The servants came to Isaiah because Hezekiah in deep trouble sent them to seek God's message through the prophet when Assyria threatened Judah with blasphemy against Jehovah. Hezekiah humbled himself and with Isaiah took the matter before the Lord in prayer and crying to Heaven for God to vindicate His own name and cause. The Lord answered with assurance and comfort for the remnant and delivered Judah by His angel, who slew 185,000 men in one night and turned Rabshakeh back to his own land to die. Being outnumbered does not leave God's people powerless, for by faith like Isaiah and Hezekiah's they can subdue enemies and see God vindicate His cause. The chapter containing this appeal is the parallel and identical account to 2 Kings 19.
Context and Parallel Accounts
Isaiah 37:5 belongs to the first part of Isaiah, chapters 1 to 39, which gathers the prophecies and historical accounts from Isaiah's time of active work among rulers and people as God's messenger to the nation, brought together as distinct single prophecies given at different times and on different occasions. It belongs to the account of Assyria's threat against Judah during Hezekiah's reign, when the king of Assyria threatened the land and Hezekiah humbled himself and sought God's message through the prophet Isaiah. That chapter records Hezekiah's humility, God's message through Isaiah, and the Lord's deliverance of Judah from Assyria by His angel.
It belongs to Sennacherib's campaign, which came from the southwest and is distinct from the earlier campaign described in Isaiah 10, which came from the northeast. Comparison shows that the earlier campaign was made by Sargon, not Sennacherib. The chapter containing the verse is alike, parallel, identical, and matching to the nineteenth chapter of 2 Kings. It is alike to the 19th chapter of 2 Kings.
The chapter has considerable verbal difference from 2 Kings 19. The Assyrian crisis is to be considered alongside 2 Kings 18-19 and 2 Chronicles 32. That comparison shows the Assyrian army was with its king at Libnah when the angel slew 185,000 men, not near Jerusalem, so its destruction does not fulfill Isaiah 30:33.
Hezekiah's Appeal to Isaiah
Hezekiah sent his servants to Isaiah because Assyrian blasphemy against Jehovah continued unabated. In his distress he humbled himself before the Lord and sought counsel through the Lord's prophet, counseling with Isaiah and joining with him in taking the matter before the Lord. Together they prayed and cried to Heaven that God would vindicate His own name and cause. The Lord did not fail to answer that united appeal, but granted deliverance from Assyria.
The visit to the prophet came in a time of great trouble, with the servants charged to ask Isaiah to pray for Israel's deliverance from Rabshakeh. Rabshakeh had threatened the people and blasphemed God, making the need urgent. God answered with assurance and comfort for the remnant, turning Rabshakeh back to his own land. There Rabshakeh afterward died for defying God.
Hezekiah had faced taunts about his helplessness, yet God was with him. He spread the insulting letter before the Lord in prayer. In one night the invading army lost 185,000 men.
Lessons on Trusting God
The appeal belongs to the time when Assyria threatened Jerusalem and Hezekiah turned to God for help, showing that to be outnumbered does not leave God's people powerless. God is able to deliver them even then and to vindicate His own cause. Isaiah and Hezekiah subdued their enemies through faith, and Christians who retain the faith and the spiritual gifts of the church can follow that same example. The wider account of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-39 vividly portrays the frailties of man and warns against putting trust in men.
The servants came to Isaiah because Hezekiah in deep trouble sent them to seek God's message through the prophet when Assyria threatened Judah with blasphemy against Jehovah. Hezekiah humbled himself and with Isaiah took the matter before the Lord in prayer and crying to Heaven for God to vindicate His own name and cause. The Lord answered with assurance and comfort for the remnant and delivered Judah by His angel, who slew 185,000 men in one night and turned Rabshakeh back to his own land to die. Being outnumbered does not leave God's people powerless, for by faith like Isaiah and Hezekiah's they can subdue enemies and see God vindicate His cause. The chapter containing this appeal is the parallel and identical account to 2 Kings 19.
Context and Parallel Accounts
Isaiah 37:5 belongs to the first part of Isaiah, chapters 1 to 39, which gathers the prophecies and historical accounts from Isaiah's time of active work among rulers and people as God's messenger to the nation, brought together as distinct single prophecies given at different times and on different occasions. It belongs to the account of Assyria's threat against Judah during Hezekiah's reign, when the king of Assyria threatened the land and Hezekiah humbled himself and sought God's message through the prophet Isaiah. That chapter records Hezekiah's humility, God's message through Isaiah, and the Lord's deliverance of Judah from Assyria by His angel.
It belongs to Sennacherib's campaign, which came from the southwest and is distinct from the earlier campaign described in Isaiah 10, which came from the northeast. Comparison shows that the earlier campaign was made by Sargon, not Sennacherib. The chapter containing the verse is alike, parallel, identical, and matching to the nineteenth chapter of 2 Kings. It is alike to the 19th chapter of 2 Kings.
The chapter has considerable verbal difference from 2 Kings 19. The Assyrian crisis is to be considered alongside 2 Kings 18-19 and 2 Chronicles 32. That comparison shows the Assyrian army was with its king at Libnah when the angel slew 185,000 men, not near Jerusalem, so its destruction does not fulfill Isaiah 30:33.
Hezekiah's Appeal to Isaiah
Hezekiah sent his servants to Isaiah because Assyrian blasphemy against Jehovah continued unabated. In his distress he humbled himself before the Lord and sought counsel through the Lord's prophet, counseling with Isaiah and joining with him in taking the matter before the Lord. Together they prayed and cried to Heaven that God would vindicate His own name and cause. The Lord did not fail to answer that united appeal, but granted deliverance from Assyria.
The visit to the prophet came in a time of great trouble, with the servants charged to ask Isaiah to pray for Israel's deliverance from Rabshakeh. Rabshakeh had threatened the people and blasphemed God, making the need urgent. God answered with assurance and comfort for the remnant, turning Rabshakeh back to his own land. There Rabshakeh afterward died for defying God.
Hezekiah had faced taunts about his helplessness, yet God was with him. He spread the insulting letter before the Lord in prayer. In one night the invading army lost 185,000 men.
Lessons on Trusting God
The appeal belongs to the time when Assyria threatened Jerusalem and Hezekiah turned to God for help, showing that to be outnumbered does not leave God's people powerless. God is able to deliver them even then and to vindicate His own cause. Isaiah and Hezekiah subdued their enemies through faith, and Christians who retain the faith and the spiritual gifts of the church can follow that same example. The wider account of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-39 vividly portrays the frailties of man and warns against putting trust in men.