Isaiah Chapter 39
MESSENGERS FROM BABYLON
Isaiah 39:1-8 NLT:
1 Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick and that he had recovered.
2 Hezekiah welcomed the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them all his other treasures—everything! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him,
“What did those men want? Where were they from?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from the distant land of Babylon.”
4 “What did they see in your palace?” asked Isaiah.
“They saw everything,” Hezekiah replied. “I showed them everything I own—all my treasures.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “
Listen to this message from the Lord Almighty:
6 The time is coming when everything you have—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord.
7 Some of your own descendants will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.”
8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “This message you have given me from the Lord is good.” But the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.”
The news about Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery had spread widely so that even people in Babylon knew about it (2 Chronicles 32:23). Hezekiah was a famous man, and other nations would be concerned about him and want to win his favor. The stability of Judah was important to the balance of power in that day. And isn’t it remarkable that it still is today almost 3,000 years later? At this time, Babylon was not a great world power; and few people would have thought that Assyria would one day collapse and be replaced by Babylon. Of course, God knew, but Hezekiah did not seek His guidance.
The stated reason for the diplomatic mission was to honor Hezekiah and officially rejoice at his recovery. But the real reason was to obtain information about the financial resources of the nation of Judah. After all, Babylon might need some of that wealth in their future negotiations or battles.
When Satan cannot defeat us as the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8–9), he comes as the deceiving serpent (2 Corinthians 11:3). What Assyria could not do with weapons, Babylon did with gifts. God permitted the enemy to test Hezekiah so that the proud king might learn what was really in his own heart (2 Chronicles 32:31).
It was certainly a mistake for Hezekiah to show his visitors all his wealth, but pride made him do it. After a time of severe suffering, sometimes it feels so good just to feel good that we get off guard and fail to watch and pray. The king was basking in fame and wealth and apparently neglecting his spiritual life. Hezekiah was safer as a sick man in bed than as a healthy man on the throne. Had he consulted first with Isaiah, the king would have avoided blundering as he did.
The prophet reminded Hezekiah that, as king, he was only the steward of Judah’s wealth and not the owner. Some of that wealth had come from previous kings, and Hezekiah could claim no credit for it. All of us are mere stewards of what God has given to us, and we have no right to boast about anything. 1 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV:
For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?”
John 3:27, NKJV:
A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
Isaiah 39:7 is Isaiah’s first explicit announcement of the future Babylonian Captivity of Judah. In spite of Hezekiah’s reforms, the nation decayed spiritually during the next century; and in 586 B.C., Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the people captive. Hezekiah’s sin was not the cause of this judgment, for the sins of rulers, priests, and false prophets mounted up from year to year till God could take it no longer (2 Chronicles 36:13–16).
Is Hezekiah’s response in Isaiah 39:8 an expression of relief that he has escaped trouble? If so, it would certainly be heartless on his part to rejoice that future generations would suffer what he should have suffered. His statement is more likely an expression of his humble acceptance of God’s will, and 2 Chronicles 32:26 bears this out. The king did humble himself before God, and God forgave him.
Even the greatest and most godly of the Lord’s servants can become proud and disobey God, so we must pray for Christian leaders that they will stay humble before their Master. We must also pray for ourselves to maintain an attitude of humility, that sense that all we have comes from God because of His grace.
But if any of His servants do sin, the Lord is willing to forgive when they sincerely repent and confess to Him (1 John 1:9). Psalm 51:17 tells us: “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise”[fn]
Next we begin the second half of the book of Isaiah in chapter 40. Chapters 1–39 emphasized judgment and looked ahead to invasion and the ultimate destruction of Judah. The prophecies (predictions) of chapters 40–66 occurs after these tragic events, and Isaiah looks even further ahead to God’s ultimate triumph through the first and second comings of Jesus Christ in the future. While both judgment and comfort are found in each half of Isaiah, the emphasis of the first half is on judgment and that of the second on comfort.[fn]
[fn] Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1992. Be comforted. An Old Testament study. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
[fn] Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader's companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
