Isaiah-39

Isaiah Chapter 39

[Isaiah 39:1] AT THAT TIME MERODACH BALADAN, THE SON OF BALADAN, KING OF BABYLON, SENT LETTERS AND A PRESENT TO HEZEKIAH: FOR HE HAD HEARD THAT HE HAD BEEN SICK, AND WAS RECOVERED.
“MERODACH BALADAN” rebelled against Assyria. He was eventually defeated by King Sancherib. At this point he would have considered Hezekiah a natural ally. Babylon was always an important factor in the Assyrian Empire.  

 [Isaiah 39:2] AND HEZEKIAH WAS GLAD OF THEM, AND SHEWED THEM THE HOUSE OF HIS PRECIOUS THINGS, THE SILVER, AND THE GOLD, AND THE SPICES, AND THE PRECIOUS OINTMENT, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF HIS  ARMOUR, AND ALL THAT WAS FOUND IN HIS TREASURES: THERE WAS NOTHING IN HIS HOUSE, NOR IN ALL HIS           DOMINION, THAT HEZEKIAH SHEWED THEM NOT.

 [Isaiah 39:3] THEN CAME ISAIAH THE PROPHET UNTO KING HEZEKIAH, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHAT SAID THESE MEN? AND FROM WHENCE CAME THEY UNTO THEE? AND HEZEKIAH SAID, THEY ARE COME FROM A FAR COUNTRY UNTO ME, EVEN FROM BABYLON.
“A FAR COUNTRY UNTO ME” He calls Babylon a far country. Hezekiah was saying that he was important in their eyes.    Hezekiah had in fact lost most of his populace. Who had been exiled to Assyria.  He had been humilated by the Assyrians several times and it was only by a miracle that he had been rescued from them.  He was a holy man. Holy men do not always realize their own worth. They sometimes feel inadequate. Good and bad thinks had happened in his kingdom and technically he was responsible for all of them. He may have felt a certain need for re-assurance regarding his own worth.

 [Isaiah 39:4] THEN SAID HE, WHAT HAVE THEY SEEN IN THINE HOUSE? AND HEZEKIAH ANSWERED, ALL THAT IS IN MINE HOUSE HAVE THEY SEEN: THERE IS NOTHING AMONG MY TREASURES THAT I HAVE NOT SHEWED THEM.
Why did he feel a need tro show them everything? Why does he stress thiss in his reply to Isiah?

 [Isaiah 39:5] THEN SAID ISAIAH TO HEZEKIAH, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS:

 [Isaiah 39:6] BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, THAT ALL THAT IS IN THINE HOUSE, AND THAT WHICH THY FATHERS HAVE LAID UP IN STORE UNTIL THIS DAY, SHALL BE CARRIED TO BABYLON: NOTHING SHALL BE LEFT, SAITH THE LORD.

 [Isaiah 39:7] AND OF THY SONS THAT SHALL ISSUE FROM THEE, WHICH THOU SHALT BEGET, SHALL THEY TAKE AWAY; AND THEY SHALL BE EUNUCHS IN THE PALACE OF THE KING OF BABYLON.
“THY SONS THAT SHALL ISSUE FROM THEE” Meaning the sons of his sons that were still not born at that time.
“EUNUCHS” in Hebrew “sarisim” (singular: “saris”) which usually does mean eunuch but can also mean simply a servant. The original meaning of “saris” was servant or guardian of the king. This is how the word is employed in Akkadian the official language of Assyria. Later the name came to mean “eunuch”. In the Bible the word appears to be capable of bearing either or both meanings.  It appears that here the meaning is that his descendants will be servants of the Babylonian king. Daniel was one of these servants. Sannecherib employed a group of captive Judaeans from Lachish as his personal bodyguard. These later rebelled. See “Lost Israelite Identity” by Yair Davidy.  

 [Isaiah 39:8] THEN SAID HEZEKIAH TO ISAIAH, GOOD IS THE WORD OF THE LORD WHICH THOU HAST SPOKEN. HE SAID MOREOVER, FOR THERE SHALL BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS.
“BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS” This shows the character of Hezekiah. He was a king. He felt responsibility towards his subjects. How he discharged his duties as monarch was important to him.
This hints at the fault that had been found in him. He never sinned but it was as if  in his attitude he placed the discharge of his own responsibilities (in his eyes and in the eyes of others) before submission to the Almighty.

Chapter Forty