Sermon Notes on Isaiah 37

Isaiah 37 Preaching Outline Notes
1. The historical Context.
Threats from Assyria and from Egypt upon Jerusalem
The Assyrian field commander comes to Jerusalem to get them to surrender. Isa 36.
Notice his invocation in vs 4-10
Especially
     a) On whom are you depending? vs 5
     b) Is it on God? Yet Hezekiah removed his high place says the commander. Vs 7. Implying that he was restricting worship.
     c) The field commander claims God has sent Assyria to conquer Jerusalem.- This is a half truth because God in chapter 10:5-6 only said Assyria conquers the nations – that Assyria was used by God for that!
     d) He speaks in Hebrew so that the people hear, not the diplomatic language of Aramaic. He wants the people to hear and rebel. vs 11

2. So what does Hezekiah do?
     a) He repents for Jerusalem. 37:1
     b) He doesn’t act like his father – He trusts God.
     c) He enquires of Isaiah.
     d) He prays vs 1,4,15 ?
Now in 37:6 God will act. Why? Because of whom He is!
     The Assyrians are wrong, their idols are man made!
         He alone is the true God vs 16.
                      Almighty God,
                      Enthroned –King above all nations
                      You are Creator.
Hezekiah pleads with God to be their deliverer.
     So Sennacheribs army of 185,000 odd die in one night.
     As for Jerusalem – She will remain a virgin – undefiled, not “raped” by the Assyrians vs 23.
     This word from God, this truth is guaranteed by a sign – 3 years! vs 30.
             God says I will look after Jerusalem.
             Why? For My sake and the sake of David my Servant. Vs 35.
             Here we see God values His character! He stands by What He says.
             David my Servant. God made specific promises regarding David’s descendants and he will stick by those promises.
So what do we learn here?
     What do we learn from God’s dealing with Israel and the Assyrians?
     What makes Jerusalem so significant?
                Because of all the cities of the world, Jerusalem is His City. His special city.
                Second, because God keeps His promises.
                      There is only one God, Creator, Almighty etc vs 16.
                      He will not be mocked.
                      He will bring to fruition His Promises.
                      He is the one to trust, not the idols of man.
     Hezekiah trusted God in face of overwhelming worldly wisdom to capitulate.
                         When even faced with overwhelming odds, He trusts God’s Word.
N.T illustration of Jesus’ faithfulness.
                      It is to listen to Jesus and obey his Word.
                      Not distort those words.
                          Not add to them like Eve did in Genesis 3.
                          Like the field commander did in Isaiah 36.

Historical side – Notice that though liberal scholars suggest 2 or three writers of Isaiah,  as  37:2 says Isaiah son of Amoz, as in chapter 1.