Divine Protection | Isaiah 4:6

Trust even in the darkest of moments

Welcome to Gateways, where you experience the Nevi’im—the Prophets—through the teachings of Don Yitzchak Abarbanel, distilled into easy-to-follow lessons.

In today’s lesson, we will examine a cryptic verse that conveys a promise of divine protection.

My additions here are in italics. I’ve used bold to highlight key ideas and make the content easier to follow. As usual, this is a slightly abridged version.

I’ve included a brief overview, the verses, Abarbanel’s questions and his answers. I’ll conclude with a short takeaway of my own.

Jeff

Overview

This single verse presents a promise of divine protection. One of the challenging aspects of studying these prophecies is understanding what time period they reference, and perhaps more importantly, what lesson we’re supposed to learn.

Photo by Simon Migaj

Verse

ד:ו. וְסֻכָּ֛ה תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְצֵל־יוֹמָ֖ם מֵחֹ֑רֶב וּלְמַחְסֶה֙ וּלְמִסְתּ֔וֹר מִזֶּ֖רֶם וּמִמָּטָֽר׃

4:6 There will be a sukkah for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from storm and from rain.

Questions

The sixth question concerns his statement: ‘And the Lord will create over every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of flaming fire… and a sukkah shall be for shade by day…’ What time does this promise refer to? …To Daniel and his companions who went to Babylon, or to Zerubbabel and the people of the Second Temple, or to the days of Hezekiah—as the commentators explain?

And moreover, we do not find a pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night, nor actual booths, nor clouds of glory that hovered over them! It seems as if this promise hasn’t happened yet. Which might lead you to think that it is talking about the days of the Messiah.

Yet even if we interpret this regarding the days of the Messiah… we do not find that our Sages, of blessed memory, mentioned that such things will occur in those days. When and where, then, was this promise fulfilled, or when will it be fulfilled—especially since at times he calls it a ‘cloud,’ and at times a ‘sukkah’?

Answers

After proving how all the other explanations offered are unsatisfactory, Abarbanel says, I maintain that this entire statement is metaphorical and not according to its plain meaning.

It is saying that in the days of Hezekiah, the Blessed One would guard Jerusalem and its inhabitants with wondrous providence and superior protection, like the protection they had when they came up from the land of Egypt.

And therefore it expresses this figuratively: ‘And the Lord will create over every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and over those who assemble there, a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of flaming fire by night’—which is a metaphor for divine protection and higher protection. And for this reason he also compared it to a sukkah, which would be for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from storm and rain.

And the heat, the storm, and the rain are metaphors for the enemies—especially for Sennacherib and all his army, who came upon Jerusalem to destroy it. But He, who guards the souls of His faithful ones, protected the city for His sake and for the sake of David His servant, as he will relate afterward, in Isaiah 36.

And with this, the sixth question is resolved.

Takeaway

The story of Sennacherib’s advance on Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah is one of the most dramatic in the Bible. In it, the most advanced military power of the day threatens to conquer Jerusalem. God protects the people by destroying 185,000 Assyrian soldiers and sparing Jerusalem without a battle.

Abarbanel identifies several different reasons for why the people at that time merited such divine providence. One of the reasons is that Hezekiah relied on God alone and didn’t turn to foreign alliances, like Egypt, for protection.

To me, this provides another data point in how to walk the tightrope of having perfect faith in God while also expending our own efforts in conducting ourselves in the physical world. It isn’t a simple path to follow. I know I tend to lean into taking action. This story, and the promise of protection, is a spark of inspiration to fully open my heart and trust in God.