to understand this structure is intentional, to understand the Prophet’s message.
These two chapters are really one chiasmus and should be read as a single unit. This shows while it is good to be saved Temporally, without a Spiritual salvation we are doomed regardless. Babylon represents Idolatry and The World.
Hezekiah contemplates death 38:1a
The word of the Lord 38:1b
Hezekiah Dedication 38:2 – 8
Psalm: Gates of Sheol: Sorrow at shortened days 38: 9 – 10
Psalm: Life and Death 38: 11
Psalm: Divine Opposition 38: 12-14
Psalm: Divine Restoration 38: 15-17
Psalm: Life and Death 38: 18-19
Hezekiah’s Psalm: House of the Lord: Joy at days prolonged 38: 20- 22
Hezekiah Infidelity 39:1-2
The word of the Lord 39:3-7
Hezekiah contemplates life 39:8
38:1 In those days was sick unto death.
And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,
3 And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 ¶ Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will unto thy days fifteen years.
6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will this city.
7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8 [Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the sun return ten steps backwards on the stairway of Ahaz. So the returned ten steps, it had gone down.]
9 ¶ The of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:
10 I said in the [middle of my life], I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the [remainder] of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more [among] the inhabitants of the world.
12 [My dwelling is pulled down and sent away like a shepherd’s tent. Like a weaver, I have rolled up my life and he has cut me off from the loom. As the day ends you make an end of me. ]
13 [I waited till morning, but as a lion, he breaks all my bones:] from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; .
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go [humbly] all my years in the [anguish] of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, [my benefit] I had great [bitter trials]: but thou hast in love to my soul it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the to the children shall make known thy .
20 The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a [poultice] of figs, and for a plaster upon the , and he shall recover.
22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?
39:1 At that time , the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
2 And was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
3 ¶ Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, the word of the Lord of hosts:
6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
7 And of thy that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Notes:
38:1 Chronologically, these two chapters are out of place. This happens before the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, that we saw in the previous two chapters. The placement here after the siege, or more particularly, after the Temporal chapters (1-37) is purposeful. Compare, 2 Kings 20
38:3 Hezekiah was much like us. He had moments of great faith, but also moments of great weakness. He has not been utterly blameless in the preceding wars – he had been warned against alliances with either Assyria or other kingdoms. He had attempted to pay off Assyria, which they reneged on. But he had exercised his faith and trusted in God. The reason for the mercy promised in v. 5 was not Hezekiah’s flawless record, but his humility and prayers. Thus, it is not because of human faithfulness, but God’s faithfulness and grace. This is even a bit more clear in 2 Kings 20:6.
38:8 It is interesting to ponder both how little this sign was, and yet how much it takes to temporarily rearrange celestial bodies. Was this due to a passing comet or asteroid? There is no record of that to my knowledge.
It is unclear if this was on a sundial, or shadows on steps leading to an upper room.
If the king was the sun to his people, then the symbolism of the sun moving back 10 degrees (or steps) was Hezekiah being given extra life and years.
38:16 The Isaiah Institute (Avraham Gileadi) translates this as: “O my Lord, by means of such trials comes a newness of life, and throughout them all the renewal of my spirit.”
38:22 The apocryphal work, The Ascension of Isaiah 1:4 records that Hezekiah saw the Lord during his illness.
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