Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 17 – Verse 20
Verſ. 17. Incline thine eare, O Lord, and heare: open thine eyes, O Lord, and ſee, & heare all the words of Sennacherib, who hath ſent to blaspheme the liuing God.
HEnce we gather in how great perplexitie Hezekias was: for the vehemencie of his prayer diſcouers vntounto vsus a wonderfull meaſure of griefe, ſo as a man may ſee that he indured great combates which he ouercame not without much adoe. For albeit the affection and zeale of his prayer ſhewes the ſtrength and power of his faith; yet he therein repreſents vntounto vsus as in a glaſſe his paſſions that boiled within him. As ſoone then as we are to indure any ſuch aſſaults, let vsus learne from the example of this good King to oppoſe againſt the paſſions wherewith we are toſſed, that which may beſt ſerue for the confirming of our faith, that by the tempeſt it ſelfe we may be brought to a ſafe and quiet hauen. Let not the ſenſe of our weakenes any whit aſtoniſh vsus then; no, not when feare and dread ſhall preſſe vsus aboue meaſure as it were. For the Lord will hauehave vsus wreſtle valiantlie euen till we ſweate and tremble,God will hauehave vsus wreſtle till we tremble and ſweate. becauſe we muſt not thinke to goe to heauen in a fetherbed, or at eaſe, as we vſe to ſpeake, but after many combates God hath promiſed an happie iſſue to them that fight as they ought to doe, which in the end he will vndoubtedlie beſtow vponupon vsus.
But why doth Hezekiah deſire God to heare? Thinks he that he ſleepes, or vnderſtands not? No ſuch matter. But wee are wont to ſpeake thus in ſome deſperat caſes, either when wee thinke God abſent, or when hee ſeemes to make light account of our afflictions. Wee ſee he was ſo perplexed then that God (as he thought) had forgotten him; that is to ſay, according to the ſenſe of the fleſh: for had he not beheld him preſent by the eies of faith, he had vtterlie quailed. It is as much then as if Hezekias had deſired the Lord euen effectuallie and openlie to ſhew ſome worke for his ſaluation, which he had long hoped for before in the ſecret of his heart.
But why doth he pray that God would open his eies, and ſee? It is as much as if he had ſaid, Lord, let it appeare that thou haſt care of theſe matters. Now he ſufficientlie ſhewes where his paine held him moſt, namely, he longed to ſee ſome vengeance ſhewed vponupon theſe blaſphemers which offred ſuch outrage againſt Gods Maieſtie: for albeit this good King tooke great thought for the preſeruation of his kingdome and people, yet had he reſpect vntounto Gods glorie aboue all other commodities whatſoeuer.Hezekias reſpected Gods glorie aboue all things whatſoeuer. And truly the aduancement thereof ſhould touch vsus neerer, and moue vsus more then any thing elſe, eſpeciallie when we know that his glorie and our ſaluation are things that can not be ſeparated.
Thus Hezekias hauing brought forth this Tyrant vponupon the ſtage as a blaſphemous and hatefull enemie of God, becauſe Ieruſalem gloried in this title, The God of Iacob, and in his protection, he thereupon concludes, that God can by no meanes caſt off ye Citie which he hath taken into his owne cuſtodie, vnleſſe therewithall he ſhould renounce his owne name alſo. Seeing the Lord then of his infinit bountie is pleaſed to ioine his glorie with our ſaluation, let vsus hold faſt theſe promiſes, and let vsus fortifie our ſelues with them, namely, that although the wicked goe on in a vaine hope, thinking to ſcape ſcotfree whileſt they blaſpheme God, and caſt vp that poiſon out of their hearts which lurked before in them, yet there is not a ſillable thereof which he vnderſtands not, and he will in his due time bring them to an account for the ſame.
Verſ. 18. Truth it is, O Lord, that the Kings of Asſhur hauehave destroyed all lands, and their countrie.
19. And hauehave caſt their gods in the fire: for they were no Gods, but the worke of mans hands, euen wood or ſtone: therefore they destroyed them.
HEzekias begins here to put a difference betweene the true God and the falſe, which we alſo had need diligentlie to do: for the wicked that are not enlightened hauehave many confuſed thoughts of ſome diuinitie, which by and by vaniſheth away, ſo as either they thinke there is no God at all, or if there be, yet they regard him not. But God would not hauehave vsus lightlie touched with ſome idle or vading conceit of him,What knowledge of God is required to be in Chriſtians. but that we ſhould acknowledge him to be the true God, who by the brightnes of his power ſcatters abroad all the darknes of ignorāce. It is not enough then you ſee to acknowledge a diuinitie of I can not tell what, as prophane ones do, but God ought to be ſo knowne and receiued, that he be diſcerned from all Idols; and the truth ſeparated from lyes. And queſtionleſſe, when he hath once cleared our iudgements; all opinion of falſe religions which poſſeſſed our minds before, will immediatlie fall to the ground.
And ſo much the rather are we to hold faſt this doctrine, by how much the more many pleaſe themſelues in fond ſpeculations, thinking it ſufficient for them if they acknowledge a God at randon. Whether they ought to worſhip the god of the Turks or Iewes they know not: and thus they houer in the ayre, and touch neither heauen nor earth, as they ſay. There is not a worſe plague to be found, then ſuch an imagination, for thereby the true God and Idols are mingled together, whoſe Maieſtie is then tumbled downe from his throne, vnleſſe hee bee held as ſupreme head, and all falſe gods with their worſhip laid at his feet. The beginning of true pietie therefore conſiſts in a wiſe diſtinguiſhing of this only God, from all the troupe of idoll gods.
But Hezekias vſeth two reaſons by which he ſhewes they were no Gods. Firſt, becauſe they were made of corruptible matter: Secondly, they were the worke of mens hands. Now what is more abſurd then to ſee a man ſo much paſt ſhame as to be the forger of a God; not only becauſe himſelfe is not eternall, and God is: but becauſe he can not conſiſt by his owne power, not ſo much as one minute of an howre. For example,All the world not able to forme a ſillie flea. let all the world doe their vtmoſt to put all the wit & force thereof into one man if it could be, yet is he not able to make a poore flea: what pride is it then for a man at his pleaſure to put his hands to the worke, and to forge as many gods to himſelfe as he liſt? for ſeeing all that is in vsus is meerely earthlie and tranſitorie, we can expect but treene gods to come from the worke of our owne hands. Adde further, that it is the greateſt follie in the world to imagin vnderunder pretext of arte,No follie like this, to imagin that a piece of wood ſhould become a God as ſoon as the workman by arte hath giuen ſome forme or ſhape vntounto it. to faſten a kind of diuinitie to a corruptible and an inſenſible block; as if a peece of wood or ſtone began then to be god, as ſoone as it hath ſome purtraiture giuen vntounto it. Thus we may eaſily ouerthrow all the ſuperſtitions which men hauehave inuented: for ſtedfaſtnes and conſtancie muſt be ſought further off then in mens ſhallow braines: nay, I ſay more, all that which they hauehave inuented in that ſhop, is condemned as lyes, and things of nought.
Verſ. 20. Now therefore, O Lord our God, ſaue thou vsus out of his hand, that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou only art the Lord.
NOw this good King in the concluſion of his prayer ouercomes all feare, againſt which he had fought a long time; for there is no doubt but the helps wherewith he hath hitherunto furniſhed himſelfe, did much incourage him with boldnes to adde this ſhort clauſe. Now albeit God deliuers vsus not alwaies from outward troubles, yet in regard he had promiſed to preſerue and keepe the Citie, Hezekias was bold to beleeue that this tyrant which plotted his ouerthrow, ſhould little auaile by any of his deuices. And whereas he againe vrgeth the Lord with this motiue, That his glorie ſhall be wonderfullie aduanced, by the deliuerance of this Citie: thence we gather, that we ought to wiſh nothing more then to ſee the ſame floriſh eueryevery maner of way: for it is the principall end of our ſaluation, from which we muſt not turne one iot, if we thinke to find him mercifull vntounto vsus. In the ſecond place we gather hence, that ſuch are vnworthie of Gods help, who contenting themſelues only with their owne ſaluation, either forget, or ſet light by the end for which they are ſaued. For God by this vnthankfulnes is not only diſhonored, but they therein offer him great outrage in ſeparating thoſe things which at any hand ought to be ioined together. Doth not the glorie of his name ſhine in our ſaluation? And is it not the chiefeſt comfort and conſolation we hauehave, that it doth ſo, as we hauehave ſaid alreadie? Yes doubtleſſe.
Moreouer, Hezekiah not only deſires that the God of Iſrael may be onlie exalted of men, but would hauehave him exalted ſo farre forth, that all Idols alſo might be aboliſhed: for many Idolaters at that time would hauehave bin content that the true God had bin worſhipped amongſt the reſt of their dunghill gods; but becauſe he can away with none to fit check mate with him, all the gods which men hauehave forged muſt bee brought to nought, that hee onelyonly may obtaine the ſoueraigne Monarchy.