Daily Devotional
Sunday: The Field Commander Speaks: Isaiah 36:1-22
The Field Commander is the third highest-ranking officer in the Assyrian army, so the move against Jerusalem is a serious one. The Assyrians were currently engaged in the siege of Lachish, about 30 miles to the southwest of Jerusalem. All other Judean cities had fallen. The real conflict is found in Isaiah 36:14-20, a contest between the Lord and the king of Assyria. Foolishly, the commander exalts the Assyrian king above the God of heaven, blatantly stating that God will not deliver them.
Monday: Hezekiah Turns to God: Isaiah 37:1-7
Hezekiah’s response to Rabshakeh’s challenge is to turn to God, and to open communication with God’s prophet. Isaiah’s prophetic response is one of great encouragement to Hezekiah, and the foretelling of the turning back of the Assyrian army, and the very death of Sennacherib in his supposedly “secure” fortress. God does not allow open blasphemy and mocking to pass by without judgment.
Tuesday: Hezekiah’s Prayer: Isaiah 37:8-20
The king’s petition to the Lord stresses the fact that God is not an idol, but is the “living God.” Unlike idols, depicted with ears and eyes, yet are deaf and blind, the God of Israel always sees His people, and hears their cries. Hezekiah prays with great confidence that God wants to hear his prayer. A very striking aspect of the prayer is its focus on God’s vindication rather than on the deliverance of Judah. The crucial issue is not the protection of Jerusalem, but that Yahweh will be victorious, proving He is very different from the false gods of the nations.
Wednesday: God Answers the King: Isaiah 37:21-38
God answers Hezekiah’s prayer through Isaiah. The response comes in three parts: (1) an address to Sennacherib, a message to Hezekiah, and (3) a declaration spoken “about” Sennacherib. Does God follow through? In just one night, the angel of the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrian troops. After returning home to Nineveh, Sennacherib is slain by two of his own sons while he is worshipping his own false god, Nisroch.
Thursday: Hezekiah’s Appeal: Isaiah 38:1-8; 2 Kings 20:1-11
Often when we pray, our words are correct, but our motives are wrong. Many times we pray selfishly, and sometimes we actually try to “bribe” God for what we want. Perhaps we forget that God actually knows our hearts better than we do ourselves. Hezekiah’s request for healing stems not from some selfish desire, but that he could continue to serve and complete the spiritual restoration of Judah.
Friday: Hezekiah’s Lament: Isaiah 38:9-20
The king’s lament is largely a meditation on the brevity life, and the untimeliness of death. The king uses two different figures of speech to express this: a “shepherd’s tent,” and cloth on the “loom” (Isaiah 38:12). Like the tent that is always being moved, and the cloth that is removed from the loom, so life is brief and impermanent.
Saturday: Hezekiah’s Pride: Isaiah 39:1-8; 2 Chronicles 32:27-31
Despite all the good Hezekiah had done for Judah, there still remained the fact that the king was human, and being so, was imperfect. Here we see one of his greatest failures—his foolish pride that revealed the treasures of Judah to Babylon.