For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Isaiah 39:1-8

1 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses – the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil – his entire armoury and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, ‘What did those men say, and where did they come from?’

‘From a distant land,’ Hezekiah replied. ‘They came to me from Babylon.’

4 The prophet asked, ‘What did they see in your palace?’

‘They saw everything in my palace,’ Hezekiah said. ‘There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.’

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: 6 the time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’

8 ‘The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,’ Hezekiah replied. For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my lifetime.’

A. Find Out

1. Who sent what because of what? v.1
2. How did Hezekiah respond? v.2
3. What interchange occurred between Isaiah & Hezekiah? v.3-4
4. What word did Isaiah bring about Hezekiah’s possessions? v.5,6
5. And what would happen to some of his descendants? v.7
6. How did Hezekiah respond and why? v.8

B. Think:

1. What, in modern terms was Hezekiah doing in v.2?
2. What, do you think, might be the real reason for the visit?
3. What will be the long-term outcome.

C. Comment:

Bearing in mind that Hezekiah eventually died in 687BC and the fifteen years before would be 702, and Israel eventually went into exile in 587, this prophecy of Isaiah spoke about 115 years into the future.

It is occasioned by word reaching Babylon of Hezekiah’s illness and recovery, and the Babylonian king sending envoys and a gift to Hezekiah (v.1). There is no indication of the reason for them coming but it may well be that they took this excuse to spy out the state of Judah, especially as Samaria had fallen 20 years beforehand, and the northern kingdom no longer existed. Judah was the only part left of God’s people. Thus they come to check out Jerusalem.

Although Hezekiah has generally a good testimony and has recently been humbled by this illness, pride is still there and basically he shows off to the envoys, showing them all that he has (v.2).

Isaiah then questions him and gets him to acknowledge what he has done (v.3,4). A word of chastisement follows and Isaiah tells him that all his possessions will eventually be taken (v.6) and his descendants will be carried off to Babylon, the very Babylon to whom he has just shown off (v.7). Hezekiah just accepts the word for it seems a long time in the future (v.8), which again reflects a weakness in his heart. A right heart would grieve at the loss of Jerusalem and would seek to save it, by calling on the Lord.

D. Application:

1. Pride comes before a fall, it is said. Beware pride in your life.
2. Feel for God’s people as God feels, and anguish for their failure.