And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
Spoken when Sennacherib had taken Judah's fortified cities and threatened Jerusalem with the boast that no god could deliver from Assyria, the promise assured that the surviving remnant in Jerusalem would be miraculously preserved and again become firmly established and fruitful. God pledged to defend the city for His own sake so that the Assyrian king would not enter it or shoot an arrow there, and He fulfilled it in one night when His angel cut off 185,000 mighty men in the Assyrian camp, so that Sennacherib returned in shame and was slain in the house of his god. The rescue came after Hezekiah spread the taunting letter before the Lord and he and Isaiah prayed for God to vindicate His name, showing that prayer brings swift and complete deliverance even when God's people are greatly outnumbered. It was wrought in an evidently miraculous way to make clear to Judah and all nations that the God of heaven is mightier than the gods of the peoples, so that many brought gifts to Jerusalem and Hezekiah was exalted. Yet the same history warns against trusting in men, for even Hezekiah failed to give God the glory for his healing and magnified his own riches before the Babylonian ambassadors, turning blessing into curse until his children went into captivity and Jerusalem was plundered.
Historical Setting and Promise
The verse belongs to the reign of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah, took its fortified cities, and sent a great army to threaten Jerusalem with the boast that no god of any nation could deliver out of Assyria's hand, blaspheming God. The chapter gives the fuller record of that invasion, the prayer of Hezekiah and Isaiah to heaven that God would vindicate His own name, and God's deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian threat when greatly outnumbered. The verse comes as part of God's message to Hezekiah through the prophet after Hezekiah's humility, connected with the Lord's wonderful deliverance from the power of Assyria by His angel.
The chapter parallels 2 Kings 19 with considerable verbal difference in wording between the two accounts. The verse stands before the record of Hezekiah's sickness and the Lord's healing of him, and before his blunder when Babylonian ambassadors were sent to him for light and he magnified himself instead of magnifying God, as a result of which his own children went into captivity to Babylon and Jerusalem was plundered. The promise is that the escaped surviving remnant of the house of Judah in Jerusalem would again become firmly established and fruitful after the Assyrian threat was removed, taking root downward and bearing fruit upward by miraculous preservation. That promise concerns God's faithful people, not a special future favor for the Jewish nation as a whole or promises above those given to Gentile nations.
Through Isaiah God promised to defend the city for His own sake and for David's sake, declaring the king of Assyria would not come into the city, shoot an arrow there, or cast a mound against it. The promise was fulfilled when Jehovah saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem by sending His angel who in a single night cut off all the mighty men of valor, leaders and captains in the Assyrian camp, with a loss of 185,000 men in twelve hours. So Sennacherib returned with shame to his own land and was slain in the house of his god, and Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from all enemies and guided them.
Trust Prayer and Witness
God can work for His people even when they are greatly outnumbered, so one who stands alone in opposition to wrong is not alone, for God is with him and God is a majority. When Hezekiah was taunted by his enemies with his helpless condition, he spread the taunting, insulting letter out before the Lord, and he joined with Isaiah in prayer to heaven that God would vindicate His own name. That prayer brought God's help, and the besieging army perished with a loss of 185,000 men in a single night, in twelve hours, showing that prayer brings swift and complete rescue.
God's power, providence, and promises support those who trust in Him rather than in human strength. As Isaiah and Hezekiah subdued their enemies, so the Christian can overcome enemies through faith and through the spiritual gifts given to the church.
The slaughter of Sennacherib's host bore witness to Assyria that He is God above all. It was wrought in an evidently miraculous manner to prevent glorying in human power and to make clear to Judah and to all nations that the God of heaven is mightier than the gods of the peoples of the earth, teaching the nothingness of man and the greatness of God which is righteousness by faith. It impressed the nations, so that many brought gifts to Jerusalem and Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations.
The history of Isaiah 36-39 portrays man's frailties and warns against trusting in men. Even Hezekiah, great and good king that he was, failed to give God the glory for his healing after his humility and deliverance. Instead of revealing the riches of God's grace and power to heal when the Babylonians were sent to him for light, he showed the earthly riches he had gathered and magnified himself instead of magnifying God. That furnished opportunity to exalt the power and mercy of the King of heaven in salvation was lost when pride turned the trophies of victory into evidence of human power and turned blessing into curse, arousing the cupidity of the Babylonian ambassadors. As a result his own children went into captivity to Babylon, Jerusalem was plundered, and the kingdom was afterward despoiled.
Spoken when Sennacherib had taken Judah's fortified cities and threatened Jerusalem with the boast that no god could deliver from Assyria, the promise assured that the surviving remnant in Jerusalem would be miraculously preserved and again become firmly established and fruitful. God pledged to defend the city for His own sake so that the Assyrian king would not enter it or shoot an arrow there, and He fulfilled it in one night when His angel cut off 185,000 mighty men in the Assyrian camp, so that Sennacherib returned in shame and was slain in the house of his god. The rescue came after Hezekiah spread the taunting letter before the Lord and he and Isaiah prayed for God to vindicate His name, showing that prayer brings swift and complete deliverance even when God's people are greatly outnumbered. It was wrought in an evidently miraculous way to make clear to Judah and all nations that the God of heaven is mightier than the gods of the peoples, so that many brought gifts to Jerusalem and Hezekiah was exalted. Yet the same history warns against trusting in men, for even Hezekiah failed to give God the glory for his healing and magnified his own riches before the Babylonian ambassadors, turning blessing into curse until his children went into captivity and Jerusalem was plundered.
Historical Setting and Promise
The verse belongs to the reign of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah, took its fortified cities, and sent a great army to threaten Jerusalem with the boast that no god of any nation could deliver out of Assyria's hand, blaspheming God. The chapter gives the fuller record of that invasion, the prayer of Hezekiah and Isaiah to heaven that God would vindicate His own name, and God's deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian threat when greatly outnumbered. The verse comes as part of God's message to Hezekiah through the prophet after Hezekiah's humility, connected with the Lord's wonderful deliverance from the power of Assyria by His angel.
The chapter parallels 2 Kings 19 with considerable verbal difference in wording between the two accounts. The verse stands before the record of Hezekiah's sickness and the Lord's healing of him, and before his blunder when Babylonian ambassadors were sent to him for light and he magnified himself instead of magnifying God, as a result of which his own children went into captivity to Babylon and Jerusalem was plundered. The promise is that the escaped surviving remnant of the house of Judah in Jerusalem would again become firmly established and fruitful after the Assyrian threat was removed, taking root downward and bearing fruit upward by miraculous preservation. That promise concerns God's faithful people, not a special future favor for the Jewish nation as a whole or promises above those given to Gentile nations.
Through Isaiah God promised to defend the city for His own sake and for David's sake, declaring the king of Assyria would not come into the city, shoot an arrow there, or cast a mound against it. The promise was fulfilled when Jehovah saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem by sending His angel who in a single night cut off all the mighty men of valor, leaders and captains in the Assyrian camp, with a loss of 185,000 men in twelve hours. So Sennacherib returned with shame to his own land and was slain in the house of his god, and Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from all enemies and guided them.
Trust Prayer and Witness
God can work for His people even when they are greatly outnumbered, so one who stands alone in opposition to wrong is not alone, for God is with him and God is a majority. When Hezekiah was taunted by his enemies with his helpless condition, he spread the taunting, insulting letter out before the Lord, and he joined with Isaiah in prayer to heaven that God would vindicate His own name. That prayer brought God's help, and the besieging army perished with a loss of 185,000 men in a single night, in twelve hours, showing that prayer brings swift and complete rescue.
God's power, providence, and promises support those who trust in Him rather than in human strength. As Isaiah and Hezekiah subdued their enemies, so the Christian can overcome enemies through faith and through the spiritual gifts given to the church.
The slaughter of Sennacherib's host bore witness to Assyria that He is God above all. It was wrought in an evidently miraculous manner to prevent glorying in human power and to make clear to Judah and to all nations that the God of heaven is mightier than the gods of the peoples of the earth, teaching the nothingness of man and the greatness of God which is righteousness by faith. It impressed the nations, so that many brought gifts to Jerusalem and Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations.
The history of Isaiah 36-39 portrays man's frailties and warns against trusting in men. Even Hezekiah, great and good king that he was, failed to give God the glory for his healing after his humility and deliverance. Instead of revealing the riches of God's grace and power to heal when the Babylonians were sent to him for light, he showed the earthly riches he had gathered and magnified himself instead of magnifying God. That furnished opportunity to exalt the power and mercy of the King of heaven in salvation was lost when pride turned the trophies of victory into evidence of human power and turned blessing into curse, arousing the cupidity of the Babylonian ambassadors. As a result his own children went into captivity to Babylon, Jerusalem was plundered, and the kingdom was afterward despoiled.