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God is Big

Today's readings are from Isaiah 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41

The chapters 36-39 form a story about Hezekiah and the threatened invasion of the Assyrians. This would have occurred around 715 B.C. The threat of Assyria was real. They had invaded and captured all of Northern Israel's ten tribes less than ten years before. The boasting of the Assyrian commanders was essentially true - nothing had stopped them.

Still, the assurance came from God as Hezekiah turned to God and prayed. The Assyrians would not conquer - not even an arrow would be shot at the wall. When God's angel moved through the camp and 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died you got a glimpse of two main things: 1) The size of the Assyrian force, and 2) the power of one Angel!

What I love about Isaiah 40 and onward is that the focus shifts from prophecies about judgment and historical events, to a focus on the character of God. These chapters to the end of Isaiah are rich in helping us think about who God is - our God who we worship.



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