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Isaiah 36: - 39:
Shalach: Hebrew word, "To send".
A | a | 36: 2. Embassy from king of Assyria.
b | 36: 17. "Until I come to take you away to a land like your own."
B | c | 37: 2. To Isaiah from Hezekiah.
d | 37: 4. Reproach the living God.
C | 37: 9. Messenger sent from Sennacherib,
suggesting trust in God to be vain.
B |
d | 37: 17. Reproach the living God.
c | 37: 21. To Isaiah from Hezekiah.
A | a | 39: 1. Embassy from king of Babylon.
b | 39: 6, 7. "Thy sons shall they take away."
The opening embassy, with its threats and its plausible suggestion of "an agreement
by a present" (Isa. 36: 16), failed. The closing embassy, with its letter and present,
succeeded. The idea that Hezekiah should tamely submit to allow himself and his people
to be "taken away" is treated with righteous scorn: "Answer him not" (36: 21). Yet,
when the messengers come from the king of Babylon with letters and a present, and
without sword or spear, Hezekiah succumbs, and the very thing unsuccessfully threatened
by the Assyrian is accomplished by the Babylonian, "Thy sons . . . . . shall they take
away" (Isa. 39: 6, 7).
However meager therefore this outline may appear, the great lesson is enforced; a
lesson pertinent for all times and peoples. Today, we too may successfully resist spiritual
attack only to succumb to spiritual flattery. We too have our spiritual adversaries, the
Assyrian, Babylon and Rabshakeh, and need protection from "the wiles of the Devil".
Let us now make ourselves acquainted with some of the material that is linked
together by this outline.
Rabshakeh's Speech.
First, Rabshakeh touches a weak spot in Judah's defence: "What confidence is this
wherein thou trusteth?" (Isa. 36: 4). Isaiah himself had pronounced a "woe" on those
that "strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and trust in the shadow of Egypt"
(Isa. 30: 2). Rabshakeh knew, of course, that the king of Judah had turned to Egypt for
help, and his scoffing words must have cut deeply: "Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this
broken reed, on Egypt" (Isa. 36: 6). But he had heard also of the reform which
Hezekiah had accomplished, and sought therefore to make capital of the fears of the
half-hearted, saying, "But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God; is it not He
Whose high places and altars Hezekiah hath taken away?"
With all his worldly wisdom Rabshakeh here manifested himself to be utterly ignorant
of the true situation. Hezekiah had entered into the spiritual nature of the worship of
God, whereas, to Rabshakeh, the God of Hezekiah was but one of many gods, all of
which had failed their respective worshippers: