By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 39

HEZEKIAH RECEIVES EMMISARIES FROM
BABYLON

   Vs. 1-2: 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. 2And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed 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 showed them not.

    1. Merodach-Baladan (whose name indicates that he was a devotee of Merodoch, the god of warfare, and of the planet Mars, Jer. 50:2) was the king of Babylon at the time of Hezekiah's sickness and confrontation with Sennacherib, (vs. la).
      a. In the first year of Sennacherib's reign he had attempted to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian - only to be defeated.
      b. Having heard of Sennacherib's humiliation, on the mountains of Israel (Isa. 37), the king of Babylon is convinced that profit may come from a closer relationship with the king of Judah.
    2. There appear to be three basic reasons for this embassage from Babylon that so suddenly appears in Jerusalem.
      a. As protocol would normally have it, they first congratulated the king of Judah:
        1) For his recovery from a sickness that almost claimed his life.
        2) And for the marvellous routing of the Assyrian from his land.
      b. Intent on solidifying his own independence from Assyria, the king of Assyria had sent letters to Hezekiah, which were then presented.
        1) These evidently proposed an alliance between Judah and Babylon which, according to the thinking of the Babylonian king, would strengthen the position of both against any further aggression by the Assyrian.
        2) There was also a gift for Hezekiah - expressive of friendship.
      c. And (according to II Chronicles 32:31), this delegation came "to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land of Judah"; strange things had been reported here which the king of Babylon did not quite understand.
        1) The turning back of the shadow on the sun-dial (a Babylonian invention) was something that deeply perplexed the Chaldean astrologers.
        2) And the unbelievable wonder of Sennacherib's humiliating defeat was something the Babylonian could not possibly comprehend!
    3. To test the true attitude of Hezekiah's heart, and because the king asked no counsel from Him, God is said to have "left him" to himself, (II Chron. 32:31b; comp. Deut. 8:2, 16; Ex. 15:25-26; 20:20).
    4. To say that "he failed the test" is to make a simplistic understatement! He did not adequately respond to the benefits so graciously bestowed upon him; but, he was "glad" (comp. Job 31:25; Psa. 62:10), and "his heart was lifted up" in pride, (II Chron. 32:25; Isa. 39:2).
      a. By a five-fold repetition of the word "his" (39:2), the prophet emphasizes Hezekiah's childish display, in directing the attention of his guests to the wonders of his palace and wealth, rather than to the "wonders" of divine action in reversing the shadow on the sun-dial, and restoring the king's health.
      b. Here is an amazing contrast: the ambassadors of the Assyrian set Hezekiah to praying (37:14-10); those of Babylon set him to proud boasting!
      c. Thus, Hezekiah aroused avarice in the heart of Babylon by a proud display of his rare treasures - his silver, his gold, his spices, his armour and his jewels - all that was found in his treasuries!
      d. There was NOTHING in his house, or dominion, that Hezekiah did not proudly display for his visitors!

   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. 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.

    1. The prophet of God was not blind to what was happening in Jerusalem; nor had the king been able to hide his delight in proudly displaying the rich treasures of his house.
    2. When the emissaries of Babylon had departed, Isaiah made discreet inquiry of the king, (comp. II Sam. 12:1; II Chron. 16:7).
      a. What message did they bear? and from whence they come? (vs. 3a).
      b. The reply of the king was that they came to him from a far country, even Babylon, (vs. 3b; Deut. 28:49; Jer. 5:15).
    3. Then the prophet further questioned the king (with whom he had always enjoyed a good relationship).
      a. What have they seen in your house?
      b. And the king answered that they had SEEN IT ALL! Nothing had been withheld from their observation!

   Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 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. 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. 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.

    1. Hezekiah has not inquired of the Lord in this matter; nevertheless, the Lord will speak to it, (vs. 5; Deut. 28:49-57). Isaiah's "Hear the word of the Lord!" (comp. I Sam. 13:13-14; 15:16-23), suggests the solemnity and authority of a divine decree.
    2. The day will come when everything Hezekiah's guests have looked upon will be carried away into Babylon, (vs. 6).
      a. All that is in the king's palace, (II Kings 24:10-15; 25:13-15; Jer. 20:5).
      b. Everything "thy fathers have laid up in store until this day".
      c. Nothing will be left!
    3. Furthermore, the kings' sons, as yet unborn, will be taken captive, to become eunuchs (incapable of carrying on the Davidic line) in the palace of the king of Babylon, (vs. 7; Dan. 1:2-7).
      a. Hezekiah forgot the lesson he should have learned from placing his trust in Egypt.
      b. He forgot the ability and faithfulness of God to shield him - as manifested in the overthrow of the Assyrian host, (ch. 37).
      c. He forgot the signs of divine care, as evidenced by the reversing shadow of the sun-dial, and his miraculous recovery from sickness, (ch. 38).
    d. Forgetting all this, he hastened to align himself with the king of Babylon, against the king of Assyria leading to the ultimate bankruptcy of his treasurers, and the loss of his sons; both swallowed up by Babylon, in whom he put his trust!
    4. Even today, the child of God who "keeps his own counsel", and leans on the flesh, will soon find that the world robs him of his spiritual wealth, while bringing weakness, emptiness, fruitlessness and death upon his offspring.
    5. Difficult as it was to bear, Hezekiah accepted the prophetic rebuke as a loyal servant of Jehovah, (vs. 8; comp. I Sam. 3:18; Job 1:20-21).
      a. He recognized the divine threatening as RIGHT, and fully deserved - humbling himself, and repenting of the pride of heart that had given occasion to the utterance of the prophecy, (II Chron. 32:26).
      b. He, further, acknowledged that, for himself, it was tempered with mercy - in that it would not be carried out during his own lifetime, (comp. II Chron. 34:28).
    6. It will be profitable to understand that the sin of Hezekiah was NOT the CAUSE, but the OCCASION, for the utterance of this prophecy, and the overwhelming judgment that was to follow.
      a. Seven hundred years earlier Moses had spoken of a general exile of his people because of their sin, (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64-67).
      b. Five hundred years later Ahijah declared that Israel would be uprooted and scattered "beyond the rivers", (I Kings 14:15).
      c. About 100 years before Isaiah's pronouncement, the prophet Amos had threatened them with "captivity beyond Damascus", (Amos 5:27).
      d. And Isaiah himself had previously intimated some future connection between the fortunes of Israel and Babylon, (14:1; 21:10).
      e. But here, for the first time, is the Babylonian captivity clearly foretold.
    7. Much of the remainder of Isaiah's prophetic record will deal with the outworkings of that which is here announced as inevitable.