Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 39

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-8

  1. MID-LIFE STUPIDITY! (ch.39)
    1. FLATTERY! (1-8)
    2. 3rd Test (1-4)
      1. Read whole chapter!
        1. Q: What was Hezekiah’s sin here? (Pride, trusting in his armory?)
      2. “What could not be accomplished through an army or an illness was accomplished through flattery!” (Warren Wiersbe; pg.475)
        1. If Satan cannot succeed as a lion, then he comes as a serpent.
        2. Prov.27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
    3. (1) The 1st “Got Well card!”
    4. (2) Grand tour of his royal riches & armory.
      1. This was foolish, but pride took over, & discernment flew out the palace window!
    5. (3,4) Get the facts first!
      1. Prov 18:13 “He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.”
      2. Prov 18:15 “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
    6. (4) My wealth! My accomplishments! {most was from Solomon?}
      1. His problem wasn’t only swelling boils…but swelling Pride!
    7. Hez, how could you? – I was as dumb! (Los Alamitos story – I invited in the thieves, who returned my Porsche rims, into my apartment…they came back & robbed us!)
    8. Disastrous Consequences! (5-8)
      1. (5,6) Possessions - Hez don’t trust in your wealth!
      2. (7) People – not only the treasures, but the people.
        1. Even ‘your own’ royal descendants.
      3. (8) Unconcerned that he is storing up disaster for his descendants!
      4. The Babylon invasion was still 100 years off. [fulfilled lit. 586bc]
      5. Instead of repenting, he was relieved it wasn’t going to be in his day!
        1. How shortsighted can a man of faith become?
        2. He had no concern for the future of his people? (He sure had a concern for his future a chapter earlier!!!)
    9. This historical interlude makes for the segue into the next Part of Isaiah.
      1. We move from the Assyrian against Israel to the promised attack from Babylonian against Judah next.
    10. Q: When is answered prayer a bad thing?
      1. During his extra 15 years guess who was born?
        1. Read 2 Chron.32:33-33:1.
      2. Now God had purposes to do this, & I’m not even saying not to ask for extended life…I’m saying if he doesn’t answer understand there’s the big picture!
        1. Trust him to order your days! - Trust him, your times are in His hands!
        2. He always does what is best for us! – [Sometimes that is life, sometimes that is death!]
        3. Even with a child’s death – Sometimes God has compassion on the parents(sparing the child) & other times on the child (taking them home!)
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Isaiah 39". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/isaiah-39.html. 2017.