Isaiah-37

 [Isaiah 37:1] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN KING HEZEKIAH HEARD IT, THAT HE RENT HIS CLOTHES, AND COVERED HIMSELF WITH SACKCLOTH, AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.
He tore his clothes and submitted himself to the Almighty.
He prayed. This king prayed often and his prayers were answered.

 [Isaiah 37:2] AND HE SENT ELIAKIM, WHO WAS OVER THE HOUSEHOLD, AND SHEBNA THE SCRIBE, AND THE ELDERS OF THE PRIESTS COVERED WITH SACKCLOTH, UNTO ISAIAH THE PROPHET THE SON OF AMOZ.       
These people had also been praying with the King.

 [Isaiah 37:3] AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, THUS SAITH HEZEKIAH, THIS DAY IS A DAY OF TROUBLE, AND OF    REBUKE, AND OF BLASPHEMY: FOR THE CHILDREN ARE COME TO THE BIRTH, AND THERE IS NOT STRENGTH TO BRING FORTH.                     
The renegade Israelite “Rabshakeh” had spoken in contempt of the God of Israel. The Assyrians were contemptuous of Judah and Jerusalem. When Judah is treated with contempt it is as if God Himself is being so treated. Also when Judah does not behave as he should the name of the Almighty is desecrated.
“THE CHILDREN ARE COME TO THE BIRTH” before our modern era when a woman was giving birth then she felt terrible panges just before delivering the child. If however something went wrong and she lacked strength to go through  the final stages then she would suffer terribly with no let up and be in danger of dying. If she had several children in her womb then I guess her suffering would be even greater.
I had a neighbor once who advocated natural child birth. She gave birth to several healthy children in her own small apartment. She claimed it was the only way to do it. MY impression was that her  female neighbors admired and envied her actions in this matter but they would not do the same since they were afraid of complications.

 [Isaiah 37:4] IT MAY BE THE LORD THY GOD WILL HEAR THE WORDS OF RABSHAKEH, WHOM THE KING OF ASSYRIA HIS MASTER HATH SENT TO REPROACH THE LIVING GOD, AND WILL REPROVE THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH HEARD: WHEREFORE LIFT UP THY PRAYER FOR THE REMNANT THAT IS LEFT.
Rabshakeh  had compared the Living God of Israel to dead gods as if they were the same. He was speaking in the name of Sennacherib and bore his message.
THE REMNANT THAT IS LEFT The lost Ten Tribes had been taken into exile and so had much of Judah who had joined the Ten Tribes.

 [Isaiah 37:5] SO THE SERVANTS OF KING HEZEKIAH CAME TO ISAIAH.

[Isaiah 37:6] AND ISAIAH SAID UNTO THEM, THUS SHALL YE SAY UNTO YOUR MASTER, THUS SAITH THE LORD, BE NOT AFRAID OF THE WORDS THAT THOU HAST HEARD, WHEREWITH THE SERVANTS OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA HAVE BLASPHEMED ME.

 [Isaiah 37:7] BEHOLD, I WILL SEND A BLAST UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL HEAR A RUMOUR, AND RETURN TO HIS OWN LAND; AND I WILL CAUSE HIM TO FALL BY THE SWORD IN HIS OWN LAND.
He will die in his own land, slain dastardly and not as a warrior on the battlefield.

 [Isaiah 37:8] SO RABSHAKEH RETURNED, AND FOUND THE KING OF ASSYRIA WARRING AGAINST LIBNAH: FOR HE HAD HEARD THAT HE WAS DEPARTED FROM LACHISH.
Rabshakeh had been sent from Lachish in the southeast of Judah. Sennacherib had conquered Lachish and exiled its inhabitants. The Assyrian depiction of  the siege and capture of Lachish and exiles from Lachish being taken to Assyria is well known. From Lachish Sennacherib had moved on to Libnah.

 [Isaiah 37:9] AND HE HEARD SAY CONCERNING TIRHAKAH KING OF ETHIOPIA, HE IS COME FORTH TO MAKE WAR WITH THEE. AND WHEN HE HEARD IT, HE SENT MESSENGERS TO HEZEKIAH, SAYING,                 
"     TIRHAKAH KING OF ETHIOPIA” in Hebrew “Cush” instead of “Ethiopia”. Tirhaka was the member of a Sudanese Negro dynasty who had conquered Egypt. The 25 th Dynasty of Egypt.  Tirhaka ruled over egypt 690-664 BCE.
In ancient times there were several powerful Negro kingdoms in Africa. They appear to have sent expeditions to the East into India and also to South America. The Olmeks were a Negro People from Africa who first appeared on the Gulf of Mexico ca 1200 BCE then by ca 800 BCE had gained control over much of the surrounding area.  BY ca 100 CE or earlier they had been wiped out. Gigantic statuettes of Olmecs have been found. Together with gigantic Negro heads and other similar depictions carvings of  “Caucasian” “Bearded” people had been found throughout Olmec areas. These people existed alongside the Omeks and shared their fate. They are described as “semitic-looking” and as from the “Eastern mediterranean”. Perhaps they were Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were reported as sending colonists in ships to the west coast of Africa.

 [Isaiah 37:10] THUS SHALL YE SPEAK TO HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH, SAYING, LET NOT THY GOD, IN WHOM  THOU TRUSTEST, DECEIVE THEE, SAYING, JERUSALEM SHALL NOT BE GIVEN INTO THE HAND OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA.

 [Isaiah 37:11] BEHOLD, THOU HAST HEARD WHAT THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA HAVE DONE TO ALL LANDS BY DESTROYING THEM UTTERLY; AND SHALT THOU BE DELIVERED?

 [Isaiah 37:12] HAVE THE GODS OF THE NATIONS DELIVERED THEM WHICH MY FATHERS HAVE DESTROYED, AS  GOZAN, AND HARAN, AND REZEPH, AND THE CHILDREN OF EDEN WHICH WERE IN TELASSAR?         

 [Isaiah 37:13] WHERE IS THE KING OF HAMATH, AND THE KING OF ARPHAD, AND THE KING OF THE CITY OF  SEPHARVAIM, HENA, AND IVAH?

 [Isaiah 37:14] AND HEZEKIAH RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM THE HAND OF THE MESSENGERS, AND READ IT: AND HEZEKIAH WENT UP UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, AND SPREAD IT BEFORE THE LORD.                   

 [Isaiah 37:15] AND HEZEKIAH PRAYED UNTO THE LORD, SAYING,                

 [Isaiah 37:16] O LORD OF HOSTS, GOD OF ISRAEL, THAT DWELLEST BETWEEN THE CHERUBIMS, THOU ART THE  GOD, EVEN THOU ALONE, OF ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH: THOU HAST MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH.
“O LORD OF HOSTS, God of all, of all powers.
GOD OF ISRAEL, and not like the ‘gods” of other peoples.
THAT DWELLEST BETWEEN THE CHERUBIMS, in the ark in the Temple. The Cherubims were in the form of angels: One was feminine, the other masculine. Commentators say that through matrimonial harmony a person can reach great spiritual heights.
THOU ART THE  GOD, EVEN THOU ALONE, the is no other, anywhere.
OF ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH: all peoples are under the rule of God.
THOU HAST MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH. All forces obey Him.


 [Isaiah 37:17] INCLINE THINE EAR, O LORD, AND HEAR; OPEN THINE EYES, O LORD, AND SEE: AND HEAR ALL THE WORDS OF SENNACHERIB, WHICH HATH SENT TO REPROACH THE LIVING GOD.
The reputation of God and of the People of God are one and the same. This theme is repeated several times in the Bible. An article on this matter should appear in a coming issue of BRIT-AM.
If Israel would be faithful to God we would be invincible. God would fight for us as He has several times in the past even though we may not have deserved it.
Everyone who believes in God, prays, and endeavors to lead good lives strengthens the forces of good in this world.  On the other hand if you do bad you not only do it to yourself but strengthen the forces of evil all over. Each one of us has a cosmic responsibility.  If you want good  for the world and others, be good. If you are weak and fall down just keep trying again and again. Never give up. Sooner or later you will be helped from above. The fact that you are reading this message is significant. Nothing is by chance.

 [Isaiah 37:18] OF A TRUTH, LORD, THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA HAVE LAID WASTE ALL THE NATIONS, AND THEIR COUNTRIES,

 [Isaiah 37:19] AND HAVE CAST THEIR GODS INTO THE FIRE: FOR THEY WERE NO GODS, BUT THE WORK OF MEN'S HANDS, WOOD AND STONE: THEREFORE THEY HAVE DESTROYED THEM.

 [Isaiah 37:20] NOW THEREFORE, O LORD OUR GOD, SAVE US FROM HIS HAND, THAT ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH MAY KNOW THAT THOU ART THE LORD, EVEN THOU ONLY.

 [Isaiah 37:21] THEN ISAIAH THE SON OF AMOZ SENT UNTO HEZEKIAH, SAYING, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, WHEREAS THOU HAST PRAYED TO ME AGAINST SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA:

 [Isaiah 37:22] THIS IS THE WORD WHICH THE LORD HATH SPOKEN CONCERNING HIM; THE VIRGIN, THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, HATH DESPISED THEE, AND LAUGHED THEE TO SCORN; THE DAUGHTER OF JERUSALEM HATH SHAKEN HER HEAD AT THEE.               
 
"  THE VIRGIN, THE DAUGHTER OF ZION”, Our deeds in the past may have been more appropriate to those of a whore but even with a little reprentance God considers us Virginal.
A little virgin daughter of the Almighty God of the Universe
HATH DESPISED THEE, AND LAUGHED THEE TO SCORN; she knows her father is taking care of matters.
 THE DAUGHTER OF JERUSALEM HATH SHAKEN HER HEAD AT THEE It is the way of young women to disapprovingly mock boastful males who make exaggerrated boasts of deeds they cannot perform.

 [Isaiah 37:23] WHOM HAST THOU REPROACHED AND BLASPHEMED? AND AGAINST WHOM HAST THOU EXALTED  THY VOICE, AND LIFTED UP THINE EYES ON HIGH? EVEN AGAINST THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.           
The mighty king of Assyria is suddenly represented as a Don Quixote like figure suffering from delusions of grandeur and charging windmills.

 [Isaiah 37:24] BY THY SERVANTS HAST THOU REPROACHED THE LORD, AND HAST SAID, BY THE MULTITUDE OF MY CHARIOTS AM I COME UP TO THE HEIGHT OF THE MOUNTAINS, TO THE SIDES OF LEBANON; AND I WILL CUT  DOWN THE TALL CEDARS THEREOF, AND THE CHOICE FIR TREES THEREOF: AND I WILL ENTER INTO THE HEIGHT OF HIS BORDER, AND THE FOREST OF HIS CARMEL.
“CUT  DOWN THE TALL CEDARS” The kings of Assyria and Babylon used the forests of Lebanon as a source of wood.
“THE FOREST OF HIS CARMEL” means (says Amos Chocham, "Daat Mikra" Commentary – which I use often ) trees bearing fruit and  maybe Mount Carmel in Northern Israel.

 [Isaiah 37:25] I HAVE DIGGED, AND DRUNK WATER; AND WITH THE SOLE OF MY FEET HAVE I DRIED UP ALL THE RIVERS OF THE BESIEGED PLACES.

 [Isaiah 37:26] HAST THOU NOT HEARD LONG AGO, HOW I HAVE DONE IT; AND OF ANCIENT TIMES, THAT I HAVE  FORMED IT? NOW HAVE I BROUGHT IT TO PASS, THAT THOU SHOULDEST BE TO LAY WASTE DEFENCED CITIES INTO RUINOUS HEAPS.

 [Isaiah 37:27] THEREFORE THEIR INHABITANTS WERE OF SMALL POWER, THEY WERE DISMAYED AND CONFOUNDED: THEY WERE AS THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, AND AS THE GREEN HERB, AS THE GRASS ON THE HOUSETOPS, AND AS CORN BLASTED BEFORE IT BE GROWN UP.           
 “AS THE GRASS ON THE HOUSETOPS” dust and dirt accumulates on the roof but is only shallow and grass that grows there can be blown away by a strong wind.     

 [Isaiah 37:28] BUT I KNOW THY ABODE, AND THY GOING OUT, AND THY COMING IN, AND THY RAGE AGAINST ME.
Judah in the eyes of Sennacherib was not just another place to conquer. It represented the God of Israel and moral imperative. Sennacherib was enraged against God since the concept of God by the Hebrews entailed moral restriction.  All anti-semitism is war against God.

 [Isaiah 37:29] BECAUSE THY RAGE AGAINST ME, AND THY TUMULT, IS COME UP INTO MINE EARS, THEREFORE WILL I PUT MY HOOK IN THY NOSE, AND MY BRIDLE IN THY LIPS, AND I WILL TURN THEE BACK BY THE WAY BY WHICH THOU CAMEST.
“MY BRIDLE IN THY LIPS” It was the Israelites (we believe) who revolutionised the usage of horses.  They introduced bridles and made cavalry forces more effective.  See “Lost Israelite Identity”.
A friend of mine (Yehonatan David White) studied different horse breeds and is convinced that the Arabian horse is descended from a breed introduced by King Solomon. The Scythians used a horse that had an Arabian strain in it. The movement of certain types of cow and sheep etc accompanied the migration of peoples.
It has come to our attention that certain researchers receive Brit-Am postings (directly or indirectly) because (I would like to believe) they get something from them and also because of informational “leads” we sometimes impart.

 [Isaiah 37:30] AND THIS SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO THEE, YE SHALL EAT THIS YEAR SUCH AS GROWETH OF ITSELF;  AND THE SECOND YEAR THAT WHICH SPRINGETH OF THE SAME: AND IN THE THIRD YEAR SOW YE, AND REAP, AND PLANT VINEYARDS, AND EAT THE FRUIT THEREOF.

 [Isaiah 37:31] AND THE REMNANT THAT IS ESCAPED OF THE HOUSE OF JUDAH SHALL AGAIN TAKE ROOT DOWNWARD, AND BEAR FRUIT UPWARD:
Even a small number of survivors can produce large populations in a relatively short time.
The number of unborn children killed in their wombs by abortions in the State of Israel equals the number of children murdered in the Holocaust.  We could have been much bigger and greater than we are. We still can rectify the situation if we wish.

 [Isaiah 37:32] FOR OUT OF JERUSALEM SHALL GO FORTH A REMNANT, AND THEY THAT ESCAPE OUT OF MOUNT ZION: THE ZEAL OF THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL DO THIS.

 [Isaiah 37:33] THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD CONCERNING THE KING OF ASSYRIA, HE SHALL NOT COME INTO THIS CITY, NOR SHOOT AN ARROW THERE, NOR COME BEFORE IT WITH SHIELDS, NOR CAST A BANK AGAINST IT.

 [Isaiah 37:34] BY THE WAY THAT HE CAME, BY THE SAME SHALL HE RETURN, AND SHALL NOT COME INTO THIS CITY, SAITH THE LORD.         

 [Isaiah 37:35] FOR I WILL DEFEND THIS CITY TO SAVE IT FOR MINE OWN SAKE, AND FOR MY SERVANT DAVID'S SAKE.
Even if Judah is not worthy at some stage or other God will intervene of behalf of Jerusalem and in memory of David.

 [Isaiah 37:36] THEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT FORTH, AND SMOTE IN THE CAMP OF THE ASSYRIANS A HUNDRED AND FOURSCORE AND FIVE THOUSAND: AND WHEN THEY AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, BEHOLD, THEY WERE ALL DEAD CORPSES.     
The angel slew 185,000 Assyrians.

 [Isaiah 37:37] SO SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA DEPARTED, AND WENT AND RETURNED, AND DWELT AT NINEVEH.

 [Isaiah 37:38] AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE WAS WORSHIPPING IN THE HOUSE OF NISROCH HIS GOD, THAT ADRAMMELECH AND SHAREZER HIS SONS SMOTE HIM WITH THE SWORD; AND THEY ESCAPED INTO THE LAND OF ARMENIA: AND ESARHADDON HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS  STEAD.

“ARMENIA” in Hebrew “Ararat” known to us from Assyrian inscriptions as “Urartu”. We discussed this entity in “Lost Israelite Identity”.  Urartu appears identical with the Land of Oz populated by mixed Edomite and Aramaen upper class ruling over a mixture of peoples brought in as settlers from outside by the Assyrians. Urartu  had been reconstituted by the Assyrians as an Assyrian state but it broke away. Urartu had connections with Italy and the rest of Europe. Depictions of the upper class of Urartu to my mind appear similar to a certain type of aristocratic Italian especially those depicted in Renassiance times.

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chapter 38