WHEN FACING SICKNESS
In Isaiah 38:1-20, we learn of Hezekiah’s sickness, how he responds, his faith, and how God chose to bless him.
Read:
Isaiah 38:1-20
New International Version
38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz 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.”
(In verse 1, we learn that Hezekiah was deathly ill. Hezekiah was told by Isaiah, a prophet of God, that he would not recover. God speaking through Isaiah, told Hezekiah that God had intended for him to die. Regardless if the illness was brought on by God or natural causes, we as Christians must understand that God, who creates life, will also take life. God is the standard of morality, and His ways are higher than our understanding. When God chooses to take life, He is morally justified in doing so. As the creator of life, this gives Him all authority to do as God wants to do. His will, will come to pass.)
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
(In verse 2, Hezekiah shows us the type of faith he had in the Lord. It also shows us the depth of understanding when believers grow their relationship with God. He was just essentially told by God that he would not recover, but Hezekiah understood that God wasn’t a deistic type of God but theistic in nature. A personal God who acts within His creation and pursues a relationship with humanity. Hezekiah immediately turns to prayer, hoping to appeal to the heart of God. This teaches us a valuable lesson in the life of a mature believer. Whenever a crisis arises, our number one immediate response should be prayer. But notice after praying for healing, Hezekiah wept bitterly. We are still human, and our emotions are powerful tools to either help us heal, grieve, or know something is wrong mentally.)
3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
(In verse 3, we are provided an example of God’s love or His personal commitment to have a genuine relationship with His creation. God heard Hezekiah's prayer and answered him by providing 15 more years to live plus a promise to defend his city from foreign rulers like the king of Assyria.)
7 “‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
(Verse 7 provides us with the definition of the book of Hebrews type of faith. God provided the assurance he needed to believe in what God was going to do. In verses 9 through 20 we get a glimpse of how Hezekiah was feeling and his mindset after his illness.)
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?”
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself
in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”
15 But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.
18 For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the Lord.
(In verse 17 is where I feel we should conclude as it says:
17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
We may not know precisely why we are sick or dealing with some kind of physical or mental impairment, but for those in Christ, we know ultimately no matter the end result, either in life or death, our suffering is not without benefit.
Our sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ, forever redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross, forever justified through His mediation, eternally righteous as His perfection is imparted onto us, and forever sanctified as we grow in Christ.
In God’s love and grace, we were saved from what we deserved, as our evil hearts led us away from God’s guidance, and we, in return, were ripe for destruction.
Thanks be to God, we can see both spiritual and physical healing. God’s will for our lives surpasses just the physical; after all, the physical is temporary, but the spiritual is eternal. Amen!)
In Isaiah 38:1-20, we learn of Hezekiah’s sickness, how he responds, his faith, and how God chose to bless him.
Read:
Isaiah 38:1-20
New International Version
38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz 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.”
(In verse 1, we learn that Hezekiah was deathly ill. Hezekiah was told by Isaiah, a prophet of God, that he would not recover. God speaking through Isaiah, told Hezekiah that God had intended for him to die. Regardless if the illness was brought on by God or natural causes, we as Christians must understand that God, who creates life, will also take life. God is the standard of morality, and His ways are higher than our understanding. When God chooses to take life, He is morally justified in doing so. As the creator of life, this gives Him all authority to do as God wants to do. His will, will come to pass.)
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
(In verse 2, Hezekiah shows us the type of faith he had in the Lord. It also shows us the depth of understanding when believers grow their relationship with God. He was just essentially told by God that he would not recover, but Hezekiah understood that God wasn’t a deistic type of God but theistic in nature. A personal God who acts within His creation and pursues a relationship with humanity. Hezekiah immediately turns to prayer, hoping to appeal to the heart of God. This teaches us a valuable lesson in the life of a mature believer. Whenever a crisis arises, our number one immediate response should be prayer. But notice after praying for healing, Hezekiah wept bitterly. We are still human, and our emotions are powerful tools to either help us heal, grieve, or know something is wrong mentally.)
3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
(In verse 3, we are provided an example of God’s love or His personal commitment to have a genuine relationship with His creation. God heard Hezekiah's prayer and answered him by providing 15 more years to live plus a promise to defend his city from foreign rulers like the king of Assyria.)
7 “‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
(Verse 7 provides us with the definition of the book of Hebrews type of faith. God provided the assurance he needed to believe in what God was going to do. In verses 9 through 20 we get a glimpse of how Hezekiah was feeling and his mindset after his illness.)
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?”
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself
in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”
15 But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.
18 For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the Lord.
(In verse 17 is where I feel we should conclude as it says:
17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.
We may not know precisely why we are sick or dealing with some kind of physical or mental impairment, but for those in Christ, we know ultimately no matter the end result, either in life or death, our suffering is not without benefit.
Our sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ, forever redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross, forever justified through His mediation, eternally righteous as His perfection is imparted onto us, and forever sanctified as we grow in Christ.
In God’s love and grace, we were saved from what we deserved, as our evil hearts led us away from God’s guidance, and we, in return, were ripe for destruction.
Thanks be to God, we can see both spiritual and physical healing. God’s will for our lives surpasses just the physical; after all, the physical is temporary, but the spiritual is eternal. Amen!)
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