OPENS WITH....KING HEZEKIAH'S LIFE IS SPARED

Verse 1 tells us Isaiah's announcement to Hezekiah.

"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'"

In those days...This happened at the time of the Assyrian invasion of Judah, because Jerusalem had not been delivered from the Assyrian threat yet (Isaiah 38:6). The events of this chapter are also recorded in 2 Kings 20:1-11.

Was sick and near death...

We are not told how Hezekiah became sick. It may have been through something obvious to all, or it may have been through something known only to God. However Hezekiah became sick, it was NOT GIVEN BY THE LORD, but it WAS certainly permitted by the LORD.

Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live...

God was remarkably kind to Hezekiah, telling him that his death was near. Not all people are given the time to set your house in order.

We know from comparing 2 Kings 18:2 with 2 Kings 20:6, that Hezekiah was 39 years old when he learned he would soon die.

Verses 2-3 tells us Hezekiah's prayer.

"Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly."

Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall...

This shows how earnest Hezekiah was in his prayer. He directed his prayer in privacy to God, and not to any man.

Remember now, O LORD...

To our ears, Hezekiah's prayer might almost sound ungodly. In it, his focus is on self-justification and his own merits. It is pretty much as if Hezekiah prayed, "LORD, I've been such a good boy and You aren't being fair to me. Remember what a good boy I've been and rescue me."

But MANY WHO SAY HEZEKIAH SOUNDS SPOILED, AND UNGODLY FORGET OR DO NOT KNOW...that under the Old Covenant, this was a VALID principle on which to approach God.

WHERE?

Passages like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 show that under the Old Covenant, blesssing and cursing was sent by God on the basis of obedience or disobedience.

On that principle, David could write in Psalm 15: 1-2, "LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart."

CHRISTIANS FROM JESUS RESURRECTION FORWARD NEED TO REMEMBER WE ARE NOW UNDER THE NEW COVENANT. We are blessed on the principle of faith in Jesus.

REMEMBER Galatians 3:13-14 confirms this, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Hezekiah's principle of prayer IS NOT fitting for a Christian today.

We pray IN THE NAME OF JESUS, not in the name of who we are or what we have done.

REMEMBER JOHN 16:23-24 which confirms, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

BULTEMA says it well and reminds Christians today, "We come across similar pleas again and again in the prayers of God's children of old. The Psalms abound with them. But we do not find them in the New Testament. The Church bases its pleas on Christ's righteousness."

And Hezekiah wept bitterly...

Why was Hezekiah so undone at the prospect of death?

IN THESE END TIMES, Many Christians today would say, "Take me home, LORD!"

But Hezekiah lived under the Old Covenant, and at that time there was not MUCH confident assurance of the glory in the life beyond taught by their godly leaders.

Instead, Jesus brought life and immortality came to light through the gospel.

REMEMBER 2 Timothy 1:9-10 confirms this, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Also, under the Old Covenant Hezekiah would have regarded this as evidence that God was very displeased with him.

Verses 4-5 tells us Isaiah brings God's answer to Hezekiah's prayer.

"And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years."'"

I will add to your days fifteen years...In response to Hezekiah's prayer, God granted Hezekiah fifteen years more.

Because Hezekiah recovered, was God's word (You shall die and not live, Isaiah 38:1) proved false?

No.
WHY?

FIRST, Hezekiah did in fact die, just not as soon as God first announced.

SECOND, when God announces judgment it is almost always an invitation to repent and to receive mercy.

I have heard your prayer...

Hezekiah's prayer was important. By all indications, if Hezekiah had not made his passionate prayer, then his life would not have been extended. Prayer matters!

In fact, God gave two gifts to Hezekiah.

WHAT WERE THEY?

FIRST, He gave the gift of an extended life.

SECOND, He gave the gift of knowing he only had fifteen years left. If he were wise, this would still give King Hezekiah the motivation to walk right with God and to set his house in order.

Verse 6 tells us the promise of deliverance from the Assyrian threat.

"I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city."

This promise is in accord with the LORD's previous prophecies of deliverance, and dates this chapter as being before God destroyed the Assyrian army (Isaiah 37:36-37).

The connection of the two promises indicates that one would confirm the other. When Hezekiah recovered his health, he could know that God would also deliver him from the Assyrians.

Verses 7-8 tells us a sign to confirm the promise.

"And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken: Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward." So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down."

This is the sign … that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken...

God showed even more mercy to Hezekiah. God was under no obligation to give this sign. In fact, God would have been justified in saying, "Hey Hezekiah, I said it and you believe it. How dare you not take My word for true?" But in real love, God gave Hezekiah more than he needed or deserved.

God shows the same mercy to us. It should be enough for God to simply say to us, "I love you." But God did so much MORE to demonstrate His love to us.

REMEMBER John 3:16 & Romans 5:8.

Behold, I will bring the shadow of the sundial … ten degrees backward...

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
God promised to do something completely IMPOSSIBLE & MIRACULOUS for the confirming sign. And it happened just as God promised: So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

THIS SHOWS US THAT GOD INDEED DOES CONTROL ALL THINGS. WE SHRUG OFF THE CREATIVE MIRACLE OF THE RISING AND SETTING SUN, AND THE RISING AND SETTING MOON ARE NORMAL...NOTHING SPECIAL.

BUT GOD INSTANTLY CAUSED THE SETTING SUN TO GO BACKWARD...AND RISE FROM THE HORIZON IT WAS SETTING INTO.

This was a wonderfully appropriate sign for Hezekiah. By bringing the shadow of the sundial move backward, it gave more time in a day - just as God gave Hezekiah more time.

AND THE LORD GAVE HEZEKIAH A VISIBLE AND A TANGIBLE SIGN TO KNOW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF DOUBT THAT GOD HAD INDEED PROMISED HIM A LONGER LIFE.

Verse 9-14 tells us Hezekiah's lament.

"This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: I said, "In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years." I said, "I shall not see YAH, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world. My life span is gone, taken from me like a shepherd's tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me. I have considered until morning; like a lion, so He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me. Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; my eyes fail from looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me!"

In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol...
Sheol is the Hebrew word for "the grave" or "the place of the dead." Here, Hezekiah laments the news of his impending death.

I shall not see YAH, the LORD in the land of the living...
Hezekiah's pain at his approaching death is increased as he believes that in the grave he will no longer see the LORD.

Again, Hezekiah's thinking is based in the cloudy understanding of the world beyond before life and immortality were brought to life & explained by Jesus & his disciples through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Though there are occasional glimpses of hope into the world beyond.

REMEMBER Job 19:25-27, which boldly declares, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me."

This explains why Hezekiah does not welcome death as a certain pathway to the presence of the LORD. For these Old Testament saints like Hezekiah and David, the grave (Sheol) was an uncertain place. They knew the LORD was there (Psalm 139:8), but they didn't know exactly how. So for these Old Testament saints, going to the world beyond was exchanging this world's certainty for the uncertainty of the world beyond.

O LORD, I am oppressed...

Since Hezekiah lived before the finished work of Jesus, he lived under the bondage of the fear of death.

REMEMBER Hebrews 2:14-15 which says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

REMEMBER 1 Corinthians 15:53-55 which says, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

How WONDERFULLY SECURE AND ABSOLUTE AND different for the believer in Jesus Christ.

OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS DIED IN FAITH BELIEVING FOR AND WAITING UPON THE HOPED FOR DELIVERER, THE MESSIAH PROPHESIED TO THEM.

BUT WE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS HAVE THE DELIVERER, THE MESSIAH, THE TREASURE OF HEAVEN, IN OUR JESUS CHRIST. HE CAME AND FULFILLED ALL OLD TESTAMENT LAWS AND DISPENSATIONS. AND HE THEN CREATED A NEW COVENANT WITH US...A COVENANT OF HIS GRACE AND MERCY UNTO SALVATION.

SOME have WRONGLY COMPARED KING Hezekiah with Paul who desired to depart and be with Christ, but this comparison is unfair, for Hezekiah still lived under the shadow of the Old Dispensation. Israel knew of an immortal life but did not quite have the glorious hope the Church now has, AMEN?

Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove...

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN....

SIMPLY PUT...the varied cries of birds he heard express the varied nature of Hezekiah's many cries to God, now quiet, now shrill, now mournful.

THANKS TO JESUS CHRIST AND THE DISCIPLES we can have a clearer understanding of the world beyond than King Hezekiah did.

DID YOU KNOW...
The Bible uses THREE MAIN WORDS to describe where people go when they die in the Old Testament.

SHEOL is a Hebrew word with the idea of the "place of the dead." The Bible tells us SHEOL WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS.

ABRAHAM'S BOSOM was where all those who DIED IN THE HOPED FOR MESSIAH went.

AND THEN HADES/HELL/GEHENNA...where those who died in rejection of THE WORD OF GOD AND THE PROPHETS AND JESUS CHRIST GO...IT IS THE WAITING PRISON, WHERE SATAN AND HIS DEMONS LIVE ALSO, & THE DEAD REJECTING JESUS CHRIST remain until the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of days. (Luke 8:31; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6 & Revelation 9:1)

THE LAKE OF FIRE...is the eternal destination of Satan, the AntiChrist, The False Prophet, Satan's demons, & all those who CHOSE TO reject Jesus Christ free gift of salvation while they were alive. (Revelation 20:13-15 & Matthew 25:41)

The Old Testament has little clear revelation about the afterlife; confident statements like Job 19:25-26 are countered by fuzzy passages like Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 and Psalm 6:4-5.

However, the New Testament gives much more specific revelation regarding the afterlife; these are things that have now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:10)

Significantly, most people who teach wrong doctrines about the afterlife (such as "soul sleep" or annihilationism) base their arguments on these "fuzzy" passages from the Old Testament, instead of the much clearer passages in the New Testament. In doing this, they reject the clear principle of 2 Timothy 1:10, AMEN?

Verses 15-20 tells us Hezekiah praises God for sparing his life.

"What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I shall walk carefully all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O LORD, by these things men live; and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so You will restore me and make me live. Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known Your truth to the children. The LORD was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the LORD."

What shall I say...

When God answered his prayer, all Hezekiah could do was praise God. He knew that it was all the LORD's work, both in word (spoken to me) and deed (done it). So, Hezekiah was speechless (What shall I say?).

I shall walk carefully all my years...

This is a good promise Hezekiah makes, and one often on the lips of the person God has spared. But in the end, it was only a good promise if Hezekiah made it good.

SO...What did Hezekiah do with these added 15 years?

One thing he did was father a son who would succeed him on the throne of Judah. Of the next king of Judah, Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, it is written that he was 12 years old when he became king (2 Kings 21:1). This means he must have been born in the last 15 years of Hezekiah's life.

BUT SADLY, fathering Manasseh was not a worthy achievement.
It was written of him, And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel (2 Kings 21:2).

In fact, God specifically targeted Judah for judgment because of the terrible sins of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:10-15).

In this, we may see that the LORD had a better plan than Hezekiah did in calling him home at the earlier time. God knew that if Hezekiah lived, he would give birth to this wicked successor. Sometimes it is best to simply leave our lot with the LORD, and leave what even seems to be clearly good up to His wisdom.

It was for my own peace that I had great bitterness...

Hezekiah is to be admired for his accurate self-knowledge, and his honesty. He admits that it was not for God's glory or honor, or even for the glory or honor of his kingdom that he was troubled over his impending death and that he wanted his life spared. It was for his own peace.

For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day...

Again, this passage reflects the uncertain understanding of the world beyond before the finished work of Jesus Christ. Hezekiah knew he could praise God while he walked this earth, but he wasn't so sure about the world beyond OFFERED HIM AND WOULD BRING.

Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the LORD...

Hezekiah shows the logical response to God's great deliverance - praise.

Verses 21-22 tells us HOW the LORD healed Hezekiah.

"Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover." And Hezekiah had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"

Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover...

Apparently, God used this medical treatment - at the very least, He used it as a sign - to bring Hezekiah's healing. God can, and often does, bring healing through medical treatments, and apart from an unusual direction from God, medical treatment should never be rejected in the name of "faith."

What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD...
Hezekiah wanted a sign, but why a sign that would allow him to go up to the house of the LORD? Because he could not, and would not go up to the house of the LORD until he was healed, so the two were connected.

ISAIAH 38....SHOWS US HEZEKIAH WAS FACING DEATH WITHOUT AND DEATH WITHIN HIS OWN BODY. HE WAS OPPRESSED, BEING ATTACKED, CHALLENGED, & THREATENED ON ALL SIDES...HE WAS ANXIOUS, DEPRESSED, AND FEARFUL..

YET HE COULD STILL PRAY...AND HE DID.
HE COULD STILL PRAISE...AND HE DID.
HE COULD STILL CRY OUT AND GIVE HIS ILLNESS, FEARS, AND WORRIES TO GOD....AND HE DID.

AND THE GOD WHO SEES ALL....ANSWERED HIM. RESTORED HIM, AND GAVE HIM AND THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM A WONDROUS SIGN TO KNOW JUST HOW BIG THEIR HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL REALLY IS.

CALL UPON JESUS CHRIST...WHOSOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST SHALL BE SAVED.