Good Thursday morning to you my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,
This past Sunday was the closing ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games 2024. It was a remarkable 16 days of competition gathering some of the best athletes of the world together. If you and I today strolled through the various competition venues in Paris what do you think we’d see? The seats would be empty, the cheers have quieted, the judges have all gone home and over these past few days even the athletes and their families and fans have been making their way back home. Some of them have medals and memories they treasure and for the rest of their lives they’ll be known as Olympians. A few of them can be called Olympic Champions!
Some of these athletes are now famous, their faces easily recognizable and I’m sure interviewers are all seeking the chance to tell the remarkable stories of these Olympic champions. Perhaps movies will even be made of some of their life stories.
I wonder if the euphoria they are feeling is something like what King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem felt in the months following the great miracle of God’s deliverance from the Assyrian army which we saw yesterday. (Is. 37:36,37) 185,000 enemy soldiers were killed in one night without a single arrow fired!
Sometimes in our euphoria, bad news can be terribly unsettling and that’s what happened to Hezekiah. The record says: “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah went to him and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, because you are going to die, you will not recover from this illness.” (2 Kings 20:1)
No matter your age or where you live in the world, serious illness can be frightening! But when you hear the words ‘fatal’ or ‘inoperable’ or ‘incurable’ other emotions well over us like desperation and terrifying fear. I’m sure the prophet Isaiah grieved at having to bring King Hezekiah this terrible news. Probably they talked about it for some time. Then Hezekiah did as you and I have done in such circumstances. He immediately turned to God in prayer.
Isaiah recorded Hezekiah’s desperate prayer with these words: “Remember, LORD, how I walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes’. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” (Is. 38:2,3) Perhaps you’ve had the experience of trying to comfort someone who has received such terrifying news as ‘incurable’. I presume Isaiah stayed with King Hezekiah as long as was appropriate, and I imagine the king pressed Isaiah for answers and explanation.
As we see in Hezekiah’s prayer, he felt that his efforts to honor God with his life should qualify him for a long life of good health, but Isaiah had told him to ‘get his house in order’. Do you suppose in Hezekiah’s grief there may have also been some growing resentment against God? Do we hold God responsible when bad things happen especially when it seems so unfair?
Isaiah turned to leave king Hezekiah in his deep grief and with no easy answers to his hard questions. But then something shocking happened. The record says: “Before Isaiah had left the middle court of the palace, the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go back and tell king Hezekiah, the ruler of My people, ‘this is what the LORD says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you! On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD, and I will add 15 years to your life...” (2 Kings 20:4-6) Stunned, I’m sure Isaiah froze in his tracks, looked around the courtyard of the palace and prayed, wanting to be sure he had not misunderstood this outrageous and very specific message from God for king Hezekiah.
Can you imagine the scene as Isaiah returned and told Hezekiah he had just then received fresh news from God about Hezekiah’s illness? Do you notice that once again God wanted Isaiah and Hezekiah to understand that God was WATCHING and LISTENING and God’s healing response was because Hezkiah’s heart remained pure before God, even in the face of terrible news.
He did not get angry with God, he did not curse God, he did not reject God, rather he appealed to God confident of his wholehearted commitment to be God honoring at all times in all situations of life. There’s an important life lesson here for all of us my friends and it calls us to look closely at the integrity, the purity of our relationship with God and the level of our trust in HIM.
Did you notice God was very specific with Hezekiah about WHEN he would recover from this illness and WHAT he should do as soon as he was able to get up, out of bed? Three days and then go up to the Temple and give God praise for His healing! May I ask my friends. Are you and I as quick to THANK GOD for His answers to our prayer as we are to rush quickly to ASK God for His help?
Did you also notice God promised something here to Hezekiah that as far as I know does not happen any other time in the Bible? God promised Hezekiah 15 more years of life and reign on the throne of Israel!
It appears Hezekiah was in such shock he asked Isaiah if God might give him some sign to assure both he and Isaiah that this would really happen? Now perhaps you are saying ‘but wait a minute, isn’t Hezekiah’s request very similar to what the priest Zechariah did when the angel Gabriel told him he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son in their old age? And then do you remember the angel Gabriel struck Zechariah mute until that baby boy was born! Why did God not strike Hezekiah here?’ (Luke 1:18-20) Good question my friends and I don’t know for sure but I believe the answer is that Zechariah’s silence prevented him from too much talking and bringing confusion to the purity and privacy of the miracles God was doing in both Elizabeth’s pregnancy and then 6 months later Mary’s pregnancy. For you remember Mary came and spent the last three months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with she and Zechariah! (Luke 1:39-46,56) Is there an important lesson here for us my friends?
It appears Isaiah received from God an unusual sign of assurance for king Hezekiah. God actually made the sun reverse course for a period of time, enough for the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz in the palace to back up 10 steps! (2 Kings 20:9-11) Sometimes I’m glad the Bible is silent and now is one of those times. As Isaiah and king Hezekiah watched the shadow backup can you imagine the celebration and their outpouring of thanks to God? Can you imagine their questions? God was actually adjusting the entire solar system to make a promise to Hezekiah!
Now let’s be careful here my friends. I’m not suggesting you ask God to make birds fly backwards or fish to jump out of the water and walk on the beach or any such thing! I am suggesting we understand how close of a relationship God desires with you and me and all His people.
Let’s join Isaiah and Hezekiah simply in awe of God and thank HIM for the powerful, personal touch of God that you have experienced in your lifetime. Has God given you a second chance at life? If so, how are you living your life now for His glory? And here’s a great worship song to help us praise the Almighty God who is watching over you and me at all times!
Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 20:1-11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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