BABYLON MAKES ITS APPEARANCE
Isaiah 39:1-8
I. Letters and a Present (vs. 1-3)
a. Who sends letters and a present to Hezekiah?
b. Why does he send these things to Hezekiah?
c. Was Hezekiah moved by this expression? _________ How do you know?
d. Was Hezekiah on guard or suspicious of this envoy from Babylon?
e. What other reasons may have caused Hezekiah to not fear the
Babylonians? Babylon rebelled against Assyria in 703 BC. They had been part of Assyria.
II. Bad Things to Come (vs. 3-8)
a. Why did Isaiah come to Hezekiah in this passage?
b. Does Isaiah ask specific questions relevant to the Babylonian visit?
c. God’s prophet foretells the future of Judah. How does it relate to what
Hezekiah had told Isaiah?
d. How extensive would be the plundering of Hezekiah’s/Judah’s wealth?
e. Would the impact be only in material possessions?
f. How does Hezekiah respond to this news of future devastation?
g. Does knowing that Hezekiah’s son Manassah will rebel against God and all
that his father had done to try to bring Spiritual reform to Judah (2 Kings
21:1-18), kind of explain why judgment would be coming (586 BC)?
Application: The news that Hezekiah heard was hard to hear, especially as it would impact his own flesh and blood. Knowing that Hezekiah had done what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 18:1-7), his response should not be understood as uncaring about his family, but with mature faith and understanding that God would only do what was necessary. Is our faith sufficient to acknowledge God’s sovereignty even when we don’t understand?
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