Isaiah 38:1-22

Death is a blessing for believers but we are not in a hurry to experience it.  We know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  We long to be reconciled with God and leave this sinful world behind but all of us would rather experience that kind of transformation through the rapture instead of death.  Death is an unknown experience and we all tend to fear the unknown.  There is also a certain amount of pain associated with death and most of us would prefer to avoid pain.  King Hezekiah became ill and Isaiah was told by God to go inform him of his impending death.  It must have been a hard message to deliver and an even harder message to receive.  God illustrates in this narrative His sovereignty over death.  He has the power to grant and take away life.  Our lives will be lived more effectively and our deaths will have more tranquility if we always remember God’s sovereign control over both life and death.

HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER AND PROMISE FROM GOD: Hezekiah receives the news of his impending death with sadness and perhaps depression; there may have even been a little anger with God.  These are all expected responses common to human experience.  Each of us would have similar reactions were we to be given similar news.  Hezekiah also demonstrates his conviction concerning God’s sovereignty over death by crying out to the Lord in prayer.  He literally pleads with the Lord for His life and reminds the Lord of his faithfulness.  God responds to Hezekiah’s prayer by promising to extend his life by fifteen years.  We know these extra fifteen years were not used wisely by Hezekiah and only served to damage his legacy as a leader.  Perhaps the first indication we have that this will be the case is Hezekiah’s request for a sign instead of taking God at his Word.  Hezekiah uses his own faithfulness as the basis for his request but when the request is granted he demonstrates a lack of faith.  God causes the shadow of the sun to reverse its course in order to assure Hezekiah of his life extension but self-preservation led to self-promotion and pride became the downfall of what had been an exemplary reign as king.  Hezekiah does well to pray in this instance but the focus of his prayer should have been God’s faithfulness and not his own and he should have taken God at His Word instead of asking for a sign.   

HEZEKIAH’S PSALM OF PRAISE TO GOD: Once Hezekiah realizes he will be healed he praises the Lord with a beautiful Psalm.   He begins by recounting the story of his illness and the fear he felt when warned of his death.  He realized his days were over and he would not be able to serve the Lord amongst the living or share life with the men of the earth.  His life was over and would be plucked away and his heart was crushed by the news.  This realization caused him to tremble in fear and cry out with sadness.  His response is to do the only thing he can do and cry out to God for healing and restoration of health.  God loves Hezekiah and responds to his prayer.  Hezekiah sees this as being proof of God’s forgiveness and vows to use his life to praise God for His faithfulness and tell others of God’s power.  He promises to sing and play songs of worship to the Lord out of gratitude for God’s deliverance.  Isaiah is then sent back to Hezekiah in order to inform him of the extra fifteen years and heal him of this boil by placing figs on it.  It is important for us to remember the purpose for which we live is worship.  As long as God grants us life, whether it be long or short, our job is to worship and praise Him.  Failure to do so is failure to fulfill God’s purpose for giving us life.  His glory should be ever on our lips and in our hearts.