God weaves His story throughout His Word. These chapters detail three miracles including the appearance of turning back time, evocative of Joshua's long day.
Sennacherib king of Assyria taunted Hezekiah, blasphemed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and threated Judah.
Isaiah 36:3, “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.”
Reminiscent of Jonah who after his trip in the belly of the fish reluctantly preached as directed by God. Jonah 3:4, “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”
The king of Nineveh believed God and directed his people “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.” Jonah 3:8. As a result, the city was spared destruction for more than a hundred years,
Isaiah 37:14, “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.” Hezekiah gave his troubles over to God.
Isaiah 37:20, “Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.” Hezekiah appealed to God and His Name.
Isaiah 37:35 “For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.” God is jealous of His Name, suggestive of Ezekiel 36:22, “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.”
God was very displeased with Sennacherib and said through Isaiah, “Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.” Isaiah 37:29. Here something of an equivalency to Ezekiel 38:4. The death angel slays 185,000 Assyrians and Sennacherib returns home only to be assassinated by his sons.
Later Hezekiah becomes ill and cries out to God. God heals him and extends his life another rather unfortunate fifteen years.
Isaiah 39:1, “At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.” Rather than asking for God’s guidance, Hezekiah bragged about his great wealth analogous to King David counting his people. That didn’t work out too well for either King David or Hezekiah.
Isaiah 39:7, “And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Manifested in the Book of Daniel.
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