Title: Restoration of Israel / Isaiah 37:30-38
Israel was besieged by the Rabshakeh, and after a moment was doomed to destruction. King Hezekiah wept and asked the servant of God to pray for his country, and he went into the temple with a declaration of war and prayed.
1. God is a powerful protector for his people
(1) economic recovery
Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells Isaiah that in the first two years, the people cannot cultivate because of the war, but eat what comes from the ground. Even if the hands of the diligent are not there, God's blessing will give you abundance (verse 30).
“Three years” is only about one year from the prophesied period, according to Hebrew calculations. Meanwhile, the Assyrian army withdrew and Israel began farming and harvesting. It is the generosity of God who gives economic recovery.
(2) Salvation of the remnant
Hezekiah had already asked the prophet Isaiah to pray for the remnant. The remnant in verse 31 refers to the salvation of the remnant from the Assyrian attack. After the Babylonian captivity (586 BC), it refers to the remnant of the Babylonian captivity and refers to the Jews who believe and are saved eschatologically (Romans 9:27).
This remnant will settle down in Judea like a well-rooted tree and enjoy prosperity. God seeks and protects His people wherever they go. God protects those who “flee”, that is, the remnant, with God’s fervent zeal (verse 32). If we endure to the end and remain in the Lord's arms and in the Word of God, we will receive God's protection and powerful guidance.
2. God is a harm and a shield to those who trust in Him
The prophecy of the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem for the sake of God and the kingdom. God's protection of his people is to restore his glory and fulfill his promise to David (v. 35). His promise to David was that he would “establish his kingdom by his descendants” (2 Samuel 7:12).
It seems that the Davidic dynasty was temporarily suspended because the Jews were taken to Babylon, but it was God's way to purify his chosen people, not to completely destroy the dynasty. Later, with the coming of Jesus Christ, the Davidic dynasty will last spiritually forever (Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 37:24; Hosea 3:5).
God protects the city of Jerusalem and promises salvation. It may be for the people of Jerusalem, but it is actually for God Himself. Sennacherib blasphemed the Lord and urged the invasion of Jerusalem, but it failed and the kingdom of David succeeded.
Verse 33 was a great comfort to Hezekiah. More important than the daughter of Jerusalem shaking her head at Sennacherib (verse 22) and God placing a bridle in Sennacherib's mouth (verse 29) was more important for Hezekiah's assurance of salvation and comfort. The Prophet clearly states that the Assyrians will not even reach the city of Jerusalem and will return along the coastal road from which they came.
Sennacherib was encamped at Libnah. It is located about 60 km from Jerusalem.
There, when he heard that Tirhakah of Cush was advancing, Sennacherib's march to Jerusalem was stopped, and they did not reach Jerusalem.
God made a promise that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would not fall victim to Sennacherib's military operation, and as promised, Sennacherib retreated without sending any arrows toward Jerusalem (verses 33-34). The words “return to the way he came” (verse 34) were the greatest comforting words that reassured King Hezekiah. It was not because Hezekiah's army was strong or their operations were excellent that they failed to initiate a systematic attack and were routed. This is because God has become a sun and a shield for those who trust in you.
3. No One Can Stand Before God's Judgment
When God sent the Spirit, a messenger made the great soldiers dead in one night (verse 36). It is not known how they died, but it is said that one hundred and fifty thousand people died at once. The psalm of Psalm 76 was written against this background.
Sennacherib of Assyria was not only ashamed when his plans failed, but also spent about 20 years of fear and terror, fearing that the angel of God who had destroyed his army might kill him.
Sennacherib was killed by the sword of his son, who was supposed to protect him, and was met with wretched words offered as a sacrifice to the idol he had sought protection from. This is God's judgment.
God judges those who oppose Him, but at the same time He restores and saves His people.