What happensPermalink
Isaiah pronounces woe on treacherous Assyria: after plundering others, it will be plundered. He prays for grace while Judah’s envoys weep over broken agreements and deserted roads. When the Lord arises, nations scatter and Zion fills with justice and righteousness. His consuming holiness terrifies sinners, but the righteous dwell securely. God’s people will behold the king in beauty and remember vanished terror. The Lord—their judge, lawgiver, and king—will save them; spoil will abound, sickness cease, and sins be forgiven.
Why it mattersPermalink
When the Lord rises against Assyria, forgiven Zion will behold her King and dwell securely in His holy presence. Sennacherib may have accepted Hezekiah’s tribute and still advanced on Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:14–17), but broken agreements cannot overturn God’s rule. His consuming holiness terrifies sinners, while those who walk uprightly receive a city marked by justice, abundance, healing, and forgiveness.
Key versePermalink
“Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.”