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Chapter 19 records another reprieve for Judah from the Lord. It might be well for us at this time to catch up on the Prophets whom God had called during this period of History in Judah. We have just completed the histories of the Prophets Elijah and Elisha, who were 9th. century prophets. One other 9th. century prophet we know little about. His name was Micaiah. We have one account of him in First Kings when Ahab was King of Israel and Jehoshaphat was King of Judah. The two of them wanted to attack Ramoth-gilead and they conferred with the prophets of Baal who prophesied for them a victory but Jehoshephat insisted that a Prophet of God be called and Micaiah was called in. At first he agreed with the prophets of Baal but later when questioned by King Ahab, he prophesied defeat and the death of Ahab. Nothing else is known about the Prophet Micaiah.
We are now, in our study, getting into the 8th century BC. and will be dealing with four new prophets, two in Israel, Amos and Hosea, and two in Judah, Isaiah and Micah.
Amos lived in a wilderness in Judah. He was a herdsman by trade and a dresser of fig trees. He lived and did most of his prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel. He denied being a prophet but his ability to forecast economic, political, moral and religious events in Israel and surrounding nations, disturbed him and led him to take action as we will see in the book of Amos.
Hosea lived after Amos, but still in the reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel. Like Amos, he was a countryman. His writings concerned animals, agriculture, flowers and weather and he championed historical landmarks, the Priesthood and politics. He married Gomer, a harlot, and had three children who were given prophetic names. A son named Jezreel, for the valley where Israel would be destroyed, a daughter named Lo-ruha-mah, "not pitted" for God's feelings toward Israel, and a second son named Lo-ammi, "not my people", for God's final judgment of Israel. The story of Hosea and Gomer, a man's love for an adulterous wife, is a parallel to God's love for an adulterous people. He, along with Amos, prophesied most of what happened to Israel.
Isaiah was a Prophet of Judah for 40 years. He prophesied during the reign of four Kings, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He lived in Jerusalem and spent most of his time at the Temple. He married a woman whom he called a "prophetess". He had two sons whose names were prophetic announcements. He was the direct opposite of Amos and Hosea in that he associated with Kings and people in high places. He had disciples whom he taught and appears to have been influenced by both Amos and Hosea. Nothing is known of his death, presumed to have been around 700 BC.
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, but he was a prophet from the country. His goal in life was to denounce evil wherever he found it. He condemned the evils of suburban life, he condemned the wealthy landowners for taking advantage of the poor, he condemned the corrupt religious leaders and he condemned the biased judicial system. He had nothing to say about idolatry or immorality like the others, but, was concerned about social injustices. His prophecy about Jerusalem was remembered 100 years later by Jeremiah.
These were the four Prophets, two in Israel and two in Judah that lived and prophesied during the time we are currently studying.
Chapter 19 records yet another reprieve for Judah and brings the Prophet Isaiah into the picture. The messengers who had been sent to bargain with the Commander of the Assyrian Army had returned to King Hezekiah and had given him their report of "No mercy for Jerusalem". Upon hearing this, Hezekiah tore his cloths, put on sackcloth and went into the Temple to pray. He instructed two of the messengers and some of the Priests to do likewise and go to Isaiah, the Prophet, with this message, "King Hezekiah says that this is a day of trouble and dishonor. Pray for us and perhaps the Lord your God has heard the blasphemy of the Assyrian Commander and will rebuke him."
Isaiah replied for the Lord, "Tell your master not to be troubled for the Assyrian will receive bad news and return home and the Lord will see to it that he is killed." The Army of Assyria received word that the Ethiopians were coming to attack Assyria, and they returned home. Before they left, they sent word to King Hezekiah, "Don't be fooled by our delay. We will return and conquer Jerusalem. We have been victorious everywhere that we have gone, why should you be any different? Do not be fooled by that God you trust in."
Hezekiah took the letter, went to the Temple and spread it out before the Lord. Then he prayed, "O Lord our God, save us from this power and then all the nations will know that you, alone, are God." Then Isaiah sent word to the King, "The Lord God says that He has heard you, the Daughter of Jerusalem mocks you, the King of Assyria has boasted of all his conquests, does he not know that it was I, the Lord. who let him do these things?"
The siege had lasted long and there was no crops planted. But God assured them that they would eat that year the "volunteers" that came up in the fields and there would be some left over for next years planting which would yeal a bountiful harvest. Then a long-range prophecy was given concerning the future of Judah, "A remnant of My people shall become strong in Jerusalem."
Then God prophesied what would happen to the King of Assyria, "He would not enter the city of Jerusalem but would die at the hands of his sons." That night the Angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian troops and when the King returned to Nineveh, the Assyrian Capitol, he went to worship in his pagan temple and was killed by his sons.
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