Does He have a Time Machine? History in HIS story. Isaiah #8
Adding Context to the Most Amazing of Texts: A Boy King’s Dark Turn
Inspired by |Genesis 15:5, 22:17 |2 Kings 21: 1-16 |2 Chron 33: 1-9 |Isaiah 11:1 |Isaiah 39 |Isaiah 44 - 45 |Isaiah 49 - 53 |More Historical sources below |
It’s early dawn, and from the window, you can see the warm, golden light spilling over the hills of Jerusalem, brushing the rooftops and stone walls, and casting long shadows. Yet, the light doesn’t reach into every corner. Darkness has found its way into Jerusalem in a different form—a young boy has taken the throne, a boy who should be filled with the memory of his father’s great deliverance from the Assyrians, a boy whose name rings with the legacy of Hezekiah. Yet, young Manasseh is hardly a king in his father’s mold. Instead, he has set his heart on other paths.
Outside the palace, whispers ripple through the streets. News has reached every ear: the altars that Hezekiah tore down in a righteous sweep are rising again. Manasseh has brought back the idols, the images, the high places: The Canaanite storm god Baal alongside their fertility god, Asherah, both find their place in the temple. Cultic orgies underneath the heavenly hosts where stars, constellations, the sun and moon are now sought for their divine guidance. Molech is back, once again demanding his tribute that Mannaseh offers by passing his son through the fire. The contrast is staggering, to walk through Jerusalem is to see a strange blending of holy and unholy, of the pure words of God amidst necromancy and witchcraft that would twist Gods law to fit selfish desires, grieving the heart of the LORD.
Isaiah watches from the shadows. He’s lived to see Jerusalem saved from certain destruction, yet now, to see the people his heart loves falling back into darkness—it pains him more deeply than words can say. The people he once saw tremble and turn back to God, begging for deliverance, now follow the footsteps of their new king into new comforts and a fresh betrayal to their Heavenly Father. The sight of it wrenches the heart of Isaiah.
Though anguish weighs on him heavily, he takes comfort in his LORD. Many nights he spends alone, pouring out his heart. He walks the palace outskirts in solitude, seeking to be near God, pressing his grief, his questions, his burdens into prayer. In the quiet, words come to him—comfort, hope, visions of things unseen. Isaiah writes, and his words flow like rivers, his hand barely able to keep up with the flood of revelation. There is something fresh and new about his writings from this moment.
This new message speaks not only of a physical salvation from suffering, but also of a deeper salvation from sin. Words that reach beyond the walls of Jerusalem, beyond Judah. He writes of a man called Cyrus, though he cannot know who this man will be (about 142 years in the future!)—yet he writes how God will use this man to bring His faithful people back home from their suffering in exile. Later Jeremiah and others would build upon these words.
He writes of a Servant, One who will bear suffering for the sake of others, One who will carry the iniquities of all, offering salvation that transcends the struggles of any single generation, and crosses the barriers of race and tribe and tongue. One who will suffer greatly, One who will save entirely. Isaiah is in awe. What is this revelation? Not his people alone, but as promised to Abraham: he sees a day when the nations will find light in the promises of God. “More than the stars!” said God. “More than the stars”.
As the final words fall onto the parchment, Isaiah leans back, his heart heavy yet filled with a strange peace. He feels the extraordinary magnificence of the words, held by so fragile a scroll. How can it be? He wonders as he tucks the scroll carefully away.
Isaiah feels certain that his message will carry comfort to the distant future. Just as his people now suffer for their sins, they will one day suffer for their faithfulness— Isaiah writes to give light to their path, a path through the darkness of exile and back home again. From the stump of a fallen tree a shoot will come. Hope!! Hope in His promise.
He pens the words for those who will suffer for doing what is right rather than bear the consequence of doing wrong. To a people who will stand in the ashes of Jerusalem’s ruin, exiled in Babylon, wondering if God has abandoned them. To a people in the ashes of a world filled with the brutality of sin and its destruction, wondering if there is any hope at all.
Isaiah hears the chilling chants of worship to a foreign god, dragging his thoughts of a future hope into an anguished present. He knows he must confront Manasseh.
The King may be a boy, yet his decisions are setting Jerusalem on a path of darkness that will lead to ruin. Isaiah prays for the words, that this young king’s heart might turn from these dangerous ways.
He has written. And now it is time to speak.
Stay tuned for more, things are going to get crazy in Isaiah’s world!
Extra Reading:
Ancient Israelite Religion: An Archeological and Biblical Perspective by William G. Dever
A History of Israel by John Bright
Cyrus the Great: Life and Lore by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones