36:1  In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judea and seized them.

That was around 701 BC--remember, in chapter six where Isaiah has his inaugural vision, as a prophet, it’s 742 BC. So, forty-one years have elapsed since that time. That was in the last year of King Uzziah’s reign, and then there was Jotham , Ahaz, and now Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, in the fourteenth year of his reign. Fourteen is a very symbolic number because it has the numerical value of the name, David. And Hezekiah is a Davidic son, or Davidic king, a Davidic heir, on the throne of king David, in Judea.

And that was after they had conquered all the nations virtually in between Assyria and Judea, including, some years earlier, the northern kingdom of the ten tribes, and under Sargon, had taken them captive, to Assyria. And now they’re coming down again in another wave of invasion and they, actually, at this time, go down to Egypt as well. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, marched against all the fortified cities of Judea, and seized them.” He took all of them except Jerusalem, where he now comes to. Now all of this is a prophecy of Isaiah’s that was given many years earlier. In chapter eight, for example, Isaiah prophesies in verses six, seven and eight, “Because these people have rejected the waters of Shiloh which flow gently”--which represents a Dravidic dynasty, or the throne of king David--( at that time Aha ruled over that throne)...”and rejoice in Rein and the son of Regalia”--the people generally wanted to join in an alliance with the northern kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Damascus, against the Assyrian assault, against one of the Assyrian invasions coming down, and the Lord said, “No. Just depend on my protection.”
And so, therefore, because the people depend on the arm of flesh, on themselves and on their alliance--their human alliance--Isaiah pronounced this prophecy that the king of Assyria, in verse seven says, “Therefore my lord caused to come up over them the great and mighty waters of the River, the king of Assyria in all his glory. He will rise up over all his channels, overflow all his banks, “ like a river in flood. “He will sweep into Judea like a flood.” Now, at that time, they didn’t sweep into Judea. He swept only down to Samaria, as far as Samaria. “He will sweep into Judea like a flood, and passing through reach the very neck”--which leaves the head, or the capitol city, Jerusalem. “His outspread wings will span the breadth of your land, O Emanuel.” So, many decades later this is now being fulfilled in chapter thirty-six.

In the book of Isaiah, those earlier chapters, six through eight parallel chapters 36 through 40 in Isaiah’s seven-part structure, the bifid structure. So that the context of these chapters, 36 through 40 that we’re reading now--these chapters ought to be read in the context of those other chapters, six through eight. In chapters six through eight we have a rebellious son, or rebellious vassal, or rebellious descendent of David, king Ahaz, who doesn’t want to trust in the Lord’s protection and he wants to take his own measures. He actually made himself subservient to the king of Assyria, as a way of protecting himself and his people, instead of making himself subservient to the Lord. There, you have a rebellious vassal and also a rebellious people, the people of king Aha. They wanted the alliance with Israel and Damascus against Assyria. They depended on the arm of flesh instead of on the Lord their God, too. There, you have rebellion of both king and people, in chapters six through eight. And here, in chapters 36 through 40, you have the compliance, or the obedience, or the submission of God’s people and their king, to the Lord. So, here we have covenant keeping. And in these chapters we have covenant keeping; you will see what the outcome’s going to be. A radically different outcome from the outcome in chapters six through eight where the Assyrians actually came in and took captive the ten tribes, as a result of the Lord’s people’s unfaithfulness. So, we have a juxtaposition. All of those seven parts of the book of Isaiah juxtaposed with each other. These two blocks of chapters are juxtaposed and contrasted.

King Ahaz becomes a model for rebellion, and his people a model for disloyalty to the Lord. And, King Hezekiah, in this case, becomes a model for loyalty to the Lord, and his people’s loyalty to their king and to their God.. Exact opposite of what happens with Aha. Keep all of that in mind as we read these chapters. It was not because of the people’s wickedness in Hezekiah’s day that the Assyrians are coming and conquering Judea, in this case. It was because of the people’s wickedness in a former generation, when Isaiah, at that time, some forty years earlier pronounced that prophecy that the Assyrians would come in and go “right up to the neck,” leaving the head, like a flood.. And that’s what they’ve done here, that’s what they’re doing here. So, sometimes a future generation can inherit a previous generation’s--or the effects of a previous generation’s-- transgressions.

36:2  And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he took up a position by the aqueduct of the Upper Reservoir, on the road to the Laundry Plaza.

And that is exactly where Isaiah made the prophecy of the Assyrian invasion, some forty years earlier, at that very spot. That’s in chapter seven, verse three, where it says, “Go out and meet Aha, you and your son Shear-Jashub, at the end of the aqueduct of the upper reservoir, on the road to the Laundry Plaza.” So, it kind of heightens the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, years earlier.

36:3  And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, overseer of the palace, Shebna the  secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the record keeper, went out to him.

36:4  And Rabshakeh said to them, Please tell Hezekiah, Thus says the  great king, the king of Assyria: On what grounds do you behave with such confidence?

 Now, this is where he makes his speech, great speech, an arrogant, conquering type mentality. Rabshakeh says, “Please tell Hezekiah, thus says the great king, the king of Assyria”-”great king” means “emperor king”, as against “vassal king.” The kings of Assyria were emperors. They ruled the Assyrian empire, as king David, years earlier, had ruled as an emperor over the ancient near east, and so had Solomon, his son. And Hittite kings had ruled over large tracts of land, earlier. So did Babylonian kings. And they had vassal kings underneath them, in different parts of their empire. The Assyrians, however, set the precedent for ruling over the entire known world, at that time. They were the first world rulers of the known world, ancient known world, because they were the first ones to conquer. the ancient world by military force. That kind of lends more stature to this idea of a great king, or emperor king. “On what grounds do you behave with such confidence?

36:5  Do you suppose that in war mere words are sufficient tactics or show of strength? In whom have you put your trust, that you have rebelled against me?

36:6  It is clear you depend on the support of Egypt, that splintered reed which enters and pierces the palm of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him!

Now, Egypt was that other great super power of Isaiah’s time. There were basically two world powers: Assyria and Egypt. In the confrontation between the two, Assyria cleaned out Egypt; Assyria spoiled Egypt. So that, really, the only power that survived , or that was militarily the top dog, was Assyria. And Egypt was a great civilized nation but it was in decline at that time, which allowed the Assyrians to come in and overwhelm Egypt, as well. “It is clear you depend on the support of Egypt.” And one of the things that happened in Israel, a lot, was that in times of conquest from the north, or military threats from the north, they often would depend on Egypt for help, or strength. In this case, Hezekiah did not. It’s simply a false accusation. But we read in chapters thirty and thirty-one that there was quite a movement in Judea for trusting in Pharaoh’s armies of chariots and horsemen for protection, as it says: “Wo to you, rebellious sons,” in chapter thirty, verse one, “for drawing up plans, but not by me, for making alliances without my approval, only adding sin to sin. They are bent on going down to Egypt, but none inquired at my mouth on seeking protection in Pharaoh’s forces, in taking shelter in Egypt’s shadow. But Pharaoh’s protection shall turn to your shame, and shelter in Egypt’s shadow, to embarrassment.” And there’s lots of negotiations going on. But that’s not the case here, even though there may have been some of that in the past. The king of Assyria’s captain, or general, nevertheless, accuses them of that. We’ll see that that’s not the case.

Verse 6, again: “It is clear you depend on Egypt, that splintered reed, which enters and pierces the palm of any man who leans on it.” He uses that imagery of the reeds and rushes, down in Egypt, the bulrushes, for which Egypt was famous and a type of Egypt itself. A splintered reed is no longer a strong reed. It’s an old broken-down reed. It’s degenerating. And that did reflect Egypt in is decline at that time And, also, he’s making the point of depending on human help, which will be no help, just like the Lord said: “Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who rely on him.” Well, yes, sometimes in the past, and sometimes not--sometimes Egypt did help, marvelously, those who relied on him.

36:7  But if you tell me, We rely on the Lord our God, is he not the one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah abolished, telling Judea and Jerusalem to worship only at this altar?

or really, Jehovah, our God,--that’s what the Hebrew says--”Is He not the one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah abolished, telling Judea and Jerusalem to worship only at this altar?” Meaning, that this altar refers to the present worship of Jehovah, in the temple, at Jerusalem, where the Assyrians have now come to and are besieging the city. And it is a fact that Hezekiah cleaned up the worship of his people by abolishing the shrines and altars that were scattered around the land, the high places as they sometimes have been called. So that worship of the Lord Jehovah was centralized at Jerusalem because of Hezekiah’s reformation. King Hosea did the same thing. There were two righteous kings in Israel who did that. They took the out Sodomites out of the land, in other words they did away with “gay culture”, totally. They cleaned up their act; they went through a reformation. Now, this Assyrian general is using that against Hezekiah, as an argument against him. It’s just kind of ironic, because in the Assyrian’s minds the more idols and the more shrines and altars you have, the better. Because then you’ll get the favor of the gods, and they’ll help you. But they didn’t understand that centralizing worship in Jerusalem was better because then the worship of the true God would be maintained in its purity, rather than having it proliferated around outside with who-knows-what-kind-of-activities are going on. And if the syncretism with maybe pagan cults and Jehovah’s religion. And so, in his mind it’s kind of reversed; he sees it as a bad thing, where actually it was a positive thing.

36:8  Come now, wager with my lord the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put riders on them.

He’s the king of Assyria’s emissary. And here, you see just how an emissary of someone else can behave. He represents the king of Assyria, here. And throughout the Old Testament, when the prophets speak, they say, “thus says the Lord.” And so, they’re the Lord’s emissary--and this is a typical messenger’s speech of that kind. In verse four he says, “Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria.” He’s now the king of Assyria’s mouthpiece. Just as a prophet of God would be God’s mouthpiece to his people. So, he’s speaking in the King of Assyria’s name, with his authority. “Come now, wager with my lord, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put riders on them.” And he knows that they don’t even have enough riders to do that because they’re not trained in that, and they probably don’t have that many men, either.

36:9  How then shall you repulse even one of the least of my lord’s servants, depending as you do on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

that is, the King of Assyria’s captains--”depending, as you do on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” You don’t have any of your own, or not enough. And now you’re totally dependent on Egypt. You see, he’s really accusing him falsely, of many, many things, here, and he’s getting more and more enmeshed in deception and lies. That’s how Satan works, and that’s what’s gong on here. He’s trying to wear down the will of the people and their faith in the Lord to protect them.

36:10  Moreover, could I have marched against this land and destroyed it without the Lord? For the Lord told me to come against this land and destroy it.

which he has done,” without the Lord?” That is, without Jehovah. “For Jehovah told me to come against this land and destroy it.” So, now he’s assuming authority from God, the God of Israel, which is not his own God. His authority from the God of Israel-- his god was Marduk or some other Assyrian deity. And now he’s assuming authority from the God of Israel to come against his own people and destroy them. So you see how arrogant he is.

36:11  Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, please speak to your servants in Aramaic, which we understand. Do not speak to us in Judean in the ears of the people who are on the wall.

Aramaic was the “lingua-franca” of the ancient near east. It was kind of like English is, today. And most people spoke Aramaic, including the Judeans. “Do not speak to us in Judean, in the ears of the people who are on the wall.” Because these leaders of the people, Eliakim, Shebna, Joah were concerned that the people might hear Rabshakeh’s words and they might become demoralized and not obey the king in what they needed to do, in that situation. So, they were afraid that the people might hear, and so they asked them to speak in Aramaic, or in English, as it were. And he wouldn’t. Rabshakeh replied,

36:12  But Rabshakeh replied, Did my lord send me to say these things to you and to your lord and not to the men sitting on the wall, who with you are to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?

Meaning that we are going to lay siege to you until you have no more food supplies left, until you will be eating your own dung and drinking your own urine, because that’s how bad a shape you’ll be in.” Of course, that’s actually what they did. Starved people out until they were so weak they just ran in and conquered them, took over their cities. If they couldn’t do it easily through military means, they could do it that way, by starving them out. And in this case they would probably have to do that because Jerusalem was such a strong citadel, such a strong place. They had high walls and they had plenty of food supplies in the city. Now, that was also the case of the Roman siege of Jerusalem many years later, forty years after Christ. When the Romans besieged Jerusalem, it was also a strong city, and the tactics they used were also similar; they tried to starve them out. But, however, Josephus tells us that there were robbers; there were mob elements within the city , that he talks about , who went around destroying the food reserves so that the Jews could not last.. They were starved out by the Romans, basically.

36:13  Then Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in Judean, Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!

or Hebrew-- “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.” So, he used the people’s listening in on this, to advantage. He yelled even louder so they could hear better,

36:14  Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah delude you! He cannot deliver you.

36:15  Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely save us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

So, now he’s coming out with all this propaganda, and trying to whittle down the people’s loyalty to their king so that they will capitulate to the Assyrians and go over the head of their king.

36:16  Do not listen to Hezekiah! Thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me by coming out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,

36:17  until I come back and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and wine, a land of grain fields and vineyards.

So, in other words, submit to us. And our policy is to transplant peoples from one part of our empire to another. And that’s what the Assyrians did. They would conquer people, take them out of their own land, put them somewhere else on another people’s land, and bring people from other parts of their empire and put them over here.

It’s interesting that that’s what the communists did in north Africa, not long ago, before the collapse of the communist system. That’s what they did. They’re basically saying, “We’ll give you another land just as good as this one.” Of course it never is, but that was their policy. And also, that would destroy the people’s patriotism, because they’d be taken off their home base. What were thy fighting for? Someone else’s land? You know, their home was in Jerusalem, not somewhere else. Not in Damascus, or Mesopotamia somewhere.

36:18  Beware, lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, The Lord will save us. Were any gods of the nations able to save their lands out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

36:19  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they deliver Samaria out of my hand?

36:20  Who of all the gods of those countries saved his land from my hand, that the Lord should save Jerusalem from my hand?

He’s got a good point, because those gods did not save their countries or their peoples from the hand of the king of Assyria. He conquered them all. Or they conquered them all. Of course, the difference is they were false gods. Now we’re dealing with Jehovah who is the God of heaven and earth. In the context of the ancient near east his arguments are very powerful, if there were people like king Aha, a generation earlier, and his people.

36:21  But they remained silent, replying nothing, for the king had commanded them not to answer him.

That verse stands by itself because it says so much. It says, these men are loyal to their king and to their God, because the king is appointed of God and they are representatives of the people. It just underscores the whole idea of loyalty here, proper loyalty, proper protocol.

36:22  Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, overseer of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the record keeper, went to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and reported to him the things Rabshakeh had said.

And that’s proper protocol; that’s proper procedure. You don’t go around telling the people or talk to each other. You go straight to the authority who sent you. You report back. And they didn’t just report back, but they also went with their clothes rent, showing they were penitent and humble. And they were also greatly offended by the arrogance of the Assyrian general.

Chapters six through eight also have four sections. And they also have biography. This is basically biography. Chapter six is mostly in prose, except for a few verses where the Lord is speaking. And chapter seven is nearly all in prose. Large parts of chapter eight are also in prose, except where there’s prophecy given. So, these two categories of chapters six through eight, thirty six through forty are also a “generic” category, a literary category that is set off by being biographical material written in prose. Where a prophet is speaking and he’s speaking in the name of the Lord, and he’s prophesying, hat’s generally in poetry. And Hebrew poetry consisted not of rhyming words like we have in English, but of verses written in parallelism. Parallelism constitutes poetry in the ancient near east, both in Hebrew and other literatures of the ancient near east. There is rhythm and accent in poetry, in the parallel lines, like, “Edom’s streams shall turn into lava, her earth into brimstone.” That’s a parallelism. “It is the Lord’s day of vengeance, the year of retribution on behalf of Zion.” That’s a parallelism. So, it’s easy to recognize a parallelism. Prose is a continuous set of words; there’s no rhythm, there’s no parallelism.

Even though this is biographical material, and it refers to actual historical incidents that happened in Hezekiah’s day, this whole structure, this seven-part structure, lifts the whole book of Isaiah off its historical base and super-imposes the book on the latter-day context. So that even the biographical material then serves a purpose. But the only way it can do so is to serve a typological purpose. So that what happened historically becomes a type for the future, for the latter-days, specifically. As this is a paradigm for rebellion-- the kingdom rebels against Jehovah and aligns himself with the king of Assyria--the Judean king does--king Aha, the people are disloyal toward their king. They want to join an alliance with Israel and Damascus against Assyria. And here, we have the exact opposite. Here, the people are loyal to their king, and the king is loyal to the Lord. And that those two ideas are juxtaposed in this seven-part structure. The whole structure is like that. It has opposites themes, so that if you read any one part of the book of Isaiah, you have to read it in the context of its parallel counterpart. Because there’s stuff going on over here that has bearing on this.

That becomes especially pertinent when we get into chapter fifty-three of the suffering Servant, which talks about this suffering individual, whom many believe to be the Messiah, Christ, but some don’t. The Jews say that’s the people, the Jewish people. But, over here, we have its parallel counterpart. Here’s talking of the King of Zion. Here’s talking about the king of Babylon. Here’s talking about the God of Israel. Here’s talking about the false god, the god of this world. If you are going to understand about the one, you have to understand about the other, its antithesis. Many people don’t want to buy this. They don’t want to bother with that. They just want to read Isaiah and get it. But Isaiah’s not like that. Isaiah has these underlying structures. You have to come to terms with them. But once you do, it’s simple! It’s the key to understanding the book, that kind of unlocks the book. It shows that it basically has two dimensions: the structural dimension; the structures have messages all of their own. And you have the surface reading. They’re two sides of the same coin. You can never understand the book of Isaiah unless you look at both of those dimensions. The structures are very important.