90 英翻中(以賽亞8章) GOD SAVE THE KING! 上帝拯救這王! 6/18/2025
CHAPTER EIGHT 第8章 Isaiah 36—39 以賽亞 36—39 GOD SAVE THE KING! 上帝拯救這王!
Former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger once told the New York Times, “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” Crises come, whether schedules permit them or not, and sometimes crises seem to pile up. How do we handle them? What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. A crisis does not make a person; it shows what a person is made of. 美國前國務卿亨利·基辛格博士曾對《紐約時報》說：「下週不可能有危機。我的日程已經排滿了。」無論日程安排是否允許，危機都會到來，有時危機似乎層出不窮。我們該如何應對？生活對我們的影響取決於生活如何發現我們。危機並不能塑造一個人，它只能展現一個人的本質。
Hezekiah faced three crises in a short time: an inter national crisis (the invasion of the Assyrian army), a personal crisis (sickness and near death), and a national crisis (the visit of the Babylonian envoys). He came through the first two victoriously, but the third one tripped him up. Hezekiah was a great and godly man, but he was still a man, and that meant he had all the frailties of human flesh. However, before we find fault with him, we had better examine our own lives to see how successfully we have handled our own tests. 希西家在短時間內面臨三場危機：一場國際危機（亞述軍隊的入侵），一場個人危機（疾病與瀕死），以及一場國家危機（巴比倫使者的來訪）。他勝利地度過了前兩次危機，但第三次危機讓他跌倒了。希西家是一位偉大而敬虔的人，但他畢竟是人，這意味著他擁有凡人所有的弱點。然而，在我們批評他之前，最好先檢視自己的人生，看看我們是如何成功地應對這些考驗的。
The Invasion Crisis (36:1—37:38; 2 Kings 18—19; 2 Chron. 32) 入侵危機（36:1-37:38；列王紀下18-19；代下32）
Crises often come when circumstances seem to be at their best. Hezekiah had led the nation in a great reformation, and the people were reunited in the fear of the Lord. They had put away their idols, restored the temple services, and sought the blessing of their God. But instead of receiving blessing, they found themselves facing battles! “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah” (2 Chron. 32:1 niv). 危機往往在看似最美好的時候降臨。希西家領導國家進行了一場偉大的改革，人民在敬畏耶和華的氛圍中重新團結起來。他們除掉了偶像，恢復了聖殿的禮拜，並尋求上帝的祝福。然而，他們非但沒有得到祝福，反而發現自己面臨戰爭！ 「希西家如此忠心地行了這一切之後，亞述王西拿基立就來入侵猶大。」（歷代誌下32:1，新國際版）
Had God turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to all that Hezekiah and his people had done? Of course not! The Assyrian invasion was a part of God’s discipline to teach His people to trust Him alone. Even Hezekiah had at first put his trust in treaties and treasures (2 Kings 18:13–16), only to learn that the enemy will keep the wealth but not keep his word. Judah had negotiated to get help from Egypt, an act of unbelief that Isaiah severely rebuked (Isa. 30:1–7; 31:1–3). God’s great purpose in the life of faith is to build godly character. Hezekiah and his people needed to learn that faith is living without scheming. 若上帝對希西家和他的人民所做的一切視而不見、充耳不聞嗎？當然不是！亞述入侵是上帝管教的一部分，目的是教導祂的子民單單信靠祂。連希西家起初也倚靠條約和財富（列王紀下18:13-16），後來卻發現敵人會保有財富，卻不會遵守諾言。猶大曾與埃及談判求助，這種不信的行為遭到以賽亞的嚴厲斥責（賽30:1-7；31:1-3）。上帝在信心生活中的偉大目的是要塑造敬虔的品格。希西家和他的人民需要明白，信心就是不圖謀不軌。
The Assyrians had ravaged Judah and were now at Lachish, about thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem. According to 2 Kings 18:17, Sennacherib sent three of his most important officers to arrange for Hezekiah’s sur render of the city: Tartan (“Supreme Commander”), Rabsaris (“Chief Officer”), and Rabshakeh (“Field Commander”). These are military titles, not personal names. The three men were met by three of Judah’s lead ing officials: Eliakim, Shebna (see Isa. 22:15–25), and Joah (36:3). 亞述人蹂躪猶大，如今已攻占耶路撒冷西南方約30哩的拉吉。根據列王紀下18:17，西拿基立派了三個最重要的官員去安排希西家收復耶路撒冷：他探（「最高統帥」）、拉布沙裡斯（「總司令」）和拉伯沙基（「戰地指揮官」）。這些都是軍事頭銜，而非個人姓名。這三個人遇到了猶大的三位主要官員：以利亞敬、舍伯那（參考賽 22:15-25）和約亞（36:3）。
The place of their meeting is significant, for it is the very place where Isaiah confronted Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, some thirty years before (7:3). Ahaz had refused to trust the Lord but had instead made a treaty with Assyria (2 Kings 16:5–9), and now the Assyrians were ready to take Jerusalem! Isaiah had warned Ahaz what Assyria would do (Isa. 7:17–25), and his words were now fulfilled. 他們會面的地點意義重大，因為這正是三十年前以賽亞與希西家的父親亞哈斯對峙的地方（7:3）。亞哈斯拒絕信靠耶和華，反而與亞述立約（列王紀下 16:5-9），現在亞述人準備攻佔耶路撒冷！以賽亞已經警告亞哈斯亞述會做什麼（賽 7:17-25），現在他的話應驗了。 Reproach (Isa. 36:4–21). The field comman der’s speech is one of the most insolent and blasphemous found anywhere in Scripture, for he reproached the God of Israel (37:4, 17, 23–24). He emphasized the “greatness” of the king of Assyria (36:4, 13) because he knew the common people were listening and he wanted to frighten them (vv. 11–12). His speech is a masterful piece of psycho logical warfare in which he discredits everything that the Jews held dear. The key word is trust, used seven times (vv. 4–7, 9, 15). “In what is your confidence?” asked the field commander. “You can have no confi dence, for everything you trust in has failed!” 責備（賽 36:4-21）。這位戰地指揮官的講話是聖經中最傲慢和褻瀆的講話之一，因為他責備了以色列的上帝（37:4、17、23-24）。他強調亞述王的「偉大」（36:4, 13），因為他知道平民百姓都在聽，他想嚇唬他們（11-12節）。他的演講堪稱一場精妙的心理戰，他藉此抹黑了猶太人所珍視的一切。關鍵字是“信靠”，這個字被使用了七次（4-7、9、15節）。 「你對什麼有信心？」戰地指揮官問。 “你不能有信心，因為你所信靠的一切都失敗了！”
He began with their strategy. They had turned to Egypt for help, but Egypt was only a broken reed. (Isaiah had said the same thing! See 30:1–7; 31:1–3.) As for trusting the Lord, that was sure to fail. Hezekiah had incurred the Lord’s displeasure by removing the high places and altars and requiring everybody to wor ship at Jerusalem. (What did a heathen soldier know about the worship of the true God?) So, according to the field commander, Judah had no help on earth (Egypt) or in heaven (the Lord). They were already defeated! 他先從他們的戰略入手。他們曾向埃及求助，但埃及不過是一根折斷的蘆葦。 （以賽亞也說過同樣的話！參閱30:1-7；31:1-3。）至於信靠耶和華，那注定要失敗。希西家拆毀邱壇和祭壇，並要求所有人在耶路撒冷敬拜，這招致了耶和華的不悅。 （一個異教士兵對敬拜真神又懂什麼呢？）因此，根據戰地指揮官的說法，猶大在地上（埃及）和天上（耶和華）都得不到任何幫助。他們已經敗了！
What about their military resources? Hezekiah had fortified Jerusalem (2 Chron. 32:2–8), but the field commander laughed at Judah’s military might. Judah had neither the men, the horses, nor the chariots to attack the Assyrians. Even if Assyria provided the equip ment, the Jewish soldiers were too weak to defeat the least of the enemy’s officers. All the chariots and horse men of Egypt could never defeat Sennacherib’s great army. (Isaiah would agree with him again; see Isa. 30:15–17.) 他們的軍事資源呢？希西家雖然加強了耶路撒冷（代下32:2-8），但戰地指揮官卻嘲笑猶大的軍事實力。猶大既沒有人、馬、戰車來攻打亞述人。即使亞述提供了裝備，猶太士兵也太弱了，連敵方最弱的將領都打不贏。埃及所有的戰車和騎兵都無法擊敗西拿基立的大軍。 （以賽亞再次同意他的觀點；參考以賽亞書30:15-17。）
The field commander’s coup de grace was that everything Assyria had done was according to the will of the Lord (36:10). How could Judah fight against its own God? In one sense, this statement was true; for God is in charge of the nations of the world (10:5–6; Dan. 4:17, 25, 32; 5:21). But no nation can do what it pleases and use God for the excuse, as Sennacherib and his army would soon find out. 這位戰地指揮官的致命一擊是，亞述所做的一切都是按照耶和華的旨意進行的（36:10）。 猶大怎麼能與自己的上帝對抗呢？從某種意義上說，這句話是對的；因為上帝掌管世界各國（10:5-6；但以理書4:17、25、32；5:21）。但沒有一個國家可以為所欲為，並以上帝為藉口，西拿基立和他的軍隊很快就會發現這一點。
According to the field commander, Judah could not trust in its strategy, its military resources, or in its God. Nor could its people trust in their king (Isa. 36:13–20). The king of Assyria was a “great king,” but Hezekiah was a nobody who was deceiving the people. Instead of trusting Hezekiah’s promise of help from the Lord, the people should trust Sennacherib’s promise of a com fortable home in Assyria. The people knew that their farms, orchards, and vineyards had been ruined by the Assyrian army, and that Judah was facing a bleak future. If they stayed in Jerusalem, they might starve to death. Perhaps they should surrender and keep them selves and their families alive. 據這位戰地指揮官所說，猶大不能信靠自己的戰略、軍事資源，也不能信靠自己的上帝。猶大人民也不能信靠他們的王（以賽亞書 36:13-20）。亞述王是一位“偉大的國王”，但希西家卻是個欺騙人民的無名小卒。人民不應該相信希西家所承諾的耶和華會幫助他們，而應該相信西拿基立承諾的亞述舒適家園。人民知道他們的農場、果園和葡萄園已被亞述軍隊摧毀，猶大面臨著黯淡的未來。如果他們留在耶路撒冷，可能會餓死。或許他們應該投降，保全自己和家人的生命。
Hezekiah and Isaiah had told the people to trust the Lord, but the field commander reminded the people that the gods of the other nations had not succeeded in protecting or delivering them. (Hezekiah knew why; see 37:18–19.) Even Samaria was defeated, and they worshipped the same God as Judah. To the field com mander, Jehovah was just another god, and Sennacherib did not need to worry about Him. 希西家和以賽亞都告訴人民要信靠耶和華，但這位戰地指揮官提醒人民，其他國家的上帝並沒有成功地保護或拯救他們。 （希西家知道原因；參考 37:18-19。）甚至撒瑪利亞也被擊敗了，他們與猶大崇拜同一位上帝。對戰地指揮官來說，耶和華只不過是另一個神，西拿基立不需要擔心他。
God summons us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). To those Jews in Jerusalem who were liv ing in unbelief, the field commander’s arguments must have seemed reasonable, and his evidence compelling. But God had promised to deliver His people from the Assyrian army, and His word would stand. 上帝呼召我們行事為人要憑信心，而不是憑眼見（哥林多後書 5:7）。對那些住在不信中的耶路撒冷猶太人來說，戰地指揮官的論點一定看起來很合理，他的證據也很有說服力。但上帝已經承諾要拯救祂的子民脫離亞述軍隊，祂的話必將立定。
Repentance (Isa. 36:22—37:20). By the king’s orders, nobody replied to the field commander’s speech. Insolence is best answered with silence. Jerusalem’s deliverance did not depend on negotiating with the enemy but on trusting the Lord. 悔改（以賽亞書 36:22-37:20）。按照國王的命令，沒有人回應戰地指揮官的講話。回應傲慢的最佳方式是沉默。耶路撒冷的獲救並不取決於與敵人談判，而是取決於信靠上帝。
Hezekiah and his officers humbled themselves before the Lord and sought His face. As the king went into the temple, perhaps he recalled the promise God had given to Solomon after he had dedicated the tem ple: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). 希西家和他的官員在上帝面前謙卑自己，尋求他的面容。當國王走進聖殿時，或許他想起了上帝在所羅門奉獻聖殿後給他的承諾：「這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地」（歷代誌下 7:14）。 Even though the Lord had brought Assyria to chas ten Judah (Isa. 7:17–25), He had determined that Jerusalem would not be taken by the enemy (10:5–34). Previous to the invasion, when Hezekiah had been deathly ill, Isaiah had assured him of deliver ance (38:4–6). God’s promises are sure, but God’s people must claim them by faith before God can work. So the king sent word to Isaiah, asking him to pray, and the king himself called out to the Lord for help. 雖然耶和華已使亞述攻打猶大（賽7:17-25），但祂已定意不讓耶路撒冷被敵軍攻占（賽10:5-34）。在入侵之前，希西家病入膏肓時，以賽亞曾向他保證必獲救（賽38:4-6）。神的應許是確實的，但神的子民必須憑著信心領受這些應許，神才能動工。於是王差人去見以賽亞，請他禱告，王自己也呼求上帝的幫助。
In the building up of our faith, the Word of God and prayer go together (Rom. 10:17). That is why Isaiah sent the king a message from the Lord. His word of encouragement had three points: (1) do not be afraid, (2) the Assyrians will depart, and (3) the “great king” will die in Assyria. 在建立我們的信心方面，上帝的話語和禱告是相輔相成的（羅10:17）。因此，以賽亞差遣耶和華的話給王。他所鼓勵的話語包含三點：（1）不要害怕，（2）亞述人必離開，（3）「大王」必死在亞述。
When the three Assyrian officers returned to head quarters, they learned that an Egyptian army was on its way to help defend Hezekiah. Sennacherib did not want to fight a war on two fronts, so he started to put more pressure on Jerusalem to surrender immediately. This threatening message came to Hezekiah in the form of a letter, and he took it to the temple and “spread it before the Lord.” 三位亞述將領返回總部後，得知埃及軍隊正趕來支援希西家。西拿基立不想兩線作戰，於是開始向耶路撒冷施加更大壓力，迫使他們立即投降。這封威脅性的信息以信件的形式傳達給希西家，他把信件帶到聖殿，「在主面前宣揚」。
Hezekiah’s prayer (Isa. 37:15–20) is saturated with biblical theology and is not unlike the prayer of the church in Acts 4:24–31. He affirmed his faith in the one true and living God, and he worshipped Him. Jehovah is “Lord of Hosts,” that is, “Lord of the armies” (Ps. 46:7, 11). He is the Creator of all things (96:5) and knows what is going on in His creation. His eyes can see our plight, and His ears can hear our plea (see Ps. 115). King Hezekiah did not want deliverance merely for his people’s sake, but that God alone might be glorified (Isa. 37:20; Ps. 46:10). 希西家的禱告（以賽亞書37:15-20）充滿了聖經神學，與使徒行傳4:24-31教會的禱告相當相似。他確認了對獨一永生真神的信仰，並敬拜祂。耶和華是“萬軍之耶和華”，即“萬軍之耶和華”（詩篇46:7, 11）。祂是萬物的創造者（96:5），深知祂所創造的萬物。祂的眼睛能看見我們的困境，祂的耳朵聽見我們的懇求（參考詩篇115篇）。希西家王祈求拯救，並非僅僅為了他人民的緣故，而是為了榮耀上帝（賽37:20；詩46:10）。
Reply (Isa. 37:21–35). God’s response to this prayer was to send King Hezekiah another threefold message of assurance: Jerusalem would not be taken (vv. 22, 31–35); the Assyrians would depart (vv. 23–29); and the Jews would not starve (v. 30). 答覆（賽37:21-35）。上帝回應這個禱告，向希西家王發出了另一個三重保證的信息：耶路撒冷不會被攻陷（22、31-35節）；亞述人會離開（23-29節）；猶太人不會餓死（30節）。
(1) Jerusalem would be delivered (vv. 22, 31–35). The “daughter of Zion” was still a virgin; she had not been ravaged by the enemy. She could look at the Assyrians and shake her head in scorn, for they could not touch her. God would spare His remnant and plant them once more in the land. （1）耶路撒冷會被拯救（22、31-35節）。 「錫安女子」仍然是處女；她還沒有被敵人蹂躪。她可以看著亞述人，輕蔑地搖頭，因為他們無法傷害她。上帝會饒恕祂的餘民，並將他們再次安置在那片土地上。
Why did God deliver His people, when so many of them were not faithful to Him? First, to glorify His own name (vv. 23, 35), the very thing about which Hezekiah had prayed (v. 20). God defended Jerusalem for His name’s sake, because Sennacherib had reproached the Holy One of Israel. The Assyrians had exalted themselves above men and gods, but they could not exalt themselves above Jehovah God, the Holy One of Israel! 當祂的子民中有這麼多人不忠於祂時，為什麼上帝要拯救他們？首先，榮耀祂自己的名（23、35節），這正是希西家禱告所祈求的（20節）。神為了自己的名護衛耶路撒冷，因為西拿基立羞辱了以色列的聖者。亞述人高舉自己，超越世人和諸神，但他們不能高舉自己，超越耶和華神，以色列的聖者！
God also saved Jerusalem because of His covenant with David (v. 35; 2 Sam. 7). Jerusalem was the City of David, and God had promised that one of David’s descendants would reign on the throne forever. This was fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32–33), but God did keep David’s lamp burning in Jerusalem as long as He could (1 Kings 11:13, 36). 上帝也因祂與大衛所立的約拯救了耶路撒冷（35節；撒母耳記下7章）。耶路撒冷是大衛的城，神曾應許大衛的後裔之一將永遠坐在寶座上作王。這應許最終在耶穌基督身上應驗了（路加福音1:32-33），但神也盡其所能，讓大衛的燈在耶路撒冷一直點亮（列王紀上11:13、36）。 The Jewish nation had an important mission to ful fill in bringing the Savior into the world, and no human army could thwart the purposes of Almighty God. Even though only a remnant of Jews might remain, God would use His people to accomplish His divine purposes and fulfill His promise to Abraham that all the world would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:1–3). 猶太民族肩負著將救主帶到世上的重要使命，沒有任何人類軍隊能夠阻撓全能上帝的旨意。即使只剩下少數猶太人，上帝也會使用祂的子民成就祂神聖的旨意，並履行祂對亞伯拉罕的應許，即全世界都將因祂而蒙福（創世記12:1-3）。
(2) The Assyrians would depart (vv. 23–29). God addressed the proud Assyrian king and reminded him of all the boastful words he and his servants had spo ken. “I” and “my” occur seven times in this passage. It reminds us of Lucifer’s words in 14:12–17 and our Lord’s parable in Luke 12:13–21. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18 nkjv). （2）亞述人將離開（23-29節）。上帝向驕傲的亞述王講話，提醒祂和祂僕人所說的一切誇誇其談的話。 「我」和「我的」在這段經文中出現了七次。這讓我們想起路西法在14:12-17所說的話，以及我們主在路加福音12:13-21所說的比喻。 「驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前」（箴言16:18，新欽定版）。（2）亞述人將離開（23-29節）。上帝向驕傲的亞述王講話，提醒祂和祂僕人所說的一切誇誇其談的話。 「我」和「我的」在這段經文中出現了七次。這讓我們想起路西法在14:12-17所說的話，以及我們主在路加福音12:13-21所說的比喻。 「驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前」（箴言16:18，新欽定版本）。
Sennacherib boasted of his military might and his great conquests, for no obstacle stood in his way. If he so desired, like a god, he could even dry up the rivers! But the king of Assyria forgot that he was only God’s tool for accomplishing His purposes on the earth, and the tool must not boast against the Maker (Isa. 10:5–19). God would humble Sennacherib and his army by treating them like cattle and leading them away from Jerusalem (37:7, 29). 西拿基立誇耀他的軍事實力和偉大的征服，因為沒有任何障礙能阻擋他。如果他願意，就像神一樣，他甚至可以使河流乾涸！但亞述王忘記了，他只是上帝在地上成就祂旨意的工具，而這工具絕不能向造物主誇口（賽10:5-19）。上帝會像對待牲畜一樣對待西拿基立和祂的軍隊，將他們帶離耶路撒冷，使他們謙卑（37:7, 29）。
(3) The people would not starve (v. 30). We do not know the month in which these events occurred, but it may have been past the time for sowing a new crop. Before the people could get the land back to its normal productivity, they would have to eat what grew of itself from previous crops, and that would take faith. They would also need to renovate their farms after all the damage the Assyrians had done. But the same God who delivered them would provide for them. It would be like the years before and after the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:1–24). （3）人民不會餓死（30節）。我們不知道這些事件發生的月份，但那時可能已經過了播種新作物的季節。在土地恢復正常生產力之前，人們必須吃先前作物自發性生長的作物，而這需要信心。在亞述人造成如此多的破壞之後，他們還需要修復他們的農場。但拯救他們的同一位上帝也會供應他們的需要。這就像禧年之前和之後的幾年（利 25:1-24）。
Some Bible scholars believe that Psalm 126 was writ ten to commemorate Jerusalem’s deliverance from the Assyrian army. The psalm surely is not referring to the Jews’ deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, because that was not a sudden event that surprised both Jews and Gentiles, nor did the Gentiles praise Jehovah for deliver ing Israel from Babylon. Psalm 126 fits best with the events described in Isaiah 36 and 37. 一些聖經學者認為，詩篇 126 是為了紀念耶路撒冷從亞述軍隊手中獲救而寫的。這篇詩篇絕對不是指猶太人從巴比倫之囚中獲救，因為這並不是令猶太人和外邦人都感到驚訝的突發事件，外邦人也沒有讚美耶和華將以色列人從巴比倫拯救出來。詩篇 126 篇與以賽亞書 36 章和 37 章所描述的事件最為吻合。
The harvest promise in verse 30 parallels Psalm 126:5–6. The seed would certainly be precious in those days! That grain could be used for making bread for the family, but the father must use it for seed; so it is no wonder he weeps. Yet God promised a harvest, and He kept His promise. The people did not starve. 在第 30 節所收穫的應許與詩篇 126:5-6 相呼應。在那個時代，種子肯定非常珍貴！那穀物可以用來為家人做麵包，但父親必須用它來做種子；所以他哭泣也就不足為奇了。然而，上帝應許了收成，祂也信守了承諾。人們沒有挨餓。
Retaliation (Isa. 37:36–38). The field commander had joked that one Assyrian junior officer was stronger than 2,000 Jewish charioteers (36:8–9), but it took only one of God’s angels to destroy 185,000 Assyrian soldiers! (See Ex. 12:12; 2 Sam. 24:15–17.) Isaiah had prophesied the destruction of the Assyrian army. God would mow them down like a forest (Isa. 10:33–34), devastate them with a storm (30:27–30), and throw them into the fire like garbage on the city dump (vv. 31–33). 報復（賽 37:36-38）。戰地指揮官曾開玩笑說，一個亞述初級軍官比兩千名猶太戰車兵還要強大（賽 36:8-9），但只需一位上帝的天使就能消滅十八萬五千名亞述士兵！ （參考出 12:12；撒母耳記下 24:15-17）以賽亞曾預言亞述軍隊的毀滅。上帝會像砍伐森林一樣砍倒他們（賽 10:33-34），用風暴摧毀他們（賽 30:27-30），並將他們像城市垃圾堆裡的垃圾一樣扔進火裡（賽 31-33 節）。但這還不是全部。西拿基立讓猶大戰敗後，便返回了他的首都尼尼微。二十年後，西拿基立的兒子們爭權奪勢，結果被他的兩個兒子刺殺，應驗了以賽亞的預言（37:7），而且刺殺發生在他神的廟裡！這位戰地指揮官曾訌笑列國的神，但西拿基立自己的神卻無法保護他。 But that was not all. After Sennacherib left Judah a defeated man, he returned to his capital city of Nineveh. Twenty years later, as a result of a power struggle among his sons, Sennacherib was assassinated by two of his sons in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (37:7), and it happened in the temple of his god! The field commander had ridiculed the gods of the nations, but Sennacherib’s own god could not protect him. 但這還不是全部。西拿基立戰敗後，離開了猶大，返回了首都尼尼微。二十年後，由於兒子們的權力鬥爭，西拿基立被他的兩個兒子刺殺，應驗了以賽亞的預言（37:7），而且這件事發生在他神的廟裡！這位戰地指揮官曾嘲笑列國的神，但西拿基立自己的神無法保護他。
The Illness Crisis (38:1–22; 2 Kings 20:1–11) 疾病危機（38:1-22；列王紀下 20:1-11）
Peril (Isa. 38:1). 危險（以賽亞書 38:1）。
As mentioned before, this event took place before the Assyrian invasion, though the invasion was impending (see v. 6). When the president or prime minister of a country is sick or injured, it affects every thing from the stock market to the news coverage. Imagine how the people of Judah reacted when they heard that the king was going to die—and Assyria was on the march! If their godly leader died, who would govern them? 如前所述，此事發生在亞述入侵之前，儘管入侵迫在眉睫（見第6節）。當一個國家的總統或總理生病或受傷時，從股市到新聞報道，一切都會受到影響。想像一下，當猶大人民聽說國王即將駕崩，而亞述又在進軍時，他們會作何反應！如果他們敬虔的領袖死了，誰來統治他們？
But there was even more involved. Apparently, Hezekiah did not have a son and therefore would have to appoint a near relative to take the throne of David. Would God’s promise to David fail (2 Sam. 7:16)? And why would it fail at a time of national calamity? 但這其中還有更多問題。顯然，希西家沒有兒子，因此必須指定一位近親繼承大衛的王位。上帝對大衛的應許會落空嗎（撒母耳記下7:16）？為什麼在國家危難之際，上帝的應許會落空？
Prayer (Isa. 38:2–3). 禱告（以賽亞書38:2-3）。 The king did not turn to the wall in a sulking manner, like Ahab (1 Kings 21:4), but in order to have privacy for his praying. It may be too that he was turning his face toward the temple (8:28–30). Some have criticized Hezekiah for weeping and praying, saying that his prayer was selfish, but most of us would have prayed the same way. It is a nat ural thing for us to want to live and continue serving God. Furthermore, Hezekiah was burdened for the future of the throne and the nation. 國王並沒有像亞哈那樣面向牆壁悶悶不樂（列王紀上21:4），而是為了有隱私地禱告。他也可能轉向聖殿（8:28-30）。有些人批評希西家哭泣禱告，說他的禱告很自私，但我們大多數人都會這樣禱告。我們渴望活下去並繼續事奉上帝，這是很自然的事。此外，希西家對王位和國家的未來負有重擔。
Hezekiah did not ask God to spare him because he had been such a faithful servant (Isa. 38:3). That would be a subtle form of bribery. Rather, he asked God to spare him so he could continue to serve and complete the spiritual restoration of the nation. Certainly he was concerned about his own life, as any of us would be, but he also had a burden for his people. 希西家並非因為自己忠心耿耿地服事神而求饒他（賽38:3）。那樣做無異於一種狡猾的賄賂。相反，他求饒他，是為了讓他能夠繼續服事神，完成國家屬靈的復興。當然，他和我們任何人一樣，也擔心自己的性命，但他也為他的族人負有重擔。
Promise (Isa. 38: 4 - 8). The request was granted quickly, for Isaiah had not gone very far from the sick room when the Lord gave him the answer (2 Kings 20:4). The prophet became the king’s physician and told the attendants what medicine to apply (Isa. 38:21). God can heal by using any means He desires. Isaiah also told the king that his life would be pro longed for fifteen years. The king asked confirmation of the promise (v. 22), and God gave him a sign. The sundial was probably a pillar whose shadow marked the hours on a double set of stairs. In another promise, Isaiah assured the king that the Assyrians would not capture Jerusalem. 應允(以賽亞38: 4 - 8). 他的請求很快就蒙應允，因為以賽亞剛離開病房，耶和華就賜給他答案（列王紀下20:4）。先知成為王的醫生，告訴侍從該用什麼藥（賽38:21）。神可以用任何祂想要的方式來醫治。以賽亞也告訴王，他的壽命將延長十五年。王祈求應許的應許得以證實（22節），神就賜給他一個兆頭。日晷很可能是一根柱子，它的影子在雙層樓梯上指示著時間。以賽亞在另一個應許中向國王保證，亞述人不會攻占耶路撒冷。
Pondering (Isa. 38:9–20). 沉思（賽38:9-20）。 Hezekiah was an author of psalms (v. 20) and supervised a group of scholars who copied the Old Testament Scriptures (Prov. 25:1). In this beautiful meditation, the king tells us how he felt during his experience of illness and recovery. He had some new experiences that trans formed him. For one thing, God gave him a new appreciation of life (Isa. 38:9–12). We take life for granted till it is about to be taken from us, and then we cling to it as long as we can. Hezekiah pictured death as the end of the journey (vv. 11–12), a tent taken down (v. 12a; and see 2 Cor. 5:1–8), and a weaving cut from the loom (Isa. 38:12b). Life was hanging by a thread! He also had a new appreciation of prayer (vv. 13–14). Were it not for prayer, Hezekiah could not have made it. At night the king felt like a frail animal being attacked by a fierce lion, and in the daytime he felt like a helpless bird. During this time of suffering, Hezekiah examined his own heart and confessed his sins, and God forgave him (v. 17). “Undertake for me” means “Be my surety. Stand with me!” The king ended with a new appreciation of oppor tunities for service (vv. 15–20). There was a new humility in his walk, a deeper love for the Lord in his heart, and a new song of praise on his lips. He had a new determination to praise God all the days of his life, for now those days were very important to him. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). There are some students who feel that Hezekiah was wrong in asking God to spare his life. Three years later, his son Manasseh was born (2 Kings 21:1), and he reigned for fifty-five years, the most wicked king in the entire dynasty! Had Hezekiah died without an heir, this would not have happened. But we have no guarantee that any other successor would have been any better, and Manasseh’s grandson was godly King Josiah, who did much to bring the nation back to the Lord. Manasseh did repent after God chastened him, and he ended his years serving the Lord (2 Chron. 33:11–20). It is unwise for us to second-guess God or history.
The Investigation Crisis (39:1–8) The news about Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery had spread widely so that even people in Babylon knew about it (2 Chron. 32:23). Hezekiah was a famous man, and other nations would be concerned about him and want to court his favor. The stability of Judah was important to the balance of power in that day. At this time, Babylon was not a great world power, and few people would have thought that Assyria would one day collapse and be replaced by Babylon. Of course, God knew, but Hezekiah did not seek His guidance. The stated reason for the diplomatic mission was to honor Hezekiah and officially rejoice at his recovery. But the real reason was to obtain information about the financial resources of the nation of Judah. After all, Babylon might need some of that wealth in their future negotiations or battles. It is also likely that Hezekiah was seeking Babylon’s assistance against Assyria. When Satan cannot defeat us as the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8–9), he comes as the deceiving serpent (2 Cor. 11:3). What Assyria could not do with weapons, Babylon did with gifts. God permitted the enemy to test Hezekiah so that the proud king might learn what was really in his heart (2 Chron. 32:31). It was certainly a mistake for Hezekiah to show his visitors all his wealth, but pride made him do it. After a time of severe suffering, sometimes it feels so good just to feel good that we get off guard and fail to watch and pray. The king was basking in fame and wealth and apparently neglecting his spiritual life. Hezekiah was safer as a sick man in bed than as a healthy man on the throne. Had he consulted first with Isaiah, the king would have avoided blundering as he did. The prophet reminded Hezekiah that, as king, he was only the steward of Judah’s wealth and not the owner (Isa. 39:6). Some of that wealth had come from previous kings, and Hezekiah could claim no credit for it. All of us are mere stewards of what God has given to us, and we have no right to boast about anything. “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7 nkjv). “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (John 3:27 nkjv). Isaiah 39:7 is Isaiah’s first explicit announcement of the future Babylonian captivity of Judah. In spite of Hezekiah’s reforms, the nation decayed spiritually dur ing the next century, and in 586 BC Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the people captive. Hezekiah’s sin was not the cause of this judgment, for the sins of rulers, priests, and false prophets mounted up from year to year till God could take it no longer (2 Chron. 36:13–16). Is Hezekiah’s response in Isaiah 39:8 an expression of relief that he escaped trouble? If so, it would cer tainly be heartless on his part to rejoice that future generations would suffer what he should have suffered! His statement is more likely an expression of his hum ble acceptance of God’s will, and 2 Chronicles 32:26 bears this out. The king did humble himself before God, and God forgave him. Even the greatest and most godly of the Lord’s ser vants can become proud and disobey God, so we must pray for Christian leaders that they will stay humble before their Master. But if any of His servants do sin, the Lord is willing to forgive when they sincerely repent and confess to Him (1 John 1:9). “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 51:17).
INTERLUDE Isaiah 40—66 “THE BOOK OF CONSOLATION”
The book of Isaiah can be called “a Bible in minia ture.” There are sixty-six chapters in Isaiah and sixty-six books in the Bible. The thirty-nine chap ters of the first part of Isaiah may be compared to the Old Testament with its thirty-nine books, and both focus primarily on God’s judgment of sin. The twenty seven chapters of the second part may be seen to parallel the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, and both emphasize the grace of God. The “New Testament” section of Isaiah opens with the ministry of John the Baptist (40:3–5; Mark 1:1–4) and closes with the new heavens and the new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22), and in between there are many refer ences to the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and King. Of course, the chapter divisions in Isaiah are not a part of the original inspired text, but the comparison is still interesting. In the “New Testament” section of Isaiah, the prophet is particularly addressing a future generation of Jews. In chapters 1—39 his audience was his own gen eration, and his primary message was that God would defend Jerusalem and defeat the Assyrian invaders. But in chapters 40—66 the prophet looks far ahead and sees Babylon destroying Jerusalem and the Jews going into captivity. (This happened in 586 BC) But he also saw God forgiving His people, delivering them from captivity, and taking them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore the nation. The primary world figure in Isaiah 1—39 is Sennacherib, king of Assyria; but in chapters 40—66 the world leader is Cyrus, king of Persia. It was Cyrus who defeated the Babylonians, and in 541 BC issued the decree that permitted the Jews to return to their land to rebuild the city and the temple (Ezra. 1:1–4). When Isaiah wrote these messages, Babylon was not yet a great world power, but the prophet was inspired by God to see the course the international scene would take. Chapters 40—66 may be divided into three parts (40—48; 49—57; and 58—66), with the same state ment separating the first two sections: “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (48:22; 57:21). Chapters 40—48 emphasize the greatness of God the Father in contrast to the vanity of the heathen idols. Chapters 49—57 extol the graciousness of God the Son, the Suffering Servant; and chapters 58—66 describe the glory of God in the future kingdom, and the emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit (59:19, 21; 61:1ff.; 63:10–11, 14). Thus, there seems to be a trinitarian structure to these chapters. The heart of Isaiah 40—66 is chapters 49—57, in which Isaiah exalts the Messiah, God’s Suffering Servant. And the heart of chapters 49—57 is 52:13— 53:12, the description of the Savior’s substitutionary death for the sins of the world. This is the fourth of the “Servant Songs” in Isaiah; the others are 42:1–7; 49:1–6; and 50:1–11. So at the heart of the “New Testament” section of Isaiah’s book is our Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins. No wonder Isaiah has been called “the evangelical prophet.” The Jewish rabbis have called Isaiah 40—66 “The Book of Consolation,” and they are right. Isaiah sought to comfort the Jewish remnant in Babylon, after their difficult years of captivity, and to assure them that God was with them and would take them safely home. Along with words of consolation, the prophet also revealed the Messiah, God’s Suffering Servant, and described the future regathering of Israel and the promised kingdom. Isaiah saw in Israel’s restoration from Babylon a preview of what God would do for them at the end of the age, after the “day of the Lord” and the destruction of the world’s last “Babylon” (Rev. 17—19). So as you study Isaiah 40—66, keep in mind that it was originally addressed to a group of discouraged Jewish refugees who faced a long journey home and a difficult task when they got there. Note how often God says to them, “Fear not!” and how frequently He assures them of His pardon and His presence. It is no surprise that God’s people for centuries have turned to these chapters to find assurance and encouragement in the difficult days of life; for in these messages, God says to all of His people, “Be comfort!"
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