神应允希西家的祈求
以赛亚书三十七章21至23节，30至38节
21亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚就打发人去见希西家，说：耶和华─以色列的神如此说，你既然求我攻击亚述王西拿基立，
22所以耶和华论他这样说：锡安的处女藐视你，嗤笑你；耶路撒冷的女子向你摇头。
23你辱骂谁，亵渎谁？扬起声来，高举眼目攻击谁呢？乃是攻击以色列的圣者。
30以色列人哪，我赐你们一个证据：你们今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自长的，至于后年，你们要耕种收割，栽植葡萄园，吃其中的果子。
31犹大家所逃脱余剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上结果。
32必有余剩的民从耶路撒冷而出；必有逃脱的人从锡安山而来。万军之耶和华的热心必成就这事。
33所以耶和华论亚述王如此说：他必不得来到这城，也不在这里射箭，不得拿盾牌到城前，也不筑垒攻城。
34他从哪条路来，必从那条路回去，必不得来到这城。这是耶和华说的。
35因我为自己的缘故，又为我仆人大卫的缘故，必保护拯救这城。
36耶和华的使者出去，在亚述营中杀了十八万五千人。清早有人起来一看，都是死尸了。
37亚述王西拿基立就拔营回去，住在尼尼微。
38一日在他的神─尼斯洛庙里叩拜，他儿子亚得米勒和沙利色用刀杀了他，就逃到亚拉腊地。他儿子以撒哈顿接续他作王。
信息分享
今天，我们看到神差派先知以赛亚去见希西家，告诉他神已应允他的祷告。我们可以把这段经文称为「信心得蒙拯救」。
神怎样回应希西家的祷告呢？首先，神要审判亚述王的骄横自大，以及竟敢诋毁耶路撒冷城──它是神所拣选的城！神在第24、25节指出，亚述王以为自己所向无敌，所以目空一切，却没有认识到其实是神用他来成就祂的计划(26-27节)。如今，因着他的骄横跋扈，神必要审判他。
神作了两个应许──一个是给祂的百姓，一个是给亚述王；我们将会看见，这两个应许后来都奇妙地应验了。
首先，神应许祂的百姓，祂必看顾他们，赐予他们一切所需(30、31节)。第31节给我们描绘了一幅美丽的图画。以色列人要「往下扎根，往上生长」。我们今天岂不也需要这样吗？我们岂不需要更深地在基督里扎根，然后在生活中结出圣灵的果子？这节经文将成为我们的勉励。
接着，神也应许亚述王「他必不得来到这(耶路撒冷)城」(33节)。他从那条路来，也必从那条路回去，却不能攻击这城，因神亲自守卫着它。这关系到神的尊荣和尊名，神必保卫自己的名。我们今天可以同样靠着神的名得胜。
虽然神几乎要在20年后，才对亚述王作出最终的审判；但神的应许却如实地应验：希西家王得到神的帮助，亚述王却连番败北。
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.