A FOOLISH KING AND A WISE ONE Isaiah 37:1. _And it came to pass, &c._ The message to which our text refers was sent by a foolish king to a wise one. Look at them both. I. THE FOOLISH KING. Sennacherib. Ignorant of God, he fell into various follies. 1. _Pride and arrogance_. Unaware that he was but... [ Continue Reading ]
A KING IN TROUBLE Isaiah 37:14. _And Hezekiah received the letter, &c._ The armies of Assyria had overthrown the cities of Phœnicia and Philistia. Samaria had fallen. Many of the strongholds of Judah had been destroyed. Hezekiah attempted to turn aside the tide of war by sending a tribute to the c... [ Continue Reading ]
NOBILITY AND SECURITY Isaiah 33:15. _He that walketh righteously, &c._ Those were terrible times in Jerusalem. The Assyrian power was exceedingly formidable; it was as ferocious as it was strong. The Assyrian had come up into the land, yet God had given a promise to His people that they should be p... [ Continue Reading ]
A KING’S PRAYER Isaiah 37:15. _And Hezekiah prayed, &c._ I. HEZEKIAH PRAYED TO JEHOVAH AS THE GOD OF HIS NATION. “O Lord God of Israel.” 1. The nation bore the name of one of its progenitors, who “as a prince had prevailed with God.” The name Israel had been more generally applied to the northern... [ Continue Reading ]
A CHRISTIAN PRAYER Isaiah 37:20. _Now, therefore, O Lord our God, save us, &c._ The conclusion of Hezekiah’s prayer. Sennacherib had accomplished the conquest of several countries, notwithstanding the protection of their gods. He declared that the God whom Hezekiah trusted would also be unable to d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH A CONTINUATION OF THE JEWISH Isaiah 37:31. _And the remnant that is escaped, &c._ When the power and splendour of the family of David were failing, the prophets foretold that the kingdom of the saints should one time be restored. Has this promise yet been fulfilled or not and... [ Continue Reading ]