Saturday, April 21, 2012

Bible Scripture Reading from Isaiah

"Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 21 April 2012"

Today's Blog Title: "Isaiah Assures Deliverance"
Today's Blog Scripture Reading: Isaiah 37:1-38
Today's Blogs Key Verse: Isaiah 37:23 "Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel."

Horrified by the demand of the Assyrians, Hezekiah "rent his clothes" (a sign of mourning), and went into "the house of the Lord" (temple), and sent for "Isaiah the prophet."  Recognizing that "this is a day of trouble," the king went to "prayer" for the "remnant" of survivors within the besieged city.  When Isaiah arrived he spoke with great confidence, promising a miraculous deliverance by the Lord, who will send a "blast" (spirit) upon the invaders.  Thus God promised to send a spirit of confusion upon the invaders by means of a "rumor" (report) of the advance of the Egyptians led by "Tirhakak, king of Ethiopia," who was the most famous king of Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty.  This may also explain why Sennacherib himself did not come to Jerusalem to demand its surrender.

Hezekiah took the "letter into the temple and spread it before the LORD" as an act of his total dependence upon God.  In his prayer he acknowledges that the "LORD of hosts" is the "God of Israel" who dwells "between the cherubim," where his glory was manifested on the Ark of the Covenant.  In response to Hezekiah's prayer, God promised a divine reprieve of continued national prosperity when Judah will "take root downward, and bear fruit upward."

God promised Hezekiah that the "king of Assyria...shall not come into this city" because God will defend it "for my servant David's sake" (to protect the Davidic line).  "The angel of the LORD" is Christ Himself who often moved in power on Israel's behalf (Genesis 18:1-33; Joshua 5:13-6:5; Judges 6:11-23).  Just as He had earlier delivered Israel from the Pharaoh of Egypt (Exodus 12:29), so now He delivers Judah from the king of Assyria.  He "went forth and smote" 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. (WOW)  A parallel account is recorded in 2 Kings 19:35 which adds the words "and it came to pass that night" (the night after Hezekiah had prayed).  Hearing of the devastation of his troops at Jerusalem and of the advance of Tirhakah's army, Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, where he was assassinated 20 years later in 681 B.C. by sons "Adrammelech and Sharezer."  

Click on the link at www.cindi-davis.blogspot.com for Today's Bible Verse from Psalm 31:10.

Jesus Reigns!!! May God's Love, Peace, Strength and Grace be with you all.

Your Sister in Christ
Cindi
   
  

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