神應允希西家的祈求
以賽亞書三十七章21至23節，30至38節
21亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞就打發人去見希西家，說：耶和華─以色列的神如此說，你既然求我攻擊亞述王西拿基立，
22所以耶和華論他這樣說：錫安的處女藐視你，嗤笑你；耶路撒冷的女子向你搖頭。
23你辱罵誰，褻瀆誰？揚起聲來，高舉眼目攻擊誰呢？乃是攻擊以色列的聖者。
30以色列人哪，我賜你們一個證據：你們今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自長的，至於後年，你們要耕種收割，栽植葡萄園，吃其中的果子。
31猶大家所逃脫餘剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上結果。
32必有餘剩的民從耶路撒冷而出；必有逃脫的人從錫安山而來。萬軍之耶和華的熱心必成就這事。
33所以耶和華論亞述王如此說：他必不得來到這城，也不在這裡射箭，不得拿盾牌到城前，也不築壘攻城。
34他從哪條路來，必從那條路回去，必不得來到這城。這是耶和華說的。
35因我為自己的緣故，又為我僕人大衛的緣故，必保護拯救這城。
36耶和華的使者出去，在亞述營中殺了十八萬五千人。清早有人起來一看，都是死屍了。
37亞述王西拿基立就拔營回去，住在尼尼微。
38一日在他的神─尼斯洛廟裡叩拜，他兒子亞得米勒和沙利色用刀殺了他，就逃到亞拉臘地。他兒子以撒哈頓接續他作王。
信息分享
今天，我們看到神差派先知以賽亞去見希西家，告訴他神已應允他的禱告。我們可以把這段經文稱為「信心得蒙拯救」。
神怎樣回應希西家的禱告呢？首先，神要審判亞述王的驕橫自大，以及竟敢詆毀耶路撒冷城──它是神所揀選的城！神在第24、25節指出，亞述王以為自己所向無敵，所以目空一切，卻沒有認識到其實是神用他來成就祂的計劃(26-27節)。如今，因著他的驕橫跋扈，神必要審判他。
神作了兩個應許──一個是給祂的百姓，一個是給亞述王；我們將會看見，這兩個應許後來都奇妙地應驗了。
首先，神應許祂的百姓，祂必看顧他們，賜予他們一切所需(30、31節)。第31節給我們描繪了一幅美麗的圖畫。以色列人要「往下扎根，往上生長」。我們今天豈不也需要這樣嗎？我們豈不需要更深地在基督裡扎根，然後在生活中結出聖靈的果子？這節經文將成為我們的勉勵。
接著，神也應許亞述王「他必不得來到這(耶路撒冷)城」(33節)。他從那條路來，也必從那條路回去，卻不能攻擊這城，因神親自守衛著它。這關係到神的尊榮和尊名，神必保衛自己的名。我們今天可以同樣靠著神的名得勝。
雖然神幾乎要在20年後，才對亞述王作出最終的審判；但神的應許卻如實地應驗：希西家王得到神的幫助，亞述王卻連番敗北。
GOD'S ANSWER TO HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER
Isaiah 37:21-23, 30-38
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
22 this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:
“The virgin, the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
Has shaken her head behind your back!
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.
30 “This shall be a sign to you:
You shall eat this year such as grows of itself,
And the second year what springs from the same;
Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
Shall again take root downward,
And bear fruit upward.
32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:
‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
34 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
35 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
36 Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.
38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Message
Now God sent Isaiah to Hezekiah with the answer to the letter and to Hezekiah's prayer. We could call this the 'Deliverance of Faith'.
How was God going to answer? How was his power to be sent? Firstly God judged the King of Assyria's pride and the fact that he dared to speak against the city of Jerusalem, God's own chosen place. God mentions in verses 24,25 how the king thought he had done everything himself, not realising that God had been using him to accomplish God's purposes (v. 26, 27). Now because the king had become arrogant and full of pride, God was going to deal with him.
God made two promises-one to his people and one to the king of Assyria. Both were remarkably fulfilled.
God promised his people that he would watch over them and care for them and provide every need (v. 30, 31). There is a beautiful picture in verse 31. Israel would 'take root downward and bear fruit upward'. Isn't that still our need today? Don't we need to take root more and more deeply in Christ and the things of God and then see the results in the fruit of the Spirit showing itself in our lives? What a great example that is for us.
Then God promised that the King of Assyria would never enter Jerusalem (v. 33). He would go back along the road that he came and would never be allowed to attack the city because God was defending it. God's honour and his name were at stake. God will always defend his name. It is still the same today. We can claim victory from God on the basis of his name and the fact we bear that name as his children.
The final fulfilment of God's judgment on the heathen king did not come for a few years-possibly even 20-but God's Word is always fulfilled. Hezekiah found help in God, while the King of Assyria found only defeat.