Our progress through Isaiah’s prophecy has brought us to a new section. Of course, there has been much of Christ in earlier chapters as we have seen. There have been details about His incarnation and the virgin birth as well as anticipation of what Christ would accomplish at the cross for His remnant people. However, here we step through into the more evangelical and spiritual part of this prophecy. This reaches to and includes the whole Gospel age from the coming of John the Baptist to the second coming of Christ. A worrying time At the end of the previous chapter Isaiah spoke of Judah’s exile and captivity in Babylon after the death of Hezekiah. Now Isaiah himself is to comfort the Lord’s captive people.…

At the end of chapter 37 we learned about the destruction of the Assyrian army and Sennacherib’s assassination in the temple of his god. Chapter 38 spoke of Hezekiah being sick unto death and his miraculous restoration. In chapter 39 we meet the Babylonians. This people, at the time subject to Assyria, would soon be the new regional superpower. God uses the rise and fall of empires to accomplish His will and to educate His people. May the Lord grant us grace to take the long view of God’s sovereign purpose and not be fretful about day to day disappointments.