{"id":910,"date":"2018-01-30T12:55:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T11:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/?p=910"},"modified":"2018-01-30T13:00:32","modified_gmt":"2018-01-30T12:00:32","slug":"commentary-on-isaiah-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/2018\/01\/30\/commentary-on-isaiah-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on Isaiah"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah
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Biblical Research Monthly-December 1945<\/p>\n

HISTORICAL PORTION OF THE PROPHECY (Chapters 36-39)<\/p>\n

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(Continued) I. SENNACHERIB’S CHALLENGE TO THE ALMIGHTY
\nChapters 36:1–37:38<\/p>\n

II. HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS AND
\nTHE VISIT OF THE AMBASSADORS FROM BABYLON
\nChapters 38:1–39:8.<\/p>\n

The Situation in the Hands of Hezekiah and Isaiah (continued)<\/center><\/p>\n

His eye is open to them who are humble and who trust in His kindness. God brings victory to those who are trusting Him and who are in a position to fit into His plan and purpose, which runs through the centuries.<\/p>\n

Having read the letter of defiance against God and His people, Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, the God of Israel who sits above the cherubim. When we read this last clause and study it in the light of Psalm 80:1-3 and related passages, we know that the one who is seated above the cherubim is none other than the man of God’s right hand who is at His right hand and who will come to earth and deliver Israel when she calls upon him to do so. (See Psalm 80; especially verses 1-3 and 17). This one is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Hezekiah recognized Him, according to Isaiah 37:16, as the God of all the kingdoms of the earth who has made the heaven and the earth. From other passages we know that Christ is the one by whom the entire material universe was created (John 1:1-4). He is the King of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).<\/p>\n

Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord to incline His ear and to hear; to open His eyes and see and hear all the words of Sennacherib with which he had defied the living God. He also called the Lord’s attention to the fact that the king of Assyria had destroyed the gods of the various lands which he had conquered. They were, as he asserted, but wood and stone; nevertheless, we learn from Psalm 106:37,38, that idols are backed up by demons.<\/p>\n

Finally, Hezekiah implored the Lord to save his nation from the hands of Sennacherib in order that „all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art Jehovah, even thou only.“ The overthrow of Sennacherib will, yet in the future, be proof and evidence that God is sovereign over all the nations of the earth.<\/p>\n

The word of Jehovah came to Isaiah who sent the following message to Hezekiah „Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word which Jehovah hath spoken concerning him:<\/p>\n

The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 23 Whom hast thou defied and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even<\/i> against the Holy One of Israel. 24 By thy servants hast thou defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field; 25 I have digged and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt“ (Isa. 37:21-25).<\/p>\n

The Lord calls Jerusalem „the virgin daughter of Zion.“ This was the regular Old Testament term applied to a city which could not be conquered by an adversary. Thus this virgin daughter of Zion laughed to scorn the proud, haughty words of the king of Assyria, asking him whom he had blasphemed and asserting that his words were in reality against the Holy One of Israel.<\/p>\n

A Glance at verses 24 and 25 shows that the purpose of the king of Assyria when he left his native land was to invade the innermost parts of Lebanon, that is, Syria and Palestine. The Lebanon Mountains were famous for their cedar and fir trees, together with their fruitful trees. Since the same mountain range continues through both countries, they were designated as Lebanon. Moreover, according to verse 25, Sennacherib purposed to go down into Egypt and to conquer it. This is seen in the words, „I have digged and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.“ It was his plan, which he considered as good as accomplished, to overrun the entire country of Egypt and to destroy its military power.<\/p>\n

The Lord continued His revelation, speaking through Isaiah and addressing the following words to the king of Assyria: „26 Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps. 27 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as a field of grain<\/i> before it is grown up“ (vss. 26,27).<\/p>\n

These verses show that the success of the campaign which was carried out by Sennacherib was due solely to the fact that the Lord had a plan and a purpose in permitting his conquests. The famous conquests of Cyrus, as we shall see later in this exposition, was due solely to the fact that he was an unconscious instrument in the hands of Almighty God to carry out the divine plans and purposes with reference to restoring Israel to her own land. God uses nations and their rulers for the forwarding of His own plans and purposes.<\/p>\n

When, however, the Assyrian king became proud, haughty, and arrogant, and thought of himself as having supernatural strength and power and began to rave against the God of heaven, the Almighty took note of the fact and declared that He would put His hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips and turn him back by the way which He had come. In this language we see that the prophet thought of Sennacherib as a wild beast into whose nose the Lord would insert a hook and then would put a bridle upon him and force him to go in the direction which He himself had chosen. This is but a pictorial way of asserting that the providence of God would change the course of the proud, raving Assyrian and would cause him to go back to his own land–after the Lord has accomplished His purpose with him.<\/p>\n

The Lord gave a sign to Hezekiah that the prophecy would be fulfilled by calling his attention to the fact that the people that year would eat that which grew of itself and in the second year the same kind of crop, but in the third year they would be free from the foreign threat. They would therefore sow, reap, and eat the fruit of their own labors (vs. 30).<\/p>\n

In verse 31 the prophet called attention to the fact that there would be a remnant of the people who would survive the catastrophe. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts was the guaranty that this prophecy would be fulfilled. Isaiah is famous for his doctrine of the remnant. There has always been a remnant in Israel. This is the nation of destiny. The great nations of antiquity, as well as those of modern times, have done their utmost in order to destroy the Chosen People. They have never succeeded. They never will.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the indestructibility of the Jewish nation, Mark Twain well declared:<\/p>\n

„He [the Jew] could be vain of himself and not be ashamed of it. Yes, he could be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian arose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff, and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up, and held the torch high for a time; but it burned out, and they sit in twilight, or have vanished. „The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert, aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret<\/i> of his immortality?“<\/i><\/p>\n

Mark Twain asked, „What is the secret of his immortality?“ The answer is to be found in Deuteronomy 32:8,9:<\/p>\n

„When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, When he separated the children of men. He set the bounds of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel. For Jehovah’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.“<\/p>\n

And in Malachi 3:6:
\n„For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.“<\/p>\n

God has a plan for His ancient people Israel. He will yet use them–when they permit Him to do so.<\/p>\n

Concerning this remnant we shall learn more in the succeeding chapters of the Book of Isaiah.<\/p>\n

The concluding portion of Isaiah’s message to Hezekiah on this occasion is found in verses 33-35, in which passage God asserted that He would protect the city and be a shield to it, not allowing the Assyrian even to shoot an arrow at it.<\/p>\n

In the last paragraph of Isaiah, chapter 37, verses 36-37, we have a brief account of Sennacherib’s returning to his own land after his triumph–and also his defeat when the angels of the Lord slew 185,000 of his army. Sennacherib went back to Nineveh and dwelt there.<\/p>\n

One day he went into the house of his god to worship. While he was there, two of his sons entered stealthily, crept up behind him, and murdered him. After their evil deed was accomplished, they escaped into the land of Ararat.<\/p>\n

„And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.“<\/p>\n

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II. HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS AND THE VISIT OF THE AMBASSADORS FROM BABYLON (38:1–39:8).<\/p>\n

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1. Hezekiah’s Sickness<\/center><\/p>\n

In Isaiah 38:1 we are told that „In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.“ This date ties up with that found in 36:1 which is the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign. This sickness doubtless occurred before the threatened siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, about which event we studied in installment fourteen of this series, and which is found in chapters 36:1–37:38.<\/p>\n

Hezekiah’s sickness seems to have been of a fatal nature, for it was „unto death.“ One can never know what purpose God has in view in permitting even sickness. Let us in this connection always remember that „… to them that love God all things work together for good, <\/span>even to<\/i><\/span> them that are called according to his purpose“ (Romans 8:28).<\/p>\n

In verse 1 of chapter 38 we are told that Isaiah the prophet went to the king and spoke from the Lord the following sentence: „Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.“ Hezekiah’s sickness would have proved fatal had it not been for the mercy of the Lord in extending his life as we shall presently see.<\/p>\n

The king was instructed to „set thy house in order.“ What is the significance of this expression? Doubtless it involved all that we would call in modem phraseology „making one’s will,“ and making all adjustments and arrangements in personal and governmental affairs. Thus Hezekiah was told to arrange all his affairs and to attend to all the business that was necessary for him to look after. Then he was to make his will so that the affairs of the government might be carried on without any serious disruption after his death.<\/p>\n

Hezekiah’s reaction was one of disappointment and rebellion against the will of God. This fact is seen in the words: „2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto Jehovah, 3 and said, Remember now, O Jehovah, 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“ (38:2,3).<\/p>\n

Without doubt he was disappointed. In these words there is echoed a lack of surrender to do the will of God at all costs. Moreover the king seemed to depend, to a certain extent at least, upon his good works in order to win the favor of God. It is true that he was a good man and that he had endeavored to serve God and to rule in the fear of the Lord. Nevertheless, there was seemingly a feeling of smugness and satisfaction over the fact that he had acted as he had.<\/p>\n

In answer to the king’s prayer the word of God came to Isaiah saying, „4 Then came the word of Jehovah to Isaiah, saying, 5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add 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 defend this city“ (vss. 4-6).<\/p>\n

We are told that prayer changes things, that prayer brings victory. Was it the will of God that Hezekiah die then? Had God decreed that he should die? Or shall we attribute his condition to the sickness which was unto death? If we say that it was God’s plan for him to pass away from the scene of action at that time, then Hezekiah did not accept God’s first plan and purpose for his life. On the other hand, if his condition was simply the result of what we would call the course of nature, with reference to his sickness, then we can see that Isaiah’s statement regarding Hezekiah’s dying was simply a straightforward statement of facts, if nature were allowed without the intervention of God to take its course. The general impression that the passage makes upon one’s mind, however, is that the time had arrived for the king to be gathered together to his fathers. However on this point we cannot be dogmatic.<\/p>\n

The fact that Isaiah was sent to the king to tell him of his critical situation may have been an invitation to him to pray earnestly, because prayer changes things. Everyone who has had personal dealings with God in the most intimate way can testify that prayer does change things and that prayer often brings victory, of one kind or another. God frequently states the case, the outcome of a certain situation when nature is allowed to take its course, in order that the one who is involved might throw himself upon the mercy of God and be delivered. God said to Moses that He would blot out the race of Israel from being a nation and would make of him a great people. This announcement was but an urgent invitation for Moses to rush into the breach by earnest prayer and to beseech the Lord to spare His people. Moses realized the situation and was equal to the occasion. He therefore prayed for the people, and they were spared.<\/p>\n

Sometimes people are very insistent upon having their way and continually pray for a given thing just as Israel did with reference to eating flesh during the wilderness wanderings. They were not satisfied with the food which God had prepared for them; they therefore insisted that they have flesh added to their diet. God granted their petition but gave them leanness of soul (Ps. 106:15). This seems to be one of the methods that God has of punishing people when they insist upon having their way and refuse to walk in the paths of the Lord.<\/p>\n

It is hard for us, with the scanty data which we have, to determine whether or not it was God’s first plan for Hezekiah to pass on to his fathers. This investigation, however, brings up the question as to whether or not God has more than one plan for each individual’s life. For instance, we may say that God has a „number one“ plan for a certain person. If he accepts it as coming from the Lord and fits into that plan by surrender as he should, then all will be well in the highest degree for this one. On the other hand, if such a one refuses to accept this plan of God and insists on something which is foreign to the original plan, God may give him a „second best“–or even a „third best.“ Or He may give him a less honorable plan for his life. That such is the teaching of God’s Word may be gathered from Proverbs 3:1,2.<\/p>\n

„1 My son, forget not my law;
\nBut let thy heart keep my commandments:
\n2 For length of days, and years of life,
\nAnd peace, will they add to thee.“<\/p>\n

Here we see Solomon urging one to obey the law of the Lord and to keep His commandments, for in the keeping of them life and years and peace are added to the individual. If, on the other hand, one refuses to be obedient to the Lord, then these added years will be subtracted and the life will be shortened. There are other passages which teach this great truth.<\/p>\n

Let each one of us who knows God in Christ Jesus be satisfied with His first plan, which is always the best thing for us. At the time being we may not be able to see and understand the situation; but, when that which is perfect is come, we shall then know even as we are fully known and will see that at all times all things were working out for our good.<\/p>\n

When the Lord announced that He would add fifteen years to the life of Hezekiah, He gave a sign whereby the king could be assured that the prophecy would be fulfilled. The sign was the going back of the shadow on the steps or dial of Ahaz. This seems to have been a sundial, which had been erected by Ahaz. It may have been a Syrian one, similar to the altar which Ahaz had seen in Damascus and which he had copied and set up at the Temple in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

The Lord offered Hezekiah the choice of alternatives: Either He would cause the shadow to go forward ten steps, or cause it to go backward ten degrees. Hezekiah chose the latter. In accordance with this decision the Lord performed a miracle and caused the shadow to turn back ten steps. The going backward of the shadow was indeed a miracle. How can we explain this? Was there a refraction of the rays of the sun? Or did God throw the machinery of the universe in reverse, figuratively speaking, and cause the shadow to go backward? Is there some loss of time in the great chronological scheme of the centuries? These are most difficult questions. There are some who think that there is evidence that this occurrence, together with that of the sun’s standing still in the days of Joshua (Josh., chap. 10), can account for a lost day in the calendar. Some competent scholars are convinced of that fact. Knowing little of astronomy, although I took a brief course in that subject, I am unable to say.<\/p>\n

If we are to take II Chronicles 32:31 and understand that the wonder which was wrought in the land of Palestine was a local affair and not one that affected the entire solar system, then the contention to which I have just referred cannot be maintained. It appears from the statement in Chronicles that the miracle was confined to the land of Palestine. Moreover, it may possibly have affected only the immediate region of the sundial since the statement in Chronicles confines the miracle to „the wonder that was done in the land.“<\/p>\n

Here is a case of miraculous intervention in the course of nature as it pertains to the recession of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz. We may reasonably believe that the phenomenon causing this going back of the shadow on the dial was known by the people in the land in order that they might be influenced by it.<\/p>\n

As to how the Lord accomplished this wonder, no one can say. He is the author of the so-called laws of nature, a few of which we have a little knowledge. There doubtless are many and higher laws than those which we know and which the Lord could bring into action and produce that which to us is supernatural. If men who have studied the materials which enter into the construction, for instance, of an airplane can utilize, combine the various principles involved, and can bring about a result which nature unaided cannot accomplish, namely, the flying of a plane with a heavy cargo, then most certainly God, who is infinite and all-powerful, could take the various laws which He himself instituted, combine them, and bring about this marvel. To the one who recognizes the omniscience and omnipotence of God Almighty, such a miracle is as possible as anything that mortals may do. The infallibly inspired Word of God asserts that the miracle was performed; we believe it. Thus far we have examined the attitude that Hezekiah took, before God gave him the assurance that He would prolong his life for fifteen years.<\/p>\n

The only writing which we have from Hezekiah is the poem found in verses 10-20 of our chapter. He wrote this upon his being restored to health. His restoration was the result of divine intervention.<\/p>\n

In this poem he gives us his outlook upon the world when the Lord announced to him that his time to depart this life had drawn near. These reminiscences are found in verses 10-14. But in verses 15-20 he presented by the Spirit to us the great lessons of life, which he had learned by this experience.<\/p>\n

In verse 10 he tells us that upon receipt of Isaiah’s message he said that he was cut off out of the land of the living and that he would go down to the gates of Sheol in the noontide of his years. He began to rule when he was twenty-five years old and had reigned fourteen years; hence he was thirty-nine at the time when he was sick and the Lord restored him. The span of life was reduced in Moses‘ day from one hundred and twenty years to seventy or eighty (Ps. 90:10). Hezekiah could well say that he was being cut off in the noontide of his life and that he was being deprived of the residue of his years.<\/p>\n

He spoke of going down into the gates of Sheol. Sheol is the place to which all departed spirits, righteous and unrighteous, went upon death, prior to the victory which our Lord won at the time of His death, burial, and resurrection. Since Christ won the victory, the righteous go immediately into His presence; but the wicked continue to go to Sheol, which seems to be in the center of the earth.<\/p>\n

According to verse 11 Hezekiah declared that he, since he thought that he was going to die immediately, would not see Jehovah in the land of the living and that he would behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. These statements are clearly an echo of the hope which the Old Testament saints entertained with reference to the coming of Jehovah in person to rule and reign upon the earth. In the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Job the ancient patriarch expressed his conviction regarding his knowing that his Redeemer lived and that He would stand upon this earth. But Job did not expect to see Him in his own natural lifetime, for he said that, after his skin, that is, his body, was destroyed, then without his flesh he would see God. The hope then that Job entertained was that he would see Messiah here upon this earth, but that he would not see Him in his own natural lifetime. Hezekiah was expecting the Messiah to appear in his own time; David, in various psalms, expressed the hope that God in the person of the Messiah would appear in his lifetime. Isaiah urged the people to wait patiently for Jehovah.<\/p>\n

Just as the devout saints of the Old Testament hoped that God would come in the person of Messiah at any time and establish His reign upon the earth, so we of the Christian Dispensation are looking forward to the possibility of the Lord’s descent from heaven to the air to raise the dead in Christ and catch up the living saints to be with Him from that time forth and forevermore. God did not tell the Old Testament saints that the Messiah definitely would come in their lifetime, but He left the question open in order that it might be a stimulant to them to live godly, consecrated lives. Finally, in the days of Daniel, the Lord specified in chapter 9 the time when Messiah would be cut off; and thus the Jews who believed his statement and understood the prophecy did not then expect the Messiah to appear in their lifetime, but to appear in time to be cut off at the end of the period of sixty-nine weeks (of years)–483 years.<\/p>\n

When Hezekiah thought that he was going to die according to Isaiah’s announcement–and before the Lord assured him that he would live fifteen years more, he compared himself to a shepherd’s tent that is very easily removed and taken away. Then he likened his life to that of a piece of cloth on the weaver’s beam which could be cut off at any time, even before it was completed. Life, so far as we know, is very uncertain. We are in good health today. We do not know when our summons may come. It is therefore wise for us to be prepared for the exchange of worlds.<\/p>\n

According to verse 13 Hezekiah quieted himself during the night until morning with the thought that his situation was hopeless, that fate was against him, and that there was nothing which he could do. Then he expressed the conviction that with one fell stroke of God’s judgment the end for him would come. Thus when he was in this frame of mind, he declared that he was like a swallow or a crane which did chatter, and that he mourned as a dove while his eyes failed looking upward. Then in the hour of desperation he called upon the Lord to be his surety, to be his Redeemer (vs. 14).<\/p>\n

With verse 15, as stated above, Hezekiah now shows us the value of this wonderful experience to his soul. He therefore said:<\/p>\n

„15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.“<\/p>\n

In these words Hezekiah declared that God had spoken and that He had carried out that which He had promised. In other words, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3) The Lord had promised to lengthen his life and had done it. By this action Hezekiah was really living. He had come to the point where he had surrendered all and was trusting God to be surety. Because of this experience which he had had, he declared that he would go the rest of his life walking softly before God. When the Lord deals with a man in the interest of his soul–and He always does this–and when He puts him through some grueling experience, he should take these matters seriously and walk softly before God from that time on.<\/p>\n

In verse 16 Hezekiah declared, „O Lord, by these things men live; And wholly therein is the life of my spirit.“ These words interpret the trying experience through which he had just passed as a means whereby God had brought him into a new spiritual life; but he was not satisfied with remaining where he was at the end of this experience, for he wanted God to restore him fully and make him live the abundant spiritual life. This should be the desire of every heart and soul. Everyone should have the experience mentioned by the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 4:1, „Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.“<\/p>\n

In looking back over this special incident in his life, Hezekiah declared that it was for his peace that God had brought this experience to him. Moreover he realized that it was an act of love on the part of God in order that He might deliver him from the pit of corruption. Having his spiritual eyes opened, Hezekiah could see the love, mercy, and kindness of God in the entire experience. He realized that it had spiritual and eternal values connected with it. He had come to know God as his personal Redeemer and to be conscious of having all his sins forgiven. Thus he was granted perfect assurance. The same thing is true with reference to everyone who comes to know God in Christ Jesus. All who have accepted Him as personal Saviour have been regenerated, have been forgiven their sins, and the Holy Spirit has taken up His abode in them. It is indeed a wonderful thing to be saved and to be conscious of the completed transaction. To be saved and to know it is the source of the greatest satisfaction and encouragement to anyone.<\/p>\n

Hezekiah appreciated the extension of his life by fifteen years, for then he could labor in the Master’s cause as He had never done before. He could do this in the light of all eternity. Every day that God permits us to live is an extension of our life in a way, and we should appreciate this and live for God and for eternity. Life is very brief at the most. What we shall have in eternity depends upon what we are and do here. We are saved by the grace of God but are rewarded according to our works, and according to the spirit in which we serve.
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(Continued-December 1945)<\/i><\/p>\n

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Hezekiah did not want to go down to Sheol, where all the departed at that time went. His reason for this attitude was that those who go to Sheol could not praise God and had no immediate hope of being delivered. David expressed the same thought in Psalm 30:9. The same theme is discussed in Psalm 88:10,11. The picture of Sheol presented in the Old Testament is that of a rather gloomy, dismal place–even that portion of it to which the righteous went. When Christ, however, came from the tomb He brought certain ones out of Hades, and their bodies were raised and came forth out of their tombs after Christ was raised (Matt. 27:51-53).<\/p>\n

In Isaiah 38:19 appears a statement which should grip the heart of every mother and father especially: „The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.“<\/p>\n

Of course during our natural lives our chief business should be the praising of God and the doing of those things that will reflect glory and honor upon His name. All parents especially should praise God to their children from day to day. A family altar should stand in every home. Around it all should gather in the morning for the praise of God and the same order should prevail at the close of the day. Praise and worship are due the Lord. The redeemed of Jehovah should delight in magnifying and praising God because of His matchless grace which has been bestowed upon them.<\/p>\n

„Jehovah is ready<\/i> to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah“ (vs. 20).<\/p>\n

The Lord showed that He was ready to save Hezekiah and did so when he took Him as his surety. God is ready to save any and everyone today, who will come to Him. God loved the world to the extent that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth upon Him should not perish but have life everlasting. The name of every man, woman, and child throughout the entire world may be substituted in this verse without doing violence to it. God personally wills the salvation of every soul. If anyone is lost, it is not due to the fact that God has not loved Him and has not made all provisions necessary for his salvation. God will see that His truth gets to everyone, regardless of where he is or the circumstances, who hungers and thirsts after righteousness.<\/p>\n

After we are saved we should sing God’s praises all the days of our lives in the house of Jehovah. Of course, the house of Jehovah to which Hezekiah referred was none other than the Temple. The house of God today is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth: thus it should be the delight of every redeemed soul to attend the services of the church regularly and to join in with the rest of God’s people in singing songs of praise and adoration to the Lord because of the wonderful salvation which He has granted to us.<\/p>\n

From this brief survey of this marvelous song of Hezekiah we see that God caused Hezekiah to pass through the experiences narrated. Because of them he was brought to a saving knowledge of God and was assured of his salvation. He enjoyed a new life and a new outlook, took advantage of them, and lived accordingly. Nevertheless, as we shall see in the next chapter, he made a serious mistake. It was, let us believe, one of the head and not of the heart.<\/p>\n

In verse 21 Isaiah tells us that he gave instructions that a cake of figs should be made into a plaster and laid upon the boil which had broken out upon Hezekiah. This simple home remedy was used, at least to a certain extent, in the restoration of Hezekiah to his health. There can be no doubt but that his healing was a miracle. Nevertheless the Lord works in conjunction with men oftentimes and effects cures. Some times Jesus healed people instantly. Then again He restored sight to the blind man by putting spittle upon his eyes and having him to go to the Pool of Siloam and to wash. Circumstances alter cases. God can use the faithful efforts of an honest, conscientious physician in restoring health to one of His children. Then again, in answer to believing prayer, apart from all medical aid or human assistance, God can and often does restore one of His children to perfect health in answer to believing prayer. Let us take the Lord at His word and let us avail ourselves of all that He has for us.<\/p>\n

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The Visit of the Ambassadors from Babylon<\/span><\/span><\/center><\/p>\n

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At this time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered. Ostensibly these letters were to congratulate Hezekiah upon his recovery to health and to inquire concerning the wonder which had been done in the land as we have already seen. The messengers feigned these purposes, but in reality they came to spy out the land and to acquire all the facts concerning the military strength and the strategic importance of the situation in Jerusalem. The Babylonians were planning at that time, as the sequel of the story shows, an offensive war against the Jews.<\/p>\n

Hezekiah accepted the ambassadors in good faith and believed their story. It is quite likely that he felt rather flattered by receiving these letters and the present which was sent him. Being unsuspecting and feeling grateful and at the same time flattered that he had received such attention, Hezekiah opened up all his treasures of gold and silver and precious things and showed the ambassadors even the most secret things of the kingdom. In doing this, he made a fatal mistake. He failed to take this matter to God and ask for His guidance in respect to this most serious matter. We should profit by Hezekiah’s mistake. We should take all matters to the Lord in earnest prayer, requesting that He guide and direct us as to what we should do, how we should proceed, and when we should act. Unfortunately too many of us are hasty and impulsive, rushing into things without due consideration and without first asking for wisdom from above. The Lord revealed to Isaiah what Hezekiah had done and sent him with a message to the king. In delivering it, the prophet was very diplomatic and elicited from the king the information concerning his visitors and what he had done. Hezekiah was candid, frankly stating everything that he had done. Thereupon Isaiah revealed to the king the seriousness of his blunder and the consequences which would follow; namely, that the kingdom of Judah should be overthrown and the flower of the population carried into captivity. At this time it was revealed that the southern kingdom also would go. This prophecy was made something like a hundred years before the event took place.<\/p>\n

God overrules everything for the advancement of His cause, plans, and purposes. He uses the good deeds of men and also their mistakes and errors, weaving them into a fabric of providential occurrences for the carrying out of His beneficent plans among the nations. Of course, when the children of God are in perfect harmony with Him and do everything according to His will, their efforts will count most for the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, even their mistakes and the sins and transgressions of wicked men are in a similar manner worked into a chain of providential circumstances for the development of God’s plan of the ages.<\/p>\n

Isaiah’s prophecy is followed by Hezekiah’s statement to him:
\n„Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days“ (39:8).<\/p>\n

Hezekiah’s attitude seemed to be deserving of censure. He was not, one may judge, so very much concerned about posterity as about himself and his own generation. This may be a hasty conclusion, but one naturally arrives at it by at least a superficial reading of Hezekiah’s words.<\/p>\n

But the rough edge of this criticism may be worn off by his first statement: „Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken.“ It is altogether possible that Hezekiah thought of the fatal mistake which he had made and was willing for God to take the situation in hand and deal with it as He chose. Furthermore, his statement in regard to there being peace and truth in his days may be interpreted as an expression of thanksgiving and praise that God by His mercy had seen fit to postpone the judgment. But let us not make any excuses for ourselves or for others in trying to justify failures.<\/p>\n

With Hezekiah, however, we can say: „Good is the word of Jehovah,“ regardless of what it is. May we live for our own day and generation and also for the future of the people of God.<\/p>\n

With the conclusion of Isaiah, chapter 39, we have reached the end of the first main division of the Book of Isaiah. With next month’s installment we shall begin the second half of his prophecy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah
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Biblical Research Monthly-January 1945
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\nJEWISH EVANGELIZATION COMMANDED
\nChapter 40
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  1. God’s Special Message to Believers Regarding Jewish Evangelization (vss. 1,2).<\/li>\n
  2. Two Responding Voices.\n
      \n
    1. Voice of Faith and Hope (vss. 3-5).<\/li>\n
    2. Voice of Defeat and Discouragement (vss. 6-8).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    3. Instructions for Workers Among the Jews. (vss. 9-11).<\/li>\n
    4. The Message for Israel Explained.\n
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      1. The Greatness of Messiah Creator (vss. 12-17).<\/li>\n
      2. Messiah Jehovah, the Incomparable One (vss. 18-26).<\/li>\n
      3. The Appeal and Promise (vss. 27-31).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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        ISAIAH 40, judged from a literary standpoint, is recognized by many critics as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, documents ever written. This being the case, everyone who wishes to be well-educated should study this marvelous passage. Those, however, who wish to know the truth of God in order that they may conform their lives thereto should ask God to open their eyes in order that they might understand this great message.<\/p>\n

        When the chapter is analyzed, it is seen to fall into the following four divisions: God’s special message to believers regarding Jewish evangelization; two responding voices; instructions to workers among the Jews; and the message for Israel explained. These divisions are shown in the accompanying outline.<\/p>\n

        In the first division, Isaiah speaks to a group of people. This fact is seen by his use of the plural pronoun, ye, in the exhortation, „Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.“ These words are directed by the Lord to a certain people who worship the God of Israel as their God. Thus Isaiah brought a message from the eternal God to this group, whom he urges to comfort His Chosen People. Obviously, the ones addressed are able to comfort others. The Lord would never command them to do that which they cannot accomplish by His help. We may believe that these who are addressed have a comforting, consoling message for His people. When I read this verse in the light of the entire revelation of God, I know the ones to whom the Lord here speaks. They are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have the comfort of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, and who are able to bring a message of comfort to those in distress.<\/p>\n

        That the people to be comforted, in this case, are the Jews is evident from the exhortation in the second verse, „Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her …“ With this fact clearly in mind we can see immediately that the conclusion reached in the paragraph above–namely, that the ones urged to speak the comforting message to the Jews, are believers–is absolutely correct.<\/p>\n

        In these two verses, therefore, we see an exhortation given to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to evangelize the Jewish people. That this charge, which is the same as the one found in Isaiah 62:10-12, will be carried out is evident from Psalm 75:1. It reads as follows: „We give thanks unto thee, O God; We give thanks, for thy name is near: Men tell of thy wondrous works.“ This verse presents a vision of the time when Israel will be praising God because „His name is near: Men tell of thy wondrous works.“ She, jubilant and rejoicing over the prospects of Messiah’s coming very soon, thanks God for this newly-discovered hope and declares that men have pointed out His wondrous works in her behalf. The entire nation will be evangelized in such a way as to convince it that the coming of the Lord is close at hand. Then a wave of praise and gratitude will sweep over that entire people and they exultantly will thank God; because they have learned the truth from those who have been obedient to His exhortation that they (the believers in Christ) give them (the Jews) the message of the gospel. This same jubilant hope regarding Messiah’s coming and exultation in it, on the part of Israel immediately before He does make His appearance, is seen in the marvelous prediction found in Isaiah 30:27-33. Notice especially that in verse 29 we see this same radiant hope expressing itself in joyful anticipation of Messiah’s coming.<\/p>\n

        In Isaiah 40:1,2, God has given an exhortation to you and me, dear Christian friends, to speak this message of comfort to the heart of Israel. What shall we do about this? Are we obedient to this heavenly voice? or will we turn a deafened ear and thus lose a great reward? May God stir our hearts to do His will!<\/p>\n

        There are three things which we believers must proclaim in no uncertain sound to Israel. These are set forth in verses 1 and 2. The first item of the message is „that her warfare is accomplished.“ When Israel’s warfare shall have been accomplished, there will be joy and rejoicing. She will not need therefore any message of comfort. On the surface there appears to be a contradiction; instead a blessed harmony is seen when all the facts are known. Every day we use language like this. When anyone is laboring at a great task and has accomplished practically all the work, he very frequently says that he is through. It is quite evident that he is absolutely and literally not through, but has nearly finished<\/i> his job. This method of speaking is called the relative use of language. For example, Matthew tells us that all Jerusalem, Judaea, and the regions round about the Jordan went out and were baptized of John, confessing their sins. Nevertheless Luke declares that the Pharisees and the lawyers did not submit to John’s baptism (Luke 7:29,30). The facts show that Matthew used his language not absolutely–but relatively. In the same way, the expression, „that her warfare is accomplished,“ is used relatively. The time yet remaining, when the message is given, for Israel to endure suffering will be negligible in comparison with the long centuries of her wanderings and the pogroms which she has suffered. In view of the facts, these messengers of the cross to Israel can, with all propriety, say that her warfare is accomplished–just a little time until Messiah comes and stops all wars (Ps. 46:9). Taking these facts into consideration, I am absolutely certain that the prophet’s language was spoken to believers today, urging them, on the eve of the great Tribulation, to proclaim to Israel that the time is now very short and that she should accept her long-rejected Messiah.<\/p>\n

        The second item of the message is „that her iniquity is pardoned.“ Israel, like all other peoples, has many sins, but these evangelists are to tell her that her iniquity is pardoned. This statement seems to point to some definite, specific act of which the nation as a whole is guilty. When it is viewed in the light of related passages, it can mean nothing other than her national sin, which she committed in rejecting Messiah nineteen hundred years ago.<\/p>\n

        To tell Israel that her iniquity is pardoned is to explain to her the meaning of the cross and the blood of Christ, which is referred to in Zechariah 9:11: „As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water.“ The power of Satan and sin was broken at the cross. There, figuratively speaking, the „emancipation proclamation“ of the liberation of all men from sin was issued. Men must, however, accept this free gift of God in order to enjoy its benefits. On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves in America. When the war closed in 1865 the colored man was given independence and citizenship. Some, however, of the slaves did not wish to accept this liberty but remained with their masters in perpetual slavery. That matter was optional with them. Christ, by the shedding of His blood, issued the Emancipation Proclamation to the entire race. He conquered death, hell, and the grave and brought forth life and immortality to light through the gospel. He has offered pardon and redemption to all men. Only when anyone accepts this grace, can he enjoy the liberty and the life, purchased on Calvary for him. In order that men might accept this redemption, others must tell them of it. God gives a special command, therefore, to believers at this present time, to declare the message of the cross, which alone can blot out Israel’s national sin (and all others), to His Chosen People in order that they may repudiate it, accept the Messiah, be forgiven, and cleansed.<\/p>\n

        In the third place, believers are to declare to her „that she hath received of Jehovah’s hand double for all her sins.“ Increased light brings added responsibility. What advantage has the Jew? Much in every way (Rom. 3:1,2). God created this nation by a biological miracle to show forth His glory (Isa. 43:1-7). Having received all the advantages conferred upon her, God holds her responsible for the proper use of all these gifts. Since therefore she has sinned against light, God will punish her double for her sins. This is asserted, not only by Isaiah in our passage, but by Jeremiah in 16:17,18. The missionaries to the Jews are, therefore, to explain to Israel why she has suffered as she has through the centuries and why she will yet endure untold agonies in the Tribulation. This exhortation embraces our unfolding to her God’s providential dealings with her in the past and delivering to her the message with reference to the Tribulation as set forth, not only in the Old Testament, but especially in the Book of Revelation.<\/p>\n

        A person can only obey this injunction as he understands the great fundamentals of the same. It is, therefore, imperative that those who wish to obey the command of the Lord and to enjoy rich rewards throughout eternity prepare themselves to deliver this three-fold message adequately and convincingly. May the Lord enable us to do this and to give a reason to every man who asks regarding the hope that is within us (I Pet. 3:14,15).<\/p>\n

        In the second division of the chapter, we hear two voices responding to God’s call to evangelize Israel. The first is one of faith and hope (verses 3-5); the second is one of defeat and discouragement (verses 6-8). There are many men of many minds. All do not respond alike. Some have hearts receptive to the truth and eyes to behold the right. As soon as truth is presented, they accept and react most favorably. Such is the attitude of the first voice which the prophet heard. The one crying is a herald to the people, announcing the approach of Jehovah who is King over all the earth. He calls upon the people to be ready to receive this one. When the language of verses 3-5 is compared with an ancient custom of the East, one sees instantly that the prophet was thinking of the preparation necessary for Messiah’s advent in terms of that which was made in anticipation of an earthly monarch. For instance, when one king announced that he contemplated making a visit to another, his host would have a highway constructed from the border of his territory to his capital in order that his visiting friend might come in royal estate. This very thing was, I am told, done in 1898 when Emperor Wilhelm of Germany announced that he intended to visit Jerusalem. The Turkish authorities had a highway built from Jaffa to Jerusalem in order that the Kaiser might come in royal estate into the city of the Great King. A section of the wall of Jerusalem at the Jaffa gate was removed in order that he might ride into the city. This incident throws light upon the language which we are considering. The same thought relative to the preparation necessary for King Messiah’s return is clothed in similar language (Isa. 62:10-12).<\/p>\n

        Who is the one calling, in Isaiah 40:3, upon the people to make this preparation? This one can be none other than the herald of King Messiah. The Jewish interpretation, which is scriptural, is that it is none other than Elijah the prophet; for in Malachi 4:5,6 appears a prediction that God will send Elijah the prophet before the face of the Lord in order to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to the children before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Since the context of our passage is dealing with the second coming of Christ, we may be certain in concluding that this voice is none other than that of Elijah. Malachi’s prediction assumes the destruction of the home life and the alienation of parents from children and children from parents among the Jewish people immediately before Messiah appears. Elijah, according to the prediction, will come to restore the family relationship lest Messiah come and smite the earth with a curse. This herald calls upon the people to make preparation for Messiah’s advent. The passage, however, is quoted in Luke 3:4-6 and is applied to the ministry of John the Baptist. Isaiah’s prophecy falls into the second class, which is discussed in my volume. The World’s Greatest Library Graphically Illustrated<\/i> under the caption, „How to Interpret Prophecy.“<\/a> It will appear immediately that this is a literal prediction plus a typical signification.<\/p>\n

        This prophecy has figurative language in it, but it stands for a reality. In making a highway for royalty, the ancients often cut down hills, filled in valleys, and made a level road for the visiting king. Since the prophet was thinking of the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords, he naturally spoke of the spiritual preparation in terms of the material labor that was necessary in preparing for a human monarch. This is very clear and needs no further explanation.<\/p>\n

        Since this marvelous sermon is addressed to believers who are commanded to give the truth to Israel, and since the prophet sees Elijah urging his brethren to make the necessary preparation in anticipation of Messiah’s advent, we, who know God’s plan for Israel and who recognize that the time for His coming is fast approaching, are to make preparation for His advent by giving this message to her. May every one who reads this book likewise catch the vision and do what he can to make this needed preparation.<\/p>\n

        The second voice heard in response to Isaiah’s appeal is described in verses 6-8. This is a note of discouragement and defeat. The one uttering it is typical of a large class of people–even of many saved, regenerated persons. Their attitude is negative. They lack faith. They are near-sighted; although they are told what to cry and to whom to deliver their message, they still ask, „What shall I cry?“ The reason for their taking this attitude is that, „All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness there of is as the flower of the field.“ They excuse their non-obedience by saying that the seasons come and go; the grass springs up, develops, fades, and passes away. Thus they complain that one generation goes and another comes. Time goes on. If you ask me to be specific, I would say that these people, though they might be born-again, do not believe in the study of the prophetic word and do not realize that we are living in the closing scenes of this age. Thus, they do not become excited over anything but wish to be left alone to pursue their own courses undisturbed. The study of prophecy disturbs the complacency of the disinterested.<\/p>\n

        To this class, the prophet replies that the grass does wither and the flower does fade, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; but hastily He reminds the people that the Word of our God shall stand forever. Although they do not wish to read and study the prophetic word and are unwilling to obey His command in regard to evangelizing Israel, the Lord will carry out His program just as it is written. Let us remember that He does not fulfill His predictions according to the speculations of men, but as they are written. The signs of the times indicate that we are in the closing scenes of this era. It is for us to be up and doing, serving God, in every way possible, especially in obedience to this matter of giving the gospel to His Chosen People.<\/p>\n

        The third division of Isaiah, chapter 40, is „Instructions for workers among the Jews.“ These are found in verses 9-11. This message is for those who are responsive to God’s call to evangelize Israel. That this paragraph is addressed to Christian workers is evident from the command, „O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid.“ In the Common Version the translation is exactly the reverse and reads, „O Zion, that bringest good tidings,“ etc. But the marginal reading is the same as the text rendering of the American Standard Version. The Hebrew is capable of either of these translations. Thus, we must determine which accords with all the facts of this context in order to know which rendering we should choose. When we remember that what we have already seen in verses 1-5 is addressed to those who have the message of comfort, and who are commanded to give it to the Jews, we see that the text of the Revised Version is the only possible one. In view of these facts, I have put as the heading of the third section, „Instructions for Workers among the Jews.“<\/p>\n

        The worker in Israel who brings the good tidings from the Lord is not to be timid; he is exhorted in these words, „lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid.“ A person should know his message: he should know how to deliver it–and should do it with confidence, conviction, strength, and power in order that it might reach the heart of the hearers. He is to preach with no uncertain sound, speaking the truth in love.<\/p>\n

        The worker is to cry to the cities of Judah, to the daughter of Zion–the Jewish people. The gist of the message is, „Behold, your God!“ The word rendered „behold,“ as Professor Franz Delitzsch has well pointed out, calls attention to something in the future. Thus these missionaries are to direct Israel’s attention to the future. But what is central in their message? This question is answered in the next verse: „Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one.“ Here the messengers are to tell Israel that the Lord Jehovah will come as their Deliverer. In Psalm 45:3-5 we see the Lord coming as a warrior–victorious over all enemies. The very word used by Isaiah was employed by the psalmist. It occurs again in Isaiah 9:6 in connection with God and is rendered „mighty God.“ I can just as accurately render it „God the Mighty Warrior.“ From this verse, therefore, we see that God urges believers to evangelize Israel before the Messiah’s advent and to tell her of His coming as a warrior. Clearly, this ministry is to be conducted before He comes, because the messengers are to tell Israel that He will appear in this role.<\/p>\n

        On the other hand, we are sometimes told by earnest students that we are not to evangelize the Jews; for they, according to this erroneous hypothesis to which I have already called attention, are to be converted by looking upon the Lord personally at His return. This theory is contrary to the plain instructions in this passage regarding Jewish evangelization.<\/p>\n

        Furthermore, the messengers to Israel are to inform her that, when the Lord Jehovah comes as a mighty warrior, He will take the reins of government and will rule. From other passages we know that He will reign from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth, and of the increase of His government there shall be no end upon the throne of David (Isa. 9:7). When He returns in fulfillment of this passage, He will come with His reward and recompense. Then He, the Good Shepherd, will tend His sheep according to verse 11. This flock can be none other than the faithful remnant which survives the Tribulation, after the apostate portion of the nation has been swept away by the judgments of the great Tribulation.<\/p>\n

        In verses 12-31 the prophet elucidates his meaning and enlarges upon his description of Messiah, whose coming these messengers are to announce. The greatness of Messiah is set forth in verses 12-17. Here He is represented as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It was He who measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, meted out the heavens with a span, comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in balances. He was a great architect; He was a great builder–the great creator of the universe; He was the great chemist who compounded the elements in the proper proportions in order to make this universe what it should be. He is omniscient; therefore, He needs no one to instruct Him. He has all knowledge, and no one can counsel Him.<\/p>\n

        Furthermore, He is so very great that the nations are but as a drop in the bucket; in fact, they are accounted as dust on the balances. He is so very august that the country of Lebanon with its towering mountain peaks would be too small an altar, and all the animals which might be in the land are too few for an adequate sacrifice, and offering to Him.<\/p>\n

        The great Creator is the Messiah, whose coming the workers in Israel are to proclaim to the nation throughout the world. When we compare this passage with related ones, we see that the Creator of the universe is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ in His pre-natal state. Knowing these facts, I have placed as the first heading under the fourth division, „The Greatness of Messiah Creator.“<\/p>\n

        As a second heading under IV, I have selected the title, „Messiah Jehovah the Incomparable One.“ This mighty Creator is infinite in all His attributes; therefore it is inconceivable for one to make any image of Him. It is folly on the part of anyone to think that men with their limited, finite minds could conceive of any form by which to picture Him to others. It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers. It is He who stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a tent in which to dwell. He raises up princes and brings them to naught. He dethrones kings. He abases the judges of the earth. He overrules and controls the affairs of men.<\/p>\n

        This very Creator, whose coming the works are to announce to Israel, is the one who created the starry heavens above and whose power keeps each of these bodies in its proper orbit. He calls them all by name, and, because He is so very powerful, not one of them is lacking.<\/p>\n

        THE message to be delivered to Israel ends with an appeal in verses 27-31. Herein the prophet calls Israel’s attention to the fact that this God is omniscient and omnipresent. She must believe Him. She must trust Him, even though she cannot understand and comprehend His existence and being. All of them must yield their lives to Him; they must give Him their hearts; they must follow Him. It is He who gives power to the faint; it is He who gives increased strength; it is He who, coming to Israel in her last great struggle, will, as she waits for His appearing, renew her strength, so that she shall mount up with wings as eagles; so that she shall run and not be weary; and may walk and not faint.<\/p>\n

        \n

        \n

        weiter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah Biblical Research Monthly-December 1945 HISTORICAL PORTION OF THE PROPHECY (Chapters 36-39) (Continued) I. SENNACHERIB’S CHALLENGE TO THE ALMIGHTY Chapters 36:1–37:38 II. HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS AND THE VISIT OF THE AMBASSADORS FROM BABYLON Chapters 38:1–39:8. The Situation in the Hands of Hezekiah and Isaiah (continued) His eye is open to them … <\/p>\n

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