Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 5 – Verse 6
Verſ. 5. Goe, and ſay vntounto Hezekiah, Thus ſaith the Lord God of Dauid thy father, I hauehave heard thy prayer, and ſeene thy teares: behold, I will adde vntounto thy dayes fifteene yeeres.
IN his firſt ambaſſage,Why God propounds his name to Hezekias in a diuers forme. verſ. 1. he meant only to terrifie Hezekias, and therefore contents himſelfe with a bare propounding of the name of God,*As in verſ. 1. before whoſe iudgement ſeat he ſummoned this poore guiltie perſon: but now when hee brings meſſage of conſolation, he addes a particular title,*The God of Dauid thy father. to ſhew from what fountaine this fauour proceeded: as if he ſhould ſay; God is now mooued to ſhew merciemercy, ſo as he will not deale extreamely with thee, becauſe he reſpects the Couenant which he hath made with Dauid.
We know there is nothing more hard then to cheere vp the hearts of ſuch as hauehave deeply taſted of Gods wrath,Nothing more difficult, then to comfort the hearts of ſuch as hauehave taſted deeply of Gods diſpleaſure. with good hope of merciemercy; and to cauſe them indeed to feele that God is now become fauorable and gracious vntounto them. This confirmation therefore was neceſſarie, to the end this good king, being forlorne in himſelfe, might perceiue that life was to be reſtored him, whereof he was in a maner vtterlie depriued, becauſe the promiſe touching the perpetuitie of the kingdome of Iudah could no way be broken.
Thus he being in a maner halfe dead by reaſon of this meſſage, Thou ſhalt dye, the Prophet to incourage him puts him in mind of that promiſe which was then familiarlie knowne of all. I hauehave ſworne once by mine holines, that I will not faile Dauid; His ſeed ſhall indure for euer; and his Throne ſhal be as the Sunne before me, Pſal. 89.35.36. VponUpon this boord or planck, Hezekias caſts himſelfe to ſaue his life from ſhipwrack in theſe boyſterous ſtormes: for he ſpeakes not of Dauid here as of a priuat man, but as of an eternall King, which had the promiſe, whereupon Hezekias might ſtay himſelfe. I ſay eternall, not in himſelfe, but in the bleſſed ſeed. Now becauſe this eternitie was to be manifeſted at the length in Ieſus Chriſt, of whom Hezekias and the reſt of the kings of Iudah were figures, he had good cauſe to hope well, in regard himſelfe was the ſonne and ſucceſſor of Dauid.
As often therefore as our ſinnes do ſhut vp the way againſt vsus from approching vntounto God, that we might hauehave part in his fauor; let this preface be preſent before vsus. For howſoeuer by our own default he be eſtranged from vsus, yet he is the father of Chriſt our head, in whom our ſaluation lies alwaies hidden for vsus. To be ſhort, God who a little before ſpake as a Iudge, ſpeakes now as a louing father, by looking vponupon the mediator Ieſus Chriſt, who euer appeaſeth his anger.
Hauing left him way for hope, he now tels him that his praiers were heard of God: which doubtleſſe ſhould be as a goad in our ſides, to pricke vsus forward to the dutie of feruent praier. For albeit God of himſelfe be carefull enough of our ſaluation, and hath euermore preuented vsus by his louing kindneſſe, and that not onelyonly whileſt we ſlept, but euen before we were borne: notwithſtanding when he ſignifies vntounto vsus that all the benefits hee beſtowes vponupon vsus, are as the fruits of our praiers, our ſlothfulneſſe is vtterly inexcuſable, if being ſo liberally inuited to come vntounto God, we ſcorne to open our mouthes to call vponupon his name. Yet we muſt not thinke that our praiers doe therefore merit, becauſe God accepts ſo fauourably of them; but in giuing that freely, which of fauour he hath promiſed, he addes this declaration of his liberalitie, to the end he may the better exerciſe our faith. For it is no ſmall priuiledge to hauehave acceſſe into his preſence at all times, & frankly to powre out our hearts before him, and familiarly to caſt all our cares and anguiſhes into his boſome. Had not Hezekias praied at all, yet the Lord no doubt would hauehave taken order by ſome other meanes, that the gouernment of the kingdome ſhould ſtill hauehave continued in the ſtocke of Dauid: but that which he was bound to doe in reſpect of his truth, is attributed vntounto Hezekias praiers, to the end hee might acknowledge how great the fruit was he receiued from his faith, which he exerciſed in his praiers.
The Prophet mentions his teares, as a ſigne of his repentance, and alſo of his zeale and affection: not that they obtaine grace, or that they can appeaſe God of themſelues: but to ſhew that by meanes hereof, praiers which proceede from affection, are diſtinguiſhed from thoſe which proceede from the lippes onelyonly.Praiers which proceed from affection, diſtinguiſhed from thoſe that proceed from the lips onelyonly. Obiect.
In the laſt place hee addes, that God prolonged the daies of Hezekias fifteene) eeres, which at the firſt might ſeeme abſurd; becauſe we are created vponupon condition, not to paſſe one iot or tittle of that time which God hath ſet downe: as Iob ſaith; Thou haſt ſet him his bounds, Anſ. which he cannot paſſe: Iob. 14.5. But the ſolution is eaſie, that this length of time muſt bee referred to Hezekias his cogitation: for he was excluded from hope of a longer life, ſo as he was to account the yeeres following, as the leaſe thereof renued againe: no leſſe then if he had been taken out of his tombe, to liue vponupon the earth the ſecond time.
Verſ. 6. And I will deliuer thee out of the hand of the King of Aſhur, and this Citie: for I will defend this Citie.
THoſe who thinke that Hezekias was ſicke during the ſiege, ground their argument vponupon this verſe; becauſe otherwiſe they think this promiſe ſhould be ſuperfluous: but their reaſon wants weight. For the Aſſyrian might well gather his forces together againe, and prepare a freſh armie, both to inuade Iudeah, and to beſiege Ieruſalem. Yea, that diſcomfiture which he had before, might ſo kindle his rage and furie, as to giuegive a new onſet. The Iews then, you ſee, might iuſtly tremble when any ſhould ſignifie ſome newes to them touching the enemies approching. This promiſe therefore is not ſuperfluous, for with the hope of life, Iſaiah ſecures him from feare of the Aſſyrian, whom Hezekias might alwaies hauehave had in ſome ielouſie, if by this meanes the ſame had not been preuented. In which, we ſee how God ſtill amplifies and addes new mercies to the former, which he had ſhewed him: as in the Chapter before going, God promiſed him abundance of the fruite of the earth, with deliuerance from the ſiege.