Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 4 – Verse 8
Verſ. 4. If ſo bee the Lord thy God hath heard the words of Rabſhekeh, whō the King of Aſhur his master hath ſent to raile on the liuing God, and to reproch him with words, which the Lord thy God hath heard, then lift thou vp thy praier for the remnant that are left.
Obiect. IT ſeemes that Hezekias doubts whether the Lord would heare or no: for the particle Vlai, is tranſlated, if peraduenture; and it is taken in this ſenſe almoſt throrowout the whole Scripture. Anſ. But we muſt note that the faithfull are accuſtomed to ſpeake thus, though they bee moſt aſſured that God will ſuccor them. They are indeed ſomewhat perplexed, but it is onelyonly in regard of the difficultie, of the temptation wherewith they are preſſed. Hezekias might well doubt, if we looke vponupon the eſtate as it then preſently ſtood: but hauing turned his eies towards the word of God, hee became more certaine of Gods will, and then ceaſed to tremble any more. Now becauſe it cannot be auoided, but the fleſh will alwaies fight againſt the ſpirit in the faithfull, and ſo ouercharge them, that they are faine ſtill to drag ye wing or to traile the leg after them, they ſometimes fit their words according to the difficultie which preſents it ſelfe before them. And in other places we may obſerue, that Gods ſeruants hauehave ſpoken on this manner, though the matter were out of doubt. For when Saint Peter exhorted Simon the Magician to repentance,Acts 8.22. he addes; If paraduenture the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee: but hee therein counſels him not to tremble, or to pray in vnbeliefe, becauſe ſuch a praier had been in vaine: but he ſets before him the greatneſſe of his ſinne, that hee might quicken him vp with the greater feruencie to awaken at the laſt, that hee might proue a true conuert indeed. This word if then, is not put here in a doubtfull ſenſe, but ſign…fies that which wee vſually ſpeake, it may be, when we dare hope or promiſe ſomething to our ſelues.
Neither doth Hezechias ſpeake thus, as if God vnderſtand not what the wicked ſay, or as if he were vtterly ignorant of it, but becauſe this principle was fixed in his heart; to wit, that the Lord is neer vntounto all ſuch as call vponupon him in truth: he now therefore armes himſelfe with praiers, and is fully reſolued to withſtand all diſtruſt. And for as much as he could not attaine the goale without great ſtrife, he ſaith, peraduenture, or, it may be. Note alſo that he addes heere two ſorts of hearing, which in part reſolues this queſtion. True it, is that at the firſt there ſeemes to be ſome repugnancie in theſe words; It may be hee will heare the words which he hath heard: but it is a very apt kind of ſpeech; for Hezekias is certainly perſwaded that nothing is hidden from God. He onelyonly diſputes in himſelfe, whether God would examin this miſcreants blaſphemies. For in regard that he often defers his puniſhments for a time, and ſeemes to winke at mens impieties, it ſeemed that hee now alſo tooke no knowledge of theſe blaſphemies. Laſtly, he takes it for granted, that all things are manifeſt & naked before Gods eies: onelyonly he askes in ſome perplexitie, whether the Lord indeed will ſhew himſelfe diſpleaſed with Rabſhekehs railing, by ſome outward ſigne or no; that is, not to let him eſcape any longer vnpuniſhed? To be ſhort, he deſires to ſee the execution thereof, which is then performed, when God ſets thoſe things in order againe, which before were cut of frame and confuſed; and when hee ſhewes himſelfe the Iudge. For then wee proue by experience, that he hath indeed had reſpect vntounto the welfare of his people. Thus Hezekias askes; Lord, couldeſt thou not heare the blaſphemies of Rabſhekeh, to reuenge the ſame? or, art thou not able to ſhew that the glory of thy name is deere and precious vntounto thee?
When he calles the Lord Iſaiahs God, his meaning is not as if hee were peculiarly ſerued by one man onelyonly; neither doth he hereby cut off himſelfe from the number of the faithfull: but becauſe praiers flow from doctrines, this holy King ſpeakes honourably of the Prophets miniſterie, and teſtfies, that he is the true ſeruant of God. Sometimes this relation extends it ſelfe further; for all the faithfull doe iointly call vponupon God, who holds them all in the number of his people.How God is ſaid to be the God of Iſaiah and Paul. But he is called Iſaiahs and Pauls God, in regard of their particular calling.
Lift vp praiers.] This is the ſecond cauſe for which Hezekias ſent his Ambaſſadors vntounto Iſaiah; to wit, that he might alſo inioy the benefit of his praiers with others. In which we ſee, it is not the Prophets office onelyonly to comfort the afflicted, by ſetting the promiſes of life before them, but alſo to pray for their ſaluation.It is the Miniſters dutie not onelyonly to comfort his people out of the word, but alſo to lift vp his praier vntounto God for thē in their diſtreſſes. What is meant by this phraſe. To lift vp praier. Lam. 3.41. Let not the Miniſters and Preachers of the word thinke that they hauehave diſcharged their duty then, when they hauehave exhorted and taught thoſe that depend vponupon them, vnleſſe they adde praiers thereunto; for it is all our duties ſo to doe. But Hezekias ſent to the Prophet chiefly, that hee might ſhew the way vntounto others by his example.
To lift vp praier, ſignifies nothing elſe but to pray; yet the phraſe of ſpeech is to be noted, for it ſhewes how our affections ought to be ordered in praier. The Scripture in eueryevery place wils vsus to lift vp our hearts vntounto heauen, for otherwiſe we ſhall pray without any due reuerence at all to Gods Maieſlie. Beſides, our blockiſhneſſe is ſo great, that as ſoone as we enter into praier, there comes groſſe imaginations touching the maieſtie of God into our mindes; ſo as if he ſhould not call vsus away from them vntounto heauen, wee would rather ſeeke him vnderunder our feete, then there.
To lift vp praier then, is ſo to pray, that our hearts be not glued to the earth, nor yet that we conceiue ought of God, that agrees with carnall or fleſhly conceits: but attributing that vntounto him which ſutes beſt with his diuine nature; alſo that we aſpire vntounto heauen with an ardenſie of zeale, and with all our affections. It is in this ſenſe that Dauid ſaith; Oh, let my praier come before thee as incence, and let the lifting vp of my hands be as the euening ſacrifice.
Moreouer, Hezekias deſires Iſaiah to pray for the remnant that were left. This circumſtance might ſerue to bow the Lord: not that he is to be bowed, as men are: but thus hee deales with vsus, and is contented to ſtoope downe to our weakneſſe. Be it that our caſe is ſo deſperate then, as we are euen at the pits brinke, as they ſay; yet muſt we lay forth our miſeries before God, that thereby wee may gather ſome conſolation; becauſe himſelfe proteſts,Pſal. 9.9.18. & 10.17.18 that he hath reſpect vntounto the poore and needie. Yea, the neerer we are to deſtruction, with the greater affection ought we to craue his aid and aſſiſtance; as wee ſee Hezekias here doth, when all things were become deſperate.
Verſ. 5. So the ſeruants of King Hezekiah came to Iſaiah.
6. And Iſaiah ſaid vntounto them; Thus ſay vntounto your Master, Thus ſaith the Lord; Bee not afraid of the wordes that thou haſt heard, wherewith the ſeruants of the King of Aſhur hauehave blaſphemed me.
AS the Prophet hath told vsus before, that the onelyonly refuge the King had, was to aske counſell at Gods mouth: ſo now hee ſhewes that it was not in vaine, becauſe hee receiued ſuch comfort and conſolation from him as his heart deſired.
If in our diſtreſſes wee powre out our hearts before God, he will neuer diſappoint vsus of our hope. Note.By this example we are admoniſhed, that if we ſeeke reliefe from the Lord, by diſcharging all our cares into his boſome, wee ſhall neuer be left ſuccourleſſe. And albeit ſuch Prophets, as Iſaiah was, are not alwaies to be had in the world, yet will he not faile to meet thoſe that wait for his helpe in due ſeaſon, and with ſuch meanes as ſhall be anſwerable to their neceſſities.
Now Iſaiah ſaith in the firſt place, that he anſwered them in the name of God: for hee affirmes that God is the author of this his meſſage. The Prophets were alwaies to hauehave regard that they ſpake nothing of their owne heads: alſo, it was neceſſary that God ſhould come betweene with his authority, in a matter of ſo great conſequence. Thus then our Prophet ſhewes, that God preuented (as it were) the praiers of this good King. The falſe Prophets brag much of Gods name, yet falſely: but Iſaiah being the very organ of the holy Ghoſt, doth iuſtly come in his name that ſent him: and in that hee forbids him in the firſt place to feare, he therein would hauehave Hezekias to hold faſt his confidence, or at leaſt to wait in hope and ſilence.As oft as we heare this voice, Feare not: …hat peace which faith brings forth is commended vntounto vsus.
As oft as we heare theſe words feare not, let vsus know that peace which faith begets in vsus, is here recommended vntounto vsus: for all they which in reſting vponupon God, doe wait for deliuerance from him out of their trials, ſuch obtaine victory by their patience, ouer all ſeares; ſo as they inioy ſweet peace in the middeſt of the ſharpeſt troubles. Moreouer, that this good King might with the more cheerfulneſſe expect a ioyfull and an happy iſſue, our Prophet plainely ſhewes, that God takes himſelfe as a partie in this cauſe, which he now minds to take into his owne hands: for he cannot indure that the wicked ſhould abuſe his name. And therefore they are to looke in the end, that he will ſhew himſelfe a iuſt Iudge in puniſhing them for the ſame.
By the word ſeruants, hee amplifies the indignitie of the fact: for had the King himſelfe vttered theſe blaſphemies, it had bin a thing inſupportable, that the Lord of glory ſhould hauehave bin ſo proudly diſdained and reproched by a mortall man; much leſſe then ſhould he indure to be railed vponupon in ſuch wiſe by one of his vaſſals. And thus the condition of the perſon that railed, makes the offence more odious.
Verſ. 7. Behold I will ſend a blaſt vponupon him, and hee ſhall heare a noiſe and returne to his owne land: and I will cauſe him to fall by the ſword in his owne land.
SOme tranſlate; I will put my Spirit within him: as if the Prophet ſpake of ſome ſecret inſtinct of heart; but this is too conſtrained. The ſimilitude is very apt, in that hee ſhewes God hath a whirle-wind in his hand, which ſhall driue Sennacherib away before it into another place. The holy Scripture is often wont to vſe ſuch a kind of ſpeech,Pſal. 1.4. in comparing the wicked to ſtraw and chaffe; becauſe God is able with the leaſt blaſt of his mouth to ſcatter them whither ſoeuer hee will; euen then when they thinke themſelues at the ſtrongeſt. Hee compares the trouble then which fell vponupon the hoſt of Sennacherib, to a whirle-wind, which carried him violently out of Iudea. In the next place, he ſheweth that it will bee as eaſie for God to chaſe this enemy away, as it is for a whirl-wind to driue chaffe or ſtraw before it. The like is to bee ſaid of all tyrants, bee they neuer ſo ſtrong and mightie.
We may perceiue that the clauſe,The enemies of the church compared to chaffe. hee ſhall heare, is added by way of expoſition: & therefore I had rather reſolue it into a particle of ſhewing the cauſe, thus, For hee ſhall heare a noiſe. For he ſpeakes of this blaſt, which as ſoone as it was blowne, it forthwith repulſed and conſtrained Sennacherib to returne into his owne Countrie, by reaſon of the newes which he heard from Egypt and Ethiopia.
When the Prophet addes, that this tyrant ſhould fall by the ſword, it is as much as if he had ſaid; hee vexeth others, and indeuors to inlarge his Monarchy; but God will raiſe him vp enemies in the middeſt of his owne Country, which ſhall bring him to nought. Many expound; the Country, or, the land of Iſrael: but it is too conſtreined, for it is ſpoken of ye countrie of the Aſſyrian. And there is in this clauſe a cloſe oppoſition: He which conquered the Kingdomes and Cities of other Princes, ſhall not be able to defend his owne, but ſhall there be ſlaine.
Verſ. 8. So Rabſhekeh returned, and found the King of Aſhur fighting againſt Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachiſh.
HE ſhewes now how Rabſhekeh returned to his King without ſtriking any ſtroke, and returned not to the place where he left him: for his meaning is, that Sennacherib had raiſed vp his ſiege before Lachiſh, and was gone downe into Egypt to lay ſiege to Libna, which ſome thinke to be Peluſium: others ſay, it was a Citie of Iudeah. For it is very probable, that hauing heard newes of the ariuing of the enemie, he directed his armie towards Egypt, to ſtop the paſſages before them. Now albeit the Lord abated the furie of this tyrant by new warres, that he might thereby giuegive ſome reſt to the Iewes, yet he would not ouercome him by the hand of man, but only manifeſts and brings his vntamed pride forth vponupon the ſtage, becauſe he ceaſed not ſtill to belch out his wonted blaſphemies, notwithſtanding himſelfe was in great danger, as we ſhall ſee afterward.