Hezekiah still has to stand against pride and the Lord knows exactly what is required to keep him in a place of worship…just he does with us.
Isaiah 38: Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery
1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
5 "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.
7 "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised:
8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
10 I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end;
13 I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.
14 Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18 For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
20 The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.
21 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover."
22 Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"
Isaiah 39: Envoys from Babylon
1 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered.
2 And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon."
4 He said, "What have they seen in your house?" Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them."
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.
7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days."
Things to think about…
1. Hezekiah becomes sick and is near death, Isa 38:1. 2Chr 32:32 says that this was because there was pride in his heart. We know that Hezekiah lived another 15 years after his repentance and miraculous deliverance. We also know he reigned for 29 years and that Assyria took Samaria in the sixth year of his reign. Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722BC. This means Hezekiah’s reign began in 727/8BC. This means Hezekiah reigned until 698/699BC. Take 15 years away and we come to the year of 713/714BC when Hezekiah falls ill. He was 25yo when he became king and so is a relatively young man when he falls ill – around 39yo. Hezekiah had done much reform to return true worship back to Judah and even among many in Israel but still suffered the consequences of pride. Even though we may start well, it is how we finish the race that matters. Here it says he “wept bitterly”, Isa 38:3.
2. The Lord sees Hezekiah’s tears and repentance and the Lord’s answer comes quickly after the king had just had a visit from Isaiah the prophet, Isa 38:5. In 2Kings 20:4 it says “And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him”. As a sign of the Lord’s deliverance for Hezekiah from his disease, the sundial goes back ten steps, Isa 38:8. We read of Hezekiah’s repentance in Isa 38:9-20. Hezekiah is restored at this point and receives 15 more years of life. But we know that he still has his faith tested when the Assyrians return with an army of over 185, 000 and build siegeworks against Jerusalem. This occurs around 701BC. We go back a little bit in the timeline to around 713BC where Hezekiah is again plagued by pride when the Babylonians envoy visits him to inquire after the sign of the sun, 2Chr 32:31. Isaiah 39 details their visit.
3. The king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan, who reigned from 721-710BC came to see Hezekiah to hear of the Lord’s miraculous deliverance of Hezekiah, from his illness Isa 39:1 and the accompanying sign done with the sun moving back 10 steps, 2Chr 32:31. The common enemy of both Judah and Babylon was Assyria. However, Hezekiah revealed his whole treasury to the Babylonian king, Isa 39:4. All the blessings had come from the Lord and Hezekiah was to trust in him and not worldly wealth or military might. Isaiah is once again used as the Lord’s instrument to challenge Hezekiah, Isa 39:3. Isaiah is told by Hezekiah that they had seen all of his wealth. Isaiah rebukes Hezekiah by saying all that wealth would be taken to Babylon one day. This we know would happen beginning in 605BC, finally being completed with Judah’s captivity to Babylon in 586BC.
4. We are called to pass on our love and knowledge of the Lord to our children and our children’s children, Dt 4:9; 6:1-7. King Hezekiah would have known these verses also. It is therefore a sad indictment on him that when he hears the Lord’s judgment upon Jerusalem upon the generations that will come after him because of his actions that he says “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days”, Isa 39:8. It seems he is thinking that the judgement is future, but he will continue to know peace and security in his lifetime. We know that Sennacherib the Assyrian king would ascend the throne in 705BC and while Hezekiah and Jerusalem would see a mighty deliverance, nevertheless 46 Judean towns would be destroyed, and many hundreds of thousands would be killed or displaced. It is incumbent upon us to share and show the gospel to our families and thereby receive the Lord’s blessing, Dt 7:9.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesdays. Ric Benson group will be on break for the next 2 weeks of holidays.
Pastor Jay has started the young adult’s life group after Sunday mornings café time. On break over the holiday period.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for Easter season and this weekend’s Good Friday and Easter Sunday service
2. Conflict in Israel and Ukraine.
3. Those who are travelling over Easter. Especially while it’s wet. 60 people have already lost lives on Qld roads this year.
4. Those who are considering baptism.
5. Church finances to cover all expenses.
6. Pray for of Kids@Church, Life groups and church community days.
7. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Monday afternoons. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
8. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
9. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Best turnout we have had for a working bee in a long time. All tasks completed. Thankyou to all involved. Special shout out to Rob Brand – guttering and down pipes completed. Thankyou everyone!
2. Joy in the service with everyone who celebrated Palm Sunday at CBC on Sunday.
3. Kids@Church ministry – Thankyou Maddison for teaching on Easter message.
4. Continue to pray for Tad to gain strength at home. Good to see him at church yesterday. Continue to pray for Glenys as she now has a splint to gain full use in her left arm. Any encouragement you can give will be greatly appreciated.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Good Friday service 9:00am 29th Mar. Easter Sunday 31st Mar, regular time 9:30am.
2. Life Groups Wednesday night at Church – 6:30pm.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for March...
Q. 18. What did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies? A. He gave them souls that could never die.
