Isaiah 35-37

Isaiah 35

Restoration

• After judgment on the nations, God will bring restoration
• Wilderness and desert imagery
  • Wilderness and wasteland be glad
  • Desert will blossom
• They will see the “Glory of the LORD” 

• Weak will be strengthened
  • Strengthen weak hands
  • Firm up feeble knees
  • Be strong do not fear, God will save
• Sick will be healed
  • Blind see
  • Deaf hear
  • Lame leap
  • Mute sing

Waters will burst forth, no more thirsty land

Highway of Holiness

• Fools cannot wander onto it
• Unclean shall not pass over it 
• Whoever enters will not go astray 

The ransomed of the LORD shall return. 

Isaiah 36

Chapter parallels 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 32

• Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib

Assyria captures fortified cities. Rabshakeh sent as spokesman by Sennacherib. Hezekiah’s officials meet him

Rabshakeh mocks their allies (Egypt), their armies, and God. 

He continues to say that God is on their side and they havemilitary superiority

Rabshakeh insists on speaking Hebrew instead of Aramaic so that the people can understand him. He turns to the people and loudly gives a note from the king:

• He promises:
  • Peace
  • Provision
  • Life
• He mocks God

People do not respond and obey the command to remain silent. They bring the news to the king. 

Isaiah 37

This chapter continues from chapter 36

Hezekiah decides to seek the Lord. 

• He tears his clothes and covers himself with sackcloth
• He asks goes to the temple and asks elders to send Isaiah

Isaiah’s response

• Isaiah delivers reassurance that Assyria will collapse
• He says do not be afraid – God will send a spirit upon them. 

Rabshakeh returns and finds Assyria fighting against Libnah with an Egyptian intervention

• This was shown in Isaiah 20 and 30

He sends a letter to Hezekiah trying to intimidate him from afar. 

Hezekiah receives the letter and prays to God. His prayer recognizes God as the great and only LORD. He begs God to bring glory among the nations. 

God hears Hezekiah’s prayer and gives word to Isaiah (verses 22-35) 

• Assyria’s arrogance exposed
• Judgement will be delivered
• Assyria just an instrument

God gives a sign in verse 30 that there will be abundance in agricultural growth 

Angel of the LORD strikes Assyria

• No battle fought by Judah
• Assyrian king later assassinated

Application

Isaiah 35 gives us  a vision of both restored creation and redeemed people. Isaiah 36 gives us crisis to see where God’s people will place their trust. While we are not at war with other countries (yet…) we have other crises in our lives that can show where our hearts are oriented.  Chapter 37 shows the beauty of putting trust in God and praying to Him when we are at our lowest. God hears us and delivers us. What a beautiful picture of faith.