Hezekiah

Isa 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

In those days before the Assyrians invaded Judah, king Hezekiah of Judah was sick unto death. The LORD sent his prophet Isaiah unto him: Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. In verse 38 it says that he had a boil, perhaps he had cancer? It was time for him to die. We should seek to live, but if the LORD says it is time, in my opinion we should accept his word; It may keep us from falling into sin if our life is extended. It was time to set his house in order. A time to make his final will known and a time to get his personal life in order. We are to die to self as Christians each day. We are to confess our sins and be cleansed to be of service to the LORD who called us.

Isa 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
Isa 38:3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

It was a lonely time and a very personal time of sorrow, seeking the favor of the LORD. He said that he had walked in truth, amen, a man of God must walk in truth, for God knows all things. He had done what the law required, but it was his faith in God's promised Messiah that saves him. Even when we know we are saved, we can feel sorrow about departing this life. Who can say that they are deserving of eternal life? Who can say that they always obeyed God? Even knowing we shall go to the Lord, we have sorrow about leaving loved ones behind. As we come to salvation alone, so we depart alone; but no, God is with us in all of this; praise His name.

Isa 38:4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,
Isa 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Never say that our prayers cannot change things.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The LORD spoke to Isaiah, to tell the king that he saw his tears; the heart of the LORD was moved: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Jesus showed us the heart of God the Father as he ministered to people in need. When he saw the sorrow over the death of his friend, Lazarus, he wept.

John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
John 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
John 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Isa 38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
Isa 38:7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

The LORD would send an angel to destroy the Assyrian invaders.

Isa 37:35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
Isa 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Isa 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

A sign from the LORD. He was moving the sun dial clock hand backwards 10 degrees, a sign of extending Hezekiah's life for fifteen years.

Isa 38:9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.
Isa 38:10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
Isa 38:11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

Hezekiah was describing his thoughts, before God raised him up. These are not the words of a man of faith, but of anguish. We in Christ Jesus know that we shall see the Lord at his return and live with him forever.

Isa 38:12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Isa 38:13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Isa 38:14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

His description was pictorial, like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove, the cooing so soft. He would make loud grieving noises or soft murmurings in his fear of dying. Death would overtake him as a lion breaking his bones, but before this a pining away. The Old Testament has little clear revelation about the after life, so he was reluctant to face death. We as Christians know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We should not fear death, but when it comes be filled with peace in our hearts.

2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Hezekiah praises the LORD for life

Isa 38:15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

God has said it, he shall live fifteen more years. What shall Hezekiah's response be? I shall go gently through the last years remembering the bitterness that was felt.

Isa 38:16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

In the hardships of life our spirit grows and we learn to live. So it is good that you have given me new life to live.

Isa 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

You have removed my bitterness and given me true peace. You have taken self pity and given to me mercy. You have delivered me from the grave and forgiven my sins.

Isa 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Isa 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

Hezekiah reasons that it is the living that can praise God, the old covenant had no assurance of life after death; not the assurance we have in the New Covenant in Jesus. The living shall praise you; All who trust in the Messiah, Jesus shall live. We do not have to bargain with God for extra time; we may praise him in person in the Spirit in life eternal.

The father to the children shall make known thy truth. Yes, it is our responsibility to teach faith. Unfortunately the good intentions of training his son, did not work out as planned. Manasseh would take the throne at age twelve and he was a wicked king.

2 Ki 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
2 Ki 21:2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
2 Ki 21:3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
2 Ki 21:4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
2 Ki 21:5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
2 Ki 21:6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
2 Ki 21:7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

From this, it was obvious that Judah would have been better off without Manasseh and the original plan of ending Hezekiah's life at God's time, was the best thing. We should always pray God's will, not our own. I had a personal friend who played the trumpet with me in worship. He was a commander of the local Salvation Army. We used to take morning walks together with a sister in Christ. Later in life he had a heart attack and was not expected to live. We prayed that he could live longer. The LORD answered our prayers, but in the remaining years of his life he committed adultery and was removed from his position of trust. I thought then of Hezekiah. My friend's marriage was bad, his reputation lost in those last years given to him. Be it God's will that we ask for, He knows best.

Mat 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Isa 38:20 The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

Hezekiah would praise God all the rest of his life. Each person must choose to worship the LORD. Even the blessings of being the king's son with all good training, does not assure a son will follow God's will. We are Spiritual son's of the King of Kings through Jesus Christ who gave us assurance of eternal life and we will follow him, for we have entered into life everlasting.

Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isa 38:21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.
Isa 38:22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?

Hezekiah required a sign before he would go and worship? The sign would be his healing. The figs on the boil were used to heal him. Jesus healed with spit and mud. Others are healed by prayer, the gift of healing and more are healed by the doctors hand. Ultimately all must come to the creator for eternal healing and life.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.