Assurance of Deliverance

Isaiah 37:1-20 

(2 Kin. 19:1–7, 2 Kin. 19:8–19)

1 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"

8 Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. 9 And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to make war with you." So when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?'"

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying: 16 "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 18 Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone."

Isaiah gave the message of God’s assurance in the midst of a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy.  They were seemingly helpless as a baby ready to be born but with a mother powerless to deliver that one into the world.  They prayed for the LORD to hear those assaulting words from Assyria and to judge and correct them as king Hezekiah entreated all to pray with him for God’s defense and deliverance.  The leaders took this message to Isaiah and received a word of assurance.  They were told by God to not fear, but hear the salvation as the LORD would fight the battle for them by causing false news which made the blasphemer to turn back to Assyria and the Assyrian king to be killed in his own country.  That was their assurance of deli by God’s own hand and power, not their own.  This is a picture for us of our salvation, our deliverance from sin’s penalty and power over us which blasphemes our Lord in the rebellion of our inherited and ongoing disobedience.  Grace is God delivering us by his work and power, not our own which only brings fear of defeat.  That is the power of the message of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is he good news of our salvation.  The enemy will contradict this just as the Assyrian king who further mocked the Lord and threatened His people saying that their God had no more power than all the (false) gods of other nations he conquered.  Hezekiah trusted God in the troubles and prayed.  He acknowledged that the LORD alone was sovereign God and no other just as the first commandment says.  He prayed that God would hear and see the reproach on His glory and the threats against His people, and then asked for deliverance to save them from the conqueror of nations and idols.  Hezekiah prayed especially that their salvation would be a testimony of who the LORD is by he power of His works as Jesus demonstrated (John 10:25-26, 37-38) when Immanuel walked among us.  He alone is God.  That was the message to the blasphemous king of the enemy of God’s people just as it remains today and always.  He is our assurance of deliverance for the salvation of our souls no matter what battles we face.  This is a recollection and reminder of the assurance of deliverance by God’s working which brings peace in tumult and hope in believing.